# [SOLVED] Perpetual reboot loop



## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

Not sure if this is the right section for this but...

I was playing good ol' GTA San Andreas when the screen went very staticy/fuzzy. Minimized the game - everything looks fine. Got back into the game and the screen started getting worse in a hurry. By the time I got to a save point about 20 seconds later, I could barely see. Saved, quit the game, and realized that the desktop now had some fuzzy specs all over the screen.

Restarted. It froze on the Starting Windows screen. This has happened before, I know what to do: open up the case, re-seat the GPU and RAM. Power on... It runs for about two seconds before shutting down and starting back up five seconds later. Rinse and repeat. No beeps, nothing unusual.

Took the GPU and RAM out again and put them back in. Same thing.
Took each RAM stick out one by one and keep trying various combinations. Same thing.

PSU is only about a year old - after my old one died I made sure to get a better unit than before. Hard drive is only about a month old. This morning I went out and bought a new GPU but that didn't solve the issue either.

Specs below. This thing is about three years old.

CPU: i5 2500K quad-core 3.3GHz.
GPU: Took out the old 512MB GeForce 8800GT and instead put in a GTX 750ti this morning.
RAM: 2x4GB Ripjaws DDR3 1600
MSI P67A-C43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
New SSD.
Win7.

My only thought is that I need a new mobo but I figured I'd seek advice before dealing with that headache.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Make and model number of the PSU?

Can you boot to the BIOS?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Corsair CX750. It replaced a CX500 that I had originally that ended up dying.

System resets before I can do anything. Monitor never comes on.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Any beep codes when the system boots?

Try running the machine using on-board graphics.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

No beeps and my mobo doesn't have on-board video.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Could be a failing motherboard then if you have tried two different PSU.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Well, the 500 was the original PSU in this rig and I died about a year ago. I replaced it with the 750 at that point. So with my current issue, I haven't done anything with the PSU.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

The PSU listed isn't the best of quality, but should still be operating fine.


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Are you connecting the 6 pin PCI-e to the GPU?
Is the PCI-e slot secure or loose on the motherboard?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Well, I tried a new PSU and that didn't work.
Then I got a new motherboard and, with a new GPU, the system boots. Unfortunately, the monitor doesn't come on so that's my next issue. I'm going to try putting the new PSU back in to see if that'll fix it.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

What new PSU did you buy?

What is the new motherboard and GPU? You didn't try booting the system using the old hard drive did you?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

650W Cooler Master
Geforce 750ti
ASUS P8P67 DELUXE-R

Yes, I hooked the SSD right back up...


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

You cannot use the game SSD from a different motherboard and GPU on the new items.

Boot the computer without the SSD into the BIOS. Do you get a image then?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Following the mobo's LEDs, it seems like it's a CPU issue. New processor time?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

It can certainly happen, but it is rare. You may be able to claim warranty on it.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Three year warranty and this build is about a month past the three year mark. Is there any way to diagnose it further to be 100% certain whether the CPU is ok or if it needs to be replaced?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

If its nearly past that mark they will still honor the warranty. Just mention that it has failed right as the warranty has ended. They will not want a angry customer.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

All new; SSD not hooked up:

650W Cooler Master
Geforce 750ti
ASUS P8P67 DELUXE-R
Intel Core i5-3570K

PC powers on but no display. Green GPU LED, red CPU LED, and no RAM LED at all.

What's the next step? RAM?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

The CPU was replaced then? Do you hear a constant beep when booting?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

CPU replaced. No beeps - the only sound I hear is the fans.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Can you boot to the BIOS?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

No - the monitor never turns on at all.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

I would assume the monitor works?

Does the machine ever turn off? Do you ever hear just a single beep?

Take all the memory out then boot the machine. Does it beep?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

No beeps; never turns off.

Same exact result with the memory taken out - no beeps, no monitor signal, CPU LED glowing red.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

At this point I'm thinking of just returning the mobo and CPU and buying more modern ones. I can reuse my current memory and GPU on a board with a different chipset, right?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Granted the new motherboard supports the same type of memory, yes. You can transfer them.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Thanks for all the help. New setup will consist of:


ASRock Z75 Pro3 motherboard
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 memory
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.4GHz processor
ASUS GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB video card


Hopefully I can reuse my old Corsair CX750 but if not, I still haven't returned the new Cooler Master GXII 650W.

Fingers crossed...


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Change the motherboard to a Asus or Gigabyte branded unit.

Why did you choose to go with a older generation CPU?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

That ASRock received a lot of positive reviews. It's also the reason behind my CPU choice: 1,667 reviews that averaged 5 stars! This will still be a lot better than my current setup (you know, before it was broken).


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

My recommendation is still to go with a Asus or Gigabyte motherboard for top quality and performance. Remember that many reviews are written right away when they receive the product. They won't come back later to discuss the bad.

I would also highly recommend getting the newest technology, not the old.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> You cannot use the game SSD from a different motherboard and GPU on the new items.
> 
> Boot the computer without the SSD into the BIOS. Do you get a image then?


I can finally get into BIOS! :dance: Where do I go from here? :facepalm: I'm assuming I need to flash the BIOS first? Do I need to get the correct files onto a flash drive? Of what use is the CD that came with the board (I can't boot from it, as far as I can tell)?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Let's first get a reading from the voltages. What are the 12V, 5V, 3.3V and VCORE voltages?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Here's what I see in BIOS:

RAM - 1.25V
VTT - 1.076V
PCH - 1.059V
CPU PPL - 1.832
VCCSA - 0.925

All within their normal ranges.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

There's no 12V, 3.3V or 5V readings?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Ah, sorry, found them:

12V - 12.196V
5V - 5.112V
3.3V - 3.344 to 3.36


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Are you still unable to get into Windows? What about safe mode?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Starting Windows screens hangs up as soon as the animation appears. BSOD flashes. Machine reboots and gives the options to start Windows normally (which repeats the above process) or attempt to repair (which fails).


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

bump :smile:


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

What is the STOP code for the BSOD?

What about safe mode?


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Cannot boot into safe mode - it once again freezes just as the "starting Windows" animation starts, flashes BSOD, and restarts. The blue screen flashes for just a split second but I was able to get it on video and replay frame-by-frame and get the STOP code: 0x0000007B (0xFFFFF880009A97E8, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000034, 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000)


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Please preform a hard drive test using this guide here: 

How to perform a Seagate's Seatools Test | Tech Support Forum


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Will do. The harddrive is a month-old SSD that was working flawlessly before the motherboard died.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

"No Hard Drives Found"

Re-checked the connections - same thing.
Swapped out the SATA cable - same thing.
Changed to a different power plug - same thing.
Hooked up my old hard drive that's still in the case - same thing.
Tried the above again except using the SATA2 connector on the board, as opposed to SATA3 as before - same thing.

Did I get a bad motherboard??


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Any ideas?


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*



> "Starting Windows screens hangs up as soon as the animation appears. BSOD flashes. Machine reboots and gives the options to start Windows normally (which repeats the above process) or attempt to repair (which fails)."


This means something between the OS and Hard Drive failed while in use. This could happen at the tail end of POST stage as the BIOS requests the OS before it hands it off to the OS. Make sure your Boot device is at the lowest SATA port. And for good troubleshooting you should only have one drive connected.

First indication of bad motherboard is no beeps, a further test for this would be to take out RAM and the Hard Drive and try booting and then receiving no beeps. I can't imagine computers today without a POST stage. It would be the biggest flaw in history if computers were built with no POST stage.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*



Superion said:


> Make sure your Boot device is at the lowest SATA port. And for good troubleshooting you should only have one drive connected.


It's already on the lowest SATA port. I only have one drive connected at a time but they both have Windows 7 on them (one is just my old drive that I never physically removed from the case).

What's strange is that if I go to the boot menu, my SSD is recognized. But Seagate Tools doesn't recognize any hard drives.


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Is it this version SeaTools for DOS tutorial? You could be trying to use the windows version.

(EDIT) You can initialize it from a USB thumb drive.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Yes, that's the version I downloaded. It didn't work from a CD so I tried it using a USB drive and got the same result.


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

And this SSD is made from 'Seagate Technology'? - the manufacturer.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

It's a Samsung 840 EVO.


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

You will be able to use Samsung's Magician Software. It will provide you with a health status of the drive. Also, take a look at this PDF before using Samsung Magician Software. You can use the USB or CD method, if anything you can instead try Ubuntu-LiveCD and this will bypass your OS. You can access your SSD from Ubuntu and if booted, you can safely say your Motherboard and SSD is good. Here is another tutorial of how to use Ubuntu-LiveCD.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

Been having trouble getting Magician to work so figured I'd pop in my lubuntu disk. Try to run a disk check - the screen just remains blank, the disk spins for a while, and then stops. Tried booting into lubuntu off the disk and same thing - blank screen.


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

Have you tried a different monitor? Try connecting to a T.V with HDMI cables if you don't have another monitor. I've read a bit of this thread and it almost sounds like you have a new computer as you have replace almost everything. I'm starting to think some cable is faulty. First, try a different display method.


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## Superion (Oct 3, 2014)

Just thinking here; You said, your SSD is reconized by the BIOS. Thats a good thing, but you said it wasn't reconized by Seatools. Seatools should reconize it even if it isn't a seagate, the options to scan it , however, are greyed out. Some cases have proven this wrong and right. Your boot device is still in consideration here. If you can access it in windows it's good and if you can access it in ubuntu it's good. On the other hand, ubuntu may or may not have reconized it, we don't know, blank screen. Seems like we need to figure out why the screen is blank though. A bad Boot device can do this, but it may be necessary to eliminate other factors first. It could just be me, but i have a feeling theres a faulty cable somewhere.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

The monitor does come on initially - it just doesn't stay on when I need it to. But I'll try a different display.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*



Superion said:


> Just thinking here; You said, your SSD is reconized by the BIOS. Thats a good thing, but you said it wasn't reconized by Seatools. Seatools should reconize it even if it isn't a seagate, the options to scan it , however, are greyed out. Some cases have proven this wrong and right. Your boot device is still in consideration here. If you can access it in windows it's good and if you can access it in ubuntu it's good. On the other hand, ubuntu may or may not have reconized it, we don't know, blank screen. Seems like we need to figure out why the screen is blank though. A bad Boot device can do this, but it may be necessary to eliminate other factors first. It could just be me, but i have a feeling theres a faulty cable somewhere.


Only time I ever had problems with Seagate Tools for DOS was when the device (HDD) was connected via USB. drives have to be connected directly to the mainboard either IDE (PATA) or SATA


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

I have just been refreshing myself with the history of this problem and from booting with no display on the monitor we have moved through to 2 motherboard changes which finally .
allowed boot with display into BIOS yet won't boot into windows, just loops at start up.

At this point in time it's quite possible that the failure to boot is due to the motherboard / chipset changes. 

I would start off by trying to boot without the SSD but with a LIVE BOOT CD or USB (in TRIAL mode, no installation) in order to verify that the system can actually sustain an Operating System.

Win7 as was previously installed on this PC was most likely configured for a different chipset and this can cause you problems. I am sure that there is a way to repair the installation but before that is attempted you would be wise to backup your SSD to another drive either as a clone or as a snapshot of the drive in file format.


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## levb (Jul 6, 2009)

*Re: Perpetual reboot loop*

I've been quite busy and, sadly, neglected this PC but in the end I believe that this was the issue:



Done_Fishin said:


> At this point in time it's quite possible that the failure to boot is due to the motherboard / chipset changes.
> ...
> Win7 as was previously installed on this PC was most likely configured for a different chipset and this can cause you problems. I am sure that there is a way to repair the installation but before that is attempted you would be wise to backup your SSD to another drive either as a clone or as a snapshot of the drive in file format.


Since I only got my new SSD a week or two before my machine died on me, I already had everything backed up so today I simply did a fresh Windows 7 install.

Thanks a lot to everyone that posted in this thread for all your help!


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