Windows reboot then freeze

[JoeMama]

I have this computer I'm helping someone fix.  They said they were cleaning out the tower and knocked the fan off and it damaged the cpu.  One of the pins came off.  So they replace the cpu, now it won't boot up.

Here's what I noticed.  I'm trying to do a repair install booting from an XP SP2 disk, this is what is installed on the system.  It will boot from the CD, and setup will start loading.  But right before it gets to the setup screen where you select recovery console or install windows, it will reboot.  Then when it reboots it get frozen at the post screen.

If I try to boot windows normally, it will get to the screen where it says "start windows normally" or "safe more", etc.  No matter which option I choose it will instantly reboot, and freeze at the post screen.

I took out the hard drive and scanned for viruses, it found a couple but no big deal.  Still no luck.  I'm thinking possibly a bad motherboard, but I'm not sure.

Windows xp sp2
AMD Athlon 64 3800+
1 GB RAM
80 GB IDE HD
Foxconn 761GXK8MB-RS Socket 939 motherboard

[jerryheavyarms]

Have you checked the processor if it seats well in the socket? Have you also apply thermal compound onto it?

[JoeMama]

Yes, I've reseated it and tried another 939 cpu that I have and reapplied thermal compound.

[jerryheavyarms]

Is your RAM composed of 2x512Mb? If it is, try connecting only one RAM and see if that will helps..Try it on both RAMś

[patio]

Borrow a known good PSU of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there.

[JoeMama]

Ok I tried a new power supply and have the same thing.

I put a new ram module in there and I don't have the freezing up anymore.  I can reboot now several times without turning it off.  But it still won't boot, it's in a reboot loop. I'm trying to load the recovery console, I get to where I press "r" for recovery console, but it won't get to the next screen where I press F8.  It will reboot at that point every time.  It looks to me like it's checking the hard drive.  I'm going to go now and run chkdsk on the HD.  Any other ideas?

[jerryheavyarms]

Try to replace HD cables with new ones..

[JoeMama]

Tried a new IDE cable, no luck.  Ran chkdsk on the drive, it didn't find any errors but it found some free space that was allocated as used space and corrected that.  But still no luck.

On setup after you hit "r" for recovery it freezes where it says "Examining 76317 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi..."

[jerryheavyarms]

Try to hook your HD to a friend's computer. Setting it as a slave (so that it wouldn't treat it as a boot disk). Then run chkdsk /r on your HD.

Good Luck and keep us posted!

[patio]

DLoad and run the manuf. diagnostics on that drive...they are more extensive than chkdsk.

[JoeMama]

I ran the western digital dft and the quick test and full test found no errors.

I have a new hard drive I tried to see if I could have anymore luck.  I put it in and started setup, it would let me go the the F8 key to agree, go to the next screen then freeze.

I think I'm running out of options.  Possible a bad motherboard?

[Annon]

They said they were cleaning out the tower and knocked the fan off and it damaged the cpu.  One of the pins came off.  So they replace the cpu, now it won't bo.........

Yeah maybe your friend inadvertently damaged the motherboard?

[patio]

Any bulging/discolored caps on that board ? ?