Restarting error

[cjolley]

I'm Chuck's nephew. On the computer we're building, we have to restart a lot when installing stuff. However, every time it restarts, it stops resonding. Windows closes normally, but we have to do a "hard reboot" to get it started again. It has a AMD 1.3 Athalon processor, ASUS A7M266 motherboard, and 3D Prophet 4500 64MB video card.

Thanks,
Tim

[Wombat]

I'm not exactly sure where the computer is stopping. Is this a software thing, or is it happening before the OS even starts to boot?

Which OS?

If it's locking up as it tries to exit windows, I've only seen this when rebuilding a computer with a HD that already has windows on it. Deltree the windows drive, do a clean install. If it's Win9x, get the Via patches.

If it's not even booting, then check the power supply. That, or are you already trying to overclock?

[cjolley]

Hi, this is the real chuck

The computer boots to win98 and shuts down just fine.
The problem comes any time you try to re-boot.
Even when it restarts after you change a (any) bios setting,
The computer has to be turned off and then on again.
It realy acts like a bios problem, but there are no updates yet.
chuck

[Wombat]

Kind of like this?

http://forums.murc.ws/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28677

[cjolley]

Interesting...
But on a re-boot the Processor doesn't power cycle does it?
chuck

[Wombat]

Yeah, it gets reset. The difference is that all of your devices are spinning away and drawing power, unlike a cold boot.

[cjolley]

Well, it's already like a toaster oven in there, so I don't want to up the voltage.
I guess we'll just let him cycle the power when he needs to re-boot.
thanks,
chuck

[Wombat]

If you pencil the voltage and the CPU is unlocked, you will only boot at that high voltage for a split second, until the BIOS kicks in. That should be enough to get the machine going.

Are you using 133MHz FSB?

[cjolley]

We just tok the cpu out of it's packaging, put it on the MB and stuck an HS&F on it.
No pencil involved.
133 FSB.
chuck

[Wombat]

Well, what I was really wondering is if it is a 133MHz part?

Could it be that you've got a 100MHz FSB part? I'm sure it would be happy running at 133MHz, but you might be getting 13x133

[cjolley]

It claims we are at 133x10.
I just assumed that a 1.33gig processor would be a 133 part.
Might it realy be 100x13.33 ?
chuck

[Wombat]

It's possible. And most of those fast parts are unlocked by default. So, easy future overclocking

The 1.3GHz is one of the few procs that comes in both 133 and 100 variants. (marketed as the /266 and /200, repectively)

Check your receipt. It should also be marked on the processor, but it sounds like it's not important enough to bother playing with the HW.