Help needed - Desktop conked

ntomer · 1st August 2007, 10:47

Hi,

Yesterday I got a cable broadband connection from Hathway. The installer laid the cable and installed a software (some 24Online client) on my desktop.

After that my desktop which runs Windows XP - SP2 began to reboot after running for 2-3 minutes. Once I got an error related to IP address, I couldn't read it completely since the machine again re-booted.

That was the last time machine booted. After that I tried booting it in Win XP - Safe Mode and in Kubuntu 6.0. But kept on hanging, and never booted.

I tried to boot it through Kubuntu DVD but that too didn't work, it hanged again. I tried re-installing Windows-XP; it starts well, but at a point when the installation says - "Starting Windows XP" it again hangs. I even tried after disabling the on-board LAN card, but even then the same problems.

Now I don't know what to do with my desktop, I am not able to even re-install any OS on it, and effectively it's useless now.

Gurus, help me out. Tell what can be the possible cause and what to do?

P.S. I installed the same software (24Online client) on my laptop running Windows Vista - Home Premium and it's working fine.

Cheers

Nitin

tsk1979 · 1st August 2007, 11:15

Did you try booting using a Live CD, like knoppix?
While bootup take note of all the kernel messages which come up.
On first look it appears to be a hardware failure, but it also could be boot area corruption.

ntomer · 1st August 2007, 12:01

I tried booting using the Kubuntu 6.0 Live DVD but even that hangs after sometime, it is not able to load completely.

What possible hardware failure can occur due to broadband installation. All that guy did was changing the IP of my machine and installed a software. Any idea how can I diagnose it?

Cheers

Nitin

cypher · 1st August 2007, 13:52

My 2 cents -
If the Kubuntu CD is also not booting, it could be a hardware issue that cropped up during the install.

Check if the CPU fan is in place. I've experienced a similar problem with my system rebooting when the CPU fan failed, and the processor was overheating.

The next thing I would do is take out the HDD, plug it into a external USB housing and backup ALL the data.

xbox360 · 1st August 2007, 16:56

I had installed 24Online client for my broadband on my desktop and my laptop at home. Both machines kept crashing and blue screening frequently. Tried everything and finally on my IT desk's request uninstalled the 24Online client and things have worked like a charm ever since (I moved over to BSNL Broadband as well).
The seemingly innocuous 24Online messes a lot with the registry and drivers.

toiingg · 1st August 2007, 19:51

I have been using the same 24Online software for about 2 years now and haven't faced any problems.
Seems to me to be a HDD crash.
Can you boot in Dos mode and access your C drive? Or just plug in your HDD into some other PC and see if you can access all your files.

ntomer · 2nd August 2007, 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbox360

I had installed 24Online client for my broadband on my desktop and my laptop at home. Both machines kept crashing and blue screening frequently. Tried everything and finally on my IT desk's request uninstalled the 24Online client and things have worked like a charm ever since (I moved over to BSNL Broadband as well).
The seemingly innocuous 24Online messes a lot with the registry and drivers.

To un-install the 24Online client, I need to boot-up the machine :-(
Catch-22

ashwin390 · 2nd August 2007, 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by toiingg

Can you boot in Dos mode and access your C drive? Or just plug in your HDD into some other PC and see if you can access all your files.

This seems to be a good idea.

Boot up problems can be generally classified into two categories - Issues with BIOS, in which case you will not even see the Windows XP start-up screen. The other option is a problem with your hard disk. Especially, with your boot sectors - if these have been damaged, you system will generally crash at boot-up, when the system tries to access data from these sectors.

In your case, you seem to be facing the second issue. What you can do is, back up all your data on another HDD using another system. Then, if your system / HDD is still in warranty, you can get a free replacement of your HDD.

low_bass_makker · 2nd August 2007, 18:07

I think while putting the lan cable something in the PC has misplaced...hmm try cleaning the inside of the PC by removing the cover...remove the RAM, and other card if there and reconnect them and then try again....

merve_extreme · 2nd August 2007, 18:11

Did you format your C drive during XP reinstall?

Secondly did you try booting into Kbuntu by removing the cable attached to the LAN.I believe this is a live boot DVD so a corrupted partition is not an issue.If you havent done this try it.

ntomer · 2nd August 2007, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by merve_extreme

Did you format your C drive during XP reinstall?

I am not reaching the stage where it asks to format the drive. Computer hangs before that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by merve_extreme

Secondly did you try booting into Kbuntu by removing the cable attached to the LAN.I believe this is a live boot DVD so a corrupted partition is not an issue.If you havent done this try it.

I disconnected the cable and even disabled the on-board LAN but it made no difference.

\N

jkdas · 2nd August 2007, 19:10

unplug all external devices before you (or anyone) do an installation.

Try recovery console.

run chkdsk /p

see if tell you that you have errors

if so run chkdsk /r

see if it fixed the errors.

if you get a blue screen, note down the 0x........ number (its 8 digit) Google it or post about it in here

merve_extreme · 2nd August 2007, 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntomer

I am not reaching the stage where it asks to format the drive. Computer hangs before that.

Where does it hang precisely?Does the setup load upto the screen where it detects previous windows installation?

phamilyman · 2nd August 2007, 20:47

Have you tried booting kubuntu with hdd unplugged? or a separate hdd swapped in? Methinks it tries to use swap space on disk, or tries to access, hangs and crashes. I used 24Online for an year with Win2000. Zero issues, except the generally useless nature of my cablewala/Hathway. They were as down as the tide - twice a day, with no hope, except time

ntomer · 2nd August 2007, 21:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by merve_extreme

Where does it hang precisely?Does the setup load upto the screen where it detects previous windows installation?

Nope, it hangs before that. After loading the drivers, a message - "Starting Windows XP" comes at bottom tool-bar and it hangs. :-(

\N

1st August 2007, 10:47	#1
ntomer BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 643 Thanked: 134 Times	Help needed - Desktop conked Hi, Yesterday I got a cable broadband connection from Hathway. The installer laid the cable and installed a software (some 24Online client) on my desktop. After that my desktop which runs Windows XP - SP2 began to reboot after running for 2-3 minutes. Once I got an error related to IP address, I couldn't read it completely since the machine again re-booted. That was the last time machine booted. After that I tried booting it in Win XP - Safe Mode and in Kubuntu 6.0. But kept on hanging, and never booted. I tried to boot it through Kubuntu DVD but that too didn't work, it hanged again. I tried re-installing Windows-XP; it starts well, but at a point when the installation says - "Starting Windows XP" it again hangs. I even tried after disabling the on-board LAN card, but even then the same problems. Now I don't know what to do with my desktop, I am not able to even re-install any OS on it, and effectively it's useless now. Gurus, help me out. Tell what can be the possible cause and what to do? P.S. I installed the same software (24Online client) on my laptop running Windows Vista - Home Premium and it's working fine. Cheers Nitin
	() Thanks

1st August 2007, 11:15	#2
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Did you try booting using a Live CD, like knoppix? While bootup take note of all the kernel messages which come up. On first look it appears to be a hardware failure, but it also could be boot area corruption.
	() Thanks

1st August 2007, 12:01	#3
ntomer BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 643 Thanked: 134 Times	I tried booting using the Kubuntu 6.0 Live DVD but even that hangs after sometime, it is not able to load completely. What possible hardware failure can occur due to broadband installation. All that guy did was changing the IP of my machine and installed a software. Any idea how can I diagnose it? Cheers Nitin
	() Thanks

1st August 2007, 13:52	#4
cypher BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 153 Thanked: 4 Times	My 2 cents - If the Kubuntu CD is also not booting, it could be a hardware issue that cropped up during the install. Check if the CPU fan is in place. I've experienced a similar problem with my system rebooting when the CPU fan failed, and the processor was overheating. The next thing I would do is take out the HDD, plug it into a external USB housing and backup ALL the data.
	() Thanks

1st August 2007, 16:56	#5
xbox360 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 251 Thanked: 89 Times View My Garage	I had installed 24Online client for my broadband on my desktop and my laptop at home. Both machines kept crashing and blue screening frequently. Tried everything and finally on my IT desk's request uninstalled the 24Online client and things have worked like a charm ever since (I moved over to BSNL Broadband as well). The seemingly innocuous 24Online messes a lot with the registry and drivers.
	() Thanks

1st August 2007, 19:51	#6
toiingg BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Calcutta Posts: 639 Thanked: 266 Times	I have been using the same 24Online software for about 2 years now and haven't faced any problems. Seems to me to be a HDD crash. Can you boot in Dos mode and access your C drive? Or just plug in your HDD into some other PC and see if you can access all your files.
	() Thanks

2nd August 2007, 18:07	#9
low_bass_makker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Faridabad Posts: 6,815 Thanked: 305 Times View My Garage	I think while putting the lan cable something in the PC has misplaced...hmm try cleaning the inside of the PC by removing the cover...remove the RAM, and other card if there and reconnect them and then try again....
	() Thanks

2nd August 2007, 18:11	#10
merve_extreme Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,359 Thanked: 18 Times View My Garage	Did you format your C drive during XP reinstall? Secondly did you try booting into Kbuntu by removing the cable attached to the LAN.I believe this is a live boot DVD so a corrupted partition is not an issue.If you havent done this try it.
	() Thanks

2nd August 2007, 19:10	#12
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	unplug all external devices before you (or anyone) do an installation. Try recovery console. run chkdsk /p see if tell you that you have errors if so run chkdsk /r see if it fixed the errors. if you get a blue screen, note down the 0x........ number (its 8 digit) Google it or post about it in here
	() Thanks

2nd August 2007, 20:47	#14
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,968 Thanked: 4,642 Times	Have you tried booting kubuntu with hdd unplugged? or a separate hdd swapped in? Methinks it tries to use swap space on disk, or tries to access, hangs and crashes. I used 24Online for an year with Win2000. Zero issues, except the generally useless nature of my cablewala/Hathway. They were as down as the tide - twice a day, with no hope, except time
	() Thanks