Bootup problems

[Skulker]

Hi was wondering if anybody might have an idea as to what might be causing this. I have a fairly old p4 desktop that occasionally has trouble at startup where it gets to the xp loading screen and then restarts the whole bootup sequence again. Theres no pattern to how many times it reboots before I manage to load up windows properly. Sometimes it eventually completes loading windows and other times I have to shut the system down and try again later. I really don't have the money to replace the system just yet, so I'm hoping that it can be fixed up to hold me over a bit longer.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Do you ever have a problem booting to Safe Mode? It's my experience that restarts during boot will be firmware, drivers, or failing hardware. So make sure you're at the latest BIOS rev and any other firmware you can update, same goes for drivers. If the problem persists then focus on isolating hardware to see if your symptom changes.

 

[degibson]

Look specifically at the video card and the power supply. If you have spares, try swapping them out.

 

[Skulker]

Drivers are all up to date. Selecting safe mode doesn't resolve the problem either. Like I said it usually either finally starts up properlly after a random number of reboots or I have to switch system off and try again later. I don't have any spare components lying around, is their any other way to narrow down the problem? This is a fairly old system and I've had the power supply and video card die on me and replaced before, but is there any chance this is the motherboard or cpu going bad since they haven't changed in all this time?

 

[meatguy2006]

Like cheezewiz said, you need to get the latest BIOS. Then see what happens.

 

[Old Hippie]

CPUs usually last forever.

I'm betting this is a piece of hardware on the edge, and my .05 is on the PSU.

Would anybody like to raise a video card? :laugh:

Skulker, it's all a shot in the dark until you swap a few parts.

Welcome to the forums and I wish we had better news for ya!

 

[sutahz]

My guesses are overheating cpu (or mobo thinking the cpu is overheating) and PSU.
Could be the mobo (not the cpu temp sensing exactly), look for leaking/bulging capacitors (they're the cylinder things on the mobo, big compared to most other things).

 

[Skulker]

Brownish gunk on top of a couple of big caps on motherboard would be them leaking right? If that is the problem how bad would not replacing the motherboard right away be. Can't really afford a whole new system yet, but don't want to sink too much money into such an old system. When the caps finally blow(if this isn't them having blown yet) is there chance of other things being damaged if I hold off on replacement?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Theres no way to tell how long it will last, or what it will take with it.