Computer will not post on reboot

I'm having a difficult time troubleshooting this one. My computer when restarting will not post most of the time. Everything powers up, but no post. HDD light lights up solid for about 30 seconds, then goes off. The only thing that solves the problem is unplugging it for a couple of minutes, only then it will boot up. I'm not overclocking anything. Once up and running, everything works great and stable. Please let me know what other info I can provide to narrow this down. Thanks in advance!

 

Any ideas?

 

I had a machine that presented apparently inexplicable intermittent boot failure and fixed it with chkdsk c: /r from WinPE disk. You could also schedule it for next reboot from within Windows.

Worth a try?

Also, anything in Event Viewer when you do get to boot?

philby

 

I'd be inclined to try fdisk /mbr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GFfkQgDGNQ

 

Does it boot consistently from WinPE or a Linux LiveCD?

 

I recently had to rewrite MBR, but that did not fix the issue.

 

Nothing interesting in the Event Viewer, nothing that could relate to the issue. I will run chkdsk on the next startup.

 

I had similar symptoms only in my case, it was permanent, and I couldn't get the computer to boot at all, ever. After Googling quite a bit, I came to the conclusion that my motherboard was fried. The PC was 4 years old. Doesn't sound like that's your situation, but maybe there's an impending failure of some sort coming? No idea, otherwise....

 

I suspect my motherboard failing. Maybe bad capacitors. I've read they go bad with time.

 

Yes, would've been nice if it gave me a beeping error code if something is wrong with my hardware.

 

Since English is not my native language can someone explain me the meaning of " will not post"? Thanks!
edit: means that doesn't show image, no beeps, nothing?

@TimaN
Is that a desktop or a laptop?

 

Yeah, mine didn't do that either....

 

It's a desktop.

 

Unplugging it from the wall for over a couple of minutes helps. It boots right up. But when I restart next time, it won't boot. Power is there, all fans spin, but no go.
I tried resetting CMOS by removing the battery, that did not help.

 

@JRViejo
Thanks!

@TimaN
Try to test the memories.
Download and burn Hiren's boot CD ( hxxp://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/ ). Boot from the cd and run Memtest. Are you using a graphic card? if so, remove it and connect the vga cable directly to the mobo.

 

Try a working/different PSU. Sounds like the problem to me.

 

Agree. Anyway try to do those simple diagnostics before you consider buying a new power supply unit, unless of course you have a sparing one.

 

Seems like resetting CMOS with a jumper helped. I tried doing this before by removing the battery, but that method did not work. It boots fine for now. Thanks to all who took time to help!

 

UPDATE: The problem is back. I think I have the CMOS battery to blame. It is 6 years old, and it's one thing I need to try replacing.

 

If you have more than one stick of ram try removing one and using the other and visa versa...it may be a bad stick of ram.



Seperately

Often, if you are having a problem with capacitors you can see the bulge in the top or bottom..they have a little cross mark on the top which makes it easier to see bulged ones.

 

beep could be cmos bettery problem or ram or anything else

some times memory backup in also corrupted i face it many times in linux as well windows best is try

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=partedmagic

run memory test also replace cmos bettery

if it give you bad memory error before making sure your ram bad try removing one ram and run pc and test again if it work then insert ram and run again

also try with diffrent removing ram inserting the 1st one ......etc

if that dont work hope one of solution work for you

also you can test or replace cmos bettery .....etc

check your motherboard/PSU if you can or if all dont work make it local tech person test they have all devices they replace one by one and test which one is not working ...............

edit: try someone who do it in front of you or else they make heavy bill of useless things