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Have an issue I can't solve... dying mobo???

S

spyder124

Junior Member
So I have a desktop I built in sept of 2006 with the following specs:

-Intel E6400 @ 2.84 w/ ZEROtherm hs/f
-Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 motherboard rev.1 F14 BIOS
-320gb 7200rpm Seagate HDD
-Sapphire HD5770 1gb graphics card
-2 x 2gb G.SKILL DDR2 800 ram
-Dual booting Ubuntu and Windows Server Edition 2008r2.
-Antec Truepower 550w PSU

Heres my issue: I used my computer, watched a movie and then shut it down one night and everything was working perfectly normal. The next day I went to turn it on and it did not get past the POST screen and into GRUB loader. It registered my CPU showing E6400 @ 2.84gHz, says memory testing: 4193216k OK, IDE channel 0 Master : ST3320620AS 3.AAC. The computer would get stuck at "Detecting IDE drives...". I noticed I couldnt use my CD drive. I dropped the 18 bucks and replaced it, the new one worked. So the CPU, RAM, CD Drive, and HDD all looked like it was working, which left me to believe the problem was with the MOBO, PSU, or possibly the GPU. I started with the mobo and tried resetting CMOS, replaced the CMOS battery, went into BIOS and set to factory standards.
After doing the reset, I was able to get through POST after a longer than normal wait and got to the GRUB screen. I can select to load windows and then it freezes again. Anyone have any ideas as to what my problem may be? My best guess is the motherboard is beginning to fail.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and trying to help me!
 
Why do you think your hard drive is OK? It sounds like a hard drive (or disk or cabling) failure.

Insert a disk maker's disk diagnostics CD and boot to that and see if it can see your hard drive and test it.
 
I moved the HDD cable around between SATA ports on my MOBO and it registered in BIOS every time. I'll see if I can get my hands on a disk makers disk diagnostics CD. Thanks for the post!
 
picked up a new hard drive from microcenter today and not a single thing changed. I tried to install an OS on it and I can get as far as the Boot from CD prompt and it freezes. Any other thoughts?
 
Have you tried booting to a Linux Live CD? That'll give you the opportunity to exercise the motherboard independently of the hard drive.
 
look for any bloated capacitor on you mobo. guess your mobo is dying.
I once had same problem only to find out that one of my mobo's capacitors is bloated.
 
jaydeee said:
look for any bloated capacitor on you mobo. guess your mobo is dying.
I once had same problem only to find out that one of my mobo's capacitors is bloated.
Click to expand...
Yeah, my experience is that failing motherboard capacitors are the most common cause of motherboard failure. The symptoms can be very hard to diagnose, with seemingly random failures to start, random reboots, and other weirdness.
 
in reference to my previous post.
earlier today I was troubleshooting a Dell Optiplex 240 (yeah its old) the problem is it freezes on loading of windows, even in safe mode.

I've tried the following but no joy:
1. chkdsk /r from recovery console, no problem
2. repair install, still freeze when rebooted
3. ubuntu live cd, freezes while loading.

then I made physical check and found out that all its capacitors near the CPU are bloated/busted/leaking. replacement of mobo concluded my troubleshooting.
 
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