Computer help forum: PC won't finish loading OS

Something REALLY CHEAP. The CMOS battery. Try a new one.

I replaced the battery but no change in my problem

I tried to install the Linux ubuntu OS, it went right through to 100% completed then stalled -

I decided to abort installing the linux which is totally new to me and instead use the known recovery disc and re-install windows.

I restarted with the recovery CD inserted and was told two partitions had to be moved, I assume from the failed ubuntu install.

The install went as normal up to the time to remove the CD. The system restarted and stopped with an error message ERROR 22.

I switched off and began again with the recovery disc. Everything went the same right up to the ERROR 22 message. At that point there didn't seem to be anything I could do.

I decided to format the drive, hoping to return it to out of the box condition. The format appeared to be successful.

BUT, now when I switch on, I get a message
GRUB LOADING STAGE 1.5.
followed by
GRUB LOADING, PLEASE WAIT
at this point there is no further activity.

I have a feeling that GRUB is part of the ubuntu os, I think I saw it mentioned on screen during the ubuntu install.

I'm not sure what to do now, (though shooting myself or the machine has crossed my mind)

Please can anyone tell me exactly what is operating when there is no windows? I assume there is a DOS OS running, is that part of the BIOS or separate?

Thanks to anyone who takes to trouble to try and help me.

Hi Bob,

There's no dvd drive, no video card, and now only the one hard drive -so we're looking at a very basic PC tthat came with a cd burner - no dvd.

I ask, 'Are we on the wrong track'? because when I did the surface scan disc, the machine ran correctly for a few hours. I'm no computer genius but I have a good mechanical knowledge and I get the feeling this is a software glitch not hardware.

OK, I know that's not very technical, but I have a good track record with my hunches on things mechanical.

Currently my problem is that I have upset the basic operating system so that I can't even get my recovery disc to work.

Can you tell me what system is running before windows is loaded - is it a DOS system and is it in the BIOS?

How do I reset that all to original, factory condition?

Did Formatting the hard drive return it to out of the box condition?

Ok, thanks, I see what you're saying.

I can unplug the Cd drive - but then will have no way to load windows back onto the pc and currently I appear to have upset the basic operating system that gets it all started.

I'd like to explain the problem again here, in case I have missed something important.

For a while the PC has shown evidence of a problem or virus, I run NO virus checkers, firewalls etc on it, for 2 reasons - it makes it faster and if it gets infected I just use the recovery disc and reset everything (it's not my main PC which does have anti virus and firewalls etc).

The problem showed up by seeming to have very low memory. It has 512mb RAM and has usually been very good. The recent result would be after an hour or so, either locking up so that the mouse wouldn't move or it would automatically close all open browser windows. A restart always fixed the problem and it would then begin to show it was running out of memory in exactly the same way and another restart would fix it again.

Eventually I decided it was time to use the recovery disc again - but this time it wouldn't install properly and after trying to install perhaps 2-3-4 times it would show a black screen and restarting would not help, but waiting many hours- usually overnight, would then allow it to startup and I would try using the recovery disc again - sometimes it would install to something that looked like safe mode, the lowest screen res which was not changeable. When it did that it continued running but I couldn't find a way to get it out of that mode.

I then tried to install ubuntu, in case my recovery disc is faulty.

Having similar problems installing ubuntu at least suggested that the discs are OK and that it's the PC.

If it's a power supply/motherboard problem then it looks as if sometimes it's heat related - whats my next step?

I do think I have to get the BIOS or whatever the basic internal system is, working again because I cant check anything with this GRUB message holding things up.

I appreciate your help Bob, Ill try not to be a PITA

"Tell me if I misread the non-starting issue as not a hardware issue but the OS didn't load. I reread the post and it looked as if the machine wouldn't turn on.

Try the cover off test."

The machine always turns on.
At first I couldnt get the OS to complete loading, now Im stopped with an error message before even getting to the loading of the OS most likely my fault for swapping to linux and back to windows- the PC is confused.
The case has been off ever since I swapped the hard drives when the original HD had a bad sector, which I thought might be the problem.

When the machine locks up/freezes, or gives black screen on startup, the fan and HD are still spinning and the green power light is on, which is what makes me think it's a software problem.

I live in tropical Cairns; room temp when I am testing is 23-26C. Lowest temp overnight was about 20C, we've just started getting cooler weather, last nights min was 18C

I'm sorry if my first post gave the impression the machine is switching off, that's not the case and I really think this is a glitch in the software at base level. Of course I suppose that glitch could be caused by a hardware problem - but I would like to try and at least get back to when I had it running in what looked like safe mode - I could then let it run for a couple of hours and prove/disprove the heat related theory

I have reset the cmos. On startup I see several lines of normal start up things then it still gives this message -
GRUB LOADING STAGE 1.5.
followed by
GRUB LOADING, PLEASE WAIT
at this point there is no further activity - I left it running for 2 hours yesterday to make sure.

How do I reset the basic operating system ? Flash the bios

My windows ME is on the IBM Recovery Disc, of which I have made a copy to check it was all readable.

My problem now is that the PC is stopping with the GRUB error message before getting to the loading of the Recovery Disc

Should I flash the Bios again? I did it before attempting installing the Linux OS

Or how do I reset whatever is operating on startup before the Recovery Disc is recognised? This is where I have always thought the problem was.

Sorry about that, I thought I had mentioned it was ME, Ive re read my first post and see I didnt.

The boot disc from http://www.bootdisk.com is already sitting in A Drive!! I downloaded it and tried to restore the MBR before coming on this forum, it didnt help the problem at all but I havent used it since thanks, Ill report back, hopefully with good news.

BTW I found out about the above from a Google search which pointed to this forum. The post was so helpful I decided to try and enlist some help here myself.

With the cmos setup utility 'boot up floppy' set to enabled, the system stops with error message "no 80 conductor cable installed" I also got a floppy error message perhaps because there was no floppy inserted ""662 Floppy Disk(s) Fail (80)

With the CMOS setup utility boot up floppy disk set to disabled the PC begins to fire up and halts with the GRUB 1.5 now loading, but there is no activity

The CD drive had the ubuntu disc in but it was never activated by the PC - it hadn't got that far I suppose.

It would seem that the MBR needs to be reset to get rid of the ubuntu/linux GRUB system trying to start, but now that it won't recognise the floppy I'm unsure how to proceed.

Thats where I'm stuck.

I doubt the floppy suddenly became faulty, more likely it's part of the Linux instal that is hanging everything up.

I videoed the start up (2.4mb)-
http://www.robhealey.com.au/Vids/PC1.wmv
it shows the IBM logo, then some other startup info including the IDE 80 not connected signal, then all goes black and the GRUB message appears. I don't know if that will suggest any other ideas to you?

What I want to do is remove all traces of Linux from the MDR. If there was any way to interupt the load and force it to read the floppy, that would be good.

I can use F1 and change the CMOS. I've tried resetting defaults and I've tried telling it to boot from floppy but it gives me the error message as mentioned previously.

One other thing - the power switch is now just a switch - the computer shuts down on the click and I don't have to hold the button in for 5 seconds. I assume that shows how little of the startup system is working?

If you have no more ideas, my next plan is to go to the Linux forum and see if they can help. I see on Google that the Grub 1.5 loading is a familiar problem, but the solutions I read all needed a knowledge of Linux programming.

Thanks for your help Bob, it does look like some professional help is needed.

Rob