PC not happy well!!!!! - won't boot [Windows XP]

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From: moonraker on 12 Nov 2009 19:53

Hi there, As a very lovely Polish young lady at work used to put it "Canna
you 'elp me!!!"

Symptoms

Press start button

Screen appears - American megatrends - Amibios � 2001

AV41P005 P4X333-8235 Intel ( r ) Celeron ( r ) CPU. 2.4o GHz

Checking NVram. Update OK

394944 kb OK - this counting usually freezes, at various random values -
unless I choose to skip memory test or enter Setup.

If I hit escape to skip memory test - it runs on through a couple of screens
listing various drives etc then to a black screen with a white bar runs
across the bottom. It then loads the windows XP logo screen and the bar in
the middle shows the loading process. This loading often freezes and will
not continue.
When it does complete loading the User log on screen appears, so I enter the
password and hit enter and it usually just sits there "saying" loading you
personal setting and goes no further. If I wait too long to enter the user
I.D the keyboard will not work.
On one occasion it did load the desk top but I could not do any thing with
it.

Am now trying to run a memtest.

Since your computer won't boot, get this:
http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

Hi there, OK I have create a floppy with memtest 2.1 as the 4.0 would not
load.
Stuck it in the A:drive and fired up
Have to skip NVRAM memory test
PC runs and the screen shows values streaming down the left hand side:-

AX:0200
BX:0000
CX:0006
DX:0000
EX:1004

Runs for 30 seconds or a minute, and I can see the numbers changing on the
screen, like they are scrolling up.

Then they stop changing, pretty sure that the PC has hung up, although there
is a curser flashing on the right of the bottom line, which just happens to
be ...DX000

What do you think.

From: RJK on 12 Nov 2009 20:24

"moonraker" <stephen.emery(a)microstarsoftware.com> wrote in message
news:%23i7G0u$YKHA.5108(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Hi there, As a very lovely Polish young lady at work used to put it "Canna
> you 'elp me!!!"
>
> Symptoms
>
> Press start button
>
> Screen appears - American megatrends - Amibios � 2001
>
> AV41P005 P4X333-8235 Intel ( r ) Celeron ( r ) CPU. 2.4o GHz
>
> Checking NVram. Update OK
>
> 394944 kb OK - this counting usually freezes, at various random values -
> unless I choose to skip memory test or enter Setup.
>
> If I hit escape to skip memory test - it runs on through a couple of
> screens listing various drives etc then to a black screen with a white bar
> runs across the bottom. It then loads the windows XP logo screen and the
> bar in the middle shows the loading process. This loading often freezes
> and will not continue.
> When it does complete loading the User log on screen appears, so I enter
> the password and hit enter and it usually just sits there "saying" loading
> you personal setting and goes no further. If I wait too long to enter
> the user I.D the keyboard will not work.
> On one occasion it did load the desk top but I could not do any thing with
> it.
>
> Am now trying to run a memtest.
>
> Since your computer won't boot, get this:
> http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
>
> Hi there, OK I have create a floppy with memtest 2.1 as the 4.0 would not
> load.
> Stuck it in the A:drive and fired up
> Have to skip NVRAM memory test
> PC runs and the screen shows values streaming down the left hand side:-
>
> AX:0200
> BX:0000
> CX:0006
> DX:0000
> EX:1004
>
> Runs for 30 seconds or a minute, and I can see the numbers changing on the
> screen, like they are scrolling up.
>
> Then they stop changing, pretty sure that the PC has hung up, although
> there is a curser flashing on the right of the bottom line, which just
> happens to be ...DX000
>
> What do you think.
>
>

Sounds a little like it needs a major service, and lots of TLC !

If system box / hard disk/s contain irreplaceable data - take it to
somebody who genuinely KNOWS what they're doing !

Full anti-static precautions | thoroughly blow out all dust, (don't allow
fans to spin up to ridiculous speeds whilst blowing out dust),
check all fans are in good condition and running properly,
....If system box innards looks like it was thrown together by an amateur -
rebuild it properly ! swap out parts in a logical order etc.

regards, Richard

From: moonraker on 12 Nov 2009 20:47

"RJK" <nosuch(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eaTfYAAZKHA.4072(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>
> "moonraker" <stephen.emery(a)microstarsoftware.com> wrote in message
> news:%23i7G0u$YKHA.5108(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Hi there, As a very lovely Polish young lady at work used to put it
>> "Canna you 'elp me!!!"
>>
>> Symptoms
>>
>> Press start button
>>
>> Screen appears - American megatrends - Amibios � 2001
>>
>> AV41P005 P4X333-8235 Intel ( r ) Celeron ( r ) CPU. 2.4o GHz
>>
>> Checking NVram. Update OK
>>
>> 394944 kb OK - this counting usually freezes, at various random
>> values - unless I choose to skip memory test or enter Setup.
>>
>> If I hit escape to skip memory test - it runs on through a couple of
>> screens listing various drives etc then to a black screen with a white
>> bar runs across the bottom. It then loads the windows XP logo screen and
>> the bar in the middle shows the loading process. This loading often
>> freezes and will not continue.
>> When it does complete loading the User log on screen appears, so I enter
>> the password and hit enter and it usually just sits there "saying"
>> loading you personal setting and goes no further. If I wait too long to
>> enter the user I.D the keyboard will not work.
>> On one occasion it did load the desk top but I could not do any thing
>> with it.
>>
>> Am now trying to run a memtest.
>>
>> Since your computer won't boot, get this:
>> http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
>>
>> Hi there, OK I have create a floppy with memtest 2.1 as the 4.0 would not
>> load.
>> Stuck it in the A:drive and fired up
>> Have to skip NVRAM memory test
>> PC runs and the screen shows values streaming down the left hand side:-
>>
>> AX:0200
>> BX:0000
>> CX:0006
>> DX:0000
>> EX:1004
>>
>> Runs for 30 seconds or a minute, and I can see the numbers changing on
>> the screen, like they are scrolling up.
>>
>> Then they stop changing, pretty sure that the PC has hung up, although
>> there is a curser flashing on the right of the bottom line, which just
>> happens to be ...DX000
>>
>> What do you think.
>>
>>
>
> Sounds a little like it needs a major service, and lots of TLC !
>
> If system box / hard disk/s contain irreplaceable data - take it to
> somebody who genuinely KNOWS what they're doing !
>
> Full anti-static precautions | thoroughly blow out all dust, (don't allow
> fans to spin up to ridiculous speeds whilst blowing out dust),
> check all fans are in good condition and running properly,
> ...If system box innards looks like it was thrown together by an amateur -
> rebuild it properly ! swap out parts in a logical order etc.
>
> regards, Richard

Hi Richard, thanks for getting back!!! yes, it is very dusty inside, it
belongs to my daughter.

I was going to take the HDD out of the PC and slave it in another to pull
some of the data off - and maybe if it is quite happy in its new home -
leave it there.

What do you think???

Cheers

From: Paul on 12 Nov 2009 21:17

moonraker wrote:
> Hi there, As a very lovely Polish young lady at work used to put it "Canna
> you 'elp me!!!"
>
> Symptoms
>
> Press start button
>
> Screen appears - American megatrends - Amibios � 2001
>
> AV41P005 P4X333-8235 Intel ( r ) Celeron ( r ) CPU. 2.4o GHz
>
> Checking NVram. Update OK
>
> 394944 kb OK - this counting usually freezes, at various random values -
> unless I choose to skip memory test or enter Setup.
>
> If I hit escape to skip memory test - it runs on through a couple of screens
> listing various drives etc then to a black screen with a white bar runs
> across the bottom. It then loads the windows XP logo screen and the bar in
> the middle shows the loading process. This loading often freezes and will
> not continue.
> When it does complete loading the User log on screen appears, so I enter the
> password and hit enter and it usually just sits there "saying" loading you
> personal setting and goes no further. If I wait too long to enter the user
> I.D the keyboard will not work.
> On one occasion it did load the desk top but I could not do any thing with
> it.
>
> Am now trying to run a memtest.
>
> Since your computer won't boot, get this:
> http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
>
> Hi there, OK I have create a floppy with memtest 2.1 as the 4.0 would not
> load.
> Stuck it in the A:drive and fired up
> Have to skip NVRAM memory test
> PC runs and the screen shows values streaming down the left hand side:-
>
> AX:0200
> BX:0000
> CX:0006
> DX:0000
> EX:1004
>
> Runs for 30 seconds or a minute, and I can see the numbers changing on the
> screen, like they are scrolling up.
>
> Then they stop changing, pretty sure that the PC has hung up, although there
> is a curser flashing on the right of the bottom line, which just happens to
> be ...DX000
>
> What do you think.
>

How many sticks of RAM does the computer have ?

If you have more than one stick of RAM, then test the RAM one stick at a time.

Always:

1) Turn off all power, before adding or removing RAM sticks.
2) Store the RAM sticks in an antistatic bag, between uses of them.
3) Bring yourself to the same electrical potential as the chassis of
the computer, before inserting the RAM. The easiest way to do this,
is with a wrist strap. This is used for control of staiic discharge,
which is the enemy of RAM. The end with the clip, is clipped onto
some shiny *grounded" metal on the computer chassis.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2479151

Keep track of where the RAM was originally installed, as the computer
was quite happy with the RAM at one time.

If a RAM stick has a "slight" problem, like a single stuck bit in high
memory, then many processes in the computer will work without a problem.
Memtest will behave more normally.

If the memory is bad down in low memory, or if an entire chip is bad,
then the computer may not be able to start. The BIOS needs good memory
below the 1MB level, for the BIOS to be able to work. The memory test
that the computer uses when it starts up, is not very thorough, and
actually doesn't test all the memory properly. So even if there is a
dead chip, the built-in test may pass (that happened on my Nforce2
based machine).

The reason for testing the sticks of RAM, one at a time, is the theory
that only one stick is bad. If you place a perfectly good stick
in there, then all tests should pass. If the second RAM stick
fails (as it has in your current test results), you'd swap in a
replacement.

You can look here, for replacement sticks. The main advantage of
these sites, is they have a database of computers, making it
easier to find compatible memory.

http://www.crucial.com
http://www.kingston.com

The P4X333-8235 would be using a VIA chipset. OK, this one is tricky,
because it uses two different kinds of RAM. The blue slots use one
kind of RAM. The black slots another. The keys are in different locations.
You can only use one color of slots at a time, either use the black
slots, or use the blue ones, but not both colors at the same time.
On some motherboards designed to use two different kinds of RAM,
there is a jumper to set the memory bus voltage (on your board, it
is jumper JP1, located between the two sets of RAM slots). You would only
need to consider whether one of those jumpers exist, if you're changing
RAM types. I.e. If you're using the blue slots currently, and
continue using the blue slots, then you have nothing to worry
about.

http://www.firingsquad.com/products/product_images/hw/LARGE_shuttle_av41p.jpg

With such a motherboard, it would really help to have a manual for it.

http://download.shuttle.eu/Archive/Manuals/en/av41p_n/av41pen.zip

( http://download.shuttle.eu/Archive/ )

The two slots nearest the processor, take 184 pin DDR RAM.
The other two slots take 168 pin SDRAM (older stuff). So
if you're shopping for a replacement, make sure you're looking
for the right stuff.

Paul

From: Elmo on 13 Nov 2009 00:11

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