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| Thread ID: 44825 | 2004-05-01 05:25:00 | Computer wont start? | B.M. (505) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 233430 | 2004-05-03 03:42:00 | OK, things are becoming clearer. Good Idea Whisky, but to no avail. I’m convinced it’s the part of the FAT that is applicable to the windows operating system that is knackered. I wonder if trying to reinstall windows over the top would work??? Yes Graham, I can see a selection of directories in DOS mode. How would you suggest going about this copying? “C:\ xcopy *.* D:\ “ ?????? Anyway, a little more background. I fitted a new/second hand HDD with new operating system and whilst it was doing it’s thing I noticed the BIOS giving a single beep every now and then. (I was making a cuppa and not paying attention) Investigation showed that the sod was turning on and off, on and off……. Further investigation revealed that the power supply was a hell of a lot hotter than it should be, and still further investigation revealed that the fan was seized! Still further investigation revealed that the inside of the power supply looked like the inside of a 30-year-old un-serviced toaster! :D Ahhh, the joys of computing. Now, what I think has happened is the fan has seized, probably after screaming for help for a couple of days. The power supply has overheated, and been shut down, but once some of the load has gone it has come back within limits and she has fired up again. I would have actually thought it would have stayed off once off, but no, I actually witnessed this on/off cycle. Now, this could have gone on for days as the owner leaves the computer running 24/7. I’ll leave it to your imagination what the FAT must look like after 10,000 improper shutdowns. Little wonder Scandisk can’t fix things. Now, it could well be that the electronics of the HDD have suffered at the hands of these power fluctuations also, on the other hand there may be nothing more wrong than a totally stuffed FAT. My thoughts are to try to copy everything via DOS to another HDD and then try formatting. What’s the consensus of opinion? |
B.M. (505) | ||
| 233431 | 2004-05-03 04:45:00 | xcopy /s gets subdirectories (I think ;-)) -- use xcopy /? first. You may need to do it one directory at a time after you find the area with the FAT problems. They collect dust and anything else the fans pull through. I've seen floppy drives full of dust, and all the parts on the motherboard covered with a ¼" thick blanket of dust, with the computer still working. But a stopped fan is not helpful. |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 233432 | 2004-05-03 05:51:00 | I’ll give it a go Graham. When all else fails DOS will deliver! ;) I shouldn’t tell you this but I had the audacity to oil and grease the fan, replace some charcoaled spaghetti on a couple of long legged resistors (god knows what value they are, or were, as the colour code is well gone) and reinstall the beast. Believe it or not the whole thing is running like a charm for the moment with the exception of the old HDD. Don’t know about you Graham I’ve always found that if you manage to survive a bit of thermal runaway, then there is probably not a lot of harm done in the short term anyway. :D |
B.M. (505) | ||
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