----- Original Message -----
HARDIKAR


> Hi Listmembers,
>
> My PC when cold booted every day just refuses to boot until I leave it
> power-on for at least 2 hrs. When I switch on the PC I will see two first
> flash screens, a single beep, <searching boot record ID=0, OK> then a
black
> screen and it stops there.The system will again reboot automatically the
> same way and keep recycling or freeze needing reset .It will not proceed
> beyond these three screens for at least 2 hrs or so irrespective of
pressing
> any key like F8,Ctrl, or Esc. etc. After about 2 hrs. warm-up when F8 key
or
> Esc key is pressed after the beep, the boot option screen with 7 option
> could be seen. The step-by-step option on the first attempt will never
> succeed and rather end up with <Windows protection error.You must re-start
> your computer> message. Next time I will be forced to select the Safe-mode
> by the windows to boot. There is 50% chance that it will boot in fist
> attempt in safe mode. After making something like 20 aborted  attempts,
> ultimately it will boot up using step-by-step method.

I've had the SAME symptoms with a AMD K6/2-400 system.
Because it was an AMD I began with related updates, but still no change.
Finally, after stripping the system bare it would work. The end result was
the motherboard was being stressed by the add-on cards once tightened
down. While replacing the bad motherboard I noticed it conformed poorly
to the case and may have contributed to the problem to begin with.

You may want to verify that the motherboard sits in the case correctly.
Design tolerances on budget cases are a definite indication you get
what you pay for.

good luck -yui shin

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