[PLUG] Hardware Problem -- Kernel panic and reset

[Tim Wescott]

Tim Wescott wrote:
> This is _not_ really a Linux issue, because we're seeing basically the 
> same behavior under both Linux and Windows.
>
> The computer is a built-box, with an Azus P5NSLI motherboard, somewhere 
> between one to three years old.  Any time it gets left on too long it 
> resets.  Working on it tonight, I noticed that if you're in Linux when 
> this happens you get the two blinking keyboard lights which (I think, at 
> least) indicates a kernel panic; they stay on for about ten seconds 
> before the thing reboots.
>
> It seems to be a heat problem -- the problem takes a long time to happen 
> from a cold start, but will happen often when you're using the box hard, 
> shut down for a bit and it'll take a bit longer to happen the first 
> time, etc.
>
> What I _don't_ know, since I purposely stopped being current with PC 
> maintenance about ten years ago, is (a) if there's anything I can do to 
> verify this other than by swapping parts (the fans do all run -- I know 
> that), (b) if this could be anything other than the motherboard or 
> memory (i.e. is there any chance this is the power supply?), and (c) 
> what I might do to isolate the problem without having to run out and buy 
> a bunch of parts.
>
> Clearly if I want to start swapping parts I can just go by a nifty new 
> motherboard, which will force me to buy a nifty new processor and nifty 
> new memory -- I want to avoid that if I can, particularly if that'll 
> just lead me to finding out that the power supply is intermittent.
>
>   
Thanks all -- some of this was stuff I already planned to do, some of it 
was stuff (like blowing off the heat sink fins) that hadn't occurred to 
me, all if it is helping me organize my line of attack.

-- 
Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
Voice: 503-631-7815
Cell:  503-349-8432
http://www.wescottdesign.com