An intremittent computer fault.
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An intremittent computer fault.
11-10-2009 2:27 PM
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My desktop computer is a 5 year old P4 and is fitted with two IDE hard drives. One drive has XP installed and the other Linux Mint. The drives are completely separate, and I press F8 on booting to select which one I want to use.
The problems:
1) It will be working OK, when occasionally it will freeze. (With a BSOD if I am using XP at the time). Then if I either do a soft reboot, or if I switch off the power supply to the computer for a couple of minutes and reboot, the BIOS will not detect either hard drive. After much experimenting, I have found that the only way to solve this, is to switch off, then unplug and replug both the ribbon cable and the power cable on both of the drives. Reboot, and all is well - until the next time it fails. I have two DVD drives and the BIOS always detects them correctly. It's just the hard drives which are intermittent.
2) Sometimes, the machine will be working OK when I close it down (correctly!) and switch off. The next time I switch on and boot, neither hard drive is detected. The remedy is as before.
3) However, If I only have one hard drive connected (either drive) all is well and there is no sign of the problem. It is only when I have both drives connected.
Please, has anyone any idea as to the cause of this problem?
If it's not something fairly straightforward which I can do, I will replace it with a new machine.
Many thanks.
Cheers
Keith
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
11-10-2009 3:02 PM
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The answer was to correctly (!?) modify the BOOT.INI in msconfig.
I presume you have already looked at this? It will tell you about the operating systems installed and what you have it pre-set for..
My Computer Company friends tell me that running two different systems on one PC can be a pain which the PC doesn't like.
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
11-10-2009 4:10 PM
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Re: An intremittent computer fault.
11-10-2009 8:52 PM
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Try running appropriate mount commands.
"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
12-10-2009 1:19 AM
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Only a couple of quid for another battery.
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
12-10-2009 4:31 PM
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At the moment, the computer is working, detecting both hard dirves.
okrzynska, I have now changed the motherboard battery.
community, I have checked MSCONF BOOT INI but can't see anything obviously wrong.
Axisofevil, A good idea about trying a Linux live CD. I'll certainly try your suggestion if it goes faulty again.
Denzil, a good suggestion, but I don't want to go to the trouble of fitting a new motherboard except as a last resort.
Thanks all.
Keith
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 1:09 AM
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Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 2:58 PM
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After replacing the battery, the computer was OK for several hours. Then it went faulty again with the same problems.
So, I removed the second hard drive and it has run with just the one drive, without problems, for six days.
I was considering putting the second hard drive back in tomorrow and see if it starts failing again, as I really would like both hard drives.
Some time ago, I had the hard drives in plug-in caddies. That worked well, so, if it doesn't like the second hard drive inside the computer I will try to get some.
Thanks.
Keith
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 3:42 PM
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Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 3:59 PM
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Some power supplies have two separate feed groups with individual current limits and it may be that the one you are using is overloaded
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 4:05 PM
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You would expect them to fail immediately if they both start-up simultaneously.
"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 4:20 PM
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However it does sound more like a motherboard problem
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 4:33 PM
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I hope that you are wrong!
It's a 450watt PSU and was only fitted about 18 months ago, to replace the original (lower output one) which had packed up.
This fault only started a couple of weeks ago.
@ Oldjim
I'll check if it has two feed groups and try swapping the connectors.
@ Axisofevil!
Noted about the maximum drain.
I will spend tomorrow doing more experiments - the joys of being retired!
Thank you all for your ideas.
Cheers
Keith
Re: An intremittent computer fault.
18-10-2009 6:14 PM
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Try a different connector in the drive first to see what happens. I've still using my same machine now but I just leave the dodgy plug marked with a big black X and never use it. Been fine since.
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