ss87

Recently I replaced the motherboard, fan,hard disk, hard drive of my compaq pc after it spoiled.

A week later, i downloaded bittorent and dl movies and left it for 8 hrs.
The next morning, the computer got stuck because of nview( desktop toolbar) so i turned off the computer( by switching off the power supply) cos it wouldnt shut down.
After this, the computer wouldnt boot-it keeps getting stuck at the windows XP screen, so i inserted my recovery cd and restored the whole thing.
But the problem still persisted,but this time it reboots if i dont press anything at the screen which says " Start windows normally..start windows in safe mode, safe mode with networking...Then it counts down from 30 secs". If i wait for 30secs, the computer boots but if i press enter instead of waiting for 30sec at this screen, it doesnt boot - it gives me a stuck windows XP screen

Sometimes, if i switch off and on a couple of times OR if i wait for a few hours before switching it on, it BOOTS.
After that it is ok for a couple of hours...then it turns off suddenly..sometimes it even turns off after 20 mins...
After this i cannot reboot the computer at all no matter what I do.
Its def not overheating cos its not hot when i touch the thing..also i just replaced everything...

Anyways i can only reboot it if i turn on the computer after a couple of hours...and even then it doesnt start automatically...i have to switch on and off acouple of times for the " 30 secs countdown " screen to come up...

I have no idea whats wrong...I have used the recovery cd again..so for now its ok..but i think its a deeper problem...

BlueMak

The next time it shows you the menu, choose the one that says Safe Mode. When Windows starts, check the hard drive that Windows is installed (usually C for errors. You can do that by right clicking on the icon of the hard drive, then click on properties, then tools then error checking, if I remember correctly.

You will get an option to check the surface (we want this) and auto repair (that too).
After you choose them and click ok, it should ask you if you want to reboot the system to do this, say yes.

What are the results of that?

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

EZero

Other things of interest might be the complete specs of the original PC and the new parts you replaced with. Just to see if there are any hardware incompatibilities such as CPU/mobo.

Also, seeing how you got a new harddrive to go with it, I'm assuming you reinstalled Windows XP? If you did, did you do it with a vanilla Windows XP CD or did you install from one of those "restore discs" that Compaq gave you when you bought your original computer?

Actually 1 other thing that popped into my mind while I was typing this was to check the voltages in the BIOS. For example, my current motherboard, if set on auto for RAM voltages, would only deliver 1.8v when the RAM itself is rated at 2.1v. When it was on auto my computer would randomly lock up. Once I manually set it it's been rock stable ever since.

ss87

i cant enter via safe mode at all....
after i click safe mode..the screen gives me a list of drivers?thats it...

ss87

I have warranty so the shop from which i bought it replaced everything and reinstalled the XP..im not sure how but i suspect it is a restore disk( but it comes with norton antivirus and stuff?)

ss87

could it be a powersupply problem? i ve never replaced the power cable before..but as of now the computer has been running for 5 hours without turning off by itself...i think it will last a couple mre hrs before its back to its original state..

CitySlicker

sounds like they replaced the wrong parts - it's probably the psu!

Earthmonger

I had something similar happen to me several years ago. It turned out to be an overheating issue. Every time I exceeded the temperature threshold, the PC would turn off, and begin a one hour internal countdown. After that hour, it would boot normally, and the process would eventually repeat.

Next time it turns off, sniff your components.

Takaharu

If you want to check to see if it's an over-heating problem, pop into your BIOS and look for a hardware monitoring screen. Keep a watch of the temperatures for a few minutes and judge for yourself. Generally, unless the components are exceptionally hot (or if you can touch the component itself), you won't be able to feel temperatures very well with your hand.
Personally, I'd guess it's one of two things. Either it's a PSU issue - an insufficient PSU can boot your system but cut out if it's struggling too much - or a problem with your RAM - faulty sticks can cause all sorts of problems. If you have two (or more) sticks, try taking them out to leave one, changing where it's seated then t give you a few combinations. I've had this happen to quite a few computers where either the RAM was faulty or it wasn't properly compatible with the motherboard (right spec, conflicting make).

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ss87

ah..ok..i ve asked the repair ppl to come again...everytime i shutdown and boot again or if i restart..it doesnt boot at all...anyways, how do i check the bios thing?
Thanks!

ss87

tried the error checking also..but after that computer wouldnt boot up..!is it an overheating issue if it doesnt boot up even after 2-3 hours of shutdown time?thx!

BlueMak

It could be anything, including over heating. Since you will have techs coming home, that's good.

__________________

The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

Takaharu

When you first power on your PC you should either have a brief description or a logo for your motherboard, with something along the lines of <DEL> Setup - just hit the delete key at this point and you should be presented with a blue screen for your BIOS. With ASUS motherboards, for example, you'll have a "Power" tab at the top - pop into that tab and there'll be "Hardware Monitor" down the bottom of the screen. Open that up and you'll be able to see your temperatures.
ASUS is just one example though. If, when you enter the BIOS, you don't feel comfortable scouting around trying to look for the temperatures, either post back telling us what motherboard you have (or describe what options are on screen) or you can just leave it; nobody's going to hold it against you if you're uncomfortable routing around in the GUI for your motherboard's firmware.

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ss87

doing this sure feels weird..20 mins allocated every 8 hrs to use the net!
im having withdrawal symptoms!

ss87

Temp was 62C when it shut down...the bios screen also says : WARNING :Please clear CMOS if system no display after overclocking.

CitySlicker

62C is too much if that is CPU temp?

get more air into the case or maybe the heatsink is not making proper contact

Takaharu

When you're in the BIOS, go to the Exit section or, if you don't have an Exit tab, locate the option marked "Load Setup Defaults". It's not a guaranteed fix but if there are any incorrect settings on the motherboard it will reset all the options to default.
What might be happening is that your motherboard's over-heating setting is set too low so when the processor tips over 60C (as CitySlicker said, possibly due to the fan not being connected properly) it forcefully shuts down the system. I haven't ever had this happen to me, mind you, so I could very well be wrong about that assumption.

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Tipstaff

Guys, maybe we should find out what the system specs are? It's one thing to say the temps given off by the CPU seem too high, but then again it is quite a normal temp for some CPUs under load, such as later releases of Pentium 4s, or even a Phenom X4 9850.

BTW, ss87, you asked about it possibly being the PSU (which would be a yes, btw), but you haven't said if you've ruled that out yet. Have you tried a different PSU to see if it was the culprit?

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GigaWatt

true, my CPU can raise up to 80 under load... idle 40, 45...

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It's not schisophrenia... it's just a voice in my head...

ss87

not yet.However I think I ll ask the technician about that later?
I am just puzzled the computer goes awry in just a week..and every single part was replaced..it might be uncompatible of course and this problem started after i left the comp on one day for a overnight..
But how do we know if the parts are not compatible?

EZero

Well for starters post your system specs and list them here. At the very least google up CPUID and run it and give us the CPU and the motherboard info from there.

Also computers going awry randomly isn't very rare. I know someone who bought an Asus core i7 from Bestbuy brand new and it would randomly shut down. Say what you will about Bestbuy but at least it was a reputable brand (Asus) and not a bottom rung computer from Gateway or something.

ss87

it seems the fan was not attached properly, so the computer shut down whenever the system overheat...replaced fan, so everythings fine now!
thanks guys!

Tipstaff

Glad you got it sorted.

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charm_quark

lol! a wild goose chase just because of a loose fan!

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Sure he has not got much of a bark
And sure any he has it's all beside the mark.
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