Is there some program to analyse "MoBo's health"??

[Franklogus]

Hi all !
I have a "back-up" PC, which has the following spec:

-- Win XP PRO
-- P4 1.6 GHz
-- Asus P4SDX MoBo
-- 512 MB DDR 333 Kingston (2x250)
-- 2 HDDs - ATA 133 Maxtor (120 GB) & ATA-100 Seagate (40 GB)
-- 01 Drive of CDR-W and 01 Drive of DVD

Since last week, I am having some troubles with it (my MoBo, Memory and HDD of 120 GB are "new" - I have updated these components).
Well, the problem is : sometimes, my PC isn't recognizing my HDDs. If I "shake" a bit my case, the system recognizes them... And, another times, the Windows "locks", and I need to restart my PC... I have already runned the CheckDisk, and it didnt find any problem with the HDDs..
Well, I have already, too, lend it to a technical, and he didnt find any problem - the cables were in the right place - no apparent bad contact. So, he said me that it could be a problem with my MoBo. As it is a new hardware, I think that there is no reason for some trouble ...
So, I would like to know if there is some SPECIFIC SOFTWARE (freeware), which can to analyse (in a SAFE WAY - with NO POTENTIAL DAMAGE) my MoBO and find if there is, really, some damage in it ... Is there, please ??
Thanks a lot for any additional information!

 

[itachi]

no, there isn't. your problem is either hd, hd controller (unlikely), or psu related.

 

[SpikeyNL]

If your mobo would be damaged it also wouldn't work after shaking your case. Looks like the new HDD isn't working very well. Did you try another HD? And do you have the same problem then? If it's not the HD I could not think of an other thing then cabling. Just check all cables en maybe even replace them.
Good luck!
Spikey

 

[Zepper]

Most HD problems like yours are cable related. Either the data cable has gone bad or the power contacts are loose and/or corroded. The power contacts they use on a lot of PSUs these days are ultra cheap. In fact just about all normal cables are made so cheaply it's a wonder they work at all. I had an Enlight PSU that I had to tighten the drive power contacts all the time. Use a small jeweler's screwdriver. It's almost worth buying a set of new REAL Amp or Molex brand contacts and replacing them after a while of monkeying with it.
. Most software tests can't really diagnose those things. They might be able to detect that the drive isn't working properly but not tell you why - it's a matter of replace and/or tighten and test again. IOW, good ol' 'trial and error'.
. There are mobo diagnostics - CheckIt from http://www.SmithMicro.com, AMIDiag from the AMI BIOS people (American Megatrends, www.ami.com ), maybe the paid version of SiSoft Sandra, VCom's FixIt or SystemSuite - http://www.v-com.com , etc. And most of them will do tests of all types of hardware.

.bh.

 

[Franklogus]

Thanks all for your hints !
I will try to see if it can be some cable damage, but the technical man who opened my case said that there wasnt any apparent problem... Anyways, perhaps I need to change the cables... I forgot to say that, sometimes, there is a noise, as a "TEC", inside the case (when I am trying to access some of the 02 HDDs, but its a "rare sound"...). I am not sure that the problem is from the HDDs, because, sometimes, the PC dont recognize any of the 02 HDDs, and, another times, it recognizes only the Secondary/Slave)... Very strange ... And (for the time being), it always works after some slight "shake" of the case...
Well, thanks a lot for your answers, guys !!
Any additional information qould be appreciated!