Solve : Diagnosing Hardware Failure?

1.	Solve : Diagnosing Hardware Failure?
Answer» Ok, While I'm not a complete newbie, I'm pretty close. I'd like to rebuild a used computer just for the experience of saying 'I did it.' However, the machine I'm using keeps freezing on startup. The machine is a Asus Atv rev. 1.02 mobo with an AMD Athlon 1050 cpu. I have 384 MB installed memory. The main HD is a Maxtor 60 GB, and there is a 20 GB Western Digital HD connected to a RAID controller (using a Promise chip). I have run Scandisk on both hard drives (no errors) and formatted them. Then I attempted to install Win 98 (from an old installation disk I had laying around). This hangs up during the install and goes no further. I then tried doing an install with a Win XP Home edition install disk I got at a thrift SHOP. This hangs up as well. I don't think the chips are overheating (my laptop gets hotter than this), so I'm wondering if it might be that something else is FAILING, and if so, what? And then, how can I check? Thanks!you may want to test the memory, this is ONE of the most common failures with new systems.I'm not sure, but I'm wondering whether removing that RAID controller and trying to install Win 98 with your hard drive connected to an IDE connector on the motherboard would work. Might be worth a try, as a troubleshooting step. Edited for correction, 12:22 PM, EDT.Quote from: fpsmitch on April 30, 2008, 08:19:58 AM you may want to test the memory, this is one of the most common failures with new systems. I know that I was taught this at one time, but my memory is rather volatile at the moment... How do I do this again? Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 08:41:37 AM I'm not sure, but I'm wondering whether removing that RAID controller and trying into Win 98 with your hard drive connected to an IDE connector on the motherboard would work. Might be worth a try, as a troubleshooting step. When I first started this odyssey, that was the first thing I thought might be wrong (I kept getting 'Ultra100 Bios 2.01 build 35 not installed-no drives installed' message at bootup). I saw lots of advice about removing the drive and/or the controller, but I never understood how to do that. When I attached the 20 gig drive to the controller, the startup message went away. So, how do I remove the RAID controller? Thanks for the ideas!Is that RAID controller integrated into the motherboard, or is it an add-on card, a card installed in a PCI slot? I can't find the motherboard you mentioned. Seems like you did not provide the exact model number. Can you visit http://www.asus.com/ and search for it?The RAID controller is integrated into the mobo. I forgot to mention that. sorry. The closest thing I can find on the motherboard is here: http://www.ocworkbench.com/hardware/asus/a7v/a7vp1.htm The picture on the first page there resembles the mobo in question, except that the processor fan is nowhere near as big on mine. Again, the processor is an AMD Athlon 1050 MHz.Quote from: cleireac on April 30, 2008, 08:18:09 AM The machine is a Asus Atv rev. 1.02 mobo with an AMD Athlon 1050 cpu. I have 384 So, it's an A7V, not an "Atv". What makes you think it has RAID built-in? The link you posted says nothing about RAID. How did you run Scandisk? Have you successfully installed Win 98 from that CD before now? Is that Win XP Home edition disk a Genuine Microsoft disk? You say the computer hangs up during the install and goes no further. Does it just stop? Any error message? How long did you wait before concluding that the system had hung? Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM So, it's an A7V, not an "Atv". What makes you think it has RAID built-in? The link you posted says nothing about RAID. Sorry, I fat fingered the name, yes, it is an A7V. It has a Promise ATA-100 chip next to (below) the second set of sockets. When I BEGAN, I kept getting an Ultra100 Bios error, which when I investigated led me to believe there was a RAID controller. Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM How did you run Scandisk? I tried booting from the CD, which kicked into Scandisk. Then after I formatted the HDs, the installation CDs initiated Scandisk. Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM Have you successfully installed Win 98 from that CD before now? Yes. Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM Is that Win XP Home edition disk a Genuine Microsoft disk? Yes. Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM You say the computer hangs up during the install and goes no further. Does it just stop? Any error message? How long did you wait before concluding that the system had hung? For the most part, it just stops. Occasionally, I do get an error message (that flashes too quickly to read), then initiates restart. When it hangs, I have waited anywhere from a handful of minutes to nearly an hour. I checked to see if it was processing or was truly hung by toggling the Number Lock key.

Answer»

Ok,

While I'm not a complete newbie, I'm pretty close.

I'd like to rebuild a used computer just for the experience of saying 'I did it.'

However, the machine I'm using keeps freezing on startup.

The machine is a Asus Atv rev. 1.02 mobo with an AMD Athlon 1050 cpu. I have 384 MB installed memory. The main HD is a Maxtor 60 GB, and there is a 20 GB Western Digital HD connected to a RAID controller (using a Promise chip).

I have run Scandisk on both hard drives (no errors) and formatted them. Then I attempted to install Win 98 (from an old installation disk I had laying around). This hangs up during the install and goes no further. I then tried doing an install with a Win XP Home edition install disk I got at a thrift SHOP. This hangs up as well.

I don't think the chips are overheating (my laptop gets hotter than this), so I'm wondering if it might be that something else is FAILING, and if so, what? And then, how can I check?

Thanks!you may want to test the memory, this is ONE of the most common failures with new systems.I'm not sure, but I'm wondering whether removing that RAID controller and trying to install Win 98 with your hard drive connected to an IDE connector on the motherboard would work. Might be worth a try, as a troubleshooting step.

Edited for correction, 12:22 PM, EDT.Quote from: fpsmitch on April 30, 2008, 08:19:58 AM

you may want to test the memory, this is one of the most common failures with new systems.

I know that I was taught this at one time, but my memory is rather volatile at the moment...

How do I do this again?

Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 08:41:37 AM

I'm not sure, but I'm wondering whether removing that RAID controller and trying into Win 98 with your hard drive connected to an IDE connector on the motherboard would work. Might be worth a try, as a troubleshooting step.

When I first started this odyssey, that was the first thing I thought might be wrong (I kept getting 'Ultra100 Bios 2.01 build 35 not installed-no drives installed' message at bootup). I saw lots of advice about removing the drive and/or the controller, but I never understood how to do that. When I attached the 20 gig drive to the controller, the startup message went away.

So, how do I remove the RAID controller?

Thanks for the ideas!Is that RAID controller integrated into the motherboard, or is it an add-on card, a card installed in a PCI slot?

I can't find the motherboard you mentioned. Seems like you did not provide the exact model number. Can you visit http://www.asus.com/ and search for it?The RAID controller is integrated into the mobo. I forgot to mention that. sorry.

The closest thing I can find on the motherboard is here: http://www.ocworkbench.com/hardware/asus/a7v/a7vp1.htm

The picture on the first page there resembles the mobo in question, except that the processor fan is nowhere near as big on mine. Again, the processor is an AMD Athlon 1050 MHz.Quote from: cleireac on April 30, 2008, 08:18:09 AM

The machine is a Asus Atv rev. 1.02 mobo with an AMD Athlon 1050 cpu. I have 384

So, it's an A7V, not an "Atv". What makes you think it has RAID built-in? The link you posted says nothing about RAID.

How did you run Scandisk?

Have you successfully installed Win 98 from that CD before now?

Is that Win XP Home edition disk a Genuine Microsoft disk?

You say the computer hangs up during the install and goes no further. Does it just stop? Any error message? How long did you wait before concluding that the system had hung? Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM

So, it's an A7V, not an "Atv". What makes you think it has RAID built-in? The link you posted says nothing about RAID.

Sorry, I fat fingered the name, yes, it is an A7V. It has a Promise ATA-100 chip next to (below) the second set of sockets. When I BEGAN, I kept getting an Ultra100 Bios error, which when I investigated led me to believe there was a RAID controller.

Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM

How did you run Scandisk?

I tried booting from the CD, which kicked into Scandisk. Then after I formatted the HDs, the installation CDs initiated Scandisk.

Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM

Have you successfully installed Win 98 from that CD before now?

Yes.

Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM

Is that Win XP Home edition disk a Genuine Microsoft disk?

Yes.

Quote from: soybean on April 30, 2008, 12:57:29 PM

You say the computer hangs up during the install and goes no further. Does it just stop? Any error message? How long did you wait before concluding that the system had hung?

For the most part, it just stops. Occasionally, I do get an error message (that flashes too quickly to read), then initiates restart. When it hangs, I have waited anywhere from a handful of minutes to nearly an hour. I checked to see if it was processing or was truly hung by toggling the Number Lock key.

Solve : Diagnosing Hardware Failure?

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