XP Pro hangs at boot

[Texkonc]

One of our branch machines hangs when booting, it will rarely go into normal mode. Press power button and the blue scrolling bar stops moving during the XP load, and just hangs there. The abbreviated version from the user is "I can't get into windows on the first try, it takes a few time. Then when we are able to get in, it tends to freeze when it goes idol, we cant wake it up, because the light on the infared mouse isn't on. So we have to pull the plug."

I brought it back to corporate since i got the fun tools and supplies here. Only 20 minutes away.

What I am going to do is try some different RAM. Clean the system in safe mode, let Bart PE run tonight, Do a full Virus scan, Hard drive manufacture tools. Any other ideas?

I got to looking at the setupact.log and see that the OS was installed about this time in 2004. I want to avoid a reformat at all costs! It also seems to run a bit warm (Dell Optiplex gx270)

 

[Texkonc]

Should I do Memtest or the utilities on BartPE?

 

[Texkonc]

Ok, after messing with it for some time. Here is what i found.

1. I only got it in to normal mode once after like 10 tries, then when i got to the logon, i had no mouse and keyboard ability. I have one usb and PS2 of each plugged in.
2. I can constantly get into safe mode
3. BartPE works within safe mode only, wont work properly booting to it.
4. So i guess i concluded that i dont need to run Memtest.
5. There is some gum/corosion stuff on top of one of the diodes on the MB right next to the RAM slots.

 

[Texkonc]

Go here for the picture, but bear in mind it is a camera phone pic.

http://www.planetamd64.com/index.php?showtopic=33185

 

[Freestone]

I can't view your picture as it requires membership.

Gum or corrosion on a diode. Perhaps it is from a leaky capacitor? Your symptoms sounds like it. View some pictures of bad caps:

http://www.badcaps.net/

http://cquirke.mvps.org/csxcaps.htm

 

[Texkonc]

im sorry, when i say diode, i meant Capacitor. DOH!

 

[Texkonc]

I called Dell and they are coming to fix the board and make sure it works.

 

[burtsbees]

A leaking cap would not allow it to power on at all. If it boots into safe mode every time, that tells me drivers are screwed, possibly due to a virus. Have you run a virus scan in safe mode, or have you tried a different hdd with an OS on it, or even a Linux live cd or other bootable cd?

Burt

 

[Texkonc]

Yes i tried all of that, none of it worked.

 

[Freestone]

A leaking cap would not allow it to power on at all.

This is not true in the majority of cases where capacitors are leaking or bulging. I've had many boards each with multiple leaking capacitors that powered on just fine. They all failed intermittently in different ways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

lists a few of the sysmptoms.

I am not sure bad capacitors are Texkonc's problem. But "goo" anywhere on a motherboard is usually not a good thing.