Dell 4600 being stupid

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  • shovenose
    Send Doge Memes
    • Aug 2010
    • 6575
    • USA
    #1

    Dell 4600 being stupid

    Got this as a freebie - It would either make terrible beeping noises upon startup (turned out to be girinding from the hard drive not a beep from the mobo), then not boot up at all. Or BSOD after trying to load (safe mode did the same thing).

    The hard drive is a HDS722580VLAT20. I put it in their computer about 2-3 years ago, loaded XP on it, and apparently the computer worked fine more many months. Then they moved it to a different house and it apparently hasn't worked since - probably physical shock causing failure...

    So, whatever I dust out the PC, replace the PSU with a recapped FSP/SPI just in case the PSU is causing problems (a little rusty and dusty but no bad caps but I still replaced it), put in a Maxtor IDE 100GB drive. Pop in my Server 2003 drive, do an NTFS quick format, and get a bunch of file copy errors. I skip failed files (despite) dire warnings that setup might fail if I did it...

    Anyway, needless to say, I got a BSOD after it restarted to run setup. So I remove the drive, set is from Cable Select to Master, now I'm doing a non-quick-format and hoping it works. However, I'm concerned there might be another problem with the PC since it's being stubborn installing the OS...

    EDIT: still file copy errors. What can I try? I'm going to try to put the Shitachi back in...
    All caps look OK.

    Edit2: Shitachi drive isn't making too many weird noises, and is doing a non-quick-format right now.
    Last edited by shovenose; 12-03-2011, 10:49 PM.
    Tags: None
    • PCBONEZ
      Grumpy Old Fart
      • Aug 2005
      • 10661
      • USA
      #2
      Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

      Memtest
      Mann-Made Global Warming.
      - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
      -
      Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
      - Dr Seuss
      -
      You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
      -

        Comment

        • shovenose
          Send Doge Memes
          • Aug 2010
          • 6575
          • USA
          #3
          Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

          Now that's a good idea - didn't think of that!
          If this won't install I'll try that...

          Could the DVD drive be faulty?
          The CD drive under it won't read at all... weird...

            Comment

            • ratdude747
              Black Sheep
              • Nov 2008
              • 17136
              • USA
              #4
              Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

              bad caps? the 4600 was notorious for bad psu caps (they made a top xx list for the worst computers ever made over the issue).

              hope you can fix it, as my mom has a 4600, and with a better/fixed psu, they are great boxes... lots of usb, good audio, SATA, agp 8x, and 4x ddr (for a dell, that is nice, better than 2). they are also both prescott and HT compatible (I put a 2.8 ghz 533 prescott in my mom's, runs nice).
              sigpic

              (Insert witty quote here)

                Comment

                • shovenose
                  Send Doge Memes
                  • Aug 2010
                  • 6575
                  • USA
                  #5
                  Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

                  Well, I'm running memtest86 bootable CD as we speak (type?)
                  PSU was checked for bad caps. None, however, due to rust and dust, I put in a re-capped tested-good SPI(FSP) 250-watter...

                  It failed even with the formatted 80GB Shitachi.
                  I doubt both HDDs are bad in the same sector(s?)
                  The first file to fail copying to the HDD was authm.somethingorother both HDDs...
                  bad CD/drive?


                  The 4600 have pretty good CPU support, and yes I like a 4 memory slots (unusual on these Dells)
                  I've got a 4600 as Server #2 in my closet running Windows Server 2003 - a bit on the slow side by reliable as fuck...


                  EDIT!: Memtest looks fine. I cleaned my Server 2003 CD and am trying again...
                  Last edited by shovenose; 12-03-2011, 11:29 PM.

                    Comment

                    • PCBONEZ
                      Grumpy Old Fart
                      • Aug 2005
                      • 10661
                      • USA
                      #6
                      Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

                      Yup.
                      A bum CD or drive would be my next guess.
                      Might just be a case where 'that' drive doesn't like 'that' CD too.
                      .
                      Mann-Made Global Warming.
                      - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
                      -
                      Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
                      - Dr Seuss
                      -
                      You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                      -

                        Comment

                        • shovenose
                          Send Doge Memes
                          • Aug 2010
                          • 6575
                          • USA
                          #7
                          Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

                          My Windows Server 2003 disc might be bad. Lubuntu installed w/o a hitch.

                            Comment

                            • c_hegge
                              Badcaps Legend
                              • Sep 2009
                              • 5219
                              • Australia
                              #8
                              Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

                              Could also be that the drive is unusually sensitive to scratches. I've seen that a lot of times. Try installing windows with another DVD drive.

                              EDIT: You supplied a Deathstar?
                              I love putting bad caps and flat batteries in fire and watching them explode!!

                              No wonder it doesn't work! You installed the jumper wires backwards

                              Main PC: Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz, Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H-MVP, 8GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600, 240GB Intel 335 Series SSD, 750GB WD HDD, Sony Optiarc DVD RW, Palit nVidia GTX660 Ti, CoolerMaster N200 Case, Delta DPS-600MB 600W PSU, Hauppauge TV Tuner, Windows 7 Home Premium

                              Office PC: HP ProLiant ML150 G3, 2x Xeon E5335 2GHz, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 120GB Intel 530 SSD, 2x 250GB HDD, 2x 450GB 15K SAS HDD in RAID 1, 1x 2TB HDD, nVidia 8400GS, Delta DPS-650BB 650W PSU, Windows 7 Pro

                                Comment

                                • shovenose
                                  Send Doge Memes
                                  • Aug 2010
                                  • 6575
                                  • USA
                                  #9
                                  Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

                                  Originally posted by c_hegge
                                  EDIT: You supplied a Deathstar?

                                    Comment

                                    • ratdude747
                                      Black Sheep
                                      • Nov 2008
                                      • 17136
                                      • USA
                                      #10
                                      Re: Dell 4600 being stupid

                                      Originally posted by c_hegge
                                      EDIT: You supplied a Deathstar?
                                      its hitachi, not IBM... I am quite happy with my 40gb one...

                                      (edit- I saw his other thread, his may be a different story.,.. mine was a 2005 model, is a 2003).
                                      Last edited by ratdude747; 12-04-2011, 02:00 PM.
                                      sigpic

                                      (Insert witty quote here)

                                        Comment

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