Repetitive Reboot after POST beep

[bravedan]

Hi,

Athlon 1400, 1Mb, XP Pro, Intel MB. AMI Bios. 2x 120GB HDD

On power up it appears to run through POST, showing the Bios copyright and logo and indicating 64Mb test, emitting single beep...............then it most frequently immediately repeats, and repeats.

No other screen indication after the bios screen, no memory or drive indications.

HOWEVER, it is not a hard on fault as it will still sometimes run through to XP desktop, whereupon everything works normally, sometimes for many hours. Sometimes it will work until a reboot is made, when it won't and repeats, just occasionally it will suddenly reboot while in use (and then repetitively fail).

Yesterday it took possibly thirty rolling reboots before it ran, but then ran for more that three hours before rebooting while in use and then repetitively failing.

Tried what I think (HA HA!) is the obvious.....in stages.......to no effect.  It does not seem to be temp related.

Any ideas please???

[Broni]

What did you try, so we don't have to repeat same advice.

[bravedan]

Just to close this one off, I eventually discovered that despite the BIOS being apparently correctly set up for the processor, it was sensing it as "wrong processor speed", but only sometimes.

I altered it to a fully manual set of parameters and since then it's booted up every time bar once, and has not locked out while running.

The whole setup is very old and perhaps frequencies are not as stable as they once were???

[patio]

You may want to replace the CMOS battery...it sounds like it is not retaining the BIOS parameters.
Part # CR 2032 about the size of a dime...located on the MBoard.

As always when working inside the case remove all power sources and take anti static precautions...

[bravedan]

Thanks, I had........................

[patio]

Thanks, I had........................

I couldn't tell....Sylvia is on Holiday.

[Broni]

Crystal ball malfunctioning?