[BC] A puzzling computer problem

[Gordon Carter]

I had a virtually identical problem a few weeks ago, only mine was a bit
stranger.

I had a computer running XP working as an ftp server.  The computer was
"stock" except that we had added a second 120 GB hard drive for file
storage.  It was an older computer, but worked fine.

After several months of operation, the machine started acting funny.  It
would shut down and sometimes reboot for no apparent reason.  Checked
for viruses, etc., but came up clean.  All updates for XP and Norton
were set for automatic and current.  While trying to diagnose the
problem, the machine finally stopped working.  I got several long beeps
when trying to reboot and that was it.

Assuming that the computer had died, I got another one (used but much
newer) and set it up.  Computer was working fine with all software.
After checking setup, I transplanted the 120 GB drive.  After a few
hours, the computer shut down and the blinking red power light indicated
a power supply overload.  Since it was a weekend, someone else
transplanted the hard drives to yet another computer, and it works fine
(and has been since then).

The first computer has never started again.  The second one was fine
after a BIOS reset.

I suspect that the problem is the 120 GB drive.  My best guess is that
it has some sort of problem that under certain circumstances draws too
much power, possibly from the data bus rather than the power supply.
I'm still waiting for it to shut down again.  If it does, I'm just
replacing the drive.

I doubt if you have corrupted the BIOS, but you may need to reset it.
>From what I saw it seems that the power supply overload is "sticky" and
the BIOS reset seems to take care of it.

Gordon S. Carter, CPBE, CBNT
Chief Engineer
WFMT and The Radio Network
5400 North St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
773 279-2071
-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Kevin Trueblood
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 9:56 AM
To: broadcast at radiolists.net
Subject: [BC] A puzzling computer problem

Something very odd just happened to me, and I'm starting to wonder
something:

Is it possible for a hard drive to corrupt a motherboard and/or power
supply?

Here's the scenario:

I bought a Western Digital 80GB drive for a computer a while back.  It
took a few times cloning the drive since I couldn't get the computer to
boot from it.  After running FDISK /mbr it booted and has worked fine
for about a month.  Last weekend the computer it was in completely died.
Wouldn't even power up.  After it sat for a few days for kicks I started
it up.  Well, it powered up, but the BIOS froze before even scanning for
drives.  This computer was about 5 years old, and was in failing health
anyway.  

Yesterday I acquired a faster 1.7Ghz machine that has a little more
muscle behind it.  It had a 60GB drive already in it with Windows XP,
and I booted it up and worked great with Windows XP.  Because I had a
lot of software and files on this 80GB drive that I didn't want to copy
and reconfigure on a new computer (the 80GB has Windows 98SE) I wanted
to use that drive on the new computer.  I got all the drivers that I
needed so Windows 98 would run on that new machine.  

I install the hard drive and it boots up great.  However, the Windows 98
splash screen shows and it locks up.  Weird.  So I double checked the
settings and went to boot it up again.  Nothing.  It powers up, but I
get no screen and no activity.  Double weird.  I remove the 80GB hard
drive and hook the 60GB that came with it up.  Now I get a 

BEEEEEEEEEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEP

That's a power supply error, right?

It only did that once.  The rest of the time it powers up but then hangs
without even turning the monitor on.  I see the Network card link light
in a steady on, off, on, off, in the same rhythm that the computer would
be beeping. 

Considering that this happened to a second, perfectly good computer,
only after I installed a hard drive from dead computer makes me wonder
if something is wrong with that 80GB drive that could cause it to fail.
But is that even possible?  Could it corrupt the BIOS?  

I'm at a loss here...any insight from the brain trust?

Kevin Trueblood
Director of Operations
AAA Entertainment Radio Group - Bloomington, Il
Program Director
WYST/Star 107.7
309-888-4496
kevint at aaabloomington.com

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