Partial Startup

[ppbjno1]

I have a 1999 Gateway  g6-400C desktop w/ Win XP OS. This was operating OK. Recently, on start up, the hard drive grinds "some" and the display shows the Gateway logo but the start up never completes and hangs. For shutdown the switch must be held in for some seconds then shuts down.

Intermittently, there has been a complete start up with the normal hd groans and the display with the complete XP screen and satisfactory operation. The switch operation was normal with momentary contact to complete start and an immediate shutdown with a short off operation. Now, it ceases to be even intermittent.

I have: replaced the switch, swapped hard drives, removed the CD, removed the Zip drive, disconnected all but the power cord and display cord, swapped power cords, disconnected and reconnected  the harness to the switch and lights, examined the power supply only to assure the fan operation and tried a boot disk - all to no avail with the resulting "partial Start up".

Any suggestions?

[patio]

First thing i would test would be to borrow a known good PSU of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there to see if this helps...

[ppbjno1]

Thank you. I will hop on to your suggestion and provide feedback.

[patio]

The next thing to check would be the HDD itself...
Find out who makes it and DLoad and run their FREE diagnostics from their website.

[ppbjno1]

OK. thank you.

Now the ps fan does not work. On a hunch, as I had collected quite a bit of dust over the years, I disassembled its case, cleaned it but it still does not run.

I have a $5 ps on its way from eBay.

[patio]

I have a $5 ps on its way from eBay.

You may find yourself in the very same position soon...

[ppbjno1]

Let's see .. I replaced the power supply ... and I still fail to get a complete start up. (The HD clicks a little , the display light comes on green  - then goes out to amber). I replaced the hard drive with the same results. There was a former reply to my dilemma suggesting I contact the web site for my HD's - supplier (Quantum) for troubleshooting  - but I cannot load the HD.

[Broni]

Quantum was acquired by Maxtor, then Maxtor by Seagate.
All diagnostic tools here: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287#quantum
It'll make bootable CD.

[patio]

And the bootable CD does not need Windows to test the drive...kinda handy when you have a drive that won't boot.

[ppbjno1]

OK. I made the floppy. Still no success. The HD lite comes on, the display lite comes ON - then goes to out to amber - a little HD groaning, and the A drive is never initiated - no light and no read.

As I said before, this condition occurs with my old Gateway HD or the replacement Quantum HD.  Both operated OK before this. (I replaced the Gateway - Win95 OS - to the Quantum for its WinXP OS.) With the Gateway HD my old boot disk will not read either.

Can the video card play a role in this?

[patio]

I would try to run the test with it hooked up in another machine...

But yes a failing vid card would cause you to have no screen to see...

[ppbjno1]

I'm sorry but with what hooked up to another machine? the HD?

[patio]

Yes.
You need to determine if that HDD is failing.
Hook it up as a slave drive on a working machine.
The jumper settings should be listed on the drive and it should be connected to the middle of the  IDE data cable...

[BC_Programmer]

Now the ps fan does not work ... I disassembled its case, cleaned it but it still does not run.

Don't worry, that big yellow sticker on the PS doesn't mean anything. You are a very brave (or perhaps very silly) person to dissassemble a power supply.


back to the topic at hand though- can you access the BIOS screens? That is generally possible when it is showing the BIOS logo (the gateway logo you described). Through the BIOS you could change the Boot sequence to use the floppy drive first. Unless of course your replacement PS made things worse and now it doesn't show the logo....

[ppbjno1]

Don't worry, that big yellow sticker on the PS doesn't mean anything. You are a very brave (or perhaps very silly) person to dissassemble a power supply. I should have said I dismounted the PS - not disassembled.


back to the topic at hand though- can you access the BIOS screens? [i]No.[/i]That is generally possible when it is showing the BIOS logo (the gateway logo you described). Through the BIOS you could change the Boot sequence to use the floppy drive first. Unless of course your replacement PS made things worse and now it doesn't show the logo.... The replacement PS produces the same results - no display, partial groan with either hard drive.

[ppbjno1]

I swapped the four wire power plug from the CDROM to the Hard Drive and everything works.

[patio]

Good news...but at the risk of repeating myself that $5.00 PSU is going to cause problems and probably take out some expensive components with it...