On 02/16/2011 07:01 PM, Neal Hogan wrote:
Every installation medium that I've tried fails. Those trials include
net-install-iso, mini-iso, full-diskOne-iso. . .with both linux and
bsd kernels.
...
> HP pavilion (ze4400)
It sounds like you have a hardware problem. The following is an outline
of how I do a thorough system hardware diagnostic.
Get an anti-static wrist strap, but work so you won't generate static
electricity anyway. Don't touch any connector pins, sockets, PCB
traces, contact pads, etc. -- the oil on your skin will corrode them
over time. Use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab to clean as necessary.
Strip the machine down. Identify every component by make, model,
version, etc.. Find the chipset for your motherboard. Make sure your
BIOS is current and read the errata for all devices in case there is a
known issue for your chosen operating system (OS). Check everything
against whatever hardware compatibility lists you can find.
If everything looks good on paper, move to your hardware. You will want
known good spare parts and/or spare machine(s) for A/B testing. If you
don't have such, buy or borrow them and/or pack up your machine and head
for your buddy's house or the nearest Linux, etc., user group
installation festival (installfest). Another option is surplus/
recycled computer parts stores, but assume those parts are bad until
proven otherwise.
Build the machine up in levels, adding the fewest number of items
possible at each level. Take notes as you proceed. Divide, conquer,
and double-check everything until you're confident which part(s) are
good and which are bad. Mark bad parts as bad, but handle and store
them as good just in case (anti-static bags, manufacturer packaging, etc.).
The first level is the power supply. Get a power supply tester and use
it. I've seen very strange symptoms on computers with one bad power
supply rail. Older power supplies don't have the capacity, stability,
EMI filtering, efficiency, etc., of newer power supplies, so a new spare
unit for testing and/or on the shelf might not be a bad idea.
The next level is case, power supply, motherboard, CPU (with fan),
keyboard, and BIOS/POST tests. If your motherboard doesn't have video,
add your video card.
Next, add memory and test with BIOS/POST.
Next, add a bootable device (with cable, if necessary). Run BIOS/POST
tests and then memory test software. I use memtest86:
http://www.memtest86.com/
I once worked on a computer with weird intermittent problems that ran
memtest86 for 10+ hours before it failed just once. I replaced the
memory, ran memtest86 for 24+ hours with no errors, returned the
computer to service, and the problems were gone.
Next, add an optical drive. CD/DVD drives lose calibration over time,
so a disk burned in one drive might not work in another drive. If
possible, burn and boot disks using the same drive. All optical drives
eventually wear out, so a new spare unit for testing and/or on the shelf
might not be a bad idea (especially if you're trading up from CD-ROM to
DVD+RW/DL). The rub is that older machines want IDE while newer
machines want SATA.
Next, add the system hard drive. Hard drive manufacturers offer ISO
images of bootable CD's with diagnostic tools. Download, burn, and run
the tool for your brand of hard drive. Typically, they have a short
test, a long test, and a utility to wipe drive with zeroes. Run all three.
Ribbon cable insulation displacement connectors (IDC) are not designed
for repeated insert/ remove cycles. Even if every conductive path is
okay at DC, they might not be at 33 MHz, etc.. Some connectors have
features for proper removal (removal force is applied to connector, not
ribbon cable). Hard drive mobile docks can eliminate this wear point
once you have a known good cable installed. Sometimes merely removing a
cable or card and re-inserting again it can make a problem go away.
Once you have the all above working, you should be able to install your
OS of choice.
After that, you will want to figure out how to backup and restore system
drive images.
HTH,
David
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