First, I apologize because this is really not a Linux problem per se, but a hardware problem.

When I boot my system it takes at least two tries before it boots up. I replaced the hard drive because I thought that was the problem. It's not. I now have two good hard drives. (So my future backup problems are solved)

My question for you hardware mavens is: What would cause a system to boot only after two or three tries?

I guess the first question is: what happens on the times it doesn't boot? Do you experience any strange behavior following a successful boot?

Based off of what you said, it could be almost anything from a bad PSU to a motherboard/cpu/ram issue.

In response to your questions:

When it fails to boot I get a message on the monitor that says "No signal detected". Note that this message always comes up when I boot then if the boot is successful it goes away and the boot continues. However when it doesn't boot up the message still goes away, but the screen stays blank. I also get the message when I shut down the system, after a the system shuts down and before I turn the power off.

After the system boots OK I do not notice any additional problems. Everything seems normal. I am on the system now typing this message.
Of course I need to fix the problem before it dies completely, although it may be easier to find the problem then.

After my last post I borrowed a PS Tester from a friend and took the system apart and tested the output of the power supply by repeatedly turning the system on and off. The 3.3v light sometimes failed, and other times flickered and/or was dim. I guess the next step is to replace the power supply.

Thank you for the fast response.