Hi All,
I have a hunch that this is a dead computer, but in case anyone can help me, here's my problem:
Yesterday, XP was sluggish. Then nothing would run, so I had to restart.
Restart Froze.
Since I don't have a REAL OFF/ON switch (the switch on the front didn't work, natch) I was forced to unplug my computer from the wall. (I have done this before.)
Windows freezes on reload.
I try again.
Windows comes up and wants to do a disk check. I tell it, sure, go ahead.
Windows freezes during disk check.
I do the UNPLUG/REPLUG reboot again.
I get a message screen telling me that Windows did not shut down properly, and I should reboot from last known good configuration. Again, I say, fine.
Windows locks during load (little green progress bar freezes for fifteen minutes.)
I "reboot" again.
This time, getting the same message, I decide to boot into Safe Mode.
System hangs as it gets to "Loading MUP.SYS".
Nothing gets me past that. I figure I'm dead, so I reach for the restore CD.
Restore CD gives me the cheery news that it will wipe out my whole hard drive first. I call Emachines to confirm that. (They want to charge me $20 to answer that question, but finally relent, and tells me that, YES, the restore is destructive, but if I need more help, I must pay $20.)
I decide to go get a new hard drive, do a system restore to that, and keep my old drive as a secondary, so I can still get my data.
I run restore CD. It fails because Ghost is trying to create an error.txt file. I'm not exactly sure what it is doing here, because the CD is mounted as Disk R at this point, and the restore program itself is on Disk A, which does not appear to be the harddrive, so I really don't know where it is trying to create the error file.
I copy all of the "A" disk information to a floppy, and run it from there. Ghost gives a system error, and tells me to reboot.
OK, so reboot again.
It is during this reboot to run that strange things REALLY begin to happen. (As if this isn't strange enough so far!)
Sometimes, when I turn the computer on, I get a blank screen. There is power. I can hear the hard disk cycle up, but no information on the monitor at all. I have to unplug and replug it, and try again. Many times. Then I get to the system check. But it hangs in various places.
It never gets to the "Boot from CD" section.
I go into CMOS, and restore defaults.
Several more attempts, several more blank screens, then suddenly, it goes.
I run Ghost to do the restore off of my floppy.
What should take a long time, finishes in about 30 seconds (wow, pretty fast restore!) and the sysetm reboots.
Blank screen.
This goes on for hours. Sometimes I get to the system check information -- but never past it -- sometimes I don't even get the Emachines Logo screen (which precedes the system check).
I never get to a place where I can do anything.
I try going back to the old drive. No change.
I take EVERYTHING out of the computer except essentials (no modem, no firewire card, I even unplug the mouse.)
Nothing. The results I get when I power up vary, but I never get to a boot of the CD (or floppy).
A couple of times, the system emits a series of long beeps. But not always.
I go to bed frustrated. Today, I try it again, and now the off/on switch seems to have no effect -- meaning as soon as I plug it in, it powers up. But never to a boot.
So -- Is my MOBO dead? Or what?
I've thought of getting a new MOBO, but resist because:
A) I don't know if that will even solve the problem, and right now I am already out $100 for a HardDrive I never got working, I hate to add to my cost. Maybe I should trash the Emachines and get a new computer??? (are these all pieces of junk?)
B) I've read that changing MOBOs invalidates my system restore disk, and I don't want to have to buy Windows XP, etc all over again.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks!
===============================
System Specs (according to Emachines)
================================
MOBO: ECS L4S5MG
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 1.60 GHz (w/256KB L2 cache)
Intel NetBurst™ Micro-Architecture
SiS 650 & 961
60 GB HDD
256 MB DDR (PC2100) -- I expanded it to 500MB -- months ago
10/100Mbps built-in Ethernet
24x10x40x Max. CD-RW Drive
3.5" 1.44MB FDD
Integrated SiS Real 256
(1 AGP slot available for upgrade)
4 USB ports (2 on front), 1 Serial, 1 Parallel, 2 PS/2, Audio In & Out, MIDI/Game port, Mic-In & Head Phone jack on front, 3 PCI slots (2 available)
I have a hunch that this is a dead computer, but in case anyone can help me, here's my problem:
Yesterday, XP was sluggish. Then nothing would run, so I had to restart.
Restart Froze.
Since I don't have a REAL OFF/ON switch (the switch on the front didn't work, natch) I was forced to unplug my computer from the wall. (I have done this before.)
Windows freezes on reload.
I try again.
Windows comes up and wants to do a disk check. I tell it, sure, go ahead.
Windows freezes during disk check.
I do the UNPLUG/REPLUG reboot again.
I get a message screen telling me that Windows did not shut down properly, and I should reboot from last known good configuration. Again, I say, fine.
Windows locks during load (little green progress bar freezes for fifteen minutes.)
I "reboot" again.
This time, getting the same message, I decide to boot into Safe Mode.
System hangs as it gets to "Loading MUP.SYS".
Nothing gets me past that. I figure I'm dead, so I reach for the restore CD.
Restore CD gives me the cheery news that it will wipe out my whole hard drive first. I call Emachines to confirm that. (They want to charge me $20 to answer that question, but finally relent, and tells me that, YES, the restore is destructive, but if I need more help, I must pay $20.)
I decide to go get a new hard drive, do a system restore to that, and keep my old drive as a secondary, so I can still get my data.
I run restore CD. It fails because Ghost is trying to create an error.txt file. I'm not exactly sure what it is doing here, because the CD is mounted as Disk R at this point, and the restore program itself is on Disk A, which does not appear to be the harddrive, so I really don't know where it is trying to create the error file.
I copy all of the "A" disk information to a floppy, and run it from there. Ghost gives a system error, and tells me to reboot.
OK, so reboot again.
It is during this reboot to run that strange things REALLY begin to happen. (As if this isn't strange enough so far!)
Sometimes, when I turn the computer on, I get a blank screen. There is power. I can hear the hard disk cycle up, but no information on the monitor at all. I have to unplug and replug it, and try again. Many times. Then I get to the system check. But it hangs in various places.
It never gets to the "Boot from CD" section.
I go into CMOS, and restore defaults.
Several more attempts, several more blank screens, then suddenly, it goes.
I run Ghost to do the restore off of my floppy.
What should take a long time, finishes in about 30 seconds (wow, pretty fast restore!) and the sysetm reboots.
Blank screen.
This goes on for hours. Sometimes I get to the system check information -- but never past it -- sometimes I don't even get the Emachines Logo screen (which precedes the system check).
I never get to a place where I can do anything.
I try going back to the old drive. No change.
I take EVERYTHING out of the computer except essentials (no modem, no firewire card, I even unplug the mouse.)
Nothing. The results I get when I power up vary, but I never get to a boot of the CD (or floppy).
A couple of times, the system emits a series of long beeps. But not always.
I go to bed frustrated. Today, I try it again, and now the off/on switch seems to have no effect -- meaning as soon as I plug it in, it powers up. But never to a boot.
So -- Is my MOBO dead? Or what?
I've thought of getting a new MOBO, but resist because:
A) I don't know if that will even solve the problem, and right now I am already out $100 for a HardDrive I never got working, I hate to add to my cost. Maybe I should trash the Emachines and get a new computer??? (are these all pieces of junk?)
B) I've read that changing MOBOs invalidates my system restore disk, and I don't want to have to buy Windows XP, etc all over again.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks!
===============================
System Specs (according to Emachines)
================================
MOBO: ECS L4S5MG
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 1.60 GHz (w/256KB L2 cache)
Intel NetBurst™ Micro-Architecture
SiS 650 & 961
60 GB HDD
256 MB DDR (PC2100) -- I expanded it to 500MB -- months ago
10/100Mbps built-in Ethernet
24x10x40x Max. CD-RW Drive
3.5" 1.44MB FDD
Integrated SiS Real 256
(1 AGP slot available for upgrade)
4 USB ports (2 on front), 1 Serial, 1 Parallel, 2 PS/2, Audio In & Out, MIDI/Game port, Mic-In & Head Phone jack on front, 3 PCI slots (2 available)