Computer can not boot

[bronano]

All of a sudden, desktop PC stop booting , showing message” Can not find O.S.”
Try to fix problem using Acronis TI, but after while , program stops and operation failed.
Computer have two OS – Win XP Pro SP3 and Windows 98SE.
After attempt to fix it with Acronis IE, on a monitor appear message:
\"Computer stops at verifying dmi pool data\"
> Try to boot from XP Pro CD , but failed- CD can not start.
> Re-flash the BIOS, but again Windows can not start.
> Try also with Windows XP start up floppy , but failed as \" Windows root.\\systam 32\\ntoskrnel.exe is missing or corrupt.

> Please let me know if you can help me to fix this problem

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Have you considered the HDD is failing?



ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[xit]

Hard drive, try to recover your data if possible.

 

[goombawaho]

Why don't we TEST the hard drive before proclaiming this to be the fault. Likely it is, but proof is satisfying.

This will at least give you the name of the tool you need for your manufacturer, links MAY not be up to date. Find manufacturer by looking at drive label or in the BIOS.

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

Tell me you have your data backed up..............

 

[bronano]

All data are backed on one external HD.
I'm going to test HD with Maxtor PwrMxE flopy- will report results.
I have serious doubts HD caused problem , maybe faulty RAM or some kind of Software problem like corrupted MBR .
This is the first time having similar problem with PC

 

[bronano]

Test done

Test results: [highlight #73D216]PASSED[/highlight]
So seems HDD is O.K. what I can do next, please

 

[goombawaho]

maybe faulty RAM

Well, by all means, test the RAM before doing anything else. MemTest86+ or Windows Memory Diagnostic.
Both available on this CD:

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

download near bottom of page

If RAM is okay and you can't boot with all those items then I'm thinking the motherboard is bad. Trying to boot with above CD tests everything because it's an operating system on a CD. If the UBCD won't boot, probably motherboard is bad.

 

[bronano]

@goomabawaho,
Thanks a lot for assistance.
In spite I have on this comp two optical installed drive (CD and DVD) , no one of them works,after start any ISO disk,just 4-5 diode light flashing and then stops.
So I am directed to use only floppy disk with programs suitable to be installed and work on floppy disks.
I have serious doubts regarding RAM ( 2 x 128 MB and 1x 256 Mb - total 512 MB), so checking the RAM is very important, but I need suitable tool or program to do this.
Secondary my guess is faulty MBR and as last thing Mother Board.
As conclusion in current phase, help me to check RAM, please.
Meantime run HDD Regenerator, no bad sectors found-so HDD is 100% O.K.

 

[goombawaho]

I don't know about the CD errors unless there is a BIOS problem, optical drive problem or motherboard problem. But here is a link to the memory test floppy disk creator. Create floppy, boot up to floppy, run the test for three hours to verify no errors.

http://www.memtest.org/download/4.20/memtest86+-4.20.floppy.zip

 

[bronano]

As I stated earlier BIOS is re-flashed and confirmed as successful,all drives are visible, with correct bot order.
As I have two optical drives installed on this computer, practically is not possible that bot of drives are damaged - so this probability should be annulled.
Memtest is running for about 2 and a half hours- since now no errors found.I'll live it to run as you suggested.
Downloading UBCD , but do not believe to be able to run it from CD drive later on.
Any tool to check Mother Board, this situation becomes night mare for me.
Is it possible all this mass created by corrupted MBR ?

 

[goombawaho]

You don't need the UBCD if you don't have a working optical drive. Can you borrow an optical drive to see if it works. If not, then I think the motherboard is damaged. To many coincidences of things NOT working for it not to be the motherboard.

No way to really test the motherboard without a bootable CD and working CD drive.
If you can borrow a CD drive and the UBCD can boot, then the motherboard is ok.

 

[bronano]

I have two optical drives installed on this PC.It is quite impossible both of them to be damaged.
Yes try to boot CD with UBCD, but not working.
Seems Mother Board is dead.
Pity, in spite this PC is pretty old, since now works very well.
Mother Board is :
Manufacturer MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD
Model MS-6330
Version
Serial Number
BIOS
Vendor Award Software International, Inc.
Version 6.00 PG
Release Date 7-Oct-2002
So will be more then impossible to find the same ore another brand suitable to replace it.

 

[goombawaho]

Wow - that's a very old machine. You could find something on Ebay and transfer over the processor/memory, but isn't it time to upgrade to the modern era?

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

http://wiki.ultimatebootcd.com/index.php?title=Tutorials:USB_Installation

will help you create a UBCD to USB

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[goombawaho]

Too late monkey - he's calling it a dead mobo. Besides - that PC is way too old to be able to boot to USB if that's what you were thinking.

 

[strongm]

Motherboard must be, what, 12 years old ...

 

[goombawaho]

hairlessupportmonkey is a youngster and doesn't remember the days of PCs that can't boot to USB (kidding). That board is very similar to a board I just retired!!!! ASUS A7266-E It was 10 years old +

 

[bronano]

You are kidding , but this old PC was my more than good friend for all these past years
always ready and prompt for all my needs.
On this PC with dual boot OS Windows 98Se and XP SP3 are installed in first HDD of 40 GB and the second HDD , on the same machine is used to store different data accumulated during past years.
Nevertheless I feel very sad, but this is a life , nothing last for ever.
The modern new PC already arrived , tomorrow I'm going to install it and connect to the net, but will try to repair old buddy RIP- if this would be possible.

 

[goombawaho]

I was NOT kidding, I just retired my motherboard last week. I'm going to put the mobo on Ebay and see what happens.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Actually Im 40 and been using computers since I was 11. Im a support manager for a busy help desk (more telephony these days - but still do VMWare cluster installs etc, etc.) I didnt check the age of the mobo - but the OP should just shell out for some new (even second hand) kit!

ACSS - SME
General Geek