Rolling POST on older system


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I have a PC I built in 2005/2006 that's exhibiting an interesting issue. The PSU has died, as has the graphics card, and both replaced during its life. My parents actually have it now - it was a PC I built for gaming so was quite a high end system *then*.

Anyway, for the past few months when the system is first powered on after being off for a long time, the display rolls. It does this really fast, getting slower and slower and finally resting by the time it boots into windows. It does not do this again, if you reboot nothing happens. The system has to be off (overnight). The issue seems to be visual as no errors are given or reported - not does it crash or fail POST.

I have noted that the system cannot keep good time any longer. The date falls behind constantly. Which I find odd as Windows should be dealing with that. The BIOS does lose its settings from time to time and requires an F1 load of defaults.

A thing of note on the rolling issue, a slight grinding noise can be heard from the system! Sounds bad right? Well this noise goes away with the rolling so could be connected but I'm not quite sure where its coming from. The graphics card is relatively new - the PSU also. That just leaves the CPU fan - why would an overheating CPU (imagine that's what it is, the fans duff and its getting hot on first boot) cause the screen to roll but no other issues? No BIOS warning or auto shutdown. I did check the temps and it looked fine.

Its not of massive importance, its lived well past its life but be helpful if I could sort it out and get a bit more time out of it (so my parents don't have to buy a new PC just yet). Plus it would just be nice to solve the mystery lol.

I can list specs but I don't think its relevant. Its AMD Athlon 64 X2. With 2GB of DDR RAM. Oh that reminds me, ever since installing Windows 7 (it was running Vista) it reports 4GB of RAM in system properties...

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Sounds like your CMOS battery is failing, that could explain the loss of bios settings and time. The fan could also be showing signs of age.

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Seems reasonable. But Windows should auto correct the time since it syncs with a server right.... so I find that bemusing.

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CMOS battery and monitor, is it a CRT monitor?


Seems reasonable. But Windows should auto correct the time since it syncs with a server right.... so I find that bemusing.

 

Pretty sure Windows will only correct the time if it is "close" to the correct time/date. If the date/time is off by a large amount like the wrong year, it won't change it.. This is more of a "sanity" check.

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Its only off by a few days, it seems to be fine then sort of after a week notice its a few days behind (usually notice because software is complaining the system clock is off). But its a fair point about it not auto correcting large amounts of time, perhaps the bios slips at once and then windows stops updating it.

Its a flat panel monitor as well. I checked CPUZ. It states 2Gb of Dual Channel DDR. Windows 7 however says it has 4GB installed (2GB Usable) urrm lol.

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Put a new battery in and see if it helps, only a few dollars. Also unless you set up the PC to sync to a server clock it wil only use the BIOS time.

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Does this happen when you try to boot from a live linux boot disk? like linux mint or parted magic? Also, if the bios is losing it's settings, then i would replace the battery asap, Also, are all the fans working. Is there a hot/warm feeling?

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CMOS time not staying current has nothing to do with CMOS battery, it means there's a problem with the RTC chip. I had a dell server that went too fast and would become really off pretty fast, it could be the RTC itself or the crystal attached to it or heck something entirely different.

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  • 1 year later...

The rolling screen you describe sounds like a v-sync hold wearing out, but that was only for CRT screens...

 

Any chance you've tried another screen as a test? Just to rule it out.

 

 

Interesting W7 reports 4GB of RAM despite only 2GB being installed... I don't want to call anyone out here, but have you checked the chips to match it?

That's a very strange discrepancy... someone played a trick and snuck in another 2GB stick?

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Stop wasting time & replace the mobo - no sense in wasting time trying to find the answer - its old and not worth it.

Replace the mobo (or the whole thing)

Time is money.

 

Since it will be tough to find a mobo of that gen - replace the whole thing and move on.  Otherwise you will have nothing but more problems after you fix this one - it is inevitable.

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