system slower all the time

Hi there,

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last week it
suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all. When I wanted
to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS boot. Only several hours
later I was able to reboot the system, but after about 10 minutes the
machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Thanx, Olivier

"Olivier"
I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last week it
suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all. When I wanted
to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS boot. Only several hours
later I was able to reboot the system, but after about 10 minutes the
machine slowed down again.


Have you replaced the lithium battery on the motherboard since
you bought the machine? Or have you cleaned the oxide off the
battery's surface where it meets the motherboard's electrical contacts?

*TimDaniels*

Olivier wrote

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last
week it suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all.
When I wanted to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS
boot. Only several hours later I was able to reboot the system,
but after about 10 minutes the machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Most likely the motherboard has failed and the main cpu clock
isnt being produced at the correct freq when the fault is present.

Clearly that problem is temperature sensitive since
it does work after its been cooled down, for a while.

In theory it might just be a cpu fan clogged with fur, but from
memory the PentiumPro didnt have an automatic slowdown
on cpu over temp and that is trivial to check anyway.

I doubt its the battery, but its obviously cheap
to try if you are about to discard the system.

Rod Speed schreef:

Olivier wrote

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last
week it suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all.
When I wanted to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS
boot. Only several hours later I was able to reboot the system,
but after about 10 minutes the machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Most likely the motherboard has failed and the main cpu clock
isnt being produced at the correct freq when the fault is present.

Clearly that problem is temperature sensitive since
it does work after its been cooled down, for a while.

In theory it might just be a cpu fan clogged with fur, but from
memory the PentiumPro didnt have an automatic slowdown
on cpu over temp and that is trivial to check anyway.

I doubt its the battery, but its obviously cheap
to try if you are about to discard the system.

I doubt it's the temperature causing the problem; the CPU doesn't feel
very hot and the fan is still working fine. I will replace the battery
just to be sure, not expecting to much from this.

Could it be something like a failing power supply or bad memory?

Olivier wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Olivier wrote

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last
week it suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all.
When I wanted to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS
boot. Only several hours later I was able to reboot the system,
but after about 10 minutes the machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Most likely the motherboard has failed and the main cpu clock
isnt being produced at the correct freq when the fault is present.

Clearly that problem is temperature sensitive since
it does work after its been cooled down, for a while.

In theory it might just be a cpu fan clogged with fur, but from
memory the PentiumPro didnt have an automatic slowdown
on cpu over temp and that is trivial to check anyway.

I doubt its the battery, but its obviously cheap
to try if you are about to discard the system.

I doubt it's the temperature causing the problem;

There isnt any other possibility with it working fine for a while if left
off and then goes bad again relatively soon after its used again.

the CPU doesn't feel very hot and the fan is still working fine.

Sure, but that is just the cpu. Its likely the oscillator that provides
the cpu clock that is the problem, or a bad joint or cracked trace
and both of those are often temperature sensitive.

I will replace the battery just to be sure, not expecting to much from this.

Yeah, not very likely at all, particularly leaving it off for a while
making it come good. You can certainly see a failing battery
seeing the system run way underclocked as the cmos settings get
lost, but it wont go back to the good values again just by leaving it
off with a bad battery. If anything the battery will be being used
more with it off, keeping the cmos values and the system clock.

You do very occasionally see some bizarre symptoms with a bad
battery, and its cheap to try that, but the prospects are unlikely.

Could it be something like a failing power supply

That shouldnt produce that extreme slowdown effect.

or bad memory?

That either. You can check the memory using
memtest86 but its unlikely to be the problem.

Thanks for your reactions, Rod.
So what you are saying is: this can't happen?

Olivier

Rod Speed schreef:

Olivier wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Olivier wrote

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last
week it suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all.
When I wanted to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS
boot. Only several hours later I was able to reboot the system,
but after about 10 minutes the machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Most likely the motherboard has failed and the main cpu clock
isnt being produced at the correct freq when the fault is present.

Clearly that problem is temperature sensitive since
it does work after its been cooled down, for a while.

In theory it might just be a cpu fan clogged with fur, but from
memory the PentiumPro didnt have an automatic slowdown
on cpu over temp and that is trivial to check anyway.

I doubt its the battery, but its obviously cheap
to try if you are about to discard the system.

I doubt it's the temperature causing the problem;

There isnt any other possibility with it working fine for a while if left
off and then goes bad again relatively soon after its used again.

the CPU doesn't feel very hot and the fan is still working fine.

Sure, but that is just the cpu. Its likely the oscillator that provides
the cpu clock that is the problem, or a bad joint or cracked trace
and both of those are often temperature sensitive.

I will replace the battery just to be sure, not expecting to much from this.

Yeah, not very likely at all, particularly leaving it off for a while
making it come good. You can certainly see a failing battery
seeing the system run way underclocked as the cmos settings get
lost, but it wont go back to the good values again just by leaving it
off with a bad battery. If anything the battery will be being used
more with it off, keeping the cmos values and the system clock.

You do very occasionally see some bizarre symptoms with a bad
battery, and its cheap to try that, but the prospects are unlikely.

Could it be something like a failing power supply

That shouldnt produce that extreme slowdown effect.

or bad memory?

That either. You can check the memory using
memtest86 but its unlikely to be the problem.

Olivier wrote

Thanks for your reactions, Rod.
So what you are saying is: this can't happen?

No, that something is causing the cpu to run very
slow and whatever that is is temperature sensitive.

Most likely a bad oscillator, could be a bad joint or
cracked trace or bad caps on the motherboard, but
the last doesnt usually produce that drastic slowdown.


Rod Speed wrote
Olivier wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Olivier wrote

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last
week it suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all.
When I wanted to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS
boot. Only several hours later I was able to reboot the system,
but after about 10 minutes the machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Most likely the motherboard has failed and the main cpu clock
isnt being produced at the correct freq when the fault is present.

Clearly that problem is temperature sensitive since
it does work after its been cooled down, for a while.

In theory it might just be a cpu fan clogged with fur, but from
memory the PentiumPro didnt have an automatic slowdown
on cpu over temp and that is trivial to check anyway.

I doubt its the battery, but its obviously cheap
to try if you are about to discard the system.

I doubt it's the temperature causing the problem;

There isnt any other possibility with it working fine for a while if
left off and then goes bad again relatively soon after its used
again.

the CPU doesn't feel very hot and the fan is still working fine.

Sure, but that is just the cpu. Its likely the oscillator that
provides the cpu clock that is the problem, or a bad joint or
cracked trace
and both of those are often temperature sensitive.

I will replace the battery just to be sure, not expecting to much
from this.

Yeah, not very likely at all, particularly leaving it off for a while
making it come good. You can certainly see a failing battery
seeing the system run way underclocked as the cmos settings get
lost, but it wont go back to the good values again just by leaving it
off with a bad battery. If anything the battery will be being used
more with it off, keeping the cmos values and the system clock.

You do very occasionally see some bizarre symptoms with a bad
battery, and its cheap to try that, but the prospects are unlikely.

Could it be something like a failing power supply

That shouldnt produce that extreme slowdown effect.

or bad memory?

That either. You can check the memory using
memtest86 but its unlikely to be the problem.

Olivier wrote:
Hi there,

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last week it
suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all. When I wanted
to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS boot. Only several hours
later I was able to reboot the system, but after about 10 minutes the
machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Thanx, Olivier

Probably hardware. Do you really want to fix a machine that old? You
can get a p3 for well under $100. You can even get someone to give you
their old one for free. Or is this a special machine in some way?


Have you checked your hard drives?

schreef:

Olivier wrote:
Hi there,

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last week it
suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all. When I wanted
to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS boot. Only several hours
later I was able to reboot the system, but after about 10 minutes the
machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Thanx, Olivier

Probably hardware. Do you really want to fix a machine that old? You
can get a p3 for well under $100. You can even get someone to give you
their old one for free. Or is this a special machine in some way?


Have you checked your hard drives?

I agree, it probably _is_ hardware, but what part? It isn't the costs
I'm worried about. Over the years I've now a configuration on the
server that I like, plus it contains a lot of my data. I checked the
data harddisk, which seems ok. I still need to check the other disk,
which contains the OS (Debian linux).

Olivier wrote:
schreef:

Olivier wrote:
Hi there,

I'm running a linux server on an old PentiumPro machine. Last week it
suddenly started to run very slow until no repons at all. When I wanted
to reboot the system it didn't pass the BIOS boot. Only several hours
later I was able to reboot the system, but after about 10 minutes the
machine slowed down again.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem can be?

Thanx, Olivier

Probably hardware. Do you really want to fix a machine that old? You
can get a p3 for well under $100. You can even get someone to give you
their old one for free. Or is this a special machine in some way?


Have you checked your hard drives?

I agree, it probably _is_ hardware, but what part? It isn't the costs
I'm worried about. Over the years I've now a configuration on the
server that I like, plus it contains a lot of my data. I checked the
data harddisk, which seems ok. I still need to check the other disk,
which contains the OS (Debian linux).

This is a powerful diagnostic. It maps the hard drive(s) based on seek
times, and reports any errors. It's a bootable CD, or floppy. What's
nice about this tool is that it shows you how LONG it's taking for data
to be read, rather than a simple pass/fail kind of test.

http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/