Ok, so here's yet another broken computer thread. I have a desktop thats worked like a champ for several years but has recently died. Not completely, but it will not boot any OS and I can't install any OS on it . If I try the drive spins up then quits with an error (its different for each OS). At first I thought the SATA drive connectors on the board has gone bad, but upon replacing it with a PATA drive the problem persists. The drive shows up in the BIOS but still no dice. I figured since that didn't work the mainboard might be dying, but I wanted to see if anyone else could think of any other issues besides that.

9/13/2010 8:33:38 PM

will it boot a live cd? If so Ubuntu or Hirems CD will have diagnostics you can run on your controller for the disk. But if it boots you can try a PCI disk controller to squeeze a little life from it before replacing the motherboard.

9/13/2010 10:07:22 PM

Quote :

"will it boot a live cd? If so Ubuntu or Hirems CD will have diagnostics you can run on your controller for the disk. But if it boots you can try a PCI disk controller to squeeze a little life from it before replacing the motherboard."

No it won't. Trying to boot into a live CD yields the same result as trying to do an actual install; it just spins down and reboots. Could it possibly be the power supply? This machine was not connected to a surge protector and we have had some somewhat severe thunderstorms this summer.

9/13/2010 10:14:54 PM

mobo be actin like a mofo imo

9/13/2010 10:40:13 PM

What i meant to say was put it on a USB stick, 'cause the cd drive uses the same controller

And I agree with the motherboard assessment

unetbootin for help with usb stick

9/13/2010 11:29:12 PM