Tech Support Guy banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

windows XP home compter starts then stops,starts,stops PLEASE HELP I use it for work

2K views 34 replies 5 participants last post by  xfile47 
#1 ·
A friend of my wife that works with her called and said her computer won't turn on, I looked and this is what it is doing.
You turn it on and the green light on the tower comes on and you can hear it starting up the green light on the monitor is on the key board lite is not. nothing ever comes up on the screen because you can listen to it and it starts then I think before it can really do anytning it sounds light it shuts itself off, then right away it starts up, then shuts down, then you can hear it start, then you can hear it shut itself down, you can hear it doing this and will keep doing it till you shut it down by the tower, could a cd being stuck in the cd unit make it do that or any idea's?? pleae help this lady needs it for her business, Thanks

Also if it makes a difference--you can get I think it is a white box with red trim on it you can get it on the monitor screen and it says something like saving power 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,and counts down and then goes to sleep
 
#2 ·
is the PC making any bleeping noise.

you say a CD stuck - do you have a CD in the CD tray??? - you can get this out when the PC is off - look at the front of CD and you will see a very small hole, usually around the middle.
put a paperclip in there and it will pop the CD tray open.
 
#3 ·
I tried to get it open that way but it won't open, I did mine at home and it opened but does the computer have to be on to get it to open??cause it won't stay on, it starts you can hear it but then you can hear it lose power in about 2 or 3 sec then it tries again and again I just added that it shows a screen for a couple of seconds on the monitor saying somethhng like shutting down to save power and counts down from 10 and goes to sleep, I am not positive about the cd now she thinks there is not one in there, do you think it is the power supply??
 
#4 ·
no it does not need to be on to do that. - also the latch behind the hole may not be exactly in centre - i have had to push at a slight angle downwards.

yes could be powersupply or a number of other things
anylight come on the CD or floppy when it first comes on.

so no bleeps at all.

how do you feel about opening up the box ?
 
#5 ·
There are several ways to remove a stuck CD; you can't always use the old "straightened paperclip" method, because some CD-ROM drives don't include the hole in front, so you can't access the internal eject button that way. SOME CD-ROM drives will ONLY eject with the power ON; others will eject with or without power.

One method to try is to hold down the Open / Close button on the front of the CD-ROM drive for a few seconds while you turn the power on to the system. Sometimes, that will be enough to "convince" the CD-ROM drive to open long enough to grab the CD. You'll just have to experiment to see what works for that particular system.

OR, if you can remove the cover, you can disconnect the power to the CD-ROM drive, then turn the system on, and see if that will allow it to boot.

Wish I could provide MORE advice, but for now, you'll just have to try to eliminate the CD-drive from the equation. Though I've NEVER actually seen this type of problem, odds are good that SOME piece of hardware has committed suicide, and as long as it is connected to the system, it will NOT allow a successful bootup. If you CAREFULLY disconnect the power to most of the hardware devices (CD-ROM, floppy drive, etc.), you can TRY to boot the system. If it no longer coughs up a furball, you'll know one of the disconnected items is the culprit.

Overall, this is going to require a process-of-elimination method; if you disconnect everything EXCEPT the HDD and it STILL won't work, then disconnect the HDD and try again. OBVIOUSLY, the system WON'T boot with the HDD disconnected, but if STOPS the on/off/on/off routine, you'll KNOW that the HDD (or WHATEVER it might be) is the culprit.

Good luck; keep us posted on your progress.

-- slingshotter
 
#6 ·
If you can get into the BIOS menu, check PC Health and make sure the CPU fan is running. If that has failed, the system may continuously re-detect and shut down, then re-detect and shut down - all to protect the CPU but the longer you keep trying, the hotter it may get.
 
#7 ·
Xfile47 - thanks for the PM - but you should keep your replies in the post then others can contribute ( i get an email when theres a reply)
my advice would be to read the above post - as if you replied your OK to open I was going to make the same suggestion as slingshotter - but slingshotter puts it better then i -
so follow advice above -
BE careful to only make one change at a time and not try to do too many things all at once.

YOUR PM TO ME - FOR OTHERS TO SEE
I just got back from there , it does not bother me to open it up, I took the power supply from a computer I have that could interchange with hers (I called hp and they said it would) anyway, first I tried to open her cd rom and I got it open but it would not open by itself it came out a little ways so I pulled it out gently and there was a cd in there so I took it out, he cd rom would not go in and out automaticly like it should, my power supply acted like hers but then all of a sudden it stayed going and the cd rom would work by pressing the button, but the monitor and keyboard won't come on. I re hooked her power supply back up and it kind of started and stopped again but then took off like mine and kept it running, however the monitor still says power saving mode or sometning pretty close to that and counts down from 10 and goes to sleep, also if you go to plug the keyboard in the lights will blink once amber colored but the keyboard won't come on, so now we know the power supply works but the monitor evidently isn't getting enough power and the keyboard isn't so you can't get on the computer and do anything but ruled out the power supply, any thoughts on what it could be or what to try next?? I really appreciate the help.
 
#8 ·
I had a computer which the power supply would interchange with hers, so I hooked mine up in her computer, the on and off thing happened 4 or 5 times then it took hold and was running constant. before I put the power supply in I used a paperclip and the cd rom budged out just a little and then a little more so I could get ahold of it and I gently pulled it out, there was a cd in the tray, took it out but the cd rom would not open and close by itself. the monitor still would just come on with a saving power mode and count 10 on down and then go to sleep, the keyboard would lite up amber once like a blink and then go off no lights at all. I hooked her power supply back up and it did the start stop thing a coupe of times then it to like mine started running and staying on, however then the cd rom started working, push the button and it would open and close like it is suppose to, the monitor was the same came on with power saving mode couonted 10 backward and went to sleep and the key board flashed amber once and then no lights, so the power supply works now with hers or mine but the other things are not getting enough power evidently to run them, any idea's? I really appreciate the help, Thanks, I can't get on the computer to do anytning cause it goes right into power saving mode
 
#9 ·
so remove everythings thats connectd to the PSU on the PC - except the motherboard.
when switch on does the cpu fan OK - watch the fan to see if it starts stopping and starting.
If the CPU fan just runs OK
can you then get into the bios. - then have a look as advised by above poster.

If the CPU fans goes on/off - then it could be temp/etc - or something plugged into motherboard - so remove everything thats in the PCI slots.
see if that helps.

as you can see its a process of eliminations as slingshotter suggested.

if the motherboard/cpu fan is OK and you can get into bios - then we have a good starting point.

Now switch off

reconnect the HDD to the powersupply

will it boot ????

and so in and so on
 
#10 ·
The fact that it DOES work to some degree tells us that the CPU, RAM, and motherboard are functioning at some level, so we'll look elsewhere for now. If one of the add-in cards (PCI / ISA /AGP cards) is defective, such as the modem developed a short-circuit, you might see problems like this, but I have reason to suspect the videocard is one of the culprits.

FWIW, when a system begins to boot (go through POST), the videocard is the FIRST item to be activated; otherwise, you wouldn't know the system was POSTing. The fact that the monitor goes to sleep indicates that the vidcard is NOT sending a signal to the monitor. Check the videocard to be SURE that it is seated in the slot; you might have to remove and re-install it to be sure, but if you DO try to remove it, watch out for the RETAINING clip at the end of the AGP slot! Use a flashlight to get a GOOD look at the ENTIRE card, so you'll know if there is a retaining clip to wrestle with.

If you have a replacement videocard to test the system with, you can install that in place of the original card. You'll need an AGP card to replace an AGP card, or a PCI card to replace a PCI card, because the odds are that the CMOS is set to activate ONLY a videocard in the slot the original card now sits in. IOW, if you install a PCI vidcard to replace an AGP vidcard, the system probably won't even boot, because the CMOS expects to activate the AGP slot to operate the video.

Anyway, check the videocard FIRST; once you've got a signal to the monitor, we can better advise you on how to proceed, though the video signal might be the ONLY problem. Replacing the videocard will PROBABLY allow the system to POST; if it does, see if it will go all the way to the Desktop. Don't worry about the resolution; changing the card will force Windows to use the plain-vanilla VGA driver, so things will look weird. Your first concern is getting the thing to boot; you can worry about installing another driver once you know the system is working.

Keep us posted; so far, so good.

-- slingshotter
 
#14 ·
Good question, Saga Lout; but right now he can't see ANYTHING, so he CAN'T change the CMOS settings, AND the system doesn't belong to him. Though he MIGHT learn something by watching a "diagnostic" POST, he'll be making a change that many people find annoying. I have ALL of my systems set to display the bootup process, but most people don't want to see anything other than the Windows splash screen during bootup.

For the time being, we have no reason to suspect anything EXCEPT a videocard or monitor problem, so it is best to keep things as simple as possible. If changing the vidcard or checking for damaged pins in the video cable connector does NOT fix this, then he MIGHT want to watch the POST process, because it CAN be an effective diagnostic tool, BUT... for now, I'd prefer that he keep things as simple as possible.

If the system boots all the way to the Desktop once the vidcard is changed, that will pretty much eliminate the hardware from the equation, unless Device Manager or Windows itself indicates there are still some furballs left to deal with; time will tell.

-- slingshotter
 
#15 ·
So taking Slingshotter's logic to the next stage, it must be the monitor. Surely the BIOS must boot up in /Basevideo because the graphics card can't cut in until XP fires up the drivers. Therefore, if there's no basic VGA to show up the BIOS (or the POST which screws up my suggestion) the only remaining factor has to be monitor.
 
#16 ·
I went to her house and tried the computer and it was the same thing, start,stop, start,stop, not starting long enough to bring anything up, I brought the computer back to my place and plugged it in and tried my monitor and nothing just like at her place. I unplugged the cd rom and then plugged it in and it took right off running smoothly. I still didn't have a screen on the monitor or I did no wait long enough, anyway I also unplugged the floppy drive, then now I have the machine running smoothly with all fans running and I got her desk top up on the monitor. however I plugged my key board in and the lights flash amber once and then its like there is no power, so the keyboard won't work in it and also the mouse won't work in it, its been on for alittle while so it is in screeen saver now so I can't get it out of screen saver by touching the mouse or anytning so I suppose I could turn it off at the tower again and get the desktop to come up but I was wondering what your next step would be. the cd rom is unplugged and the floppy gave it enough power evidently to run cause the tower is running smoothly, monitor works had desk top up, mouse or keyboard won't work whats next can you help???
 
#19 ·
did you plug you mouse and keyboard in after it was powered up???
I would put the mouse and keyboard in first before powering up - also make sure they are the correct way round ( sorry to be basic - but sometimes people when doing loads of things miss the obvious - apologies)
sounds like the floppy is killing the power supply.
a new floppy is only a couple of quid.
 
#20 ·
No sorry - must have missed that bit. I was hoping PSU would prove to be the answer since your experiments are pointing to power being the problem. Wait for some other opinion but it would seem to be the motherboard that isn't managing the power properly. If taking power from the CD and the floppy drive made it possible to get the system to run but then the power to the PS2 sockets subsequently failed, then I'm in no doubt that power is the key. I assume you aren't using a USB keyboard and mouse but I'd still think the same if you are.
 
#21 ·
I unplugged the cd rom first and the tower ran smoothly but the green light on the monitor would come on then go to amber and stay blank, then I unplugged the floppy and tried the monitor again and it came on and eventully went to the desk top, I did put the mouse and keyboard in after it was powered up so I will turn it off and put the keyboard and mouse in and then power it up and will get back to you, Thanks
 
#22 ·
Reboot the system, and check the CMOS settings, ESPECIALLY the time and date, to see what condition the motherboard battery is in. Be SURE that the CMOS is not disabling the keyboard, then DISABLE ALL of the power management settings. There is usually one "master" setting that enables or disables power management, often listed near the top of the stack on the power management page in the CMOS, so look for it there first.

It might help you to enable the NumberLock (NumLock) ON feature within the CMOS settings, so the NumberLock feature on the keyboard will be activated during POST. That could help indicate some type of problem with the I/O (or possibly it's a Super I/O) chip on the motherboard, though that WON'T be CONCLUSIVE proof. Save the CMOS settings, exit CMOS Setup and reboot.

Once the system boots to the Desktop, toggle the Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, and Number Lock keys, and watch the indicator lights on the keyboard while you do that. If they don't turn on and off, you have a defective keyboard or a problem with the I/O chip. Try a different keyboard; if you have the same problem with a second board, the motherboard might need surgery.

Post your results here, and while you do all of that, I'll start typing the next things I'd like you to check, so we can determine the condition of the CD-ROM and floppy drives. Good luck, don't rush, and take good notes; we want to correct this the first time, since your friend will need her computer for work.

-- slingshotter
 
#23 ·
I just powered it down and then plugged in the mouse and keyboard and yes it worked, I tried going to wordpad with the mouse it worked and then typed alittle with the keyboard it worked, (I am starting to get excited) now it seems to be working but that with the cdrom and floppy unplugged, I also notive that she has that weather bug and also ICQ andthat hotbar weather service, can she have some spyware from that or am I way off base? what do you suggest next? also the time and date are correct
 
#24 ·
Just saw your post about installing the mouse and keyboard AFTER the system was powered up; try to LOSE that habit real soon, OK? It wasn't a BIG concern back in the days of serial mice and AT keyboards, but it can cause a LOT of problems with PS/2 devices. If you're using USB devices, all bets are off for now, because of the schizophrenic way USB support is handled by the different chipsets.

Now that I know about the keyboard / mouse fiasco, I won't worry too much about the I/O chip on the motherboard. You HAVE to do this by the numbers, or your results won't point us in the right direction. I spent a LOT of time typing an explanation about how to test the keyboard in my last post, only to find out that you installed it AFTER the system was powered up. Oh well, I'm not billing you for this, so we'll just have to proceed from here.

That is a LOT of spyware on there, but we'll worry about the hardware for now. Shutdown and install the CD-ROM drive, then reboot, and if the system works, shut it down again, and install the floppy drive. Reboot, and then post your results here.

Again, good luck; I think you're getting close to resolving this.

-- slingshotter
 
#25 ·
I shut it off and connected the cdrom, then started it and everything worked, then shut it off and plugged in the floppy and turned it on and everything still works, I found out her norton virus protection has expired if that means anytning, also I looked in her add/remove programs and she has a bunch of windows hotfix updates and then there are also abunch of windows sp2 things in there but her system says it is running sp1 if that means anything, I also have adware, spybot, and spyblaster to that I could run if you want me to and I also have hijack this what do you think should be done?
 
#26 ·
Sorry, she also said she had the blaster worm a while back (she said a few weeks I think) I see she has the stinger on her desktop, I wonder if she shut down system restore when she ran it? she is gone for the day so I cannot ask her. Just a thought, trying to give you as much info as possoible. these 2 threads go together
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top