Processor IssuesNo boot situations can be caused by any of the following.If you have installed an incompatible processor, the system will not boot. Ensure the selected processor model is correct for your desktop board. Some processors require specific desktop board versions and BIOS revisions. To find the supported processor list for your board, go to Supported Processors. If the processor is compatible, try removing and reinstalling the processor to ensure it is installed correctly.If the processor overheats, the system may not boot or may shut down shortly after booting. * Make sure the fans on the processor are connected properly and running. * Make sure that the thermal interface material or the thermal grease is applied to the processor properly. * Make sure that the power supply fan is running properly and any other external case fans are running properly.* Make sure that the air intakes for the external fans are unobstructed and have at least several inches away from walls and other items.Memory IssuesNo boot situations can be caused by any of the following.* If you have installed incompatible memory modules, the system may not boot. Verify the memory you've installed has been tested with your board. To find the tested memory list for your board, go to Tested Memory. If the memory is compatible, try removing and reinstalling the memory modules to ensure they are installed correctly.* Some desktop boards require you to populate the memory sockets starting with the first socket. The product guide for your desktop board will indicate such a requirement.* If you have defective memory modules, the system may not boot. One, two or three beeps at boot indicate defective memory. To isolate a specific memory module as defective, boot the system with just one memory module installed at a time.Monitor IssuesNo boot situations can be caused by monitor configurations. Check the following: * Make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on. * Make sure the video cable is connected properly at the monitor and the computer.* Check the brightness and contrast controls on the monitor. The monitor may be dimmed where you cannot see anything on the monitor. * Most monitors have a light indicating its current status: o A green light indicates the monitor has sufficient power and is getting a video signal.o An amber light appears if the monitor has power but it is not getting a video signal from the computer. This indicates the problem is most likely in the computer.o If the light does not turn on at all, it is likely a problem with the monitor itself. Make sure that the monitor is connected to a working AC outlet. If there is an on/off switch for the outlet, make sure the switch is on. If the problem still persists, try replacing the monitor or try the monitor on different AC outlet or a different system.Power Supply and Chassis IssuesNo boot situations can be caused by any of the following power supply, chassis or fan issues:* Verify that your chassis and power supply is appropriate for the processor model and frequency and the desktop board you have.o An ATX12V or SFX12V with the 2x2 connector is required for all Pentium® 4 processor based and higher Intel® Desktop Boards. Power consumption requirements for high-end video cards, sound cards, peripherals, and the Pentium 4 processor will exceed the typical 5A current capacity of standard ATX & SPX power supplies. * Do not use 2x2 power cable adapters with non-compatible older power supplies. * Verify that the power supply has the capacity to power all the devices used in your system. * Ensure the power cord is firmly connected to the power supply and the AC outlet. * If the power supply or the AC outlet has an on/off switch, make sure that it is on. * Determine power supply voltage selector setting (230 volts vs. 115 volts) is correct. * Check for foreign objects inside the chassis such as screws that may ground the desktop.* Attach the desktop board correctly to the chassis base with the spacers/stand- offs. Make sure not to tighten the screws too much.* If possible, use a voltmeter to verify that each output from the power supply is correct. If any output is very low (especially the +5 volt output), consider replacing the power supply.* If possible, use a voltmeter to verify the PowerGood signal is +5 volts. If the signal is below 1.0 volts, there may be a short or overload causing a constant reset. Consider replacing the power supply.Cable IssuesNo boot situations can be caused by any of the following cabling issues:* Make sure the drive ribbon cables inside the computer are attached correctly and securely. For IDE drives, check the orientation of pin 1 of the hard drive cable. A cable connected backwards may cause the computer not to power up.* Check that the cables connecting the chassis front panel to the desktop board are plugged in properly to the onboard headers.Electrical Short or OverloadAn electrical short or overload may cause a system not to boot.Check for shorts and overloads by removing non-essential items such as extra controller cards or IDE/ATAPI devices. Keep only the desktop board, power supply, memory and processor installed. If the system boots, it is possible there is a short or overload with one of the components that you removed or one of those components is faulty. Replace each of non-essential items one at a time until you isolate which one is causing the problem.If the problem occurs even after removing the non-essential components, the problem has to be with the desktop board, power supply, memory or processor.Defective ComponentsDefective components, especially processor and memory, can cause a system not to boot up properly. * Swap the memory modules with known good memory. In addition, test the suspected memory in another known working system. * Swap the processor with a known good processor. In addition, test the suspected processor in another known working system.System Used to Boot up and Now Does NotChanges to your computer's configuration can cause your system to not boot properly.New Processor or Additional Memory was InstalledIf you upgraded the processor or added memory: * Some processors require specific desktop board versions or specific BIOS revisions.* Make sure the new processor is supported for your desktop board. To find the supported processor list for your board, go to Supported Processors.* Make sure the new memory modules are supported for your desktop board. To find the tested memory list for your board, go to Tested Memory.New PCI or PCI Express* Card was InstalledIf you installed a new add-in card to a PCI or PCI Express slot and now the system won't boot: * Some PCI Express graphics cards require additional power. * Remove and reinstall the new card to make sure it is fully seated in the slot. * Try the card in a different slot, if possible. * Make sure other devices and cables inside the chassis were not disturbed or loosened when you installed the new card.New Drive was InstalledIf you added a new drive (hard drive, CD-ROM, DVD) and now the system won't boot: * Make sure all drive cables are properly connected. * Make sure the correct power cable is connected to the new drive. * Make sure any drive jumpers (master, slave) are configured correctly according to the manufacturer's documentation. * Make sure other devices and cables inside the chassis were not disturbed or loosened when you added the new drive.New Software or Drivers were InstalledIf you recently installed new software or new device drivers:* Try booting into Safe Mode and uninstall the new software or driver. If you can now boot normally, there may be a compatibility issue between the new software or driver and some component in your system. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.Settings Were Changed in BIOSCertain changes in BIOS settings (such as chipset timing or latency, memory timing or latency, processor clock frequency, etc.) can cause a system to no longer boot.If you are able to enter the BIOS Setup by pressing F2, reset the BIOS to factory defaults by pressing F9. Save and exit the BIOS Setup.If you cannot enter the BIOS Setup, clear the CMOS: 1. Turn off all peripheral devices connected to the computer. 2. Disconnect the computer’s power cord from the AC power source (wall outlet or power adapter). 3. Remove the computer cover. 4. Locate the battery on the board (see figure below).5. With a medium flat-bladed screwdriver, gently pry the battery free from its connector. Note the orientation of the “+” and “-” on the battery. 6. Wait one hour then replace the battery. 7. Replace the computer cover. 8. Plug the computer and all devices back in.You may also need to perform a BIOS Recovery after clearing the CMOS.Other Boot IssuesResolving Slow Boot TimesCheck the following tips to speed up the boot time of your computer. * Set the hard drive as the first boot device in the boot order in the BIOS setup (Boot > Boot Device Priority menu). * Enable Intel® Rapid BIOS boot in the BIOS setup (Boot menu). * Disable Hard Disk Pre-Delay in the BIOS Setup (Advanced > Drive Configuration menu). * Disable system functions and features if you do not need them. Examples include:o Legacy USB - this must be enabled if you use a USB keyboard or USB mouse outside the Windows* environment (Advanced > USB Configuration). o Unused I/O ports, such as serial, parallel and IEEE-1394 ports (Advanced > Peripheral Configuration menu). o Event logging (Advanced > Event Log Configuration menu).To enter BIOS Setup, press the key after the Power-On Self-Test (POST) memory test begins and before the operating system boot begins.
dvanced Troubleshooting SettingsDisable System ROM Breakpoint:This setting specifies whether Windows 98 should use Read Only Memory (ROM) address space between F000:0000 and 1 megabyte (MB) for a break point. Windows normally searches this address space to find a special instruction that is used as a system break point. If this address space contains something other than permanently available ROM, you should disable this setting. This sets "SystemROMBreakPoint=0" in the System.ini file. This is equivalent to starting Windows with the command-line switch "/d:s".For additional information about SystemROMBreakPoint, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Article ID: 71264 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/71264/EN-US/ )TITLE : Information on SYSTEM.INI [386enh] Entry SystemROMBreakPoint=Disable Virtual HD IRQ:This setting prevents Windows 98 from terminating interrupts from the hard disk controller and bypassing the ROM routine that processes these interrupts. Some hard disk drives may require this setting to be enabled for interrupts to be processed correctly. If this setting is enabled, the ROM routine handles the interrupts, which can slow system performance. This sets "VirtualHDIRQ=0" in the System.ini file. This is equivalent to starting Windows with the command-line switch "/d:v".EMM Exclude A000-FFFF:This setting prevents Windows from trying to scan for unused memory address space. This also disables the Random Access Memory (RAM) and ROM search instructions for the memory address space. This scanning can interfere with some devices that use the same memory addresses. This sets "EMMExclude=a000-ffff" in the System.ini file. This is equivalent to starting Windows with the command-line switch "/d:x".Force Compatibility Mode Disk Access:This setting prevents all 32-bit disk drivers from being loaded except the floppy driver. You may want to enable this setting if your computer does not start due to disk peripheral input/output (I/O) problems. If you enable this setting, all I/O uses real-mode drivers or the basic input/output system (BIOS). Also, all disk drives that are functional in protected mode only, no longer function. This is equivalent to starting Windows with the command-line switch "/d:f".For additional information about how to troubleshoot compatibility mode issues, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:130179 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/130179/EN-US/ ) Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatibility Mode on Hard DisksVGA 640 x 480 x 16:This setting causes Windows 98 to use the standard VGA display adapter driver. This disables the existing "display.drv=" line of the System.ini file, and adds the "display.drv=vga.drv" line to the [boot] section of the System.ini file.Use SCSI Double-Buffering:Some Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) drives may require that this setting be enabled. Windows 98 should detect whether or not this setting is needed, so you should only enable this setting if there is a disk access problem. This adds the line "Doublebuffer=2" to the Msdos.sys file. This setting is unavailable if a Doublebuffer line already exists in the Msdos.sys file.Disable Scandisk After Bad Shutdown:This setting adds the line "Autoscan=0" to the Msdos.sys file. This can be useful when you troubleshoot shutdown issues, as it decreases startup time after a bad shutdown.Limit Memory to MB:
This setting limits memory usage on your computer to the first MB, where is a number of megabytes. This setting adds the "MaxPhysPage=" line to the System.ini file, where is a hexidecimal value of the amount of memory to be used. If this setting is too low (16 MB or lower), it may prevent Windows 98 from starting normally.
Disable Fast Shutdown:
This setting disables Windows 98 shutdown performance enhancements. This can be useful to troubleshoot problems shutting down Windows 98.
Disable UDF File System:
This setting disables support for the Universal Disk Format (UDF) file system for all removable media. This setting can be used to troubleshoot problems with proprietary DVD players that may be incompatible with UDF.
Enable Pentium F0 (Lock CmpXchg):
This setting provides a method to work around an erratum in the Intel P5 series of processors (Pentium and Pentium MMX). The processor stops responding (hangs) if a particular illegal instruction sequence is issued. This issue should not occur with a normal program, it would have to be generated maliciously. If this setting is enabled, Windows 98 enables a protection routine to avoid hanging. This setting can interfere with some kernel mode applications (such as debuggers), so it should not be used while debugging programs.
NOTE: Norton Utilities 3.0 SpeedDisk and UnErase Wizard tools lock the computer if used with this setting enabled. If you have Norton Utilities, Microsoft recommends that you do not use this setting, or disable Norton Utilities from startup.
Method 1: Make sure that the System Restore service is runningTo do this, use one of the following methods: * Look in Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, and then type compmgmt.msc in the Open box, and then press Enter. 2. Expand Services, and then click System Restore Services.. If the Status of System Restore Service is not Started, click Start on the toolbar to start it. * Open a Command Prompt window. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type CMD in the Open box, and then press Enter. 2. Type Net Start at the command prompt to make sure that the System Restore Service is up and is running. If the System Restore Service is not listed, type net start "System Restore Service", and then press Enter.Method 2: Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabledTo do this follow these steps: 1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. 2. Click the System Restore tab. 3. If the System Restore is enabled, the Status column of a drive will show Monitoring. If not, you can clear to clear the Turn off System Restore on all drives, and then click OK to enable it.Method 3: Make sure that you have sufficient disk space on all the drives where System Restore is enabledTo do this, follow these steps:1. To check for free disk space, click Start, click Run, type diskmgmt.msc and then press Enter. Look at each drive System Restore is monitoring for free space.2. If the free space on any partition system restore is monitoring falls lower than 50 MB, System Restore will suspend and remove all restore points to free disk space. You should have already received a low free disk space message by now. System Restore will resume monitoring when free disk space reaches 200 MB.Note In most cases you do not have to have System Restore monitor Partitions/drives other than the one Windows is installed on. System Restore does not monitor data files.Method 4: View the event logs to investigate System Restore service errorsTo do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr.msc /s in the Open box, and then press Enter. 2. Click the System category.3. Click the Source tab to sort by name, and then look for "sr" or "srservice." Double-click each of these services, and then evaluate the event description for any indication of the cause of the problem.Method 5: Boot in safe mode and run the System Restore toolTo boot in safe mode follow these steps:1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the screen goes blank for the first time, or after the BIOS post ends, start taping the F8 key repeatedly. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. If the menu does not appear, restart the computer and try again. 2. Select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER. As files load they will scroll down the screen.Note Safe mode uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows. The default Microsoft VGA driver is used for display at 640 X480 resolution and in 16 colors.3. Log on to the Administrator account. If a password was never set, leave the password blank and press ENTER or click the green arrow. 4. Click No in the safe mode information screen to start System Restore.5. Select Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next to proceed to select a date with restore points available. 6. Click Next to begin restoring the system to a previous state.
Explanation: The system is booting up and starting to work correctly, but on occasion it either reboots without warning, or seizes hard (no mouse or keyboard response, and a reboot is necessary). These symptoms occur over a period of time.Diagnosis: This is, unfortunately, one of the most difficult of all problems to troubleshoot on the PC. The reason is twofold: first, these problems are usually intermittent, and therefore hard to pin down to any particular cause, and second, there is a really large variety of problems that can cause this sort of behavior. It is necessary to narrow done the specific circumstances in order to have a better chance at finding the problem. See below for possible causes, which are listed with the recommendations to possibly solve them.Recommendation: Follow the questions and suggestions below to try to identify the cause of the problem: * Did you remember to scan the system for viruses? Lockups and instability are "classic" virus infection behavior.* Make sure that you disable all power management options in the BIOS setup program. They can cause spurious behavior, particularly on some motherboards. * Are you getting error messages when the problem occurs? If so, try to find the error message here.* Are you experiencing this problem only when running a specific application program? If so, it may be the application itself that is causing the problem.* If the problem occurs only when you use a specific peripheral, such as a mouse or modem, there are three typical possible causes specific to this situation. First, there may be a problem with the particular peripheral you are trying to use. Second, you may have a resource conflict that is causing the system to lock up when you try to have two devices access the same resources. Finally, there may be a driver problem with the device, if it is something that uses a driver in the operating system you are using. Look in this section for specific troubleshooting information for various devices. Use the resource conflict troubleshooter.* If the problem occurs only when the system is warmed up (meaning not within the first few minutes that the PC is turned on, but only afterwards), or if the problem occurs only when the room where the PC is located is hot, it is likely that the problem is hardware-related and probably something to do with the motherboard, processor or another system component that is running too hot. I would suggest that you refer to this section, which describes checking for overheating components inside the box, and follow the recommendations there.* Are you running a VESA local bus video card on a motherboard that supports both VESA and PCI? If so, you should realize that this combination has been known in the past to cause instability. Try replacing the VESA video card with an inexpensive PCI video card and see if the problem goes away.* If you have just bought or assembled this PC, or performed an upgrade to it, check this list of possible candidate causes of system problems that is related to new installs. * If the problem occurs when you lean against the system box or when you put the monitor on top of it, try here.* If you are running Windows 3.x, does the problem seem to occur after using the system for a long time, or if you use a large number of applications simultaneously? If so, go to the Program Manager, click "Help", then "About Program Manager". Check the number listed for system resources. If it is below about 20-30%, that may be the cause of your problem. Try rebooting and checking the value, to see if it increases, and see if the system runs better. I recommend rebooting Windows 3.x daily if it is heavily used. Check this section for ideas on dealing with system resources under Windows 3.x.* If the problem is occurring under Windows 3.x or Windows 95, try using just DOS software for a while and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then you may have a problem with your installation of Windows, although it could still be a hardware problem (Windows is more sensitive to these than DOS is).* If you have a network card, check your network settings. Sometimes the built-in networking in Windows will spend a great deal of time "looking" for a network when one is not there, which causes the system to lock up and then unlock periodically. If you are using TCP/IP or another protocol, try disabling the protocol and see if that fixes the problem. You may need to contact your network card manufacturer or Microsoft for more assistance if this is the case.* If you have recently changed any BIOS settings--especially those that control system timing--and the problem has started since around that time, try changing the BIOS setting back to the previous value, or resetting the BIOS settings to low-risk defaults to see if the problem goes away. You may also want to follow this procedure to set your key BIOS settings to safe values. * Scan the hard disk for file system corruption and check for bad sectors as well.* Drivers can cause seemingly random glitches and lockups if they are poorly written, especially the video driver. Try running the system with a "slow but sure" default driver or a different version obtained from the manufacturer. Sound card drivers can also be touchy in this way. Try turning off hardware acceleration in Windows 95 by selecting System in the Control Panel, then selecting the Performance tab and clicking "Graphics".* Unreliable power can cause all sorts of strange system problems. A common problem is having the input voltage selection on the back of the power supply set to 220V when it should be 110V. If possible, try running the system off a UPS and see if the problem goes away. If practical, try swapping in a new power supply. If you notice the lights dim briefly at around the time that this problem occurs, this is a power problem.* Try using less aggressive BIOS settings for items such as memory timing and hard disk timing. For example, set the BIOS memory access settings to the slowest possible. Disable any performance-enhancing BIOS options (such as those described here) to see if the instability goes away. Try running the hard disks at a lower PIO mode to see if IDE timing might be causing the problem.
Intel®Desktop Board Intel®Express Chipset Socket Form Factor Extreme SeriesDX58SO Intel® X58 Express Chipset LGA1366 ATXDP45SG Intel® P45 Express Chipset LGA775 ATXD5400XS Intel® 5400 Express Chipset LGA771 eATXDX48BT2 Intel® X48 Express Chipset LGA775 ATXMedia SeriesDG45FC Intel® G45 Express Chipset LGA775 mini-ITXDG45ID Intel® G45 Express Chipset LGA775 Micro-ATXDP35DP Intel® P35 Express Chipset LGA775 ATXExecutive SeriesDQ43AP Intel® Q43 Express Chipset LGA775 MicroATXDB43LD Intel® B43 Express Chipset LGA775 MicroATXDQ45CB Intel® Q45 Express Chipset LGA775 MicroATXDQ45EK Intel® Q45 Express Chipset LGA775 Mini-ITXDQ35MP Intel® Q35 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXDQ35JO Intel® Q35 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXClassic SeriesDG43GT Intel® G43 Express Chipset LGA775 MicroATXDG41MJ Intel® G41 Express Chipset LGA775 Mini-ITXDG41TY Intel® G41 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXDG43NB Intel® G43 Express Chipset LGA775 ATXDP43TF Intel® P43 Express Chipset LGA775 ATXDG35EC Intel® G35 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXDG31PR Intel® G31 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXDG33BU Intel® G33 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXDG33FB Intel® G33 Express Chipset LGA775 ATXEssential SeriesD945GSEJT Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset N/A Mini-ITXDG41RQ Intel® G41 Express Chipset LGA775 microATXD945GCLF2/ Intel® 945GC Express Chipset N/A Mini-ITXD945GCLF2DD945GCLF Intel® 945GC Express Chipset N/A Mini-ITXDG31GL Intel® G31 Express Chipset LGA775 microATX