"dreamweaver79" <dreamweaver79@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:33DCB83D-ED61-450D-B885-89C2D92F2FBD@microsoft.com...
> I have been having the following trouble starting regularly about a month
> ago. When I go to start up my computer from cold (after not using for
several
> hours, like overnight), then, almost as soon as I press the power button,
I
> hear a sort of click sound from the HDD, like the read/write head is
> disengaging (or having trouble first reading), or has skipped, or
something.

Clue number 1.

> It may do this two or three times, then it freezes, and I get the message
on
> a black screen to insert boot media, or to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to
reboot.

Clue number 2.

> Other times it will just hang, or freeze when trying to first load Windows
XP

Clue number 3.

> (due to not being able to read the HDD for some reason). When I reset or
it a
> few times, then it will begin to load up normally. Once it can begin
loading

Clue number 4.

> Windows XP (Home), then all is fine, and I have absolutely no problem
> whatsoever for as long as the computer is on. No further hard drive
problems,
> either, at all. When I go to warm restart, it also will reboot without
any

Clue number 5.

> problems whatsoever. It is only upon cold boot. I did not install any

Clue number 6.

> hardware when the problem began occuring. Just an upgrade to Zone Alarm,
> which I undid to test if it had affected my computer, but I still got the
> same problem even when going to my original version. My computer is a
Compaq
> Presario, 3 GHz, 250 GB HD, about 2 years old (and no Windows XP install
disk
> came with it BTW).
>

Clue number 7.

> Could any of you give me any suggestions on this problem, and if anything
> can be done about it (and how)? Could it be a corrupted boot sector or
boot

Nope. Works when she's warmed up.

> files? Could it be an error in CMOS or something? Or a HDD problem? Etc.?

CMOS nope. HDD maybe. Etc., maybe

> Should I just get a different hard drive, or can this be salvaged? Seems
it
> would be a shame to trash this hard drive since the problem is exclusively
> only when I first try to boot up; otherwise it is fine.

Yep. Sure what I see too.
Symptoms tell me the HD ain't ready at cold boot after bios routine to start
the OS. This is usually because the spinup time is unusually long for some
reason. If the bios summary is accurate of the hard drive's firmware ID
response, its probably the reason.

Some drives make noises that others don't. So, I can't comment on that. If
the noise is relatively new, its probably related to the problem.

Replacing the HD is probably a safe bet. The other obvious alternative is
weak amperage on the +12V leg of the power supply.

>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks
>
>

--
Jonny