Different boot problem...

[Brent Burton]

I just got my 7300 today.  It has an intermittant problem, but first the
system:
  7300, 2Meg Ram, no cards, WD2010 (no other fix, just the chip exchange)
  and a 20Meg HD with "3.52jmC" operating system installed.

The machine CAN work fine.  However, the problem is when it decides to work.

The machine came to me diskless.  I had the 20Meg sitting around and so I
installed it.  The machine came with the monitor and it's top case piece
separate from the body of the 7300.  To install the drive, I had to take it
apart to see how it all fits together.  OK, I finally got the drive installed
and I check everything (all wires, etc.) and then I turn it on and it boots
up fine.  I login as root and issue a 'shutdown'.  When things stop, I 
assemble everything and move it to my desk (I was careful and didn't bang it).

I turn it on and all I get are the "marching boxes".  Puzzled, I disassemble
it again on the floor and turn it on there -- it boots fine.  I reassemble
it, put it on the desk and no boot action.  (This is crazy, isn't it??)

I had talked with the original owner and the machine has worked fine for the
past year and I know it can work, however, something is going on here.

My ideas:
  * I ran the HD cables through those rectangular slots in the upper mother-
    board RF shield.  Also, the power wire bundle for the HD was ran to the
    back of the RF shield and up to the disk.  Is this the correct path of
    the cables?
  * The owner mentioned something might be putting excess pressure on the
    motherboard, however I have not seen anything that obviously would.  I
    was careful about the HD cables.

When it doesn't boot, the floppy light stays on, the boxes slowly progress
to the right on the screen, and all the LED's on the left are fully lit.

One time when it was disassembled and didn't boot, I wiggled the AC wires
from the power cable to the PS and the machine started up.  I wiggled them
later on another no-boot and they had no effect (I really don't think they
are a cause).

What do the marching boxes mean and why doesn't it see the hard drive to start
loading?  I have two sets of disk cables and both sets result in intermittant
boots.

Does anyone have any ideas?  This is driving me crazy.

Thanks in advance!
             +----------------------+--------------------------+
             | Brent P. Burton      | n138ct at tamuts.tamu.edu   |
             | Texas A&M University | Computer Science/Physics |
             +----------------------+--------------------------+