My computer is nuts...files missing after windows update.

My computer has really been acting crazy lately...sorry for long post
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe Mobo
AMD Athlon 64 Processor
2.41 GHz, 2 GB RAM
Windows XP SP3

First it crashed about a month ago with checksum errors. I did a fresh install of windows. It worked fine for about two weeks before it started freezing on startup...it would stay on a black screen before the windows screen comes up, or if it did load all the way to the desktop it would just freeze after a few seconds, thus needing to be restarted, starting the process over. I tried to reinstall windows again but then the harddrive wasn't being detected.(I did multiple restarts, tried safe mode, restores, but nothing worked)

So I tried installing windows on another harddrive I had. This time it installed windows up to the point where you type in your name and all that stuff, pretty much at the end. At the point where it restarts, it would restart, but then say "error loading operating system".
I decided to run diagnotic tests on the memory and the harddrive. They passed with flying colors.

A friend of mine came over and tried to help out...he plugged the harddrive in to try and reinstall windows, but didn't have to! It just loaded up like it was supposed to.(This was the same drive that I originally had windows on and that wasn't being detected). Everything has been fine since then except for two things.
1. It takes about 15 - 20 minutes to boot up. I start it up; it sits at a black screen for about 15 - 20 minutes; then loads the "windows screen", then login screen, and all is normal.

2.Today windows updates were ready, but needed to restart. I didn't restart because I was working on something. I eventually did shut down, adn when I restarted the computer everything was different. My profile at the login screen was gone and replaced with "Administrator". Previously it was just my profile name at the screen. Then after logging in, all my files were missing from the desktop and the rest of the computer. The programs are still there though. It's just as if Windows was reinstalled, except my programs are there...The XP Tour comes up, the sample music and video folders,etc are there...
I can see my profile folder if I go to: local drive - documents and settings - but nothing is there.

******As I was writing this I restarted the computer again (I'm on laptop now. Prob is on desktop)...Still same problem at login screen. However, when I went into my profile folder as stated above, my stuff is all there in a desktop folder, etc.

What the heck is going on with my computer?

I was thinking it might be the CMOS battery because at one point during the last week or two my computer clock was about 10 minutes fast. I've read that a battery issue can cause other problems and some say that it doesn't. The time issue only happened once.

Any help is greatly appreciated...

 

All that and it looks like you haven't even considered bad RAM, which I would have suspected first once checksum errors started occurring.

 

do a chkdsk c: /f on your hard drive. If the drive is corrupted it will cause similar symptoms that you describe.

 

Jony's answer for all windows problems is chckdsk...lmao..

If removing 1 ram stick & comp still does it on both rams & to be sure run a linux live cd,if it fails to work it's more than likey ram if it boots & works look to data cable or IDE ribbon or hdd controller on mobo

 

I did run diagnostics on the RAM (End of second paragraph...I called it memory instead of RAM)...and the hdd. Everything passed.

I will try each RAM stick to see what happens, but if the RAM passed the diagnostic could that still be the problem? I will try Linux live cd too.

Thank you for the help.

 

puppy linux is not bad & a small download @ 100mb,distro watch has the full list of all linux live OS's not all are for cd some are for dvd & if it's a single dvd it usually is the extra language packs that are included

 

What program did you use to test the RAM? Did you run just one pass or an extended period of time?

I use MemTest it helped me find a heat related problem due to excessive dust.

Some RAM testers are thorough, some are very top level and some issues will not be revealed, especially if it is a heat related issue.

 

I used MemTest too. I let it run through the test twice to 100%. No errors at all. The hdd test was from Western Dig's website.

 

IMHO, 2 passes is not enough to detect a heat related problem.

CMOS battery is unlikely to cause HDD checksum errors.

One of the few things left would be the MOBO HDD controller.

Based on the symptoms of

"1. It takes about 15 - 20 minutes to boot up. I start it up; it sits at a black screen for about 15 - 20 minutes; then loads the "windows screen", then login screen, and all is normal. "

plus the fact that it happened on 2 different HDD (assuming the same controller.

I'd be looking at mobo swap/replacement next.

 

Okay...here's a little update.
I did another fresh install of Windows. It restarted normally during the entire windows installation. I installed my chipset/drivers for mobo and drivers for video card. Had to restart in order to complete installation of those drivers...back to the 20 minute wait on black screen. Also, didn't notice if this happened before but it takes the same time to shut down...just sits there saying ...shutting down.

Here's where it gets interesting...
Tried booting with only one 1GB stick of RAM. Each by itself (we'll call them RAM1 and RAM2) boots up lightning fast.
Tried again with both together...back to the 20 min wait.

Also, Puppy Linux booted fine from CD with both RAM sticks in. Right after this I shut computer down and tried to boot with RAM1, but says, "A disk error occurred. Press CNTRL+ALT+DEL to restart."
Tried again with both RAM sticks together...same error.
Tried again with RAM2...booted right up.
Tried AGAIN with RAM1...this time it worked too.

I will try and run MemTest for a longer period of time. My memory has a lifetime warranty so I guess it wouldn't be too bad if that's the problem.

 

Good that you are making progress.

Bad RAM can cause very strange symptoms that one would not normally attribute to, well, Bad RAM.

Since both sticks work OK alone, but not together, I have to ask:

Are you running dual channel RAM?

 

Yes, I am running dual channel RAM...Usually have one stick in DIMM a1 and the other in DIMM b1. I just read in my mobo manual that if using just one stick use DIMM b1...right now I have just one stick in DIMM a1. It's working at the moment that way...

 

Yes, I have a secondary IDE slot on my current mobo. I also have an old IDE Seagate hdd I could use...

 

So I loaded windows on with both 1GB sticks of RAM and everything seems to be normal so far...

 

So can we pretty much conclude that it is my onboard sata? It just seems weird...it all works when I have only one 1GB stick of RAM in instead of two...
Are there any other tests that I may be able to try?
Thank you for the help.

 

Checked my account with Newegg, where I bought the mobo. I got it August 3, 2006 and Newegg says it had a 1 year warranty. However, I just checked the ASUS website and they say mobos are a 3 year warranty. I missed it by a month! I'm going to call them anyway tomorrow.

I'm going to try and plug a sata drive in as a second hdd, leaving the ide as primary, and see what happens....I'll post again later.