Motherboard Problem, I think!

[Mark2K]

Hi All,

I have a computer running Windows 2000 (but I think I remember this problem started before that was installed and I was running Windows ME). The first problem I noticed was every once in a while, the computer would crash and on the reboot, the BIOS couldn’t detect the Hard Drive. I would then restart the comp and everything booted up as normal. Now, over the last month or there about, Windows 2000 would suddenly crash. As normal, I would restart the computer, sometimes it would boot up and get the Windows 2000 splash screen, but whilst loading, I would have a stop error saying “Inaccessible Boot Device”, other times the Hard Drives wouldn’t get detected by the BIOS. Which is the case at the moment.

Now for the strange thing. This seems to happen every weekend, like clockwork.

I have tried several things to solve this. I have installed a new Hard Drive, changed the IDE controller being used, changed the cable being used with that of the CD Drive (which always gets detected).

The physical connection is 2 Hard Drives on the same IDE Channel, and a DVD Drive on its own IDE Channel.

I think it could be the Motherboard. But in honesty, it is only around 18 months old. It is a Gigabyte GA-6BX7+.

I welcome any thoughts as to what the problem could be.

Mark

 

[Mulga]

I tend to agree with you, it sound like motherboard. As for it happenning every weekend..... Hmmm.... weird one. Do you use it at different times of the day at weekends, as opposed to weekdays? Could it then be related to differences in ambient temperature? On occasion intermittent electronic faults can be triggered at a specific temperature due to differences in expansion / contraction of the components, A long shot I know but all I can think of offhand. All things are possible except skiing through a revolving door.

 

[Mark2K]

Hi Mulga,

Thanks for your reply.

It could be on most of the Weekend and only 3 or so hours weekdays. But the falt appears at different times. The last time it went (this weekend) it died after only being on for about 1 - 2 hours. Another time, it died after being on for about 7 hours.

Computer, don't you just hate them! ;-)

Many Thanks

Mark

 

[SoulAssassin]

It's a wierd problem and it happened to me for awhile as well. I ended up fixing the mbr on the hard drive and all was well. Boot to your 2000cd, select repair, go to the command console and type FIXMBR and that should do it! This happened to me once every month or so, like clockwork until i redid the mbr.

 

[Mark2K]

Hi SoulAssassin,

Thanks for your comment.

Before I am able to try your soloution, I need to get the BIOS to detect the two Hard Drives (both on the same IDE controler). This is what leads me to a problem with the Motherboard.

Many Thanks
Mark

 

[dumdum]

Well, as a last resort you could go into your device manager, remove the offending devices, reboot and let Windows find them (I know this dosent' help with them not being found in the bios but..) Also, try starting in Safe Mode, go to the device manager and see if there are still entries for any "old" drives that are no longer in your system and remove the reference. There may be some kind of conflict there.

Just guessing We are always looking for new members at: forums.jlrforum.net Please come join our community too.

 

[chaps]

I have had this similar problem a number of times involving two different Hard drives on the same IDE connection. When I move the slave hard drive to IDE 2 the problem goes away.

Mike

 

[Guest_imported]

You may want to replace your cmos battery. If the BIOS looses or forgets hard drive settings every once in a while that is a good indication that the CMOS battery maybe defective (you mention that your motherboard is 18 months old). I have had cmos batterys last for 8 + years. The CMOS battery is cheap, and by replacing it you can check it off your list.
Good Luck.

 

[Mark2K]

Hi All,

Thanks for your comments. I think it is time for an update.

A couple of weekends ago, I swapt the motherboard over with the same make and model board in another computer. Both computers were working fine, until last night. The same computer died again and couldn't detect the Hard Drives. I can safly say that rules out problems with the Motherboard and CMOS battery.

Since the computer was on longer yesterday then last weekend, I am thinking maybe it is an over heating problem. As a result, I have purchased another cooling fan and have installed it. So now only time will tell.

Again, thanks for your comments.

Mark

 

[MA5]

Every weekend like a clockwork!
Could it be a little (Virus)?!

 

[FatesWebb]

a lot of bios have settings for precomp delay, or turbo boot. you will want to make the precomp delay higher or disable turbo boot if you have these in the bios.
precomp delay is under the drive parameters...
this gives the harddrives more time to load up before erroring out... FatesWebb

if you do what I suggested it is not my fault...

 

[Antimatter]

It's possible the PSU has a problem. The 12V line may be low. Check the voltages and make sure the PSU fan is working properly.
Also if one HDD is not initialising correctly on a channel with 2 HDDs, it is possible that neither will detect.