PC won't boot-is it memory or new 3TB HDD

[Papawolf]

Hi all,
This is the specs on my homebuilt sysem:
Windows 8 64-bit (downloaded December 2012- purchased from Microsoft-legit)
Intel Core i3 2100 Dual Core Hyperthreading Processor LGA1155 3.1GHZ Sandy Bridge 3MB
G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL Ripjaws 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1333 CL9-9-9-24 240PIN DIMM Memory
Intel BOXDH67GDB3 H67 mATX LGA1155 DDR3 1PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 SATA3 USB3.0 HDMI DVI DP Audio Motherboard
OCZ Agility 3 60GB SSD for booting to Windows 8
Western Digital green 640GB HDD
Western Digital green 1.5TB (2 HDDs)
Seagate 2TB HDD
OCZ ZT Series 550W Modular Power Supply

I've been running this sytem as an HTPC fine since August 2012 (using Windows 7 at that time until Win8 installed to SSD in December). I installed a Western Digital Red 3TB HDD on Monday (Dec.24). I initialized it as GPT and formatted it NTFS. In the computer, it showed as about 2.7TB available storage. As I bought it to consolidate my movies, I copied over about 1.3TB from one of the WD green 1.5TB HDD onto it. Copy went fine. It all seemed fiine until Tuesday, when the PC wouldn't boot. It powered on and I get 3 beeps and light blinks 3 times, paued, repeat same pattern. Looking at the manual for the Intel mobo, I see that sound/light pattern supposed to indicate bad memory (G.Skill). I think it's too coincidental though that I just installed the WD 3TB HDD. I unplugged the WD 3TB from the power and mobo but the computer still won't boot properly. I'm looking for guidance-should I be troubleshooting the WD 3TB installation or returning the memory to G.Skill? Should I have initialized the WD3TB as MBT instead (just wanting it for storage, not booting to).Any advice greatly appreciated. BTW-I'd say my level of expertise is between newbie and intermediate (just a hobby).

 

[Burner27]

Take out one of the 4GB sticks and run MemTest on it. If it passes, remove this stick and put the other one in and run memtest on it. If it passes, run memtest with both sticks installed. This will help to determine whether your memory truly is the culprit.

I would tend to think the light pattern your motherboard describes may be an indicator of the problem. It's entirely possible a little static discharge may have hosed something.

 

[Kenmitch]

Welcome to the forum

Might not hurt to make sure you didn't bump something loose while installing the HDD. Double check all connectors to make sure you didn't bump anything loose.

 

[razel]

With 4 HDDs connected, it's entirely possible that the power supply, despite being 550W can be exhausted. Systems use alot of power during startup. It's also possible that something got nudged when you installed the HDD.

What'd I do is start with what it's telling you. Reseat the RAM and cross your fingers. If that don't work, it'd be time to simplify. I'd then disconnect the HDDs and reduce yourself to the minimum sticks of RAM allowed to get you to boot. Best of luck.

 

[TheELF]

Sometimes the bios just resets without any (visible)cause thus changing your settings so first step enter the bios and check the cpu and ram timings make sure they are correct.
Than check connections and if none of those help than do the memtest.

 

[Papawolf]

Well I can get into Windows, which i can't cause PC won't boot, I will run MemTest on whatever stick is working, if memory is the problem.

 

[Papawolf]

Thanks. Yes, I've done that. Nothing's changed.I'm going to try going down to 1 stick, hopefully that will get me in or trying the other. Much thanks.

 

[Papawolf]

Okay but I've had same number of drives working on that for 3 months now. I've reseated the sticks. Would it be a bad idea to reseat the sticks in the other 2 slots?

 

[Papawolf]

Sometimes the bios just resets without any (visible)cause thus changing your settings so first step enter the bios and check the cpu and ram timings make sure they are correct.
Than check connections and if none of those help than do the memtest.

Can't get into the BIOS to check settings.

 

[Burner27]

Can't get into the BIOS to check settings.

Not even with one stick?

 

[Papawolf]

Take out one of the 4GB sticks and run MemTest on it. If it passes, remove this stick and put the other one in and run memtest on it. If it passes, run memtest with both sticks installed. This will help to determine whether your memory truly is the culprit.

I would tend to think the light pattern your motherboard describes may be an indicator of the problem. It's entirely possible a little static discharge may have hosed something.

I ended up swapping sticks from where they were seated and the PC booted. I'm going to run MemTest as you've suggested although I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for in the results.

 

[Burner27]

I ended up swapping sticks from where they were seated and the PC booted. I'm going to run MemTest as you've suggested although I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for in the results.

It will show you any errors that occur as a result of bad memory. You can't miss it.

 

[Blain]

I'm going to run MemTest as you've suggested although I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for in the results.

It will show you any errors that occur as a result of bad memory. You can't miss it.

A caveat for the general public to keep in mind...
"Please be aware that not all errors reported by Memtest86 are due to bad memory.
The test implicitly tests the CPU, L1 and L2 caches as well as the motherboard. It is impossible for the test to determine what causes the failure to occur."

 

[BonzaiDuck]

A caveat for the general public to keep in mind...
"Please be aware that not all errors reported by Memtest86 are due to bad memory.
The test implicitly tests the CPU, L1 and L2 caches as well as the motherboard. It is impossible for the test to determine what causes the failure to occur."

Forgive any repetition of what has already been suggested.

G.SKILL makes good RAM, and those -GBRL's have always had near-rave reviews. But there is never a complete guarantee that you won't occasionally get a bad stick, or that a module will just go bad. Even a static discharge cannot be ruled out.

I'd be surprised if any forum veterans had not had this experience at least once.

It is also possible, from what I've read so far, that a memory slot may be damaged. On the plus side, you could replace the board under its warranty, or simply use the different pair of dual-channel slots.

And if it is indeed the RAM, G.SKILL has a great rep for processing RMA's, and these RAM modules are very cheap anyway at current prices at resellers where you might still find them.

Blain's post raises the possibility of a damaged CPU, but the odds for that can be pretty small.

 

[Papawolf]

It will show you any errors that occur as a result of bad memory. You can't miss it.

The first stick I tested passed 5 tests without error. MemTest 86 (v.4.0) got hung up on the 6th pass. I've read suggestions where it's encouraged to do at least 7 passes, maybe 10. So I don't know if that first stick was comprehensively tested. However I went ahead and tested the second stick this morning. As I type this, the error count is at about at 2 million+! Is that even possible? I'm going to shut the PC off, redo testing of both sticks in the other two DIMM slots to see what I get out of that. As the later post indicated, the problem might be the DIMM slot. But thanks to you all for your help

 

[Papawolf]

A caveat for the general public to keep in mind...
"Please be aware that not all errors reported by Memtest86 are due to bad memory.
The test implicitly tests the CPU, L1 and L2 caches as well as the motherboard. It is impossible for the test to determine what causes the failure to occur."

Thanks for the link Blain. Is there a better, more conclusive way to test memory?

 

[Papawolf]

Forgive any repetition of what has already been suggested.

G.SKILL makes good RAM, and those -GBRL's have always had near-rave reviews. But there is never a complete guarantee that you won't occasionally get a bad stick, or that a module will just go bad. Even a static discharge cannot be ruled out.

I'd be surprised if any forum veterans had not had this experience at least once.

It is also possible, from what I've read so far, that a memory slot may be damaged. On the plus side, you could replace the board under its warranty, or simply use the different pair of dual-channel slots.

And if it is indeed the RAM, G.SKILL has a great rep for processing RMA's, and these RAM modules are very cheap anyway at current prices at resellers where you might still find them.

Blain's post raises the possibility of a damaged CPU, but the odds for that can be pretty small.

Hi BonzaiDuck, I'm gonna try using the other memory slots. Much thanks.

 

[Blain]

Thanks for the link Blain.
Is there a better, more conclusive way to test memory?

Why yes there is... Meet the SP3000

 

[Papawolf]

Why yes there is... Meet the SP3000

Whoa, that's a lot of pizza! Maybe I'll pass.:whiste:

 

[Papawolf]

Hi all,
That second stick with the 2 million plus errors? Just concluded running it for 7 hours, 11 tests without an error. I'm going to reconfigure the PC as it was before the problem booting and hope that it was simply an error resolved by swapping the memory sticks around. I know that more knowledgeable folks than me use MemTest but I can't see how the inconsistent results are useful. Thanks to all, much apperciated and have a great New Year.