PSU Causing HDD to Shut Down?

H

Hypo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Messages
135
Ever since I got my Linkworld 430W PSU, everytime I do a cold boot after the computer has been shut off for an extended period of time (a day or so), my hdd shut down then restarts as soon as I log into Windows. This also happens when I'm taxing my system (1700+, GF2, WD 60gb hdd, Soyo KT7V Dragon Plus mobo) while playing a game over 1/2 hour.

I was thinking my comp could be overheating, but it never breaks 50C, and it would be impossible to overheat on startup. The thing is that I can actually hear the HDD click, rev down, pause, then click and rev back up again.

According to Aida32 these are my voltages:

CPU - 1.76
2.5 - 2.5
3.3 - 3.18
5 - 4.89
12 - 12.67
5Standby - 4.87

Is my hdd dying, or is my psu crap? I only got it because it wasn't worth getting anything more for this old machine, and it was only $20 at Fry's after rebate (less than a month for the $5 rebate, too!).
 
when the HD shuts down, what happens? does it interfear with the OS or gameplay?

any errors pop up? (BSODs?)

if you are still worried about the HD, go to the manufacturers website and try to download a SMART test program.

if all else fails , put that PSU in another computer and see what happens....do the same thing witht eh HD
 
When it shuts down, my screen immediately turns off, fans wind down, the hdd clicks and revs down, and the system enters post. It beeps, then after 2 seconds, the hdd clicks again and revs up, resuming a normal boot. No BSoDs, or anything else. Imagine listening to something, surfing the net, then BAM, silence, and a reboot.

I'll try a SMART test, though. Thanks for the suggestion.

Either way, I'm not too worried about it, since I will be buying a new system withing a couple months so I'll be giving this rig to my sister, but I don't want her freaking out when the comp randomly reboots.
 
I'd measure the voltages with a digital multimeter because mobos don't always indicate the voltages accurately. If you have no meter, see if the computer boots more reliabily with the nonessentials temporarily unplugged from the PSU. But I can't imagine a 1700+, GeForce 2, and single HD overtaxing any nondefective 430W PSU because they probably draw only 100W. Are any of the power connectors loose? I've had HD connectors become loose and require prying between the hollow metal terminals and the surrounding plastic to tighten them.

I did a superficial check of a 430W (420W?) Linkworld PSU before I returned it to Fry's and thought that it was built OK but not great, although its high voltage filter capacitors were each only 470uF, compared to 820-1,000uF in my 350W Antec and Fortron/Sparkle PSUs, and even some 200W PSUs have 470uF filters. But I don't think that the small capacitors could be causing your problem, unless your line voltage is really low, like 90V instead of 120V, which I really doubt.

One thing you don't want to do is have an HD installed without at least 1cm of space on each side because that can make it run a lot hotter, and WDs may be especially vulnerable because their chips are mounted on the inner side of the circuit board, where they can't get much air flow. I had a Seagate Barracuda IV with a metal cover over its circuit board, and at idle its aluminum body temp was 4C hotter than those of HDs where the chips were exposed.
 
well, dude, sorry to tell you, but you may still have a BSOD...but it happens so fast that you cant see it..

ok, heres what you need to do.

goto start>settings>control panel>system> Advanced> and then under "startup and recovery" hit the button...then DESELECT "automatically reboot" when the system fails

the reason why you have to do this is because sometimes the PSU is defective and it either spikes or dips the current going to one device or another... this creates a ripple throughout the ENTIRE system..this ripple causes the system to mess up on a code here, or a signal there...thus the STOP error(BSOD)

which is why you MUST set it NOT to automatically reboot.

your HD most likely is perfectly fine.

but untill you see that BSOD, you have no way of knowing where to start looking
 
I had the same problem as you (my computer would shut off twice before ever getting into windows.) I solved the problem by resetting the cmos. Strange solution, but it did work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top