Computer Shuts Down Immediately After GRUB

[IrishGuy]

Hi guys,

For the first time in well over two and a half blissful years , I have run up against a problem with PCLOS that I haven't been able to find a solution for.

The problem is that recently (i.e. the last 2 weeks) my computer will be extremely disobedient during bootup. GRUB comes up just fine but once it goes past that the computer will shutdown, i.e. as if the power cord was pulled.

Here's the weird thing though, it will do that during three attempts or so, but then it will boot normally without any problems. On a few occasions it will also get all the way to the desktop and then shutdown.

So far I've checked all the connections (inside and out with no luck), tried a different kernel (still no luck) and tried booting with no acpi, in which case it gets past GRUB and barely begins loading before shutting down.

Since it only began happening a few weeks ago I suspect it is a software glitch, but I may be mistaken.

Does anyone have any ideas.

BTW it is a custom box with AMD 64 X2 5600+ that's fully up to date.

[T6]

it sounds more like a mainboard problem or psu problem

can you load the livecd to discard this?

[Crow]

Sounds like my computer, turned to be the MoBo 

[LLVMech_63]

Sounds like a heat issue ... check cpu cooler and paste ....

[ThirdOfSix]

I think that the first thing that I would do is check for bulging capacitors. Those are the little cylinders on the motherboard that are usually wrapped in black plastic and have uncovered aluminum showing on the top. If the top is not flat, it is either bad or soon will be.

Then, I would see if it will boot with a live cd. And while you are at it with the live CD, I would run a memory check.

If you have any heat sink compound handy, I would pull the heat sink and fan off of the processor and and make sure that it hasn't dried out and then shifted position.

Some of that stuff hardens with age and if you bump the heat sink or fan and cause it to move, the heat will not transfer too well any more.

If you have a multimeter handy, you might try monitoring the 5V and 12V power at one of the molex connectors that go to ide hard drives and see if it takes a nose dive just before the thing quits. Cheap analog meters are best for this. Of course, a scope is even better.

I guess you can tell, most of us are thinking hardware on this one.

[Crow]

ThirdOfSix in fact my MoBo had a bad capacitor, unfortunately it leaked and affected something that regulates the current. oh well, I'm trying to find a used Mobo since you can't find something new for PIV anymore and I have good memory, processor and Video Card

[IrishGuy]

Thanks for all the help guys.

I tried the LiveCD this morning and it pulled the same stunt, so yes, it looks like a hardware issue.

ThirdOfSix, I checked all the capacitors and two of them appear to have bulging tops. I have noticed the CPU running a wee bit hotter than in the past, but I figured that shouldn't affect the boot sequence too much.

So by the looks of things it'll be a new motherboard. 

[taelti]

Sounds like a heat issue ... check cpu cooler and paste ....

Exactly. I also had the very same problem just this last week with my lappy. It got me mighty worried. A friend simply opened it up, unscrewed the fan cleaned the out the old paste on the processor and put a fresh lump, spread it around a little and screwed back the fan.

It has been behaving quite well since then, no unexplained outages. As easy as a hot knife through butter.     

[IrishGuy]

Exactly. I also had the very same problem just this last week with my lappy. It got me mighty worried. A friend simply opened it up, unscrewed the fan cleaned the out the old paste on the processor and put a fresh lump, spread it around a little and screwed back the fan.

It has been behaving quite well since then, no unexplained outages. As easy as a hot knife through butter.     

OK, I'll check this out too. Thanks Taelti

[Crow]

If the capacitors are not broken you should be able to change them

HANDLE WITH CARE

   Good luck

[T6]

sometimes is possible to do if you can determine the value of each capacitor but sometimes it doesn't say the value or voltage

some models are worse, there is no positive or negative terminals indicated in the capacitor making almost impossible to replace, if you install a electrolytic capacitor inverted, positive terminal in negative and negative in positive it will explode after 5 seconds more or less

to be honest, you can just replace the mainboard with another identical or one better in less time with a warranty

[uncleV]

I think I have the same problem.
Checked the memory - no faults.

Didn't open the box yet but I'll do it for sure.

[uncleV]

I can't understand why should old thermal grease worsen the cooling since I think its thermal conductivity should not change. I am assuming it's made by BaO or TiO₂ which are very stable chemically.

[Texstar]

I just cleaned the fan and put fresh thermal grease on the build server. The old grease had gotten hard and crusty. Now it runs much cooler.

[uncleV]

Cool!

But I thought the server is in the clouds? If so of course there's much cooler.