RESOLVED - New build keeps freezing on start-up...please help!

[bovinda]

RESOVLED 11/07 - a bad stick of RAM was evidently the problem.

1. Overview of the problem
   New budget build keeps freezing on start-up, and occasionally restarting, after it's been left off for awhile. Once it gets going, it's fine!
   
   
2. Full description of the problem and symptoms
   New budget build with a friend keeps freezing on start-up since the first POST. Here's exactly what happens after it's been off for awhile: the first time it's turned on, it will freeze on the POST screen, usually where it says things like "Detecting IDE drive..." and hang indefinitely. Really tiny, little red dots may flicker now and then across the screen, but you have to look close to notice them.
   
   So I hit the reset button. It starts again, maybe gets a little farther, then freezes (keyboard won't restart it either; only reset button).
   
   So I reset again...a little farther, etc. After a number of times doing this (some of which it will restart suddenly on its own, maybe one out of every 4 or 5 tries in the beginning) it will get to the MS loading screen. It will usually freeze once more at this point, then the next reset will get it to go fine. As long as it's left on, it's great.
   
   
3. Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
   It's worked like this from the beginning, as far as I can tell...the first POST, it froze briefly, then reset it once or twice and got it going. Vista loaded fine.
   
   
   
4. Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
   It is consistent and repeatable. It seems the longer it's been off, the more restarts it may take (the longest it's been off has been for about a day and half, and it took about 8-10 restarts total to get it going--that was today).
   
   
   
5. I already tried these steps:
   I've tried Memtest86+ for about 16 hours straight, no errors.
   I'm starting it up on Prime95 right now.
   
   
   
6. My software:
   • Vista 64 Home Premium with SP1, OEM
   • No AV or IS installed yet; only chipset, video, and LAN drivers installed so far
   
   
   
7. My hardware
   • Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G MicroATX mobo
   • AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0 GHz CPU (not overclocked)
   • Using integrated audio and video
   • G.Skill 4 GB (2x2) DDR2 800 RAM, voltage is on auto (BIOS shows it as around 1.93 or so, I believe; couldn't find any place to set timings in the BIOS options, so I guess those are on auto too)
   • Rosewill case and included 350W PSU
   • LiteOn DVD Burner
   • Seagate 500 GB SATA drive
   • One 80 mm case fan[/L]
8. Other information that might be relevant
   The only other thing I've done was set the HD to AHCI at start-up as per the mobo's suggestions on the initial set-up before installing windows. I have no idea what could be causing this. I thought...bad RAM? But Memtest86+ was fine. Bad PSU? But once it gets going it's great (just in case, running Prime95 right now).
   
   Any help is greatly, greatly appreciated! Thanks guys...
   

 

[bovinda]

I've run Prime95 all day, and no problems. Makes me think it's unlikely to be the PSU or CPU? Can we say the 16 hours of Memtest as well ruled out the RAM as the culprit?

I tried turning it off for 30 sec or so, and turned it back on, and it started up fine, after having been on all day.

What part/component would function better having been on for awhile? Anyone have any ideas? I'm not sure what else to try...

 

[daniel49]

If you go straight to the bios does it freeze up?
Or if you ran a live cd OS would it freeze?

if not then it sounds like its struggling with some piece of hardware.
run bare minimum and then add things in one at a time and see if you can see where the problems start.

 

[bovinda]

When it first starts up, it will indeed freeze before I can get into the BIOS. After a couple of boots, I can then get into the BIOS. It hasn't actually frozen up while I am in the BIOS, however.

I haven't tried booting off a CD separately, since it starts freezing up well before it gets to the "Boot from CD?..." line.

I will try pulling out a stick of RAM and disconnecting the hard drive and DVD drive right now, just to see if it can start up without those...

 

[Ausm]

Sounds like you could have a faulty drive to me.

 

[bovinda]

Wait, hold on, I didn't reset some RAM correctly...

 

[bovinda]

That was embarressing... Anyway, it now appears to start up fine having taken out one of the RAM sticks. If I switch the sticks and start it with that one, it keeps freezing at or near the POST screen.

Does that sound like the likely culprit then? Has anyone ever heard of a buggy stick of RAM getting past Memtest86+ for 16 hours, or working fine once it's been "warmed up" for a bit?

 

[KGB]

Originally posted by: bovinda
That was embarressing... Anyway, it now appears to start up fine having taken out one of the RAM sticks. If I switch the sticks and start it with that one, it keeps freezing at or near the POST screen.

Does that sound like the likely culprit then? Has anyone ever heard of a buggy stick of RAM getting past Memtest86+ for 16 hours, or working fine once it's been "warmed up" for a bit?

I have seen bad ram make it through MemTest86. That program is very good but not perfect.

 

[bovinda]

Originally posted by: KGBMAN

I have seen bad ram make it through MemTest86. That program is very good but not perfect.

Good to know...I had thought Memtest86+ was more sensitive than it was to errors, I guess.

Well, with the good stick in, it seems to be working fine, to I guess a bad RAM stick was the problem. Requested an RMA today, and hopefully the new set will work better.

Thanks for the help, everyone!