My own thread of PC issues

[Dr_Avalanche]

Well, just one issue so far, but I'm noticing that all the cool kids have threads like this these days so here we go:

Every time my PC has been shut off for any period of time - overnight is usually enough - the boot up process comes to a halt right after it has done the RAM test and recognized the hard drives and CD-ROM. It just sits there, with the results of those processes on screen, until I do a power off. Then I boot again, and everything starts up just fine.

I'm thinking the internal clock battery might be the problem, but should that really be depleted in the two years I've had the computer? Any other ideas what might be causing the problem?

[shiningbrow]

Why do you think it's the internal clock? Does the time reset itself after the boot? I had a battery on the motherboard once that died with the result that the computer kept resetting itself to Jan. 1, 1904. The contagion continues. Now my iPod insists that it's three hours earlier than it actually is. grrr... easily reset, and probably due to having the battery drained. Don't use it that much. Oh well, that was easy, at least.

[cyphersmith]

Well, just one issue so far, but I'm noticing that all the cool kids have threads like this these days so here we go:

Every time my PC has been shut off for any period of time - overnight is usually enough - the boot up process comes to a halt right after it has done the RAM test and recognized the hard drives and CD-ROM. It just sits there, with the results of those processes on screen, until I do a power off. Then I boot again, and everything starts up just fine.

I'm thinking the internal clock battery might be the problem, but should that really be depleted in the two years I've had the computer? Any other ideas what might be causing the problem?

It could be that one of those drives is slowly going bad, and needing to heat up before it works properly. I would run some diagnostics on your drives if I were you. It could also be the cables connecting the drives. Those do go bad.

[Kastil]

Bad sector on the HD perhaps?

[Name Lips]

It sounds to me like you should make absolutely sure all your important stuff is backed up. Next you'll have to restart it twice to get it working... then three times... then you'll get used to having to switch it on and off for 30 minutes before it works... and then one day it'll just sprout arms and stab you to death. You've been warned.

[shiningbrow]

I second the back up advice. I'm up to my eyeballs trying to rectify backups from multiple external HDs after my fun MacBookPro failure yesterday. This will be harddrive #3 for this machine, a laptop that's been used as a desktop for its entire life.

Re: the computer sprouting arms and stabbing you... I, too, have fears that one day it will get sick of working for me and simply explode.

[Kastil]

I second the back up advice. I'm up to my eyeballs trying to rectify backups from multiple external HDs after my fun MacBookPro failure yesterday. This will be harddrive #3 for this machine, a laptop that's been used as a desktop for its entire life.

Re: the computer sprouting arms and stabbing you... I, too, have fears that one day it will get sick of working for me and simply explode.Geesh... how long have you had that laptop? I ordered a new HD for mine (used much the same as yours) because I wanted a bigger one. 500gig. Opened up the back panel to slide it on and found another slot to put a HD in. Jackpot! The old 160gig drive is used for programs and the 500gig is the storage. Mine is a little over 3 years old.

[Critter]

Sounds similar to what I'm sort of dealing with on my machine.

Remember that external hard drive I was having issues with? Well, it's working but still a bit screwy and it's starting to do something real similar that the machine only likes to consistenly boot up if I have my external unplugged and only plug it in once I'm in Windows.

[Kastil]

Back up your stuff but remember, if you want, an old HD can be put in an external enclosure and used as a backup. I did that with the Toshiba HD that got a bad sector in it and wouldn't boot up. Worked fine as an external.

[hobbiteer]

... Next you'll have to restart it twice to get it working...

I have to do this to mine now. I was going to just get a new drive when I got a new cpu/motherboard but I'm debating that now.

[Dr_Avalanche]

The problem reminded me of an issue I had with another computer, where the clock battery was acting up and not letting me boot. But it might not have anything to do with it.

As far as backup goes, I'm covered. Photos and anything else of importance is stored on a Drobo server. Mostly it would be a hassle to reinstall everything.

I'll run some diagnostics on the disk and see if anything shows up.