Computer auto-restarts during startup, forever

[ArtSiren]

Hi everyone. Hope you can help me. Thanks drmsucks for suggesting I start a new thread for this.

First, my setup (3 years old):

Custom build
Soltek motherboard
Phoenix AwardBIOS v.6.00PG
AMD Athlon64 3200+
1GB RAM
165GB HDD (about 10% used)
Running WindowsXP Home Edition
Fairly sure it had SP2, but may have background installed SP3.
Keyboard: Packard Bell model 9201/RT7N20 (it's a USB keyboard).


The problem:

On startup, begins normally, then produces an error screen:

'We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change may have caused this.' Etc. I've occasionally seen this screen before. It carries on describing options, and the list that offers Safe Mode.


After the countdown, the computer gets to the Windows XP flag, gets so far, and then the monitor (Acer P193W) goes back to the 'No signal' message and the computer tries to startup again. It always gets to the XP flag, and then starts over. It never gets to the Welcome screen or desktop.

I mentioned my keyboard in the spec as I am unable to use it during this process. Holding down DELETE gives the BIOS, and the keyboard then works within BIOS. Anything else is unsuccessful. I cannot toggle thru the options to use Safe Mode. None of the function keys work so I can't F8. If I insert my XP CD I still get asked to press any key to boot from it, but the keyboard won't accept it.

I hadn't installed any new software or hardware, but will admit to switching it off with the Power button rather than shutting down properly before this problem started.

I think I've pretty much covered it, and hope somebody can help me! I don't mind if I have to get a different keyboard. Somebody elsewhere reckoned my HDD has died, but perhaps (as drmsucks mentioned on a different thread) it has to do with my AMD processor and SP3.

I appreciate you taking some time to consider a possible solution to my problem. Thanks.

[xavier]

Do you have a spare power supply to make a test

[ArtSiren]

Unfortunately I don't have a spare power supply Xavier. Do you think it might be a problem with that?

My next port of call is to try and see if I can get an adapter for my USB keyboard, and plug it into the PS2 socket. If I can get the keyboard to work during startup, maybe I'll have a better chance at solving this, with help from other similar threads on this BB.

Thanks for the suggestion Xavier. 

[xavier]

Is you hard drive recognised in the bios? If so config your your start up order CDrom first  you can also while in bios set your bios to best known config. or default.

[ArtSiren]

Xavier - I've never messed around in the BIOS before so I don't really know what I'm looking for. That being said, here is what I see when I go into it:

STANDARD CMOS Features

Date
Time
IDE Primary Master - SONY DVD-ROM DDU1613
IDE Primary Slave - SONY DVD RW DW-U1
IDE Secondary Master - None
IDE Secondary Slave - None
Drive A - 1.44M, 3.5 in
Drive B - None
Video - EGA/VGA
Halt On - All Errors
Base Memory - 640K
Extended Memory - 1047552K
Total Memory - 1048576K
------------------------------------------------------------
ADVANCED BIOS Features

Virus Warning - Disabled
CPU Internal Cache - Enabled
External Cache - Enabled
CPU L2 Cache ECC Checking - Enabled
Quick Power On Self Test - Disabled
First Boot Device - CDROM
Second Boot Device - CDROM
Third Boot Device - Floppy
Boot Other Device - Enabled
Swap Floppy Drive - Disabled
Boot Up Floppy Seek - Disabled
Boot Up NumLock Status - On
Typematic Rate Setting - Disabled
x Typematic Rate - 6
x Typematic Delay - 250
Security Option - Setup
APIC Mode - Enabled
OS Select For DRAM>64MB - Non-OS2
Video BIOS Shadow - Enabled
----------------------------------------------------

Amongst the options at the bottom the screen I get two default ones: F6 Fail-safe defaults, and F7 Optimized defaults.Should I try one of these? Also, I'm not sure where to look to see if the hard drive is recognised.  I should also say that my CD rom doesn't work - I'm using the DVD rewriter instead.

[xavier]

From what i see in your bios there is no hard drive recognised in your bios , it showes yoyr dvd,cd and floppy. yes to fail safe

[ArtSiren]

So do you think this is 'game over' for the hard drive then? Or would there be a possibility of fixing it if I manage to start in Safe Mode somehow - with a PS2 keyboard perhaps?

At least I've learned that it's better to back up data more often than 'never'! 

Hard lesson though.

[xavier]

Can you open the case and get all the info off of the HD

[ArtSiren]

Sorry for delay in replying Xavier - I was getting a connection speed of 0.2kbps on my laptop! I've moved around the house and got a decent speed now!

Right, the info on the hard drive case is:

Hitachi Deskstar (www.hgst.com)
Rated 5V 500mA, 12V 700mA

Model: HDS722516VLSA80

Capacity: 164.7GB   RPM: 7200RPM
P/N: 13G0254   MLC: H71474
LBA: 321, 672, 960 sectors   CHS: 16383/16/63

And there are three bar-codes, a long one and two short ones. Numerically they are:

13G0254H714740S43
P/N: 13G0254   S/N: C4CD5HNM

[patio]

This handy little item will allow you to hook up that laptop HDD to a desktop machine and retrieve your data...
Be prepared ahead of time however as if the drive is failing you may only get one chance.
It's best to just copy the info to the Desktop machine's hard drive rather than trying to burn it as it takes less time. You can always burn the data later.

Good Luck.

[ArtSiren]

Patio - sorry, I've confused the issue a little bit. It's my desktop HDD that's having problems. My laptop is fine, but with a Celeron that is very slow, and a wireless internet dongle - so the laptop can be extremely slow, but it does work.

I guess the device would still work the other way round, but I'm not definite about how much data I would have to transfer. My laptop HDD is much smaller - 69GB with only 37GB free. So there might not be enough space - would it make any difference if the laptop runs Vista and the desktop runs XP Home? And (because I'm just a computer simpleton) what actually IS that device in the picture, so I know what I'm looking for? 

Have you heard of the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini? It's an external hard drive, and comes bundled with something called Safety Drill. I fear it might be too late to use this though, as I presume I would need to install it, but obviously, at the moment I can't start the computer up to do so.

[drmsucks]

but perhaps (as drmsucks mentioned on a different thread) it has to do with my AMD processor and SP3.

Artsiren - Unfortunately, with your computer build, the problem is not SP3.

EDIT: You may want to try an external enclosure for your hdd. They're available at Radio Shack (≈$20) and connect to any computer via USB. Similar to these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090092+1053807123&name=3.5%22. You don't need anything fancy but you do need to make sure that the enclosure connector matches your hdd - probably SATA based on the model number you provided. Note that the drive may not be recognized from the enclosure since it is not currently recognized in your computer.

[ArtSiren]

Thanks drmsucks - that's a shame. Would have been an easy fix, having read the links you posted in reply to my original query.

I just wish I was able to get into Safe mode, to see if there is 'anything' I can do. The only place I've found a USB to PS/2 keyboard adapter is Amazon.

It would be nice if I could just point the BIOS to my HDD and carry on as if nothing ever happened - methinks it might be a new drive now though. D'oh!  I couldn't even get onto the Hitachi website today, just a blank page. Oh well.

[drmsucks]

I just wish I was able to get into Safe mode, to see if there is 'anything' I can do.

With the hdd not being recognized, there is nothing to do except to replace it - there is no 'Safe Mode.'

If you are comfortable inside your computer case, try this. Unplug the computer, remove the cover, ground yourself and remove and replace each cable (data and power) at the hdd. Be certain that the cables are on securely. Do the same for the data cable at the motherboard end. Close everything back up and try to boot.

[ArtSiren]

Oh, okay drmsucks. I understand. And I must force myself to backup, backup and backup once I've got a new HDD sorted out.

I tried unplugging and re-attaching the cables but to no avail.

I also tried going into the Advanced BIOS, changing First Boot Device from CDROM to HDD-0, and then going back to Standard CMOS Features, into Primary IDE Master, and then clicked Enter on the IDE HDD Auto-Detection, but without any luck. It just has zeroes for Capacity, Cylinder, Head, Precomp, Landing Zone and Sector.

So I guess that's it! Dead drive, needs replacing. Presumably I'll need to replace with an identical (but not broken!) Hitachi Deskstar?

Are there any tips on this site for what I need to do when replacing the hard drive? I've got my original XP Home Edition CD, so I could install that - will it be automatic when I put the CD in the drive? Or should I buy Vista (OEM version hopefully!)? I will browse around the site for this advice also.

I'd like to thank you all for taking the trouble to offer help with my problem here. It is very much appreciated even though the prognosis was always likely to be a disaster. I wasn't aware they just 'stopped working' with no warning or anything.