What could it be?

ReignReign New York
edited September 2003 in Hardware
This is just getting out of hand and pissing me off. My comp recently just stopped functioning properly. My sound card and printer didn't want to be detected anymore, so i reformatted and reinstalled windows. Worked for like 10 seconds, had to reboot for updates and just wouldn't boot up. Put in spare HD, formatted, installed XP.... same deal.. but this time it takes about 15 minutes and like 5 restarts to finally stay in windows. Sound card still won't work, cdrom isn't functioning properly, and clearly HD's won't. I can't restart or shutdown, or ill have to wait about 15 minutes of constant restarting until it chooses to boot into windows.

WuGgaRoO will let me test everything one of his mobos this weekend, because all we can think of is this being a mobo problem.

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Don't rule out the processor either. Could be a flaky processor.

    Also, run memtest (www.memtest86.com) for ****s and giggles.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited September 2003
    motherboard or ram most likely.
  • ReignReign New York
    edited September 2003
    I am starting to be convinced that my video card has something to do with it also, because the comp always boots into windows, and then restarts after a few seconds and occasionally a window pops up saying there was an unexpected restart due to the drivers for my graphics card. But then it occasionally boots and stays in windows... like it is now! :eek2:
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited September 2003
    I tend to doubt it's a video card problem. Run WD's Drive Fitness Test and Memtest like prime suggested and see what happens.
    CaffeineMe/billmaly pointed me to <a href="http://mirror01.iptelecom.net.ua/~ebcd/">this</a&gt; utility the other day, which is a bootable cd (or it'll make one anyhow) that has memtest, DFT, and a bunch of other stuff on it. very useful.
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited September 2003
    Sounds like the PSU to me. Intermittent startups, crashes and boot up problems? PSU!

    Well at the very least it's something to try. You can try test it to see if it is the PSU by obviously putting in a new one, or alternatively unplug everything other than the GPU, and hard drive for which the OS is installed on, (unplug CD Roms, lights, extra fans, everytyhing), then try again. If it appears to have helped, then that is a dead cert sign that your PSU is on its way out.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    A graphics card problem would give you the restarts with a message when you get back into Windows, but it shouldn't prevent your Sound card and other devices from working.

    Have you checked all fans are running, i.e. PSU and northbridge, as from the what seems like increasing damage, it could be something like the northbridge overheating and consequently currupting lots of files.....

    But it would also be the RAM..... Hard Drive..... Processor....... Motherboard...... PSU..... :(

    Firstly remove the easily checkable devices from the equasion, i.e. Run MEMtest to check the RAM, run the Hard Drives own integrity checker on it, Run Prime95 to check for processor errors, etc etc.

    NS
  • ReignReign New York
    edited September 2003
    Okay now the damn comp won't start anymore.. and i hear a constant clanking noise and HD won't be detected anymore. I think the comp is possessed and is breaking one part at a time.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    OH NO! it threw a rod. Is there oil on the floor?
    sounds like you need an exorcist
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited September 2003
    Put another/new PSU in there, before you do anything else. No point risking other components if the PSU is dead.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    At this point, probably HD. LOUD HDs frequently have had a head crash. If it is a Western Digital, any kind or age, get the Western Digital Lifeguard utils and see if you can get a HD detect first and if not replace the dang CABLE adn than run the Lifeguard. You do not need to installlifeguard, you want the fast check and then the longer check without zeroing the drive. also, R&R CMOS battery, if dead the comp is scrabbling around and trying to redefault things at EVERY boot.

    If you have had it apart, look for a missing screw or stud that is not screwed down tight, mobos need good grounds to behave and shorting out a CMOS cell to ground will drain it in about 10-15 minutes. You will need to carefully remove CPU first, and heatsink and fan, to do this. More "demonized" computers turn out to be loose, missing, or rusted or "under the mobo" screws than anything else.

    This includes screws holding case together, they help give the mobo mount plane in case a ground route to PSU chassis (and PSU chassis IS ground bonded to case both for safety and for mobo to have good ground).

    If modem died FIRST, is possible you are seeing surge damage. IF modem died first, surge strip might be unable to handle more surges and not be functioning right, a DMM or VOM would give you voltage measurements adn tell youi if PSU is more than 8-10% out of range easily and if so time for a new PSU which can cause all sorts of things to go wrong if faulty much at all.

    Make sure you take anti-stat precautions when opening case-- anti-stat strap and preferably an anti-stat mat. Also take an air-can, blow out case real good and especially CPU heatsink. "Spring clean" the comp while case is open.

    John.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Oh, if this is an Aussie thing, could be heat also, BIG time, as that will cause a real mess that progressively trashes things. Same kinds of things happen in Flordia in US, we are North of you but on northern edge of tropics zone.

    I like Panaflo fans, cool and fast and low power draw for CFM, or if 120mm fans are used there is a slightly less expensive Tt of model number 12025A-1B1S whihc is a ball plus sleeve (not needle and sleeve which would wear out fast in high heat areas) that might not be TOO expensive.

    Sunon dual-ball bearing fans could be substituted for either and would be fair, but the above models maximize CFM per noise (DBa) level well.

    John.
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited September 2003
    Reign said
    Okay now the damn comp won't start anymore..

    Are you saying it won't post, or it won't get into Windows?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    PSU or bad ram. I'd lean towars PSU tho
  • ReignReign New York
    edited September 2003
    Okay the HDD that is clanking is a brand new 80gb that WD sent me from my old RMAed HD. I replaced it with my new 200GB WD which the problems originally occurred. Boot up was once again slow and constant restarts. I changed all wires possible too.. IDEs and such.. and once again when i get into windows, it restarts a few times then eventually get a error saying there were issues with my vid card. But after that i get the blue screen of death. So i have narrowed it down to four things.

    1. Video Card: definately must be replaced... windows won't stay up.
    2. Mobo: Might have to do with the slow loads (which happen on the black windows XP screen with the progress bar, bar freezes for like 1 minute, then i get a blank black screen for another minute, then windows starts and reboots. Also explains why sound card can't be detected at all
    3. PSU: might be dying? its 450W enermax... can't see why.
    4. sound card: i feel it shorted something maybe? i dunno. But wuggaroo tried to run it without the sound card and same deal.

    I will wait until this weekend when WuG brings me an extra comp this weekend (same mobo and chip).. and i will first try running my comp with his video card... if that isn't it.. i will proceed to replacing the mobo... and then the PSU...
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited September 2003
    You should try the PSU first, on principal to protect component damage. If your PSU is bad, then putting in a perfectly good GPU will just put a perfectly good card at risk. You've got the right idea, but the PSU should be the first thing to elliminate.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    First off We need system specs man!
  • ReignReign New York
    edited September 2003
    KR7A-RAID
    AMD XP 1900+
    512 Crucial PC2100 w/ ecc
    Hercules GeForce 3 Ti500
    Hercules Fortissmo III
    WD 200GB HD
    Enermax 450W PSU
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