Can Puppy help me find a hardware problem?

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

I recently started looking at Puppy Linux to replace Windows XP on my wife's Eee PC. I also recently have been having problems loading any OS on my desktop. I have tried Ubunu, Windows 7, PClinuxOS, and most recently Puppy Linux. All freeze when loading the OS. If they have a bootloader that always works just fine. But when the actual OS starts to load the system freezes. I have run memtest and the ram seems to be fine and I borrowed a different video card and the exact same thing happens so I don't think that is the issue.

When trying Puppy for the first time I see something different. Not everything freezes. The process still stops but I see a flashing underscore. All the other times even the underscore stops flashing. This gives me hope that something is different with Puppy that will allow me to figure out the problem. The part in the load that the process stops is "updating... network-drivers-list"

My specs, if it helps, are

Processor: AMD FX-6350
Motherboard: Asus M5 A97 R2.0
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon 7850 1 GB
RAM: 2x4 GB Corsair Vengence
Hard drive: Kingston 128 GB SSD (Windows 7) & Samsung 128 GB SSD (Ubuntu 3.11)

I don't know where to go from here. Running off the RAM seems like it gives me the best shot to fix it or find the issue.

[Dewbie]

_shut_up_thats_why_ wrote:

But when the actual OS starts to load the system freezes.

Does this also happen with XP?

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

I don't know. The XP computer works fine and I don't have a copy of that OS. The freezing computer is a different one.

[Dewbie]

Ahh...sorry, I misread you.
Please read this.
Also, check for dust build-up, which might cause overheating.

[starhawk]

Do you hear a clicking sound coming from the system around the time it freezes? That would indicate a bad hard drive...

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

It happens when live booting from a CD with no hard drive attached so I don't think they are the problem. After reading Dewbie's link I am going to try my back up power supply and see how the voltages look.

[starhawk]

Just looked at your specs -- nvm on the hard drive thing, clicking only happens to /mechanical/ drives...

Are you overclocking any? An unstable OC will screw up just about anything...

Also, you might run Memtest86+. Yeah, I know, Corsair -- and Corsair high-end gaming RAM at that -- but RAM is RAM (more or less) and sometimes it dies. My friend who runs the local tech shop always tells me eight hours is the barest white-knuckle minimum acceptable runtime for Memtest. Have fun

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

That's great to know! I ran memtest from the PClinuxOS but only for 3 passes for a total of about 3 hours. I'll run it over night tonight. I'm going to take one of the sticks out though so I know which one is most likely good.

Also I was overclocking but I ran with auto settings on every possible choice (power save, normal, and performance) and the same every time. I tried looking for a stable config for me stuff but I haven't found one. From what I did find my processor is running a bit fast with less volts.

Edit: I wasn't overclocking myself. Just using auto settings from the UEFI bios to do it.

[cthisbear]

Hirens and the Falcon boot cds have plenty of utilities.

Links on top of third page here:

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 5&start=30

Chris.

[mikeb]

if not a weird ram failure that manages to pass test (had one recently) I would suggest video/southbridge failing when warming up due to cracks in the lead free solder due to thermal stress.
Its a not uncommon problem with modern hardware if the cooling arrangements are not adequate (one machine i had cooled through the keyboard and overheated and failed when the lid was down for example)

Mike

[bigpup]

I wasn't overclocking myself. Just using auto settings from the UEFI bios to do it.

UEFI bios could be the issue.

With a computer this new, you need to be trying to use one of the newer versions of Puppy.
Fatdog64
Slacko 5.7
Precise 5.7.1

For 4GB or more of memory, you need a PAE version that can see and use all 4GB.

For Fatdog64 on a UEFI computer with Windows 8
http://distro.ibiblio.org/fatdog/web/fa ... -boot.html

This guy got his to work by doing this:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=81653

n the ‘Advanced’ section of the BIOS there is a menu called ‘SATA configuration’ selecting this and then from the sub-menu select ‘SATA mode selection’ which has three options; IDE (the default), AHCI and disabled.

Changing the ‘SATA mode selection’ from IDE to AHCI solved the problem and I now have access as normal

Others say this helps:
In bios look for an option to turn off or Disable secure-boot.

Search for UEFI here may help:
http://puppylinux.us/psearch.html

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

My friend who runs the local tech shop always tells me eight hours is the barest white-knuckle minimum acceptable runtime for Memtest. Have fun

I ran memtest all Sunday and by this morning ~28 hours and 33 passed tests no errors.

if not a weird ram failure that manages to pass test (had one recently) I would suggest video/southbridge failing when warming up due to cracks in the lead free solder due to thermal stress.
Its a not uncommon problem with modern hardware if the cooling arrangements are not adequate (one machine i had cooled through the keyboard and overheated and failed when the lid was down for example)

Mike

I've got a decent amount of cooling in the case and the video card itself has cooling, also I don't really know how to check if that is the problem. As for the RAM, while possible I do not think it is likely as I have tried both sticks separately and in multiple different slots and always get the same result.

With a computer this new, you need to be trying to use one of the newer versions of Puppy.
Fatdog64
Slacko 5.7
Precise 5.7.1

This guy got his to work by doing this:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=81653

n the ‘Advanced’ section of the BIOS there is a menu called ‘SATA configuration’ selecting this and then from the sub-menu select ‘SATA mode selection’ which has three options; IDE (the default), AHCI and disabled.

I was trying to load the Precise 5.7.1.

I checked when I left this morning and my SATA mode was in AHCI. I didn't have time to test other settings but I do agree that it seems like a bios issue. The CPU seems to be running a bit higher than the target CPU lists and this may be causing a problem I want to replace my power supply with my back up but the reason I have a back up is that when I was building my computer people suggested that I replace my power supply with a better quality one. So I am worried I will just be switching bad for bad. Either way I am at least going to try tonight. Just not sure if it will give any meaningful results.

[Sylvander]

...been having problems loading any OS on my desktop...All freeze when loading the OS...when the actual OS starts to load the system freezes...I see a flashing underscore...The part in the load that the process stops is "updating network-drivers-list"

a. I've seen this happen with my own 2012 desktop PC harware that is all fully functional.
Works fine with certain Puppies, but others [booting a "live" CD-RW] boot to a flashing underscore.
I think the problem is that:
The kernel of the particular Puppy that does this...
Is short of a driver or 2 in the kernel included in that particular Puppy...
For 1 or more items of hardware included in the setup.
The problem might be your SSD.

b. There is a specific Puppy made to suit the EeePC [can't remember its name, made by Jemima methinks].

Bear in mind; I'm no Puppy expert.

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

Hirens and the Falcon boot cds have plenty of utilities.

Links on top of third page here:

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 5&start=30

Chris.

Thanks! Just made the cd and going to try it out now.

[Ted Dog]

sounds like a subsystem failure. if you can video tape record the boot sequence it would be one of the final items in the list. If your crypto system ( trusted system hardware ) is faulting mine did it was a plug in that was loose. UEFI system will freeze if that module is not able to track you.
Run BIOS mode and a very old version of linux kernel. ( before trusted platform hardware was forced into kernel )

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

sounds like a subsystem failure. if you can video tape record the boot sequence it would be one of the final items in the list. If your crypto system ( trusted system hardware ) is faulting mine did it was a plug in that was loose. UEFI system will freeze if that module is not able to track you.
Run BIOS mode and a very old version of linux kernel. ( before trusted platform hardware was forced into kernel )

Loading with Puppy linux:

Edit: Just to note, once the Puppy Linux hit loading kernals at about 1:15 that's where the load freezes but I recorded for another minute with no change. I did let it try a lot longer (like half an hour) but I stopped recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6CSB-XvKRc

Loading with PClinuxOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFLxfxpgu8M

I'm running out of things to try. I don't know enough about bios to know what I'm doing in there beyond the help from this thread and just randomly changing things to see what happens. Same result every time.

I just switched power supplies. Same thing.

Do you have a suggested version of Linux you know not to have "trusted hardware?"

[mikeb]

Just to recap was there a working system before you started this adventure? Or are you doing this because the original system started failing?

Both movies show it stopping at the point were additional drivers are loaded (modules/udev).. if that helps with the UEFI/hardware theories.

Mike

[_shut_up_thats_why_]

Just to recap was there a working system before you started this adventure? Or are you doing this because the original system started failing?

Both movies show it stopping at the point were additional drivers are loaded (modules/udev).. if that helps with the UEFI/hardware theories.

Mike

How this started was I have two SSDs. A Samsung 128 GB running Ubuntu 13.11 and a Kingston 128 GB running Windows 7. Windows was freezing when I tried to watch any video (Windows media player, any streaming, any video) or use GPT (General Particle Tracer). Strangely enough I could play games (I think DayZ mostly) and they wouldn't freeze while playing them. I had it freeze once while the game was loaded but not during gameplay. It froze after I stopped playing and was on the exit screen (can't remember if it I had hit exit or not). This was fine for me because I wanted to force myself to use Linux more and it was working fine. Then Windows started freezing at more random times and then pretty close after start up or during the loading screen. Again no problems with Linux so I was not worried as I thought it was probably the SSD and I could look into it later. Then while playing Counter Strike: Source (I had played a few times previous with no problems) Linux froze. Upon restart from that is when I have not been able to load.

I know it is not the SSDs at this point as I have been trying to load from only USB or Live CD and neither SSD is actually attached to the motherboard and the same things are happening. That is what turned me to Puppy Linux as it runs off RAM and that has been through a 33 hour memtest, which I plan to run again tonight from a different slot.