The solution to the Windows error "C0000218 Unknown Hard Error" was to reformat. Apparently, that error means the hard drive became seriously corrupted (there are other variants meaning registry files became corrupted, but from some experimentation I determined chkdsk couldn't fix the problems and I couldn't even delete the partition except by killing the RAID array). Basically, after a subsequent reinstall of Windows it's all good again (but no more RAID array to save myself future difficulties).
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I fixed the hardware aspect of the problem by doing a complete rebuild of the system. I think perhaps my initial assumption regarding the voltage issue was almost right, but it had to do with the processor frequency. The board automatically set the frequency to the 500MHz settings (100MHz bus, 5 multiplier), which equated to 1350MHz (multiplier is locked at 13.5) which continued to cause problems even after the first time I could enter the BIOS (before changing back to the proper frequency, it would boot every other time I tried). After setting the correct frequency, I was back to my same old "C0000218 Unknown Hard Error" problem with Windows, but luckily I had a Knoppix Live CD sitting around which I'm now using to post from my own computer.
Anyway, so the major problem is done. If anyone could still provide insight into the Windows error I'd still appreciate help with that (so I don't have to go an reinstall Windows). I'm about to conduct my own research on the matter.
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I will start from the beginning. My computer was working fine at about midnight one night, and I turned it off around 12:30AM, nothing unusual. When I woke up in the morning around 9:00AM, I tried to turn it on. I hit the power button, went to do something (probably the bathroom or something) and I came back and it was just a blank screen for some reason. I just did a hard shutdown and tried again. It wouldn't boot into Windows, but would give the Windows loading screen, then a blue screen. I tried safe mode, Last Known Settings, the whole deal, and numerous times, but nothing worked.
The blue screen said something like "0000218 Hard Error". I figured this might mean a hardware problem, so I went into the BIOS and checked all of my settings. Everything appeared alright, but I decided to do restore default settings anyway. This is when things went really bad. Ever since then, I have not been able to turn on my computer at all (I don't get any video, and no indication of a POST). When I hit the power button, the fans spin but nothing comes onto the monitor.
I'm quite experienced with building computers, but in this case I'm relatively helpless because I don't have the time or resources to fix this computer, since I just moved to college. I did try borrowing a video card from a friend and tried that in my computer but got the exact same result. Thus, I have resolved that either my processor or motherboard must've gone bad.
Unfortunately, I cannot listen to motherboard beep codes since my case does not have a speaker output and I have no cables to rig one up. Here is my system so you get an idea of what I'm working with:
ABIT KG7-RAID
AMD Athlon Thorton (Thoroughbred, essentially) 2200+
Corsair XMS PC3200 DDR SDRAM
GeForce 4 Ti4200
There are some hard drives and optical drives and whatnot, but that seems inconsequential. I also tried replacing the motherboard battery but that didn't change a thing either. I would really like to get this system at least running so I can recover some files from my RAID array (although it's not essential data it would be nice to at least have it back, and having to reinstall everything again would be quite painful).
I really need this system up and running again ASAP because I'm basically without a computer for most of the day (computer center is open 4-11PM). I'm a CS major so I need to do programming. I will be getting my old laptop shipped to me as a temporary replacement, but it is quite slow (600MHz) and I'd rather not be dependent on it for too much time.
If anyone has any good ideas, please post back here (I can only check each evening, unfortunately). I hadn't been running my processor or RAM overclocked lately (though they had been in the past) and my video card was only moderately overclocked (never had any artifacting or crashing problems at the speed it was at).
I have a slight suspicion it could be that my motherboard reverted to the default voltage settings for the processor, and since it is old (meant for T-Birds) that would mean something like 1.75V rather than the 1.65V that my Thoroughbred requires, which may be causing it to stall on boot (but I am also almost 100% sure the processor could handle such a slight increase with no problems).
Please post any advice you may have regarding this problem. Thanks.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, I've tried running the system bare (one stick of RAM, processor, motherboard, and video card, nothing else) but that produced the same result.
EDIT2: Also forgot to mention I already did what Smilin did, and numerous times (and as I said I even replaced the battery, so rule out the BIOS problem).
Furthermore, I just got an copy of the motherboard manual from the manufacturer's website and I no longer believe that voltage issue is a problem.
However, I did remember something. I once tried changing the Thornton to a Barton, which involved a little scraping and some conductive stuff from a window defogger repair kit. That was before I read about the "superlocked" processor, so basically that never worked, although the processor continued to work fine for a long time afterward (until this incident, obviously). Could something have suddenly happened involving that? Although I admit, that makes little to no sense, I'm running out of ideas.
-------------------------
I fixed the hardware aspect of the problem by doing a complete rebuild of the system. I think perhaps my initial assumption regarding the voltage issue was almost right, but it had to do with the processor frequency. The board automatically set the frequency to the 500MHz settings (100MHz bus, 5 multiplier), which equated to 1350MHz (multiplier is locked at 13.5) which continued to cause problems even after the first time I could enter the BIOS (before changing back to the proper frequency, it would boot every other time I tried). After setting the correct frequency, I was back to my same old "C0000218 Unknown Hard Error" problem with Windows, but luckily I had a Knoppix Live CD sitting around which I'm now using to post from my own computer.
Anyway, so the major problem is done. If anyone could still provide insight into the Windows error I'd still appreciate help with that (so I don't have to go an reinstall Windows). I'm about to conduct my own research on the matter.
--------------------------
I will start from the beginning. My computer was working fine at about midnight one night, and I turned it off around 12:30AM, nothing unusual. When I woke up in the morning around 9:00AM, I tried to turn it on. I hit the power button, went to do something (probably the bathroom or something) and I came back and it was just a blank screen for some reason. I just did a hard shutdown and tried again. It wouldn't boot into Windows, but would give the Windows loading screen, then a blue screen. I tried safe mode, Last Known Settings, the whole deal, and numerous times, but nothing worked.
The blue screen said something like "0000218 Hard Error". I figured this might mean a hardware problem, so I went into the BIOS and checked all of my settings. Everything appeared alright, but I decided to do restore default settings anyway. This is when things went really bad. Ever since then, I have not been able to turn on my computer at all (I don't get any video, and no indication of a POST). When I hit the power button, the fans spin but nothing comes onto the monitor.
I'm quite experienced with building computers, but in this case I'm relatively helpless because I don't have the time or resources to fix this computer, since I just moved to college. I did try borrowing a video card from a friend and tried that in my computer but got the exact same result. Thus, I have resolved that either my processor or motherboard must've gone bad.
Unfortunately, I cannot listen to motherboard beep codes since my case does not have a speaker output and I have no cables to rig one up. Here is my system so you get an idea of what I'm working with:
ABIT KG7-RAID
AMD Athlon Thorton (Thoroughbred, essentially) 2200+
Corsair XMS PC3200 DDR SDRAM
GeForce 4 Ti4200
There are some hard drives and optical drives and whatnot, but that seems inconsequential. I also tried replacing the motherboard battery but that didn't change a thing either. I would really like to get this system at least running so I can recover some files from my RAID array (although it's not essential data it would be nice to at least have it back, and having to reinstall everything again would be quite painful).
I really need this system up and running again ASAP because I'm basically without a computer for most of the day (computer center is open 4-11PM). I'm a CS major so I need to do programming. I will be getting my old laptop shipped to me as a temporary replacement, but it is quite slow (600MHz) and I'd rather not be dependent on it for too much time.
If anyone has any good ideas, please post back here (I can only check each evening, unfortunately). I hadn't been running my processor or RAM overclocked lately (though they had been in the past) and my video card was only moderately overclocked (never had any artifacting or crashing problems at the speed it was at).
I have a slight suspicion it could be that my motherboard reverted to the default voltage settings for the processor, and since it is old (meant for T-Birds) that would mean something like 1.75V rather than the 1.65V that my Thoroughbred requires, which may be causing it to stall on boot (but I am also almost 100% sure the processor could handle such a slight increase with no problems).
Please post any advice you may have regarding this problem. Thanks.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, I've tried running the system bare (one stick of RAM, processor, motherboard, and video card, nothing else) but that produced the same result.
EDIT2: Also forgot to mention I already did what Smilin did, and numerous times (and as I said I even replaced the battery, so rule out the BIOS problem).
Furthermore, I just got an copy of the motherboard manual from the manufacturer's website and I no longer believe that voltage issue is a problem.
However, I did remember something. I once tried changing the Thornton to a Barton, which involved a little scraping and some conductive stuff from a window defogger repair kit. That was before I read about the "superlocked" processor, so basically that never worked, although the processor continued to work fine for a long time afterward (until this incident, obviously). Could something have suddenly happened involving that? Although I admit, that makes little to no sense, I'm running out of ideas.
If it doesn't, then you may want to go buy a new motherboard next, but that would probably mean kissing your RAID goodbye. Shuttle's AN35N Ultra is a nice affordable board with a good reputation if you need a suggestion.
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