"no paging file"

[raebabe]

This is totally weird. I was troubleshooting a Dell Optiplex GX110 yesterday for another error and a separate problem. While I was troublshooting I put the HD on my machine because it is the same model and I wanted to see if it would work (like I said this was part of a separate issue).

First it looked like it was working which is what I expected. Then while it was booting it sat at the "applying computer settings" for about 10 minutes before I turned it off. I made sure I had the cables pluged in well and turned it back on. The HD started smoking (I have blown power supplies and even a monitor but I've never seen a blown HD)!! Thank God the user came by yesterday and took off his info. So I fried the HD. That isn't the weird part.

The weird part is when I plugged my own everyday W2K HD back in. The thing worked yesterday afternoon. I had it unplugged until this morning and when I try to log on I get this error: "There is no Paging file or paging file is to small." Then it goes on to give me directions on how to change the paging file size but when I hit OK rather than letting me in to change the size it takes me back to the logon screen.

When I google the only directions I can find are while you can actually get into the system.

 

[raebabe]

Nevermind this, I found another HD I didn't know I had, made it master and fixed the issue

 

[lowman]

That is extremely odd...what did the smoke from the HD smell like? Did you actually see the smoke or did you just smell it?

 

[lowman]

Anything yet?

 

[vassil3427]

Yeah I gotta hear this, was the smoke coming off the circuit board or what??? Never heard of smoking a HDD before....

 

[raebabe]

I know it was really weird. The circuit board on the HD just started smoking. I could see it but I couldn't find where it had blown. We had to throw the thing out but all the important information had been taken off of it. Trust me you are not the only ones who were confused when I tried to tell them I blew the HD. I'd never seen that either but another guy I work said the only way he could think of that it would "blow" is if it had gotten wet but I didn't have any drinks on my work bench so I'm a little confused with that answer.

It's a mystery.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

If the components (of the board) were touching the PC case (or other metallic objects), it might have caused a short circuit and heated things up a bit.

 

[raebabe]

That might have been the reason. Man, all that time I've been setting the machine on it's side and just plugging in the components w/out paying any mind to what they are touching has caught up with me then. That was the way I was taught to troubleshoot. We don't even usually use a wrist strap (unless we're being inspected, anyways).

Thanks, I'll be more cautious from now on.