Computer Having Trouble on Restart

[steven8]

Now, this IS NOT software related. It has to be hardware related, but I do not understand why it would 'just start' happening. Since I got into trying liveCDs about 3 months ago or so, I have worked the same way:

1) I download the iso
2) I burn the iso and leave it in the drive
3) I click restart and boot into the liveCD

Simple, and has worked flawlessly until last week. I installed Kubuntu on a seperate HDD, and have switched the IDE cable between drives as I wished to switch systems. A little extreme, but I am not comfortable with dual boot as yet. Anyway, one day last week, I switched my cable back to my Win drive, and it came up bootdisk failure. I shutdown the hard way, took off and reseated the cable, and all was fine.

Then, I wanted to try Sabayon. So I followed my aforetmentioned routine. Only, on restart, the computer just 'got stuck' detecting IDE devices. It just sat there. So, I hit the reset button, and this time it took a long time to detect the devices, then threw a bootdisk failure when trying to find an OS.

Now, I cannot use restart. If I shutdown completely, then start the computer, it works fine. When I want to run a liveCD, I log out, put the CD in, shutdown, and then start the computer again. It works fine, but why in the world would my restart go buggy on me 'just like that'?

[lyceum]

Did you check to make sure you did not accidentally unplug it? or that the "outside" box button is lined up with the "inside" box button? It sounds like you may have "bumped" something, you know what I mean?

[steven8]

"outside" box button is lined up with the "inside" box button?

I'm not sure what that means.

[diepruis]

Maybe the frequent plugging / unplugging damged the cables or drives in some way?

[steven8]

I'm leaning towards the cable possibility. Mainly cause that the cheapest fix. :-) :-(

[diepruis]

I'm leaning towards the cable possibility. Mainly cause that the cheapest fix. :-) :-(

Pretty cheap and easy to rule out as well.

[steven8]

It sounds like you may have "bumped" something, you know what I mean?

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!! We have a winner!! I feel so stupid for never having looked. My cable goes from HDD to DVD Drive to Motherboard. I had pulled the cable half off the DVD Drive. Re-seated it. . .and my comp restarts like a champ!!

Thank guys!!

[kevinf311]

Check the jumpers on the drives, too. In the "bumped something" line of problems, you might have a jumper that is not seated well.

It's strange that it works on a cold boot more than a reboot. It would seem that a physical issue would not change much between shut-down and restart. Hmm, quite a quandary...

Can you give me a list of successful boot conditions? Try to be very detailed(which hard drive connected, method of boot, etc)

What was the physical set-up of your system right before this started happening? (Sabayon burn? But more importantly what else you were doing/running)

Is there anything that seemed different at that first reboot? (messages, sounds, anything)


Sorry to answer your question with more questions, just trying to get a feel for what happened.

[edit] Nevermind, you fixed it :P

[steven8]

[edit] Nevermind, you fixed it :P

Posting at the same time, I'd say. :-)

Thanks!!