intel pdsla constant restarts

[k0rn_h0li0]

so this board i got keeps flaking on me i have no idea whats wrong

it has pc4200 512x4 and intel pentium 4 3.6 ghz. using onboard ide.

so anyways the hdd which is maxtor 160 7200rpm 8m keeps failing on me and i have no clue what to do. verify dmi pool data then restarts automatically. so if anyone can help me it would be nice thanks!

 

[Mussels]

it could be a power issue, or just a faulty had drive.

what happens when it 'fails' do you hear clicking noises, etc

 

[k0rn_h0li0]

the hdd works on my 754 rig. its not the psu either i don't think. any other suggestions

 

[phanbuey]

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000474.htm

seems like Bios settings are messed up...

 

[k0rn_h0li0]

well imma see what i can do with that link and get back if nothing works then :/. suggestions are still helpful thanks for the link phanbuey

 

[Mussels]

if the drive works on another system fine, then seriously look at power supply. just measure the 12 and 5V rails and see how they are doing.

 

[k0rn_h0li0]

oh yeah it requires a 24 pin connector. but i have a 20 and then a 4. but ionno is that why?

 

[Graogrim]

Yes, there are other possibilities, but constant restarts are a *classic* symptom of a failing PSU. The four pin connector you asked about provides supplemental power to the CPU.

 

[k0rn_h0li0]

sigh. i guess imma spend 40 dollars on a psu to see if that works. :/

 

[phanbuey]

Whoa before you do that... i know PSU's are important and all, but if it CONSTANTLY restarts at the DMI pool verification, and at no other time... then chances are its not PSU... failing PSU restarts tend to be much less systematic and much more random. swap out a backup PSU, but im pretty sure that its not power, i bet something isnt set right/stable in the bios...

EDIT: OH WAIT... JUST SAW THE ABOVE LINK... do you have a 20+4? and then a CPU power cable? or do you only have a 20 pin and then a 4 pin and nothing else plugged into the mobo? Its gotta be the 20+4 i dont know of ANY mobo that will even POST without all the power plugs in, so that doesnt make sense?

 

[Graogrim]

Ah, I see. I overlooked the fact that it was restarting consistently at the same point. That does drop the PSU down a notch or two. A hard BIOS reset would be advisable. You can usually accomplish that by shorting a particular jumper on your motherboard. Its designation can vary but is usually something along the lines of CMOSCLR. If you can't find it, just unplug the main power, wait for any LEDs to go dark, and then momentarily pop out the battery.

After that, reconnect and boot up, then enter your BIOS and reload defaults.

If you have a bootable CD such as a Windows install disk, you can try starting your computer from that to check the possibility of corrupted boot media.

Oh, and phanbuey I was simply explaining what the extra connector was for. I haven't heard anything to suggest it's not properly connected.

 

[phanbuey]

yeah haha i figured that out eventually... i was so confused.

 

[trog100]

constant restarts. lock-ups.. blue screens.. are simply a sign the system isnt stable..

the cause could be many things.. there aint one simple thing..

could be cpu.. could be memory.. could be psu.. could be heat.. could be dodgy windows install.. could be any bloody thing..

trog

 

[Mussels]

the reason i think its PSU is because the PSU could be say, weak on the 5V rail (12V is more common) and the hard drive isnt getting enough power to spin up properly - this causes the hanging at DMI pool verification. I have seen this before, and it was a PSU issue.

The hang there is from many causes, but all are related to the hard drive. Bad cables, bad power - bad ram (system is too unstsable to finish its task, so it freezes)

 

[Graogrim]

Don't get me wrong I think the PSU is a likely suspect. There are just a few things that are more likely.