Problem with Gateway GT5026E crashing before Win XP starts

[TomMonger]

My friends Gateway GT5026E would fire up but come to the Windows startup menu (Safe mode, Safe w/command, etc). It would freeze up there.

Since I am fairly computer savvy, I tried restoring the hard drive (my friend had everything backed up, so it was no loss reformatting the drive). The restore software ran flawlessly and the computer didn't hang until the very end, when it was supposed to reboot. So I powered it down and restarted it. Same problem.

I opened the case, and saw that all the air holes were plugged pretty bad, so I assumed a heat problem. I vacuumed everything. The fans were all working fine. The machine was still locking up before Windows would start.

I then unplugged the hard drive and booted to the BIOS. I kept moving around in the BIOS and then the machine locked up. So it can't possibly be a hard drive problem.

Could the processor be partially cooked? Or could it be the motherboard itself? I also took out the memory and reseat the chips.

Another note... as the machine booted up, the fan would be in a high speed mode, then when Windows was about to boot, the fan went into low speed and that's when the machine would just stop.

The weird part ... during the 2 Gateway restore processes, the machine didn't crash.

Any idea?
Thanks!
-Tom in Scranton, PA USA

 

[BadBigBen]

I would try another RAM module... and run MEMTEST86+ to check the RAM for errors... as this sounds alot like the deal I had a long time ago... as soon as the RAM was replaced it worked fine...

the Fans running at full speed and then dropping to a lower rpm is fairly common with lots of mobos...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[TomMonger]

Well, I changed the RAM and it's still doing the same thing. I also swapped out the processor, same thing. I also disconnected the hard drive and tried moving around the BIOS, but it locked up after a few minuted.

I guess it needs a new motherboard Any ideas where I can get one identical to this particular one?

-Tom in Scranton, PA USA

 

[BadBigBen]

Unfortunately not, as I am sitting over the great pond in Ye'Old Europe, and I have never seen a Gateway Comp...

I would just go ahead and purchase a mobo that is fairly close to the gateways specs (that would be compatible with the RAM and CPU you already have) and go for a fresh install...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[wahnula]

Any ideas where I can get one identical to this particular one?

Well according to Gateway the component is an Intel (Cortez) 945G Motherboard, should be relatively easy to find a similar board, in fact this one looks identical:

http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/D945GCZ/index.htm

Best of luck.

Tony

 

[TomMonger]

Thanks, Tony. I've also found a couple identical boards, but I suspect that if I change it, the Gateway XP "restore" disk won't function and I won't be able to re-install XP again since the BIOS, no?