PC stuck in boot loop

[Boac]

I have run out of ideas! Suddenly the machine on reboot went to Gigabyte splash screen and stopped there, next reboot and all subsequent I get a few seconds of power up then shut down, auto-repeat. No splash screen. Everything out now except MOBO, CPU, memory and PSU and still the same. CMOS batt removed, CMOS cleared, batt (3.08V) replaced. So either PSU or MOBO - any ideas?

I have managed to 'paperclip' the power socket and get some important stuff (outlook.pst etc) onto this lappie but desperately need machine working!!

[admin]

Possibility could be the cooling fan on the CPU. Sensor detects inoperative and shuts down to prevent damage. Is it spinning up when power applied?

Alison

[Boac]

Yes, all appears normal apart from the SNAFU! I think I will have to visit the doctor tomorrow.

[Sisemen]

These tend to come in useful for fine, detailed electronics work.....

hammer.jpg (6.37 KiB) Viewed 441 times

[admin]

Boac, I run Gigabyte mobo's in all my machines. Do you get a chance to hit the Del key to enter the CMOS Setup Utility?

I've got a couple of spare machines. Tell me what Gigabyte mobo it is I will see if I can replicate your problem.

Alison

[Boac]

Thanks but I don't think you will be able to 'replicate'. As I posted, no splash so no 'DEL' option. I think I have exhausted all the 'checks' including the reset and power switches. I was playing with easybcd at the time so I guess a fried BIOS is a possibility.

Any recs for a GB combo if it goes that way? I need 64bit, at least 4 sata , USB3 and the usual PCI slots, no special video needs. However I have had one GB mobo in the past with an 'unspecified' warranty BIOS fault and I had to re-flash No2 son's GB MOBO a while back too so I may try ASUS.

Sise - I have a bigger one (hammer), a two-handled job, and that hasn't fixed it......

[admin]

I automatically disable the splash screen when carrying out initial config, so never get to see it any more. Not wishing to try and teach my grandmother to suck eggs, but..... I presume you have tried reseating the RAM.

I would disconnect and then reconnect all connectors. Could be a bit of corrosion on a pin. Do it two or three times to clear any tarnish. I would even pull the processor and reseat it. Making sure you have some silicone heat transfer paste. Booting one of my other machines I notice that the first thing it does is check the RAM. Do you have any other RAM available you could swop in. If it's not connectors, then I would be looking at the RAM. If the RAM is crook, not fully seated or has tarnish on the pins then you would get exactly the same symptoms you are describing.

Just some thoughts.

Alison

[Boac]

Done most of that (leaving the CPU until the PSU is checked).

[unifoxos]

Does sound like you maye have farked the BIOS if you have been using easybcd. Some of these mobos are reputed to have a backup BIOS, where you can temporarily disable the main BIOS and the backup will take over and reflash the main one to some original state. Otherwise if you are good at soldering it is possible to remove the BIOS chip(s) and reprogram in a programmer.

[Boac]

Yes, uni, but this one doesn't.............................

[admin]

Most probably easybcd has stuffed things up. In truth sometimes wonder what the advantage of such products is these days. I use KVM switches and multiple boxes under my desk. Boxes are cheap enough. And IMHO the only real reason I can see to want to dual boot is to conserve desktop space, which I can do anyway. Single screen, single keyboard and single mouse, into multiple processors via KVM switch.

I have a KVM switch between my two Linux servers - Production and Development machines, and another KVM between my Win 7 and a legacy XP box. I can still do things with XP that Win 7 doesn't allow. Like play with Master Boot Records on HDD's, and similar tasks. And XP is better at recovering corrupt DVD's when Win 7 and Linux give up.

Alison

[Sisemen]

I just love these foreign language sites

[unifoxos]

I use KVM switches and multiple boxes under my desk. Boxes are cheap enough.

I used to do that too, but found that I preferred remote desktop type operation using my single desktop as "master" and opening up windows on it to other machines as required, so that I can easily swap between machines, and sometimes copy and paste between them too.

[admin]

I use KVM switches and multiple boxes under my desk. Boxes are cheap enough.

I used to do that too, but found that I preferred remote desktop type operation using my single desktop as "master" and opening up windows on it to other machines as required, so that I can easily swap between machines, and sometimes copy and paste between them too.

I have two Linux machines running CentOS/RHEL a Unix NAS box, a Win 7 and an XP machines all networked. The Linux boxes are set up as Apache, MySQL, PHP web servers and as Postfix, Dovecot, Squirrel mail servers. Running remote windows into them just adds an extra level of complexity which I can do without. Thanks.

I develop using Drupal which is getting pretty hairy these days. Just keeping the servers secure with Fail2Ban, Amavisd and IPtables is getting to be a full time job, significantly reducing my time to play with Drupal. I get DDOS attacks at least once a week from the Chinese. Weekly security upgrades for all of that kit also chews up time.

Alison

[OFSO]

Remember the first machines from Apple ? To reseat the pins you had to drop the device about 3" onto a hard surface. Not recommended except as a last resource.

The final last resource is go and buy a Chromebook.

[Boac]

Have given up the struggle and will be replacing the mobo

[ian16th]

Have given up the struggle and will be replacing the mobo

If one replaces a motherboard, and of course upgrades to a bigger/faster/more powerful CPU, is the Windoze licence still valid?

Or is it a new system?

Further, if I use a different case for the new motherboard, with the bigger/faster/more powerful CPU, and then move across 1 HDD and 1 DVD drive, can I install my licenced copy of Windoze/7, and when fully commissioned with applications and the rest of my h/w, is this allowed by Micro$oft?

[Boac]

Yes, in varying quantities. Sometimes, depending on what is 'replaced', no action is needed. Sometimes you need to 'authenticate' via the M$ web site. Again, sometimes you will need to ring the national freephone number. It hinges on whether 'they' think you are trying to install a single-use licence onto a second machine or not.

I have cloned the W7 OS onto a 256 SSD from a 128 and nothing was required. My last build (new mobo and CPU) needed a phone call.

[GrumpyOldFart]

I get DDOS attacks at least once a week from the Chinese.

That must be very debilitating. A course of a good penicillin derivative can fix it, and you should keep some Imodium handy just in case. Then it might be better to switch to Indian for a while.

Hope this helps.

[Boac]

No, I've had some horrendous problems with my hard drive after a Madras.