I have computer problems.

**stoned loner** · 09-17-2004

I have a problem that concerns the computer itself. I have a PC that was assembled that I plan to use for recording audio. It already has a 120GB harddrive installed, but I wanted to install another harddrive in the box. This was probably a mistake. When I turned on the computer it booted and re-booted and then re-booted again. I finally got a message on the screen stating that Windows was having a problem starting due to unconfigured hardware or some sort of power failure. I took the harddrive out leaving my original drive in the computer, and I made sure that the jumper was set for the harddrive to be the master. I re-boot, and the operating system starts up and everything seems to be running fine for about 10 minutes and then it boots and re-boots repeatedly without starting Windows XP. What's the cause of this???

I also put in a floppy disk drive that doesn't read the floppies I put in. Why???

**dansgold** · 09-17-2004

Tell us more aboout your PC ... brand, model, specifications, etc.

**CubaseRox** · 09-17-2004

During installation did you touch any circuitry? Did you accidentally bump into the RAM knocking it off its seat?

Did you discharge any static you may have had in your body before touching any of the components? The slightest shock can damage the computer, you can fry the circuits within the hardware. That could possibly be your problem. If thats the case you may have a long troubleshooting period ahead of you because you dont know what hardware is causing the error.

Does your motherboard have LED's on it? See if any are red, that is what error is coming up during the MB self-test period. You may have to goto the MB's website to get a LED chart.

Did you inadvertantly loosen any hardware?
Installing a drive means you have to sometimes move cables out of the way, unplug stuff etc. You could of knocked something off its seat.

Check all your connections (wires PCI cards etc.)! Re-seat (pull out and put back in) them to assure they are tightly in place. And dont touch the circuits, grab things from the edges.

I took the harddrive out leaving my original drive in the computer, and I made sure that the jumper was set for the harddrive to be the master. I re-boot, and the operating system starts up and everything seems to be running fine for about 10 minutes and then it boots and re-boots repeatedly without starting Windows XP. What's the cause of this???
I also put in a floppy disk drive that doesn't read the floppies I put in. Why???

This could be a BIOS Error! Try flashing the BIOS.

Here is a site to explain the steps of flashing the BIOS.

How To Flash Your BIOS

Let me know!

**mungo** · 09-18-2004

Steps to install hard drive:

1. Mechanically install

2. Configure BIOS to recognize drive

3. Use FDISK to create partition

4. Format in windows

I'm guessing you got lost on step 2 or 3.

**CubaseRox** · 09-18-2004

Originally posted by mungo
Steps to install hard drive:

2. Configure BIOS to recognize drive

3. Use FDISK to create partition

Maybe on some older systems, if I recall correctly when I installed a "second" drive I didnt have to update the BIOS.
Windows should do that automatically on boot-up when it checks for hardware.

**mungo** · 09-18-2004

Dont you still have to specify that there is a hard drive attached? Often the other slots are disabled.

**CubaseRox** · 09-18-2004

Originally posted by mungo
Dont you still have to specify that there is a hard drive attached? Often the other slots are disabled.

Maybe on some MB's but I didnt have to specify another drive. When I hooked the drive up it was already listed in the BIOS settings. Then when XP started all I had to do was format the new drive.

His problem is that the computer restarts constantly. That could be a BIOS error, the OS is probably writing corrupt files to the writable part of the BIOS chip and causing the crashes. He probably shorted something out. He could of shorted something out while touching something.

Hey stoned do you get a checksum error when it restarts? If so the BIOS may need to be reflashed, unless it is totally fried.

**stoned loner** · 09-18-2004

I have a Pentium 4 machine with 512MB of RAM. 120GB hard disk drive. The motherboard is by Gigabyte.

When I open the enclosure I normally wear a wrist strap to ground any possible static electricity, and I am careful not to touch any of the circuit boards. One of the wires that connect to a molex connector to a cooling fan became disconnected. How? I'm not sure. I thought this was the reason that I was having problems. It might very well be, but I tried to stick that wire into that tiny space between the wire nut and that yellow wire that it shares with the connector spoke. (And if anyone knows how to fix that little problem, let me know!) When I do that the fan works, but the computer still boots and cut off again.

There's an orange LED on the motherboard, but I don't know what that indicates.

**CubaseRox** · 09-18-2004

The LED's should be green, orange (red) is an error indication.

Goto the MB's website and see if you find a chart to find out what error it is reading.