Computer Hangs after POST and Drive Detection - Please Help

S

SuperG

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
198
Hi all,

I don't know what to do. My computer all of a sudden stopped working. Here is the background. I have a P4 2.8 GHz Hyper Thread CPU and an Abit IS7 Motherboard. I have 1 GB (2x512 Corsair TwinX). Then I have 2 PATA Hard Drives on IDE 1 and I have 2 PATA CD/DVD Drives on IDE 2. Also, I have 1 SATA DVD Drive using the OnBoard SATA.

Here is my issue. When I turn on my computer, the computer does POST, and it detects all the drives correctly. Normally, it then goes to the next screen, which normally will say updating ECS or something like that, and then immediately shows the Windows XP screen. However, now, it just sits at the black screen without saying updating ECS or starting Windows XP. Here is what I have tried. First, I tried booting from a CD, thinking maybe it was my hard drive, but the computer never even gets to the CD (even though CD is my 1st bootable device in the BIOS). Then, I tried removing the power from each of the drives (CD/DVD & Hard Drives) systematically, and tried booting with one, but still same exact spot failure. I really don't know what could be causing it. Any ideas, anyone? Really need help. Thanks.

SuperG
 
just for laughs, check all your IDE/SATA cables............ and if it doesn't help, clear the CMOS.............. and try again.............. if nothing yet, try unplugging all of your drives and try only the primary hard disk to begin with, see if it works then........ if so, plug drives back in one at a time until it stops working again, at this point you've got either a broken drive or a bad cable............ worth a try............
 
coolie_d said:
just for laughs, check all your IDE/SATA cables............ and if it doesn't help, clear the CMOS.............. and try again.............. if nothing yet, try unplugging all of your drives and try only the primary hard disk to begin with, see if it works then........ if so, plug drives back in one at a time until it stops working again, at this point you've got either a broken drive or a bad cable............ worth a try............
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. Never thought about the cable. However, have already tried the one drive at a time idea. See above, I tried systematically to try each drive by itself. I don't think it is a bad drive or even a bad cable, because as I have said, the computer doesn't seem to get to the boot up section. The computer POSTs, and then detects all drives. Then at the next screen, it doesn't even enter the boot up process. I have my boot priority to floppy, cd, then hd. Well, I have tried putting in a bootup floppy and a bootup cd in the drives, and it won't even get to them. And, even when I leave another hd plugged in, it doesn't give the standard no os detected error. So my suspicion is, for some reason, the computer is not getting past a certain step, which is prior to booting up off of any drive. I don't know what it could be. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

SuperG
 
this is going to make absolutely no sense, but try a new CMOS battery (should be a CR2032); i've seen it happen where instead of giving a "CMOS battery low" error it instead just sits there and refuses to boot............. another thing to make sure of is that the SATA channel the DVD drive is on is set to IDE mode and not AHCI mode; running a SATA optical drive in AHCI mode tends to make strange things occur.............. Are you able to boot the system with NOTHING plugged in except a floppy? Using an MS-DOS startup disk? If so, you may want to try flashing to the latest BIOS, perhaps something got corrupted somewhere bad enough that clearing the CMOS doesn't help? Finally (and this is really grasping at straws) do you have access to another power supply you could test with?

EDIT: I noticed in your original post that you state you removed power from each drive one-by-one? You also need to disconnect the data cable; if you leave the data cable plugged in and unplug the power this can cause a system hang............
 
Yep.. i would got straight back to basics on this one.... remove every single card out of the system including the video card. Remove all drives power and connections. When you boot the 1st time it should beep like crazy because there will be a video adapter error. Make sure you have no other pci devices connected as well.

This really is a huge pain in the arse i know.. but you really gotta remove everything and systematically plug things back in until you find out what is wrong exactly. As many different configurations as you can think of so you can make sure it is infact not the motherboard. I'm assuming you have the 12volt connecter plugged in which from the picture i can see it right behind the printer I/O
abit.jpg


You may want to try another 12volt as well... i've seen this cause issues as well. The real bitch about this sort of problem is slowly getting through everything. If all your efforts don't work you may want to see if the place you purchased it from can reset the bios. Generally speaking the 1st thing I personally do with a new motherboard after getting it setup is update the bios just incase any of the hardware in there causes a conflict..... i really like the idea above. If you can manage to boot only with a floppy you can update your bios.
 
Well, just thought I would give an update. I have no idea what the heck is happening, but I got my computer working again. Basically it was the DDR Slots. The IS7 has 4 DDR Slots. Previously, I had 1 GB total (2x512 of RAM). They were running Dual channel, with 1 512 stick in slot 0 and 1 512 stick in slot 2. Well, the only way the computer would work is to make it 1 512 stick in slot 0 and 1 512 stick in slot 3. So now, the computer works, but no longer is dual channel. I have no idea what that means. If anyone has ever heard of something like this, please let me know what you think is up. Thanks again for all the replies.

SuperG
 
SuperG said:
Well, just thought I would give an update. I have no idea what the heck is happening, but I got my computer working again. Basically it was the DDR Slots. The IS7 has 4 DDR Slots. Previously, I had 1 GB total (2x512 of RAM). They were running Dual channel, with 1 512 stick in slot 0 and 1 512 stick in slot 2. Well, the only way the computer would work is to make it 1 512 stick in slot 0 and 1 512 stick in slot 3. So now, the computer works, but no longer is dual channel. I have no idea what that means. If anyone has ever heard of something like this, please let me know what you think is up. Thanks again for all the replies.

SuperG
Click to expand...

Anyone have any history of this? I still don't get it. Happy it is working now, but still confused.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top