- Joined
- Jun 27, 2010
Hello, OCF Geniuses,
I've lurked here for years to answers to my noob-y questions, but I've reached one that requires me to register and ask directly, since the problem appears a little too specific for me. To explain the problem, I'll use the issue report I submitted to a local PC repair place:
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Issues Report
Issue: Booting from HDD
Relevant Parts:
Old PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 700W
New PSU: Corsair TX850W
Motherboard: Asus P5E3 Deluxe
Main HDD: Western Digital Caviar 640GB
Second HDD: Western Digital Raptor 70GB
Recent Replacement: PSU
This PC recently had its PSU replaced because the previous PSU had issues with its fan. The fan had become dislodged and was scraping against the metal grate meant to protect and house the fan. The present PSU has been installed for two weeks.
Current Issue: Booting from HDD
Since the replacement of the PSU, this computer has been unreliable in its ability to boot from the HDD. There are two HDDs currently connected to the PC, the main HDD being 640 GB and the other a 70 GB backup. I had recently fixed the problem myself by replacing the SATA data cable connecting the 640 GB HDD to the motherboard. The 70 GB HDD still had its original cable. However, since the fix, the PC has been unstable when operating (the current operating system on the 640 GB is Windows 7 Ultimate), suffering several lockups and at least two BSoD (Blue Screens of Death). I was unable to record the error number for either BSoD, unfortunately.
Today (6/23/10), the PC locked up while I was playing a computer game (World of Warcraft). I was forced to reset the system. When the system reset, it found it could no longer communicate with the HDDs and tried to boot from the DVD/CD-ROM. No amount of cable switching would fix the problem this time.
Conclusion:
From what I understand after reading several forums [Note: This one, mainly], the problem is most likely one with the HDDs or the motherboard. However, I have no second rig from which to attempt a boot on either HDD to make sure they are not at fault. I was hoping that you might have additional insights and provide bench tests to determine the functionality of the hardware so that I know what I may need to replace.
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When the repair guy got to my computer to fix it, he plugged in the SATA cables (I had left them unplugged b/c I was sick of moving HDDs around, but he thought I was too stupid to know to plug them in--for good reason, as you'll see) and the PC booted up just fine. He thought I was a noob who didn't know how to plug in cables.
So I got it home yesterday, played a little WoW, and didn't have any notable problems. I went to bed, woke up the next day, and my computer was showing the boot error. Apparently, the PC had BSoD'd or something while I was asleep. I nearly threw my coffee cup across my apartment.
One other note: now my PC doesn't detect my external SATA drive at boot.
EPIC FML
I've lurked here for years to answers to my noob-y questions, but I've reached one that requires me to register and ask directly, since the problem appears a little too specific for me. To explain the problem, I'll use the issue report I submitted to a local PC repair place:
-----
Issues Report
Issue: Booting from HDD
Relevant Parts:
Old PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 700W
New PSU: Corsair TX850W
Motherboard: Asus P5E3 Deluxe
Main HDD: Western Digital Caviar 640GB
Second HDD: Western Digital Raptor 70GB
Recent Replacement: PSU
This PC recently had its PSU replaced because the previous PSU had issues with its fan. The fan had become dislodged and was scraping against the metal grate meant to protect and house the fan. The present PSU has been installed for two weeks.
Current Issue: Booting from HDD
Since the replacement of the PSU, this computer has been unreliable in its ability to boot from the HDD. There are two HDDs currently connected to the PC, the main HDD being 640 GB and the other a 70 GB backup. I had recently fixed the problem myself by replacing the SATA data cable connecting the 640 GB HDD to the motherboard. The 70 GB HDD still had its original cable. However, since the fix, the PC has been unstable when operating (the current operating system on the 640 GB is Windows 7 Ultimate), suffering several lockups and at least two BSoD (Blue Screens of Death). I was unable to record the error number for either BSoD, unfortunately.
Today (6/23/10), the PC locked up while I was playing a computer game (World of Warcraft). I was forced to reset the system. When the system reset, it found it could no longer communicate with the HDDs and tried to boot from the DVD/CD-ROM. No amount of cable switching would fix the problem this time.
Conclusion:
From what I understand after reading several forums [Note: This one, mainly], the problem is most likely one with the HDDs or the motherboard. However, I have no second rig from which to attempt a boot on either HDD to make sure they are not at fault. I was hoping that you might have additional insights and provide bench tests to determine the functionality of the hardware so that I know what I may need to replace.
-------
When the repair guy got to my computer to fix it, he plugged in the SATA cables (I had left them unplugged b/c I was sick of moving HDDs around, but he thought I was too stupid to know to plug them in--for good reason, as you'll see) and the PC booted up just fine. He thought I was a noob who didn't know how to plug in cables.
So I got it home yesterday, played a little WoW, and didn't have any notable problems. I went to bed, woke up the next day, and my computer was showing the boot error. Apparently, the PC had BSoD'd or something while I was asleep. I nearly threw my coffee cup across my apartment.
One other note: now my PC doesn't detect my external SATA drive at boot.
EPIC FML
