We will probably need more information about the MainBoard. But from your
description, I would suspect a Bad MainBoard or CPU. But..... this could
also be a problem with the memory, or the video. If this system has onboard
video, I would first suspect marginal ram, as these systems are very
particular about the ram.

Usually under these circumstances, you need to eliminate all possible
problems, by removing all components, and re-installing them one at a time,
until the problem occurs. If you have done this already, and you have
replaced the ram with known good ram, then we are back to square one, where
the Mainboard, or CPU is bad, and should be returned for exchange if still
in warranty!

Steve Wolfe

-----Original Message-----

Subject: [PCBUILD] No Warm Boot


I am new at building ATX machines and now am stumped with this one.

It is a PC Chips PC100 motherboard and Celeron 400 processor with 128 M
memory loaded with Windows 98 original version.

All works fine except warm boot and booting with the "reset" push button on
the case.

Some symptoms:

1) Every other time (every second time) that I turn on power with the front
power push button, it will spin up the case fans, flicker the CDROM light
for about 4-5 seconds and then sit there with no signal to the monitor
(monitor status light is orange). The next push off and on of the power
switch will result in a normal Win 98 boot.  Very repeatable pattern of
every other power on will give a normal boot.

While in Windows if I go to Start - Shutdown - Restart Windows, it will
shutdown and not reboot (Power supply fans are still running but no other
activity and a blank monitor screen with orange status light).  Pressing
the "Reset Button" on the case will cause the CDROM light to flash for 4-5
seconds but then nothing else. Have to power down twice to get a normal
boot-up.

Also if an install program asks me if I want to re-start windows and I
answer "Yes", I get the same results as in the second case above.

Any clues as to where to start looking or do you need more information?

Doug

Doug Simmons

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