My machine hangs, reboots automatically on boot.

[Moreno]

I have a Micron Melennia MME (with an Intel board, model #AN430TX, PII 233, 64 MB RAM) that I bought used and have had a ton of problems. When I try to boot from a Windows 98 startup disk (so I will have CDROM support and can load Window 98 SE) it reboots endlessly (sometimes right after the POST, other times after it displays the message "Preparing to start your computer. This may take a few minutes." I have tried a lot of different things including flashing the BIOS, changing the jumpers, etc. I have found that sometimes it will let me boot normally from the Win98 startup disk if I disable the cache in the BIOS, but then the machine is **incredibly** slow (the status bar on the left in Win98 setup says I have 180 minutes left) and locks up on me. PLEASE HELP!!!

[Randy_tx]

The "I've tried lots of things" is an interesting place to start ...did the computer EVER run stable? What "jumpers" did you try to change? The immediate re-boot syndrome is often associated with an overheated or defective cpu, BAD RAM or motherboard cache problems. Have you tried booting the system with the case covers off to make sure the cpu fan(s) is/are operating? The fact that you have been able to boot a startup disk with the cache turned off (is that the Internal cache or External that you turned off?) could still end up at bad ram even though it seems like it would be mobo or cpu. With the answers to these questions...and maybe some more from the others.........I'm SURE someone can help you get to the bottom of this one http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Moreno]

The computer has not run stable for me yet except in the setup and it was pitifully slow. I did once drop a bootable hard drive (from another computer) in and it spent more than an hour installing everything from here to infinity and beyond (all the controllers, etc.). I have adjusted all of the jumpers at least once. The jumpers I have available are: Processor Configuration (bus frequency and clock multiplier), BIOS Recovery (flashing the BIOS), Clear CMOS, Password Clear, BIOS Setup Access, and Processor Voltage (it only works on one setting). There is no fan actually on the CPU though there is a heat sink and there is a case fan which blows on the heat sink. The cache to which I’m referring is both internal and external. Oddly enough, the BIOS only give me two options: enabled or disabled and the brief description of that BIOS setting is that it controls both internal and external cache. The 64 MB 168-pin DIMM is good RAM.

[Paleo Pete]

There is no fan actually on the CPU though there is a heat sink and there is a case fan which blows on the heat sink.

Get a fan on the CPU and don't even think about turning it on again without one. Randy you pegged this one!

Check the manual and find out what the setting for normal operation for the CMOS jumper. Set Setup Defaults or Optimal Defaults, (may be Performance Defaults in your BIOS) then check to be sure the hard drive and floppy parameters and boot sequence are correct. When making any future BIOS changes make them one at a time and write down all changes so you know exactly what to reverse if you have problems.

Let's hope the CPU isn't already fried, I'm sure it's gotten plenty hot...

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[Moreno]

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked the processor, and it is not excessively hot, even after the computer has been on for a little while. I have had DX2s get hotter on me than this PII 233. The latest update is that I flashed the BIOS again, and when I disabled the cache, I was able to install Windows 98. It took excessively long, and it doesn't boot from the hard drive even after I completed the installation process. (It did incidentally hang on the last shutdown and I'm not sure why) Could this be a RAM compatibility problem?

[Randy_tx]

If the motherboard allows, try turning off the "EXTERNAL" cache but leave the "Internal" cache on. If you still get lockups, you have a cpu which has suffered damage in the L1 or L2 cacheing area of the chip...and it will have to be replaced. If the External cache produces problems, then it's a motherboard cache problem and you can expect other motherboard problems down the road in all likelyhood (in addition to slow performance). Quite a bit of bad news ...but you might as well know that you may have a lemmon on your hands.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Moreno]

Thanks for the new suggestions. There is no way to disable them individually. I have looked carefully in the BIOS and it says both are affected when you select "disable" on the cache. Tonight I'm going to try a PII 200 in the machine and see if I have the same problems. I read that the board needs pc66 RAM, and I have a 64MB PC100 stick in there now. Do you think this could be causing the problem?

[Randy_tx]

If the PC-100 SDRAM is good ram......then it wont cause a problem at all.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[T.Cronkhite]

I have a similar problem with my wife's P 233. Same an430tx mobo. I get a "configmg" error and a reboot.

You're right in that you cannot disable the L2 cache w/o affecting L1.

Microsoft suggests disabling L2 cache and flashing the bios, neither which have worked for me.

I am looking closer and closer at the onboard L1 as the culprit. Perhaps I'll spend the $57 and find out.

Good luck. I'll be watching this thread!

[Moreno]

I installed the PII 200 in that miserable machine and it worked! I guess the problem was the old processor. I'm not sure what would have happened to toast that other machine, but something must have. I really hope that nothing more happens. As it is, I have to blow at least another $29 + S&H for a new PII 233. I still don't think that the old one overheated. This PII 200 doesn't have a fan either, just one of those big Micron heat sinks that looks like a stack of blue aluminum plates. Thanks for all the help.

[Paleo Pete]

Glad you got it going, only thing I can think of is ESD. Static electricity. Make sure you ground yourself on the chassis before touching any internal parts. And the chassis must be grounded at the time. Usually it's memory that's most susceptible, but anything can be fried by under 100volts, and you can't feel less than 2000volts, as when you walk across carpet and touch a door knob. Turning in your chair can create enough static electricity to damage computer components.

If that's not the problem, you just had a bad CPU or internal cache. It happens...

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[Randy_tx]

When you order the P-233 be sure NOT to specify a PII......THAT is not what you have....What you have is a P-200/233 MMX socket 7 chip http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif The reason I know is that you are able to run a P-200 in the machine and there is no such thing as a PII-200 !
If it were mine....I wouldnt waste the $29 on a P-233....there isnt enough performance difference to bother with.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[This message has been edited by Randy_tx (edited 03-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Randy_tx (edited 03-27-2001).]