Computer keeps trying to restart

[rrcn]

My sisters computer is possesed, it does what it feels like doing whenever it feels like doing it. It'll either restart and as it boots it'll do a hard lock or do a hard lock after the monitor goes into standby. I have checked the ram with memtest86 and all is well. Could it be heat? Processor runs at about 48C. Could it also be the PSU?

This happens at random times even if the computer isn't running anything.

And the last time it restarted and locked up, I turned it off with the power button then turned it back on. As it booted up, I got this weird message:

-------Message begins:

Novell NetWare Ready Firmware v1.0 (940810)
(C) Copyright 1991 - 1994 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved.
VIA PCI 10/100Mb Fast Ethernet Adapter v3.33 (11/09/2001)

Analyzing network media type, this will take several seconds...
OK.

RPL-ROM-ADR: 000A E630 86C7
RPL-ROM-IRQ: 5
RPL-ROM-PIO: D800

RPL-ROM-FFC: <this just kept counting the # of seconds>

-------Message ends--

After that I got this:

-------Message begins:

Searching for boot record from SCSI...Not found.

Boot failure
Insert boot diskette in A:
Press any key when ready.

--------Message ends--

Specs:

P4 2.4b
ECS P4VXASD2+ Rev 5.0
512mb pc133
80gb hdd
32mb tnt2
burner
floppy
56k modem
420w dual fan RaidMax that came with the case
+3.3v - 26A
+5v - 32A
+12v - 13A
-5v - 0.5A
-12v - 0.8A
+5vsb - 2.0A
4 intake fans
2 exhaust

[Bones1]

Hey rrcn.

When you get the message:

Analyzing network media type, this will take several seconds...
OK.

RPL-ROM-ADR: 000A E630 86C7
RPL-ROM-IRQ: 5
RPL-ROM-PIO: D800

RPL-ROM-FFC: <this just kept counting the # of seconds>

The computer is trying to start off the network card.

Later you posted

-------Message begins:

Searching for boot record from SCSI...Not found.

Boot failure
Insert boot diskette in A:
Press any key when ready.

--------Message ends--

That sounds like the computer can't boot off the hard drive. That's bad. Sounds like a flakey hard drive to me.

I'd suggest running a hard drive testing program to see if it's the drive.

[rrcn]

But why would it try to start off the network card? I'll look for IBM's diagnostic utility now. This install of windows has been running strong for about 2 1/2 to 3 months now. Why would it start flaking now?

[Bones1]

In the BIOS you probably have the boot sequence set to check the network card (LAN boot) and seeing that it can't find the hard drive it looks there.

The Boot failure means that the computer can't find anything to start from. It then asks for a floppy disk.

I've seen hard drives last 2 days to ~10 years. All depends on the quality control or just bad components.

[Omardeth]

it might be a 420watt ps but if you look at the 12v rail it is only 13a thats kinda low if ya ask me . that might be tha cause

[rrcn]

i'm gonna check the hard drive right now, just finished downloading the diagnostic utility. If it finds the HDD to be ok, then I'm gonna try swapping out the PSU.

[rrcn]

I ran the diagnostic utility and when it would search for ATA devices, it would not find any. I figured I'd check the BIOS to make sure the drive is being recognized. For some reason, the drive had been put as "not installed" when earlier today the computer was running. Weird, and no one in my house knows how to get into the BIOS or even know what a BIOS is. I am sure that I didnt change the setting because I havent been in that bios since I put the puter together. Could it be a virus of some sort? I have noticed its been acting weird since my sister downloaded yahoo messenger. I asked her if shes downloaded something, but she says she hasnt.

Anyway, got the diagnostic utility running and did a quick check and everything was ok (doing an "advanced test" now) .

[rrcn]

It finished the advanced test and everything is good. I'm gonna wait and see if it locks up again and then I'll try a new PSU.

[rrcn]

I left it running overnight and this morning I've found it to have locked up again. What do you guys think?

[Smidley]

It could still be the memory. My memory didn't work well with my motherboard and would always cause it to just reboot randomly. It would just instantly shut off and start booting again usually during memory hungry operations. I ran multiple memory tests and they all said that it was OK. It was very annoying.

I wish I knew about this forum when that was going on.