[Novalug] need help: server freezing / locking up

Peter Larsen plarsen@famlarsen.homelinux.com
Mon Oct 26 13:43:49 EDT 2009


Good info. I've had a cracked Mobo make weird things happen in the past
- only one time though, but it was rather hard to diagnose too. 

There are several "system burners" you can use to diagnose bad hardware.
It'll run your CPU at full speed, do lots of memory operations etc. to
try to tax your hardware to the max. They usually run overnight or
longer, but should manage to diagnose areas on the mainboard that just
doesn't work "right" over time.

One of my problems in the olden-days was corrosion. If it's an old
mobo/system take things out of all sockets/slots - and clean the
contacts with some pure alcohol. Also, inspect the boards for "black
areas" - where heat has discolored the circuit board. It may be a good
indication that something "exploded" at it's time to replace the board.

In regards to the PSU - a tester won't show if it's overtaxed and cannot
supply enough power. Your system is running, so the PSU is functioning.
But your description of your system doesn't require a high-end PSU
unless you're way out there with your graphics card? I have a little
meter I plug in the wall that shows me how much power is drawn on that
circuit. It's very informative when it comes to matters like this. It
doesn't take much more than a short to make things become really hot
locally. 

The reason I think it's heat is because you're running for a little
while before the failure happens. Try to simply open up the bios setup
screen, and let the system sit there for a while. If it dies, it's
HARDWARE but not your disks.

Have you checked your CPU temp? You may need to reapply the cooling
paste or get a new cooler. Or maybe the fan (if it's active) isn't
working properly.  You should be able to see the CPU temp in the Bios
setup screen. Just keep it on that screen and watch if the temperature
keeps going up. Dust, cracks etc. can make the airflow insufficient over
time (I have two boxes that's behaving like that at home right now).


-- 

Best Regards
  Peter Larsen

Wise words of the day:
The grand leap of the whale up the Fall of Niagara is esteemed, by all
who have seen it, as one of the finest spectacles in nature.
		-- Benjamin Franklin.

On Mon, 2009-10-26 at 13:27 -0400, Richard Ertel wrote:

> actually...
> all that is currently hooked up is 2 HDDs (1 system drive, 1 storage
> drive) and some fans and i think a video card. i haven't had the sides
> on the case since i started troubleshooting it a few weeks ago. i have
> already thoroughly un-dusted it with compressed air.
> 
> i probably should have mentioned all these things in the thread
> previously. apologies for not being clear.
> 
> also, i bought a power supply tester yesterday at microcenter and
> hooked it up, it reported all is ok. i know that's not the end-all to
> PSU discussion, but i figured that data combined with the fact that i
> ran this PSU with 5 drives for the past few years, and it now is
> locking up with just 2 drives attached, should decrease the likelihood
> of the PSU being the culprit.
> 
> if i scan the 2nd 1TB HDD tonight and it also locks up, then i'll swap
> the PSU. but if it doesn't lock up, i'm gonna be looking hard at the
> drive that did cause it to freeze.
> 
> On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 13:19, Peter Larsen
> <plarsen@famlarsen.homelinux.com> wrote:
> 
>         On Mon, 2009-10-26 at 12:42 -0400, Richard Ertel wrote:
>         
>         > server just locked up while running badblocks on one of the
>         > 1TB
>         > drives. got to just over 50%.starting to get suspicious.
>         > 
>         > i'll run badblocks on the other drive tonight to verify that
>         > i have
>         > the "trouble drive" narrowed down.
>         
>         
>         
>         It's not your drives per se then that's bad. Try running with
>         less stuff in the box (less power consumption). Try running
>         with the case open for better cooling; if either works it's a
>         temp/power issue (usually they go together). A good vacuume
>         may fix that. Sometimes the airflow is bad in the box when you
>         have it full, so a few more holes or fans may be needed.
>         
>         I think several people have already stated that you may need
>         another PSU. Put a meter on the box and see how much wattage
>         it's drawing. If it's close to the max, I would consider
>         upgrading the PSU first.
>         
>         -- 
>         
>         Best Regards
>           Peter Larsen
>         
>         Wise words of the day:
>         Manchmal stehe nachts auf und installier's mir einfach...
>         	-- H0arry @ IRC


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