PCA Forums

Hi,

If i sit in windows my computer sometimes starts to search on my CD-RW even if there ainät no CD in it. The computer sometimes locks itself after this, and i have to restart it.

Almost every time (not every time) i get some errors in the Event Viewer thats says:

source: atapi
description: The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort2, did not respond within the timeout period.

source: atapi
description: The device, \Device\Ide\IdePort1, did not respond within the timeout period.

Some times when the computer locks itself and i restart it it beeps in the boot and says something like "you need to connect you power cable to you radeon 9800xt graphics card" on the screen. I shut down the compouter and wait som e time and then the computer usually starts again. Sometimes it hels to take out the Gfx and out it back.

The Gfx works fine in every game and other stuff and as far as i know there aint any problem with that one. The memory pass the MEMTEST tests, and my hard drive pass every test in the POWERMAX diagnostic software. BUT a strange thing is that the fist time i ran the BURN IN TEST in POWERMAX, the test stopped after half the test and said that the disk failed. I restarted the computer and ran the same test and the disk passed, and it also passed the Advanced test.

I know ask you because no one can help me. Have you ever met this kind of problems? Some friends of mine thinks that it sounds like the motherboard may be the reason.

My system:
P4 3.2 GHz Prescott, Asus P4P800-E Deluxe, 2x512 mb Twinmos PC3200 Dual, Club 3d Ati Radeon 9800xt, 200 gb Maxtor SATA Diamondmax 9 plus, Antec Truepower 380w

Windows Xp SP2 all updates.

If the strange problem after reboot with the power and the GFX wasnät there i would have thought about SOFTWARE problems, but it doesnät seem like that....


I really need help

/Micke

First of all, as concerns the error on boot concerning the Radeon DO YOU have a seperate hard drive power cable connected to the video card? It won't work without it. If you do, it's possible the cable you're using has a loose pin and is intermittent. Try another one.

Also possible that you have a weak power supply and sometimes when you power up the radeon doesn't see enough power on the cable to be satisfied.

As concerns the mysterious CD-RW drive access, I would run a thorough scan for viruses and spyware. You may have a program running in the background that's trying to access the drive. Another possibility is that if you DO have a weak power supply as mentioned above, it could be causing strange things.

Hope this helps...

try finding a buddy you can swap out psus with, if that doesnt solve the problem, your ata controller on the MB may be fuxored, RMA time then, good luck

Originally posted by FlyingPenguin
First of all, as concerns the error on boot concerning the Radeon DO YOU have a seperate hard drive power cable connected to the video card? It won't work without it. If you do, it's possible the cable you're using has a loose pin and is intermittent. Try another one.

Also possible that you have a weak power supply and sometimes when you power up the radeon doesn't see enough power on the cable to be satisfied.

As concerns the mysterious CD-RW drive access, I would run a thorough scan for viruses and spyware. You may have a program running in the background that's trying to access the drive. Another possibility is that if you DO have a weak power supply as mentioned above, it could be causing strange things.

Hope this helps...

I know it needs an own power cable, so that is not the problem

It ONLY happens after the locking of the computer. NEVER else.

I have an Antec Truepower 380W.

I asure you taht i have tried EVERYTHIN. I have reinstalled windows recently so there aint no voruses or spywares, i wish it was that easy, but i really know alot about computers and software, o never have viruses och any harming spyware. I eve study cojputer science at the university, not that i know EVERYTHING, but i ensure you, i have tried EVERYTHING except switching some hardware components. Maybe that is the only thing to do. It really seem like the motherboard is broken...

Originally posted by BillyGoat
try finding a buddy you can swap out psus with, if that doesnt solve the problem, your ata controller on the MB may be fuxored, RMA time then, good luck

Yes, i will try that. If that doesnät help it MUST be the MB, that is what i think. Even if the Gfx is concerned after the computer locking thing i don't think that it is broken. It must be the MB that is :ped up...