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| Thread ID: 36680 | 2003-08-16 07:15:00 | Does this sound like a dodgy HDD partition to you? | Billy T (70) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 168216 | 2003-08-18 06:54:00 | > > May still be worth installing and then > un-installing. > Thanks B.M. Unfortunately I can't install it because I can't get the OS up and running. Currently it boots almost to the logon screen then stops with a blue screen saying it cannot load the registry hive then it does a 100 countdown & reboots. BTW I have copies of 2001 & 2003. >Do you have the disc utility that came with the HDD, usually on floppy. if >not download from the manufacturers site. I haven't worked with a >Fireball in a while (better than the Bigfoots, just) I found that they and >their cousins the Bigfoot tend to go rather quickly, sorry, anyway theirs bound to be a diagnostic utility to boot to. No I don't have that utility Murray, but I'll go get it and see what happens. I intend to buy a new drive anyway now but I'm interested to see what is going on. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 168217 | 2003-08-19 08:10:00 | Hi Team In a spare moment I downloaded a disk checking utility from Maxtor (new owners of the Quantum HDD business) and apart from an error message when booting from the floppy (HiMem . Sys: Cannot control Address Line A20) it gave my HDD a clean bill of health . This kind of threw me because I never get the same result two boots in a row, the error messages and effects change every time . Booting from the Win 2000 CD, or reloading the Ghost image does likewise . Maybe memory is a problem ?:| but would memory problems affect the reloading of image files? I thought that was a direct disk-to-disk transfer . In the meantime I have had my Win 2000 CD polished to remove minor scratches, I will buy a new HDD since they cost peanuts these days and go ahead with a new install of W2K just to see what happens . Any and all advice still welcome . :D Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 168218 | 2003-08-19 10:53:00 | As a matter of interest Billy, does this machine get through the POST process OK? Like, does the memory check test ok and can you actually start in DOS and see the windows directory? |
B.M. (505) | ||
| 168219 | 2003-08-19 12:46:00 | Have you looked at the info on the sites Billy? They suggest: Memory, video, patched OS, drivers, drivers and then drivers. Cheers Murray P |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 168220 | 2003-08-21 01:11:00 | Thanks for the ongoing interest and assistance guys, and I'm sorry to take so long getting back to you. A darned nuisance called "earning a living" gets in the way from time to time :) > As a matter of interest Billy, does this machine get > through the POST process OK? Yes B.M., though harking back to my earlier post when this machine started making unidentified but loud noises at switch on and declining to proceed to boot, it usually (but not always) needs a reset to initiate post. Otherwise post proceeds normally with no beeps or errors. The initial refusal was put down to a missing "power good" signal, though I have the case off now so I will check that. It is intermittent so I'm not sure if it is the PG signal now that I think about it. > Like, does the memory check test ok and can you > actually start in DOS and see the windows directory? It will usually boot to the logon screen then pop an error message (they vary almost every time) and go to a blue screen detailing the error. sometimes it does a "memory dump to disk" then it reboots. Other times it will boot all the way to the desktop before spitting the dummy. Booting from a DOS floppy and checking the root directory shows much the same files present as a working machine, and there are a few more files (114 vs 101) in the Winnt directory on the faulty box than the good one, but then the crook machine has had more use & more programs loaded so that is not surprising. >Have you looked at the info on the sites Billy? They suggest: Memory, >video, patched OS, drivers, drivers and then drivers. Not as yet Murray, some links to the sites you refer to would be helpful though, as I plan another attack on the problem this weekend. Unfortunately I haven't had much time to dig into this yet and a lot of the time I am working on Old Faithful via a KVM switch while I await the results of the latest experiment. I do watch the boot though to see what happens after everything I do. The clean bill of health for the HDD threw me a bit, though I don't know how thorough the test was. I have two 256MB memory modules in this machine (it is an Intel SR440BX motherboard) and according to the manual it doesn't matter which slot the memory is in so I can remove them one at a time and see what happens. One last thing, on checking the C: directory I found 360MB of memory dump data stored there and this is not long after I restored the drive image for the third time. Any idea of what this data is and whether I should be looking at it? I am persisting with this as a forced learning experience as I needed to upgrade my skills in this area, having been shielded from the need by Ghost for too long. Cheers Billy 8-{) :8} |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 168221 | 2003-08-21 03:03:00 | *Cough* :8} I found a few minutes to pull the first memory module (slot 1) and for once Sod's Law didn't apply. :) It was the right one and the machine started up and booted through to the desktop. The OS was a bit knurgled still, so I restored my image once again and it booted to its original pristine state. How embarrassing is that. ?:| :8} I never knew that memory could do that, and why oh why did it choose to do that to me straight after I loaded SP1 for heavens sake. Thanks to all who offered their help. Cheers Billy 8-{) [b][pre]On the bright side, the memory has a 5 year warranty so I'll soon be back to 512MB. I'm older and wiser now though, so I'll test it in slot 0 just in case it was the motherboard! |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 168222 | 2003-08-21 03:36:00 | Well, fancy that, Billy! Memory seems to be such fickle stuff sometimes and it doesn't always appear to be related to the price you pay for it (if yours has a five year warranty I can't imagine it to be the cheapest available) . Out of interest/curiosity, what brand is it and how old, if you don't mind saying? I'm just wondering now what results you would have got if you had given memtest a good run . Anyway, glad to hear you got to the bottom of it all and that it was something so simple -- once you found it, that is . :-) [pre]*Cough* My networking woes were almost a piece of cake compared to your saga . :D |
Susan B (19) | ||
| 168223 | 2003-08-21 04:00:00 | > How embarrassing is that. ?:| :8} Only embarrassing if you consider yourself to be the primo Software and Hardware gurru around and can decifer error logs blindfolded. If you have (the time to have) a look at some of the sites (and their links) posted above you will realise that there is a bewildering array of possible causes for your errors that have kept many a forum ticking over. Sod's law did introduce itself at the point when you installed SP1, if it proves to be memory, then it could have exhibted itself more specifically in any number of different ways. A combination of circumstances may be the real culprit, Sod's law again. Mind you GL could be up for gurru of the week for his post re the memory and SP1 ;). Anyway, its good that its back on good behaviour :) Cheers Murray P |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 168224 | 2003-08-21 04:48:00 | Hi Sis :x You certainly are keeping a low profile lately! > Well, fancy that, Billy! Memory seems to be such > fickle stuff sometimes and it doesn't always appear > to be related to the price you pay for it (if yours > has a five year warranty I can't imagine it to be the > cheapest available) . > > Out of interest/curiosity, what brand is it and how > old, if you don't mind saying? *Cough again* :8} It's DSE branded no name stuff, and about 18 months old if my rapidly enfeebling brain serves me correctly! > I'm just wondering now what results you would have > got if you had given memtest a good run . Arrrrrrggggggghhhh . I never thought to run memtest, and memory testing at boot was disabled because it took so painfully long to work its way through 512MB . It was never a problem on the old 486 with a stonking 8MB to process . Oh yes, and Graham does get Billy T's Guru of the Week award for being first off the block with memory as the prime suspect, but that is not to undervalue any of the other help offered . Now, everybody take one step to the right and refocus on my latest dilemma with SpyBot S & D not responding on both W2K and W98 . :D Cheers Billy 8-{) :) |
Billy T (70) | ||
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