paulmd@efn.org wrote
> zzzzara@my-deja.com wrote

>> I've had a strange problem for a while, with Windows resetting
>> occasionally without warning. Most of the time it works fine. I ran
>> chkdsk /4, and got stuck at 11% of stage 4. It does the same if I
>> boot from my spare hard drive, so I guess it can't be a software
>> problem. The seagate diagnostic tools (run from a boot CD) hang as
>> soon as they start the quick or the full disc check.

>> Seems fairly clear there's a hardware problem. Before I get a
>> replacement drive... is there a way to check that it is the drive at
>> fault and not the controller/motherboard? Some more sophisticated
>> diagnostic software, perhaps?

>> (Ideally I'd test the drive in another PC, but I don't really have
>> access to one.)

>> The drive is a SATA Barracuda 7200.8 and the motherboard Asus A8V.


> I'm thinking most likely jumper settings are at fault.

Doesnt produce the symptom seen.

> Somethimes wrong jumper settings like having
> 2 masters actually kinda sorta tries to work,

Yes, plenty of drives work fine with bad jumpering.

> instead of the more usual: "you have dirves on this cable? Really?".

> Check to make sure everything is Kosher, as far as jumper
> settings go. Master on the end of the cable, slave on the middle.

That wont produce that symptom either if its not done like that.

> If you use cable select, it's all devices on the cable, or none of them.

Ditto.

> Another posiblilty is bad cables themselves, though it's rare.

Very rare indeed for that to produce spontaneous reboots.

The diag freezing in spades.

> Double and triple check to see that everything is
> properly seated. Yet another is bad ide controller.
> It's also possible to have TWO bad drives. Alas.

A bad drive wont produce spontaneous reboots, or the diag freezing,
and its very unlikely indeed to have two drives producing that effect.

> Since you've got the case open, check your motherboard for bad
> capacitors (little soda cans), if any are bulging or leaking, they're bad.

> And blow out the dust, it's probably not your problem,

Certainly not with the diag freezing.

> but it's a routine maintanence thing to be done anyway.

> Download and run memtest86+ from www.memtest.org to check RAM.

> A very powerful diagnostic is MHDD, use it as a boot CD.
> Ignore anvanced features, just hit f4 twice to run a scan.

> http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/