Attempting an install of linux on my xp to possibly fix a major issue

[a1smkshp]

Basically my XP is turning off on boot after i disassembled it to airdust. I considered that it may be a hardware issue but it doesnt turn off randomly. To be clear i try to go into recovery and the machine won't turn off until i actually start the process. I tried booting with a secondary hard drive that has windows7. It tries to install but i get a message i basically understand that i need to actually log in before i can install. I may be wrong because it was a "code purple". (computer doesn't shut off randomly here neither) At this point i came up with the idea of trying to install linux. It's through a flash drive that i used to install linux on my laptop.

I boot it and select linux mint but this is where it freezes and shuts off. This is the part that im stuck.

[Cosmo.]

I assume (because of XP) that this an older computer. Which version of Mint did you try? In case of 17.3 try LM 17 or LM 13.

[a1smkshp]

I tried 17.3...ok i will try what you recommended and I'll reply when i can. Thank you

[Moem]

Also I'd choose the Xfce version of whatever edition you're using.

[a1smkshp]

Ok i tried it and it didn't work. It tries to start but the machine shuts off after about 45seconds. I didnt try an Xfce version though because i didnt see it. Still tho it doesnt seem to matter which version it is =/

[Moem]

Why wouldn't that matter? It might very well matter. Xfce needs less resources than the other current versions of Linux Mint. That's why I recommended it.

[jimallyn]

I didnt try an Xfce version though because i didnt see it.

Get the 32 bit version here:

https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=213

Or the 64 bit here:

https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=214

XFCE uses less resources than the other desktop environments, so for an old XP machine, that's probably what you'll want. Also, you probably want the 32 bit version, as it will use RAM more effectively. (I'm guessing that your old computer probably doesn't have a lot of RAM in it.)

[a1smkshp]

It didn't work. I tried the 32bit too. I thought it did work because it got as far as the logo. And then the machine powered off.

[Mute Ant]

First sign of some processing effort and it goes all wobbly? Symptoms similar to...
CPU-has-no-heatsink (seconds)
CPU-heatsink-interface-has-an-air-gap (minutes)
CPU-fan-is-running-backwards (minutes)

[a1smkshp]

First sign of some processing effort and it goes all wobbly? Symptoms similar to...
CPU-has-no-heatsink (seconds)
CPU-heatsink-interface-has-an-air-gap (minutes)
CPU-fan-is-running-backwards (minutes)

Well it lasts just over a minute at most

CPU has a heatsink Im sure of that

"CPU heatsink has air gap." maybe. i cant say. If so should i just tighten the screws?

"CPU fan is backwards" i considered that and tried placing it the "correct" way. Ill try again just to triple check but u doubt it.

FYI,
*one guess i had was that i messed with the bios settings but i reset it to default.
*the option i haven't tried yet was a full system recovery where i wipe the entire hard drive.

[Mute Ant]

"If so should i just tighten the screws?" No. The heatsink is usually attached to the CPU with a controlled-force mechanism to stop over-enthusiastic pressure squashing it. An air-gap would appear, for example, trying to use the same hardened heatsink compound after disassembly, or cleaning the surfaces and omitting new compound. If you didn't split the CPU-Heatsink combination, it's not a problem at the top of the list.

Fan direction...it is supposed to push cooler air onto the heatsink, not pull the hot air off.

[a1smkshp]

"trying to use the same hardened heatsink compound after disassembly, or cleaning the surfaces and omitting new compound"

So after disassembly this can happen. I havent tried adding new heatsink compound. I will do that though just to be sure. This didn't seem like the issue to me because like i said the machine doesn't turn off at random. For example i can leave it on in recovery "options"...once i begin the process it then shuts of. Do you understand? If im wrong please correct me, im just trying to clarify.

Also my computer had malware which made this a possibility to me.

The fan is ok. I just started second guessing myself.

[Calthrop]

It appears that the point here is precisely that the shut-downs are not random. It seems that whenever the processor moves from an idle state to a load condition you get a shut-down. That sequence of events fits the scenario that Mute Ant has given. So it is likely that the power supply or processor are faulty, Hardware failures are not always random as you seem to believe.

[a1smkshp]

Oh ok well ill look into that. Thank you all for your support. I really appreciate it. I'll post a reply when i can give you an update.

[a1smkshp]

She gave me 13years. Great machine. Great software.

[pcpunk]

Basically my XP is turning off on boot after i disassembled it to airdust.

Keep looking at connections etc. this seems to be something you have done, so don't give up on it. Make and Model please?