[SOLVED] XP/Edubuntu /System Issues...

[KaIIen]

Not sure if I am having a hard drive issue or something else. Here's my situation followed by my system specs;

I have a desktop that I built several years ago. Yesterday it began to act badly. When running XP it started to just hard reset. Like I had hit the reset button. It was doing so randomly. Then it started to happen at or before the login screen.

My laptop dual boots with XP and Ubuntu Linux 9.10. My intention when this began was to install Edubuntu for my daughter, so it would dual boot like the laptop. The LiveCD booted fine, but kept having errors when I tried to install. It's important to note at this point NOTHING had been written to the HD. But when it came to the install process to select how I wanted to partition the drive it just kept crashing.

So I bring out the ol' XP disk and chose repair. At the prompt I ran chkdsk and it came back with “some errors”. I ran chkdsk again and all was well. Now I go back into XP and it works like new. I pop in the Ubuntu disk, and it installed without any problems whatsoever.

Now today... XP is constantly resetting, and totally randomly. Again, I might get as far as to open a program or open windows explorer, or I might not even have a chance to login. AND to top this off, Ubuntu is having issues. It runs fine, but applications shut down for no reason. Like, I can have Firefox open and it just suddenly shuts down. I have tried twice to let it upgrade to the newest Ubuntu (10.04) but the upgrade application shuts down.

When I installed Edubuntu last night I allowed it to create a new partition in the NTFS free space, so now both partitions are about equal in size. I re-ran chkdsk a little while ago and it again is reporting “some errors”. A second scan shows the same thing whereas the second scan last night did not.

The ONLY system change I have made is I upgrade the RAM from 768Mb to 1Gb (512x2) dual channel I pulled from another system. I removed and reinstalled the old chips but the issues still persist. If it was the HD going bad, it should reset regardless of OS. That's why my initial thought was the RAM but I don't believe that would explain the different behaviors.... Any ideas GREATLY appreciated!


1.8Ghz Intel cpu
1gb Ram (currently)
MoBo is SiS PE PRO/PRO+/PRO-HT (per System Information)
BIOS is American Megetrends
80Gb Maxtor HD

Thanks!!

[reed9]

I would check your RAM with memtest86. I believe it's on the Ubuntu Live CD. Note that it can take a long time to complete, like 20+ hours.

[reed9]

Oh, I would also check your harddrive using smartmontools. I don't think Ubuntu has it on the Live CD, but Parted Magic does (as well as the GUI).

[KaIIen]

I would check your RAM with memtest86. I believe it's on the Ubuntu Live CD. Note that it can take a long time to complete, like 20+ hours.

Memtest86 is available from the GURB without needing the CD. So, it looks like a RAM issue, but then again, I am not sure how to read this data. Itsays 20992 errors. in the lower section everything is highlighted red. From left - right it says:

Tst
5

Pass
0

Failing Address
00000fed590 - 15.8MB

Good
00040040

Bad
00040000 00000040

Count
21202

They all say Tst 5 and Pass 0, but the rest of the numbers are a little different on each line.

[hatebreed]

did you run the test with the old ram? Did you make sure that your board supports the mhz of the new ram?

[KaIIen]

did you run the test with the old ram? Did you make sure that your board supports the mhz of the new ram?

I had planned on testing th eold ram as well. however, when I switched the chips, I am no long able to boot at all. As soon as I power up I am getting 3 long beeps, with nothing being displayed on the monitor. The monitor power light is flashing orange, as if not receiving signal. I have tried each chip by itself and in both slots with no change.

[KaIIen]

But I should added that it sounds as if the system is booting...the optical drive is checked and the HDD spins up...

[hatebreed]

you get the 3 post beeps with the old ram or the new ram? the 3 beeps indacates the ram isn't working. If your ram works in another system and your having issues with both sets of ram on the system in question, that indicates your having issues with your board.

[KaIIen]

you get the 3 post beeps with the old ram or the new ram? the 3 beeps indacates the ram isn't working. If your ram works in another system and your having issues with both sets of ram on the system in question, that indicates your having issues with your board.

Yes, both sets of ram. And the same when I put in any 1 of the four chips alone. After I ran Memtest I decided to pop in the old ram, and at that point nothing. But why isn't the monitor getting a signal? Shouldn't I still be seeing SOMETHING?

[hatebreed]

no if you get the 3 post beeps you won't get video. sometimes you won't get any beeps and still not get video if the ram isn't working. have you tried the ram in another system yet?