PC stuck on boot

captainpat

My PC has stopped booting after about 18 months. It comes up to the AMI Bios screen, with "Checking NVRAM.." and sits there. I need to hold power button for 10 sec to power off after this.

It started a few weeks back, with clunking sounds from the power supply area before it shut down. Then it would come up with come back for a few days. I bought a new power supply, fitted it and all was OK for a week. Then I got another "Clunk" and shutdown. Since then I just get the same story at restart. With one exception. I stripped it down and cleaned all fans coolers etc. Then I connected power, mobo, ram, video and screen. got boot, so powered off and connected kbd/mouse. Could get into Bios, all looked normal for what I had connected.

Thinking I had it sorted, I reassembled everything, but was back to the original problem. I will repeat the stripped-down assembly, and add things one by one.

In the meantime, has anybody any suggestions as to why it is hanging at the NVRAM check?

MSI KT4V mobo
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ cpu
512 RAM Critical
AMI Bios A6712VMS V5.3

3xIDE HDD
DVDRW
ATI 9100 AGP
Avermedia TV Studio card

paddy

Clunking sounds like your hard disk, disconnect it to see if it gets any further in post.

captainpat

paddy wrote:

Clunking sounds like your hard disk, disconnect it to see if it gets any further in post.

thanks Paddy, I disconnected IDE interfaces, same. Removed power, same. Clunking sound is like relay noise. I am fairly sure it's in power supply. when I boot, hear a couple of the sounds during boot. Changed back to original PSU, so may revert to new one for next wave of test.

Oh, and I have jumper-reset the Bios a few times.

Fionn_McCool

Those sounds that you here may well be your, CD-Rom.

I used get that also with mine until i changed it a couple of weeks back.
Every time i booted up, i used here two load clunking noises, roughly a second betwen each other.

Not sure this is your problem, as mine always booted up, no problems.

But since you say the noise comes from the power supply area, it may be it.

Had you heard these noises before you started having your problems, or has it only started with your problems??

Lump

Well it might be hanging at the MVram check..... cause..... the ram's faulty...... maybe.

John

Wandering Dazed

The nvram holds the configuration data in the bios. This is backed up using the coin battery on the systemboard. When the system hangs if you jumper the board to reset the nvram can you get into the bios? Might be the battery is on the way out. Otherwise, as suggested try removing all peripherals and see if you can find a root cause. Have seen loads of cdrom's halt post...

captainpat

Wandering Dazed wrote:

The nvram holds the configuration data in the bios. This is backed up using the coin battery on the systemboard. When the system hangs if you jumper the board to reset the nvram can you get into the bios? Might be the battery is on the way out. Otherwise, as suggested try removing all peripherals and see if you can find a root cause. Have seen loads of cdrom's halt post...

Great suggestion about the battery! Of course nothing is sure, but poked at the battery, moving it a bit in its socket, reset Bios jumpers and got a boot screen. Plugged in IDE and got POST, reset Bios, got to Windows, and here I am. Still not completely sure, as some odd noises from PSU, but at least all not lost. Will now replace battery and maybe put all into new case.

I will probably come down tomorrow morning to a dead machine again, but at least I made some progress. Thanks for inspired suggestion.