[CentOS] beeps and a slow boot

Tue Jul 8 17:37:14 UTC 2014
Michael Hennebry <hennebry at web.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu>

On Tue, 8 Jul 2014, Pete Travis wrote:

> On Jul 8, 2014 10:02 AM, "Michael Hennebry" <hennebry at web.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu>
> wrote:

>> The beep codes say memory.
>> I ran memtest86 overnight and it passed.
>> That said, I'm not sure how good memtest86 is.
>> Could you suggest a memory test program that might find
>> in a few hours what POST found in less than two minutes?
>>
>> To me, cracking the case is a *really* big deal.
>> I don't want to do it unless I know I have to.
>> Static, ribbons, fear and trepidation.
>> I certainly do not want to have to buy some more DDR2 memory.

> Just to reiterate :  *no matter what* the book says the beep code is, the
> actual problem is usually memory.
>
> Sometimes you have to run memtest for days before it sees anything.
> Sometimes, you just need to open the chassis, clear out the fuzz, and
> reseat the memory.  If you're that adverse to cracking the case, I'm
> guessing you're due for it.

I'd rather not take days to confirm a problem
that POST found in under two minutes.
Unless POST is magic (WHAT was I supposed to do to the goat?),
there should be some software out there that could do the trick.

I did crack the case in February.
It arrived without a hard drive and I did a
transplant from the dead body of its predecessor.

Said predecessor was my first computer.
The first time I cracked its case,
I zapped a video card installing a new hard disk.
I haven't cracked cases very often.
My success rate is about 75% .
To me, the rat's nest of expensive things is scary.

All that said,
reseating would seem less error-prone than replacing.

-- 
Michael   hennebry at web.cs.ndsu.NoDak.edu
"SCSI is NOT magic. There are *fundamental technical
reasons* why it is necessary to sacrifice a young
goat to your SCSI chain now and then."   --   John Woods