I killed the preachers wifes computer
God help me. I am the network admin for a friend of a friend, she is elderly and knows nothing about computers. She just wanted me to "clean it up" for her and fix her printer.
The computer is a Gateway 500SE, 6/6/2002, I can give you the serial number if you need to look up its specs online, its all there. MB is Intel Nimitz P4 2GHz.
Here is the history as I've been able to unravel it. Apparently 2 years ago a local computer repair shop which is no longer in business "worked on it" and her USB printer never worked since then. I found out when I tried to do her Windows Updates, that they upgraded her from OEM XP Home to a Volume Licensed version of XP Pro (which fails GWV.) And since 1/27/2006 the computer has been randomly bluescreening with a BAD_POOL_CALLER stop error 0xC2. It did that with me several times, that's when I looked in the event logs and found that was not a new problem. When I asked the owner about that she said "well sometimes it won't cut off, I have to hold down the button". =:-O
First thing I did was check for viruses. I used McAfee's free online scanner, and then Panda's free online scanner, both said its clean. Then MS's Malicious Software removal tool to check for known rootkits. Clean.
Then I tried to fix the bluescreens by upgrading all the drivers and BIOS to the latest versions as GW recommends. (first I reseated everything, that did not help.) I double-checked to make sure the BIOS was correct for the computer, it is a RG84510A.x.x.Pxx. The original BIOS had never been upgraded, it was P03, new version was P19. Anyway, all the upgrades worked as expected, and I messed with the computer all day yesterday installing her free Comcast antivirus, checking the disks, running other tests, etc., rebooting several times using the new BIOS and the new drivers for video and network just fine. It seemed to be bluescreening more often, so I decided to stop for the day and try to find out more about what was done to it before I got it. I did a Shutdown computer, and switched off that channel of my KVM switch. I didn't watch it shutdown.
This morning it was still on ??, but was stuck on the pre-BIOS screen, the green/black Gateway press F2 for BIOS settings, etc. I could not reboot it, and I had to hold down the power button to get it to power down. Now it will not boot. No video, no beeps, no POST. I am in over my head now, I've never had one down that far.
Help!!
The computer is a Gateway 500SE, 6/6/2002, I can give you the serial number if you need to look up its specs online, its all there. MB is Intel Nimitz P4 2GHz.
Here is the history as I've been able to unravel it. Apparently 2 years ago a local computer repair shop which is no longer in business "worked on it" and her USB printer never worked since then. I found out when I tried to do her Windows Updates, that they upgraded her from OEM XP Home to a Volume Licensed version of XP Pro (which fails GWV.) And since 1/27/2006 the computer has been randomly bluescreening with a BAD_POOL_CALLER stop error 0xC2. It did that with me several times, that's when I looked in the event logs and found that was not a new problem. When I asked the owner about that she said "well sometimes it won't cut off, I have to hold down the button". =:-O
First thing I did was check for viruses. I used McAfee's free online scanner, and then Panda's free online scanner, both said its clean. Then MS's Malicious Software removal tool to check for known rootkits. Clean.
Then I tried to fix the bluescreens by upgrading all the drivers and BIOS to the latest versions as GW recommends. (first I reseated everything, that did not help.) I double-checked to make sure the BIOS was correct for the computer, it is a RG84510A.x.x.Pxx. The original BIOS had never been upgraded, it was P03, new version was P19. Anyway, all the upgrades worked as expected, and I messed with the computer all day yesterday installing her free Comcast antivirus, checking the disks, running other tests, etc., rebooting several times using the new BIOS and the new drivers for video and network just fine. It seemed to be bluescreening more often, so I decided to stop for the day and try to find out more about what was done to it before I got it. I did a Shutdown computer, and switched off that channel of my KVM switch. I didn't watch it shutdown.
This morning it was still on ??, but was stuck on the pre-BIOS screen, the green/black Gateway press F2 for BIOS settings, etc. I could not reboot it, and I had to hold down the power button to get it to power down. Now it will not boot. No video, no beeps, no POST. I am in over my head now, I've never had one down that far.
Help!!
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Comments
My first inclination would be to try a different power supply.
Great thread title, by the way
Elderly people seem to keep everything.. It is just getting them to remember where they put it is the task at hand!
but I would check components first as prime suggested!
Thanks again, I'm glad I found this forum! :-)
it was the reason that i found Short-Media----thank you gateway! i ended up getting an antec smart blue 350w that cured all of the gateway's problems. i stil have that psu today powering my test bench.
Instant classic, I say!
You MUST stay here at Short-Media and become active. We want you here. Welcome.
You are getting very good advice above. It does sound like a PSU problem. Knowing the crap they put in Gateway's though, it could also be a motherboard problem. Prime was right about not upgrading (except for PSU). I don't know if that Gateway uses a proprietary motherboard or non-standard wonder from a major manufacturer, but it could be difficult to upgrade. If you do end up replacing the board, the easiest way would probably do an exact part number search on eBay. Gateway will clean out your wallet for the cheapo board if you order it from them.
LOL, thanks, I'm trying very hard to keep my sense of humor.
Maybe all this bad luck yesterday will bring me good luck tonight in the $369Million Lotto!! :celebrate
(We're buying tix tonight for Saturday's record biggie!)
any of the short, flat 4pin connectors will power optical drives, harddrives, sometimes video cards (but not your era gateway) etc..
the square 4pin is a "p4" connector that connects directly to the motherboard-usually near the cpu socket.
and the long rectangular 20pin connects directly to the motherboard too--a standard atx psu power connector.
let me find some pics...
and it made no difference at all. :banghead:
Its doing exactly the same thing, green power light on the front comes on, I can feel air coming out the back, now that I have the cover off, there's one green LED on the motherboard that stays on unless its unplugged. But no POST, no video, no beeps, no disk activity, no nothing. Well, no _hard disk_ activity, the 2 CD drives each light up when I first power it up. I didn't notice if the floppy tried to access or not. Could it be booting up without video and me just not know it? It HAS to beep doesn't it?
BTW everything is on the motherboard except the modem. There is no way to reseat the graphics card. Crappy Gateway computers...
Is it worth prying the battery out while its unplugged to reset the CMOS? I reset it to factory defaults early yesterday when I flashed it.
Next, remove the little coin sized battery from the motherboard and unplug the PSU. Leave it for a few minutes....
Put the battery back in and plug the PSU back in and turn the system on.
Anything?
And after I put it all back together again, I tested the theory that it was secretly booting up without video, I put a floppy in the A: drive and still nothing. I think the motherboard or one of its vital built-in components is toast. I guess I'm giving up and telling her that it died. Anyone have any last minute brilliant life-saving ideas for me?
Tell her she needs some new parts and go from there.