Troubleshooting current system issues - WIP

[eepandook]

Hi everyone, 

I am new to the Tomshardware forums, well at least as a registered user. I have a long post here below about my current PC which most of the components are no more then 2.5 years old. I appreciate your time to look over my details and any advice and help that can be can be provided. If you need any further information please ask.

I have had some experience in troubleshooting hardware issues as described below. I am familiar with PCs, I install my own upgrades (RAM, storage, video cards etc.) and have never had to deal with any major errors besides software and viruses.

Here's some info about my system from Windows System Information:


OS Name    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
Version    6.1.7600 Build 7600
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer    Microsoft Corporation
System Name    BAZERK-PC
System Manufacturer    MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
System Model    MS-7357
System Type    X86-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz, 3003 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date    American Megatrends Inc. V1.3, 8/07/2008
SMBIOS Version    2.5
Windows Directory    C:\Windows
System Directory    C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device    \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale    Australia
Hardware Abstraction Layer    Version = "6.1.7600.16385"
User Name    bazerk-PC\bazerk
Time Zone    E. Australia Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory    3.25 GB
Available Physical Memory    1.70 GB
Total Virtual Memory    6.49 GB
Available Virtual Memory    4.64 GB
Page File Space    3.25 GB
Page File    C:\pagefile.sys


So where to begin. My current build is about 2.5 years old. The previous systems CPU bit the dust, I had to take to a shop it was beyond my scope (Chinese technician actually said "I think cockroaches have been urinating on your PC, I can see arcs from electricity"!). He built me a nice and cheap PC at the time and it worked well. I put a new video card in HD4850 and upgraded RAM to Kingston HyperX DD2 not long after.

Anyway, jump to 4 weeks ago. A friend of mine bought a new computer and had Windows 7 Ultimate thrown into the package and already owned a copy which he offered to me. I was happy with my XP build but decided to give it a go, I had used my sisters computer a few times and liked some of the features in Win7.

After installing everything was sweet and I was very happy with the performance on my aging 160gb Seagate drive. I was especially happy because I had a DirectX 10 card and could now look at playing some updated games. 2 weeks later during the "Windows is Starting" sequence with the animated Windows logo, it froze during this process of loading Windows.

After a hard restart using the restart button on my PC case, it would prompt me for error recovery/hard disc check. I did this several times and it found no errors. The funny thing was after an initial boot, and it prompting me to complete the this check, I would choose "Start Windows normally" and it would boot fine right into my new Windows 7 build. I was getting beep codes at boot, 1 long 3 short - but when I say "long" it's not a long sound, just a beep, pause, beep beep beep. Apparently that's a memory failure error. (Later on I did a MEMTEST86+ session explained below.)

I wiped the drive and reinstalled Windows XP because I wasn't in the mood for mucking around if it was an OS issue. The same boot problem occurred, froze upon loading Windows, hard restart, start Windows normally and it did so.

I had no mission critical bits to do so I formatted drive and installed Windows 7 again. Same symptoms and frozen boot sequence, restart, "Start Windows normally" and it would start up. I was due for a new drive and figured these signs were a failing hard drive.

I purchased a Western Digital drive, WD20EARS, a 2TB drive, it was on special (I think I found out why). I installed Windows 7 and was running great for a few days and then BAM, same boot issues as described above. The guy I bought the drive from said maybe my SATA cables were the problem, he said using genuine cables on machines that had boot issues fixed the problem - I haven't bought new cables but decided to troubleshoot the cable issue by plugging into old drive and swapping SATA ports alongside with my Asus DVD drive (swapping between the two).

At this stage when trying to identify if my SATA cables were an issue I couldn't get the new WD20EARS drive to boot AT ALL. BIOS would recognise but then I got an error that I can't remember! I wrote it down but can't find the piece of paper, something along the lines of "Primaster failure drive etc. etc." After several reboots and trying to get the drive the drive to boot, I pulled my computer up on my desk and reseated RAM, replugged every cable, just in case and when I booted I heard it - "click click click click" - *censored*.

So I think my new drive is done for - I was getting beep codes, 3 of them - to do with memory I read, not storage - according to bioscentral.com for my AMI Bios 1.3. I completed a 12 hour session of MEMTEST86+ which gave no errors.

I removed my video card, removed old DVD and CD (I never use) and reseated RAM again and I only go 3 beeps "memory parity error" - I put it all back in bar the old DVD and CD drive and now I get 2 beeps   Seriously this has got me stuffed.

I ran Seagate diags on the working drive, no errors found. I didn't get an opportunity to run any WD software on the dud drive because it died before I had an opportunity.

I am totally lost here - I can't afford a new PC right now and my "PC funny bone" is tickling towards to the idea that my Mainboard might be stuffed. 

I can boot up use my PC, but I don't feel it's health is very stable - it requires a boot to the "frozen" point in loading Windows 7, then hard restart, Start Windows normally and then I can boot up and load Windows.

I haven't experienced this before and I am WAY out of touch with this stuff. I used to build and rebuild hardware, and troubleshoot all and any software/OS issues - but that was more than 7 years ago. I am VERY rusty and would appreciate any help and advice.

Thanks for reading this far into my post    I am going to try more tests and hardware configs in the mean time. A work in progress indeed.

[Geek-9pm]

Welcome to the CH forums.
Pardon me for a short answer, this is the best I can do at the moment.

It appears that you have both hardware and software issues. You need to isolate the issues and solve them one-by-one.

You need to borrow a Power Supply Unit (PSU ). Test the motherboard with another PSU and see if the behavior is better.

Con tray to what some amateur technicians think, there is little point trying to fix software while a hardware problem may still be present. Make sure that both your Motherboard and PSU are working well. Start with least amount of memory that you can.  Any beeps at all can mean a hardware error. See your documentation for the motherboard.

Look this over please:
http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm

[eepandook]

Hey Geek,

I thank you for your reply and I really feel your opinion. I have in my past careers dealt with difficult errors, hardware and software and know that one over the other can never be ruled out or considered as the absolute answer to an issue based on symptoms prescribed. Basically, I don't believe it's a software/bios whatever issue. Scared, I can't afford to dish out for new hardware, let alone a new system. I am out of touch with this because I have never had major issues with my own PCs and whilst I have the ability to research and work on this I am out of depth just by inexperience of about 10 years of hardcore troubleshooting.

I can't borrow a PSU I don't have any friends in my current location, so my only resort is to do what I can with with what I have - before popping down the local computer shop (which of many I don't trust based on a short phone call and my basic queries).

Honestly, I think it is a PSU problem (Cooler Master, why did I use it?) - my hardware is quality, even though budget and have had weird issues that I can't fully put my finger on. The PSU on the other hand is Cooler Master, *shudder* - I really didn't want it but it was the only PSU within my budget at the time with the card I wanted... which didn't work out and got a refund from reseller. D'oh!

I have reviewed the link supplied and am working through different configs, I need to pay attention and log errors - I have beeps that have experienced in no particular order are, 2, 3, or 1 long, 3 short, in different configs - see how I am confused! I am leaning towards a PSU issue based on the erratic boot behaviour and errors produced. I truly can't believe it's a Mainboard issue, well I hope it isn't

Thank you again Geek

[Geek-9pm]

I have beeps that have experienced in no particular order are, 2, 3, or 1 long, 3 short, in different configs -

That means fundamental hardware issues.. If not the video card, it would be memory, motherboard or power supply. But not in that order.
Do you have an oscilloscope? Can you track endow power noise on the motherboard? Without another power supply you hove to start making actual measurements. Power glitches are very sort; they are less than a millisecond, so you have to use a scope to catch them.

[Salmon Trout]

Do you have an oscilloscope? Can you track endow power noise on the motherboard? Without another power supply you hove to start making actual measurements. Power glitches are very sort; they are less than a millisecond, so you have to use a scope to catch them.

Are you serious? If the OP had a scope and the knowledge to use it do you really think he'd be posting on here?

[Geek-9pm]

Are you serious? If the OP had a scope and the knowledge to use it do you really think he'd be posting on here?

Well, he said he had experience.