Hi guyz, I'm new here, but I've a big problems since 1 week&more with my PC.

My English isn't the best, I will try to explain me the better I can.

My PC is around 4 years old, not more...

Software: Windows XP Professional SP2

CPU: Pentium IV 1.8 Ghz processor

Hardware:
Video card ASUS P4B
Audio card Creative or NVIDIA FX5200-T128 (I've 2 different video card to try, just one is installed)

HDs: 1 Seagate Barracuda 120Gb (directly connected to the MOBO with an IDE cable, MASTER)
2 Maxtor 120Gb ( usually on the same IDE cable connected to the Promise PCI, MASTER+SLAVE)

I tried to put just one Maxtor HD togheter as SLAVE on the Seagate cable, but it doesn't resolve the problem.

RAM: 1 bank of 512 MB ACER CL3
1 bank of 512 MB ACER CL2
1 bank of 512 MB of another trademark (originally into the PC)

PCI: Promise Ultra 133 TX2 (correctly installed)

CD/DVD-ROM (on the same IDE cable):
Samsung writemaster DVD double-layer 16x
Pioneer DVD master double layer 8x

Others:
Internet Modem USB Zyxel Prestige 630


These are the problems:

All started months ago, it happens sometimes that the first thing I can see on the screen is the BIOS window where in a red sentence I can read that the CPU speed is wrong, the PC is in safe-mode and I've to fix that problem.

I set 1800 (I can only choose btw Manual-1800-2400), I click F10 to save and it reboot. After that it works correctly, but maybe after a few days, I will still get this problem. Is maybe the BIOS battery that doesn't save the infos anymore?

Another problem now is that the PC starts correctly (it loads the BIOS), but it gaves a black window with "No signal detected" on it, and it reboots.
This happen everytime in a different time, for example when it starts to load Windows, or when I just entered Windows and I can see the Desktop.

It doesn't happen EVERYTIME, but around 4 times over 5.

A few days ago, the PC didn't work to start, so I take it back to the shop (with only MOBO, CPU and power supply), they reset my BIOS.
We tried to insert the video-card, and it worked fine.
We tried to connect the 3 HDs, and the BIOS didn't want to start.

Finally I found that I've a damaged HD, and now I don't know if there is a way to still make a backup of the 40Gb that are on it, they are physical damages.

Yesterday I changed the video-card, and I tried my old Maxtor, but it doesn't resolve the "no signal detected " problems.
I tried everything, like remove the RAM, and leave just one, or remove them all...
Finally I don't know what to do....

Now, I just want fix the "safe-mode" problem with the CPU and the "No signal detected" problem.
Any idea?

Thanks so much
Chris

1) Yes the BIOS/CMOS battery most probabily your problem with reguards to safe mode.

2) Does the screen black out in safe mode also? Delete all video drivers from your computer. The old and new drivers. If you can boot toa mormal screen install the video drivers manually.

thanks for the reply.
1) I can try to insert the BIOS battery from another PC?

2) It happens that I can login on Windows without the "signal" problem, but when I installed the video card yesterday with windows XP, it asked me about the drivers, I installed them from the original CD.
The same problem exists when I enter the NVIDIA video card, there is no difference btw them.
When I fix the CPU speed, it restarts and I think it isn't in safe mode anymore, and then I've this "signal" problem.
Could happen that it restarts directly, without let me have the time to check different windows of the BIOS after I clicked DEL.

I will try to "update" manually the drivers again, and try not just the Megaforce card but the NVIDIA too, and let u know.

Btw I made an error on my first post,

MOBO: Asus P4B
Video Card: Megaforce? I don't remember right now.
Audio Card: Creative

another update:
video card installed now is Matrox Millenium G550

Is it working?

Yesterday I uninstalled the video card and today I had again the same problem, before show me the Desktop, it said "No signal detected" and rebooted everytime.
So I entered in safe mode, I installed the last video driver for my Matrox video card.
I tried to reboot and it worked for 2 times, I will try reboot again today and see if it still works!
Weird because last time I installed the driver from the original CD, now I installed them from an .exe that came from the official website of Matrox...where is the difference?

Did you say that you are still running the system w/ a damaged HD attached? A bad HD can cause an innumerable amount of problems. Instability is a major one, which you seem to have. If the bad HD is still connected and does not contain the partition with the OS disconnect it and troubleshoot without it to see if it is causing your problems.

If you want to see if the problem is strictly hardware related try disconnecting all HDs and boot from the system CD.

No, I'm working on another working HD with XP just installed 2 days ago.
I tried to start the PC now, I had again the problem.
I entered in safe mode, it said there was a new "plug and play" hardware to install, that's the LCD Monitor.
I installed it directly, it showed the little window about like "not checked copyright drivers from Microsoft"...

I tried to change the video card from the Matrox to the NVIDIA one, and it didn't work.
I put off the Promise PCI, and it worked!
I rebooted, and it changed automatically the resolution of the monitor to 1280x1024...without installing any drivers for the video card.

So, I thought it was the Promise PCI, I tried to put that back into the PC, but it worked anyway....
Now it works, but I don't know till when!

I can't really understand where is the problem, wich hardware gives me problems.......it's really weird..
The only things that are connected are the video card, the Promise PCI, the Seagate HD and 2 DVD-ROM

I take it your recent grivers were downloaded. They probabily had an issue that was addressed after your card was shipped. That is why it is recommended to regularly check for updaded drivers.
With that said sometimes new is not better. I have seen cases where older driver were better for different reasons, older computers, conflict wih other software/hardware, poorly writen drivers.
I how your solution works. Were will be here if you have more questions.

thanks for the help man.
I will keep you update.

u know what?

I was thinking about the video card that automatically changed the resolution from 800x600 (or 1024x768) to 1280x2024 (the max), after that I didn't have still problems, like this evening, it worked at the first boot!

I remember a problem with a PC in the office, when we changed from a normal screen to a LCD screen.
The LCD monitor continued to say "No signal detected" and rebooted.
We entered the PC in safe-mode, changed the resolution, and it worked fine!!

So, seems to be the same problem, but I didn't remember about this till now in these days!

Maybe the monitor doesn't support some resolutions?

LCD monitors have a "native" resolution - they work best at that resolution. XP will often change your settings for you to what it thinks you need. Running the LCD in a different resolution will result in loss of clarity.

I had a computer in the shop a while ago that had similar problems to yours. It would pop up the BIOS screen and say that the CPU speed had changed and needed to be reset. It was an ASUS motherboard. (A84, I think) It turned out to be a failing video card. Once the card was replaced, it worked fine. But sometimes a failing power supply can cause similar problems and I wonder if your power supply is sufficient for all the drives and things you have in your computer.

for the moment I just changed the BIOS battery, I will post here if the "red" error about the CPU will surface again....

I hope isn't a problem of the MOBO finally.

Ok finally, this morning I tried to switch on the PC.

I tried safe mode too, but always the signal problem again and again.
I leaved it reboot around 10 times, and then it worked alone!

The resolution was the one I set yesterday (1024x768).
Now, I changed it to 1280x2024 and at lunch time I will try to switch it on again.

Later
Chris

EDIT: This morning I had again the CPU "safe mode" problem into the BIOS, so isn't the BIOS-battery the problem, but the MOBO?
EDIT2: I tried it at lunch time, same problem again, finally it worked after some reboots, and the resolution is 1280x1024, the one I set this morning.

ok..I tried again this morning.
Is not a problem or resolution (I tried on another LCD screen too), and with the max resolution, my BENQ doesn't work.

The only thing I can think is that, when the PC found the first time the monitor plug&play, it installed a "software" itself, for the drivers.
You know when you're going to install something that has not got a good conformity with Windows, it says the system can be unstable.

After 10 reboot due to the signal error, without change nothing, it entered Windows as usually.

Any idea now?

Bad memory can also cause a computer not to start properly. Can you run a memory test if you get it to boot? Either one of these should do, Memtest86 "A Stand-alone Memory Diagnostic" or MicroSoft's Memory Test.

I've to try these RAM tests. I don't have a working Floppy disk here anyway:(

For now, I can say that I reinstalled the last drivers of the NVIDIA video card and the problem isn't resolved.
Everytime when I start the PC, it reboots around 10 times alone, and then it works. Really weird!
Later