I have a problem with a gagabyte p3 board, when the computer starts up it crashes when it hits windows. After restarting the computer doesnt fire up unless you turn it off then back on, ive changed everything apart from the motherboard and hard disks.
Just wondered if anyone else has had this problem and is able to shed some light on it. I normally have to restart it about 8 or 9 times before I can actually get to windows so I can use it.
Any help would be appreciated.
I had the same problem when I had an PCI IDE controller that went bad.
My two primary HD's were connected to the onboard IDE controllers, but I also had a 3rd one connected through a plug-in Adaptec IDE RAID adapter. when this started flaking out,I also needed numerous reboots before it magically worked every once in a while.
No errors logged anywhere, of course.
Removing the IDE controller and everything worked fine and was rock solid.
So... I guess it's at least /possible/ that your onboard IDE controller is starting to die... It could also be that your IDE cable(s) is starting to go bad on you. If you have a spare one, you can try replacing it.
further, if you have overclocked your machine, you may want to drop it down to the manufacturer settings, and see if the problem goes away.
Also, many computers BIOS have a 'safe' settings option -- in that mode it goes with slightly slower memory timings and the likes, which can be a lot more stable on some systems. If you haven't already, give it a shot and see if you notice any difference.