# [SOLVED] computer intermittently fails to boot



## cryptophobe (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi all, my first post, so a friendly greeting to the forum.

For a while now, my pc has had a problem booting. Sometimes I press the power button, the psu starts whirring, but no "beep" from the mainboard speaker, and a blank screen. I turn off/on the pc, then boot usually starts as normal.
BUT - once the boot starts, and the usual boot text appears on the screen, it stalls at "detecting hard drives". Sometimes it says "found 0" for the hard drives, then goes on to say "no boot device". Then I ctr/alt/del and it finds the hard drives and boots ok. Other times, if I'm lucky, it just boots up ok. I can always get it to start, but it is puzzling. My basic system is:

OS: Windows XP SP2
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3600.0 MHz Prescott
Mobo: GIGABYTE 8I945GMF
Craphics Card: GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB
Primary Master Drive: 500Gb Western Digital SATA
Primary Slave Drive: 80Gb Maxtor IDE
Secondary Master Drive: LiteOn ihas120 DVD RW SATA

if anyone can throw light, it would be much appreciated.

cheers


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## pip22 (Aug 22, 2004)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*

The hard drive may be failing so back up all your data right now and test the drive with the drive maker's _diagnostic software for DOS_:
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

The download is an ISO file from which you can create a CD using IMGBurn:
Download ImgBurn 2.5.6.0 - FileHippo.com

Boot your ailing PC from that CD to start the drive testing software.
If it has a "long" or "extended" test option, use that instead of the short test.
The time it takes to test the drive will depend on it's capacity.
If you see "Failed" afterthe test, you need a new drive.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*

Brand & Model of the PSU?
Try disconnecting the Hdd that doesn't contain the OS.
You can also download diagnostic software directly from the Hdd manufacturer's site.


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## cryptophobe (Dec 13, 2011)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*



pip22 said:


> The hard drive may be failing so back up all your data right now and test the drive with the drive maker's diagnostic software for DOS:


ummm... I downloaded the recommended Western Digital LifeGuard and it had two relevant tests - the Quick Test or the Extended Test. The Quick Test failed to complete with an unexplained error (not good) but the Extended Test said the drive was free of bad sectors. confusing!



Tyree said:


> Brand & Model of the PSU?


Its an Antec True550. Fairly reasonable, I hope?



Tyree said:


> Try disconnecting the Hdd that doesn't contain the OS.


done, and it didn't change things... I put an image of my system onto another old drive, and it booted fine every go... the system hard drive is beginning to look like the culprit, I guess, despite passing the "Extended Test" of the diagnostic software... ???

many thanks for these helpful suggestions.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*

Any errors on either test typically indicate a faulty HDD.


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## cryptophobe (Dec 13, 2011)

*(SOLVED) computer intermittently fails to boot*



Dogg said:


> Any errors on either test typically indicate a faulty HDD.


thanks to the forum for narrowing my problem down to the hard drive. I booted with my OS install disk, and tried Recovery>fixboot and Recovery>fixmbr

both commands complained of errors in the boot sector and errors in the master boot record. I am fairly sure this explains my problem, and (having backed up my drive) will look in this area for a solution. Because the drive behaves well when it actually boots, I suspect that its basically OK, and that I may have fouled the boot records with experimentation with drive-image software.

alas, I am prone to experimentation with software :nono:

again, thanks to forum members for your kind advice :beerchug:


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*

If it's still under warranty, have it replaced. Otherwise, feel free to experiment. Just don't trust it with important data.


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## cryptophobe (Dec 13, 2011)

*backup drive for the important data*



Dogg said:


> If it's still under warranty, have it replaced. Otherwise, feel free to experiment. Just don't trust it with important data.


I've just invested in an external backup drive for the important data. Should have been done a long time ago! Cheers!!!:chgrin:


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*

I agree I think you did find the problems, but the unanswered question is how did that happen because that really isn't a normal type issue for average use of a pc.
That's why I agree and would not put anything of any value on the drive and I would run chkdsk /r in addition from a cmd prompt.


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## cryptophobe (Dec 13, 2011)

*chkdsk ok*



Rich-M said:


> I agree I think you did find the problems, but the unanswered question is how did that happen because that really isn't a normal type issue for average use of a pc.
> That's why I agree and would not put anything of any value on the drive and I would run chkdsk /r in addition from a cmd prompt.


just ran chkdsk /r an it reported no problems. Also, since running fixboot and fixmbr, the system boots quickly, without stalling and pausing at detecting hard drives. All "seems" to be well - but nevertheless the backup drive remains for my data


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: computer intermittently fails to boot*

Great why not mark this solved in the first post under "Thread Tools" in the first post.


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