X and Fluxbox :: Auto Crash?

HD Install of DSL on Gateway 2000 model: G6-266
266mhz CPU
32mb RAM
5gig drive
500mb Primary
64mb swap
~4gig storage partition

I turn my monitor off when I go to sleep. I have XMMS set to go off at 10:45 AM. However, when I turn the monitor back on at 11:30 (i'm late!!!!) it's black. Mouse does nothing. Pressing enter shows me a terminal screen. The last line says:
"/etc/init.d/checkroot.sh line 41: /etc/fstab: Input/output error" There is no prompt, and no commands do anything. I have to use the power button to get out.

I think my computer powered down(improperly or crashed) and restarted while I was asleep. But, I don't know why. Are there any auto power saving settings that might have caused a crash? I would like to disable them on my next install.

I have xscreensaver running, btw. But, it hasn't given me problems until (posssibly) now.

You probably have power save of your HDD set in the BIOS. I'd turn that off as it has always caused me problems.

bios power settings are obsolete, they cause probs with windows and with linux, disable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

original here.