LinuxQuestions.org
Help answer threads with 0 replies.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Hardware
User Name
Password
Linux - Hardware This forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 06-19-2007, 11:27 AM   #1
geomatt
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: PA
Distribution: Slackware 12.0
Posts: 315

Rep: Reputation: 30
system hangs BEFORE booting


Hi everyone,
I've been having a problem booting up a Slackware 10.2 laptop lately, and I'm a little worried that it's the beginnings of a serious hardware problem. Usually when powering on the machine I get the IBM splash screen and then a blinking cursor for a second and lilo loads linux. Lately -- for the last week or two -- the system occasionally hangs on the splash screen, or on the blinking cursor before "LILO" appears, with the hard disk not spinning up and booting the system. Sometimes ctl+alt+del gets it going, other times, I have had to remove the battery and power on again for the hard disk to start working. No other problems have appeared, except for some occasional periodic clicking sounds from the hard disk.

Is the disk going bad? Is it a more serious hardware issue?

I've been using smartmontools lately and have it set to send messages to the root account if trouble is detected with the HD, but so far there have been no reports.

System specs: IBM thinkpad R-40, about 4 1/2 years old. I replaced the original hard drive after it started to fail maybe 1 1/2 years ago. Running Slackware 10.2 with a 2.6.15.4 kernel. 80 GB harddisk with three partitions one for /home, one for the rest of the system, one for swap space, partitioned when I installed Slack onto a new disk 1 1/2 years ago.

The only tinkering I've done lately is install a new RAM module, and the problem did not occur immediately afterward.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions or advice...

-geo
 
Old 06-19-2007, 11:54 AM   #2
mimithebrain
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Location: ~
Distribution: Ubuntu 10.04
Posts: 843
Blog Entries: 1

Rep: Reputation: 30
Your hard drive is as good as dead. Backup and get yourself a new one :O
 
Old 06-19-2007, 01:35 PM   #3
geomatt
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: PA
Distribution: Slackware 12.0
Posts: 315

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
OK. Thanks. This forces me to upgrade to Slackware 11.0

-geo
 
Old 06-25-2007, 06:39 AM   #4
geomatt
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: PA
Distribution: Slackware 12.0
Posts: 315

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
Just got a new hard drive and installed slackware 11 last night. Everything seemed OK -- no problems booting the system up. Now I turn on the machine and I can't get past the IBM splash screen. Did I just get unlucky and get a bum drive or might this be a sign of other fried bits inside?

-geo
 
Old 06-25-2007, 06:44 AM   #5
Emerson
LQ Sage
 
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Saint Amant, Acadiana
Distribution: Gentoo ~amd64
Posts: 7,661

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Did you test it without new RAM module?
 
Old 06-25-2007, 06:49 AM   #6
geomatt
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: PA
Distribution: Slackware 12.0
Posts: 315

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
Booted right up without the new RAM. I'll report back if the problem reappears.

Thanks!
 
Old 06-25-2007, 07:05 AM   #7
geomatt
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: PA
Distribution: Slackware 12.0
Posts: 315

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
Problem back again. Just tried rebooting after a few minutes of running and can't get the system to start.
Any further possibilities?

-geo
 
Old 06-25-2007, 07:19 AM   #8
Emerson
LQ Sage
 
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Saint Amant, Acadiana
Distribution: Gentoo ~amd64
Posts: 7,661

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Well, this is long shot and you may not want to take all the trouble, considering results are not guaranteed. These Thinkpads are generally high-quality, except one weakness. Sometimes they have some sort of contacts oxidation problem. I had similar failure with my T23 long time ago. The solution was to take it into pieces, carefully clean all contacts and put it back together. It was so long time ago I even do not remember how I cleaned it, maybe it was ethanol. Maybe something else. I followed directions I found on the internet.
 
Old 06-25-2007, 07:31 AM   #9
geomatt
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: PA
Distribution: Slackware 12.0
Posts: 315

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
I'll look into that when I get a chance. Thanks again.

-geo
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Mandrake 10.1 hangs at "Checking root file system" while booting ananya Mandriva 1 03-01-2006 06:03 PM
system hangs when booting in root paul62 Slackware 2 07-07-2005 09:10 PM
trying to resinstall windows: system hangs after booting tamashii Linux - Newbie 3 11-23-2004 02:40 PM
Problem booting (system hangs..) ronaldomenezes Linux - Software 3 06-30-2003 02:56 PM
system hangs while booting...RH8 sankar555 Linux - Software 3 06-26-2003 02:42 AM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Hardware

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:01 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration