motherboard problem - i think!

[jimsav]

Hi All,

Desperately need help as PC wont start up. I was having a few problems with windows XP Home -driver conflicts i think - the machine would just turn off in the middle of something, and even when it was closed down properly , i would get a serious error message to send to MS, when i opened it next.. Was going to reformat drive, but decided to see if i could just reload xp over itself. Didnt expect it to work, but what the hell, i would just re format the lot (i had all data backed up).
However, XP did not like this and on one of its many restarts during its installation process, it decided to punish me for this laziness, and will no longer boot up.
I get the original screen where it shows me Processor type, harddrive size etc, then it lists the PCI Devices Log, gets to a line saying

'Verifying DMI Pool Data - update sucess'

and there it stops. I can enter the BIOS, but most of the functions will no longer let me in, or if they do, i can not change anything in them. Prior to this happening i had put a user password on the BIOS, but i can not imagine that any of this is related.

Thanks

Jim

system details
athlon xp2000+, Gigabyte GA7VA m/b, 512mb 2100 ram, XP Home

 

[Snakeyeskm]

Try the following before taking ny drastic steps.

1)Remove all cards except Video card and disconnect all USB devices except mouse and Keyboard.
2)Clear your Bios (Remove battery and short the Jumpers)
3)Restart the computer and open Bios setup. If the mobo is fine it should start.
4) Make the appropriate bios settings. No occing.
5) After each successful restart add each card/USB one at a time till the problem reoccurs.
etc.
Best of Luck

 

[jimsav]

Snakeyeskm,
Thanks. re step 2

when i remove the battery, how do i short the jumpers, and which ones?

thanks
jim

 

[twes]

If you remove the battery you will not have to short the
bios jumper. leave battery out for 5 mins. put back in and
restart.

 

[jimsav]

To Snakeyeskm and twes.

Took battery out for couple of hours, (was advised by an electrical engineering student that you should allow about 5 minutes for each capacitor on m/board), left just graphics card in, and all is now well.

Thank you

Jim