Worst computer problems ever... for me anyway

JalusJalus
edited May 2009 in Hardware
Hey I'm new to the forums but considering what I've been going through I'm sure I'll have a wonderful relationship with all who help me.

First my system:
500W Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
SAPPHIRE 100244L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

To begin with I've had some problems with this system and my last due to the faulty ground wiring in my crappy apartment, random errors and restarts that seem related to the video card. I replaced this newest vid card with a friends and then with a replacement from newegg and I received all the same ati errors so its not the video card.

A month ago I recieved a ntfs.sys error that I had to go through Knoppix to fix. After this the computer went back to working fine with the random errors and restarts I've had from the beginning.

A week ago after a restart I received the 2 short beeps meaning I need to reset my cmos. I did this and the computer worked again fine for a few days.

Now the computer won't start at all. I turn it on and I get on "successful startup" beep and after 10 seconds or so the power shuts off and the system restarts. It'll do this for hours without any change. I unplugged everything, waited and no change. I reset the cmos again and no change. I can't boot from a cd because the computer gets nowhere when turned on. I unplugged the hd and nothing, cd drive and nothing.

During all these problems I've run memtest and the memory seems fine. I ran a hd test and the hd seems fine.

I'm completely destraught and I've got a lan to go to on Friday haha.

Any help would be appreciated, and I'll try and give any other info if you need it, though getting to a computer that works is sometimes hard.

Please help?

Comments

  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Remove all but 1 stick of ram, try to boot the PC, then swap to each remaining stick, 1 at a time. Does any 1 stick fix the issue?
  • JalusJalus
    edited February 2009
    I've done this before with no difference and of course the memtest showed nothing but I'll try that again and add a reply.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited February 2009
    1) disconnect all your drives (harddrives and optical)
    2) remove any cards in the machine and only replace the video card
    3) remove 1 stick of ram
    See if it makes any difference if it does then start re-seating cards and drives one at a time.

    If it doesn't you could have a bad power supply, bad motherboard or just something as simple as a dead cmos battery.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    My guess was power supply, especially since you already tested the RAM.

    What brand and model is your PSU (power supply unit)? How old is it?
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    To begin with I've had some problems with this system and my last due to the faulty ground wiring in my crappy apartment, random errors and restarts that seem related to the video card. I replaced this newest vid card with a friends and then with a replacement from newegg and I received all the same ati errors so its not the video card.

    Since you say "faulty ground wiring" in your apartment I would ask you to explain this a bit further. Have you tried to take your computer to a friends house and run it there to test? Has anyone tested the power coming from the wall outlets in your apartment? What brand 500W power supply do you have and how old is it. (I see Leonardo asked this also) The first thing we need to identify is if it is the power from the wall or one or more of the components in your system.

    Then I would do as Ryder and kryyst combined have suggested.
    Disconnect all drives and cards except the video card and use just 1 stick of RAM. Try each stick of RAM in all slots one at a time.
  • JalusJalus
    edited February 2009
    When it comes to the fault wiring in the apartment when I moved in my first computer had strange problems and I assumed it was the power supply but when I replaced it I had the same problems (This isn't to be confused with my current problem though). I figured out that I had blown the ground wire because my power strip's red light came on. I switched outlets and had no problems until THAT ground wire blew and so on. I haven't tested the outlets but whatever. If I fix my current problem I just won't use my computer here anymore.

    Its an EarthWatts power supply, it came with my case. Its as old as all of the other pieces, about 5 months.

    I think originally it was the power in the wall messing things up, but the current problem is something in the computer. The outlet might have been the original problem that these stem from.

    Thanks for the help so far by the way, I'm glad I joined the forums.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Consider a good quality uninterruptable power supply! Power strips have a high amperage fuse for protection, that's all. That's essentially no protection for sensitive electronics.

    Get a second opinion though. I am not certain what protection a UPS would provide against grounding problems.
  • DonutDonut Maine New
    edited February 2009
    My first thought was PSU. However, If you have a problem with the wall outlets blowing get them fixed. Anything electrical could be damaged. Not to mention you could be the 6 o'clock news.
  • JalusJalus
    edited February 2009
    OK well I didn't want you all to get hung up on my apartment's electrical problems because its bigger than that now. My friend's mac works fine in the other room and I've plugged my computer in in that room and its still not turning on..

    So should I replace the PSU and see if that works? Or is it a mobo problem...
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    I'd guess PSU first.

    Some other things to do is update your BIOS and drivers and replace the CMOS battery with a new one.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Jalus wrote:
    OK well I didn't want you all to get hung up on my apartment's electrical problems because its bigger than that now. My friend's mac works fine in the other room and I've plugged my computer in in that room and its still not turning on..

    So should I replace the PSU and see if that works? Or is it a mobo problem...

    If your apartment has electrical problems I would do as Donut said, to get it fixed so you don't end up on the 6 O'clock news. Those problems often will destroy computer components and whole computers so it needs to be done!

    The next thing would be to test your PSU. Then a good UPS that regulates and conditions the power should be considered to protect your system. I have been a believer in them for a long time and my equipment lasts much longer because of them!
  • JalusJalus
    edited February 2009
    Update, its not the PSU. I replaced it and I get the same problem, so now I'm buying a new motherboard. If its not the mobo what could it be?
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Try removing the motherboard from the case and test on a piece of cardboard or something non conductive with just the motherboard, CPU, RAM and vid card. Do not hook up any drives or extra cards. If that doesn't work, try using only 1 stick of RAM and move it to different slots then try the other stick(s) in different slots.
  • JalusJalus
    edited February 2009
    Update bump: with the new motherboard things work okay, I also bought a UPS. I'm still getting bsods, and ati errors. I'm also getting problems at startup. Sometimes the system turns on, sometimes it doesn't. One bsod I get says "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". The problems happen randomly, sometimes I can play video games fine, sometimes I can't. Since I just replaces the motherboard what could it be? Ram? PSU? Hardrive?
  • JalusJalus
    edited February 2009
    I'm going to replace the other power supply also, its having a lot of trouble starting up and I don't understand why... I suppose I'll just replace the hard drive and ram too eventually. What a waste of money this ordeal has been.
    Please help me a bit more! haha
  • fred-williamsfred-williams
    edited May 2009
    Jalus wrote:
    Hey I'm new to the forums but considering what I've been going through I'm sure I'll have a wonderful relationship with all who help me.

    First my system:
    500W Power Supply
    GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
    SAPPHIRE 100244L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
    Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
    CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
    Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

    To begin with I've had some problems with this system and my last due to the faulty ground wiring in my crappy apartment, random errors and restarts that seem related to the video card. I replaced this newest vid card with a friends and then with a replacement from newegg and I received all the same ati errors so its not the video card.

    A month ago I recieved a ntfs.sys error that I had to go through Knoppix to fix. After this the computer went back to working fine with the random errors and restarts I've had from the beginning.

    A week ago after a restart I received the 2 short beeps meaning I need to reset my cmos. I did this and the computer worked again fine for a few days.

    Now the computer won't start at all. I turn it on and I get on "successful startup" beep and after 10 seconds or so the power shuts off and the system restarts. It'll do this for hours without any change. I unplugged everything, waited and no change. I reset the cmos again and no change. I can't boot from a cd because the computer gets nowhere when turned on. I unplugged the hd and nothing, cd drive and nothing.

    During all these problems I've run memtest and the memory seems fine. I ran a hd test and the hd seems fine.

    I'm completely destraught and I've got a lan to go to on Friday haha.

    Any help would be appreciated, and I'll try and give any other info if you need it, though getting to a computer that works is sometimes hard.

    Please help?


    Hi,

    I think it it may be a blue screen error or a problem with hard disk. It is better to use your computer with UPS to avoid problems with the power supply.
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited May 2009
    I had a similar BSOD when I had an esternal HD plugged in. If I unplug the disk it works fine. As soon as I plug it in it freezes. If boot with it in It is fine.

    It may be that you have some damaged sectors on your disk. I would run Seatools or DFT to test your disk then look to reformat. If your gear is only 5 months old it should all be covered under warrenty

    Edit:

    I also say fix any grounding issues in your mains. Any power fluctuation could ruin your gear and you will never get a stable system.
  • johndoe2009doejohndoe2009doe
    edited May 2009
    Mt_Goat wrote:
    Try removing the motherboard from the case and test on a piece of cardboard or something non conductive with just the motherboard, CPU, RAM and vid card. Do not hook up any drives or extra cards. If that doesn't work, try using only 1 stick of RAM and move it to different slots then try the other stick(s) in different slots.

    this is the best answer to most hardware related computer troubles.
    and a reinstall should cover the software issues.
  • Insight-DriverInsight-Driver California
    edited May 2009
    Being a power supply technician, let me explain power from a plug: the ground wire is there for safety. If a hot wire happens to touch the electrical ground inside a device, the current path will blow a breaker, removing power.. and the case of the device will remain at ground potential in spite of the fault. The name hot and ground are electrical connections; it is AC current, so same current flows in each wire. It is the potential difference between hot and ground that we call voltage. The ground wire we talk about is actually called earth ground. it is connected from the case of a unit through the wire to the green wire in the wall.

    How a ground fault interrupter works is by sensing the current in both the hot wire and the ground wire and if a difference is found (meaning some current is leaking to ground rather than coming back through the return wire) the breaker trips immediately, opening the circuit to prevent electrocution.

    I cannot imagine what is meant by, "faulty ground wiring."

    In a modern power supply, there is an input filter to protect from input transients. The outputs don't become affected by input transients, unless the power supply fails somehow. Some modes of failure will damage a motherboard.

    Intermittent problems sounds like a lot of electrical interference in the building, which would be exacerbated by poor grounding practices in the electrical wiring. A computer is in a metal case to prevent other devices from being affected by the interference caused by high speed electrical circuits. Outside interference can't get into a metal box except through the wires that go to the power supply. I wonder if there is a strong source of electrical interference where the computer is plugged in.
  • johndoe2009doejohndoe2009doe
    edited May 2009
    the power supply you replaced it with may not be compatible.also you would probably need more than 500 watts.
    maybe faulty connection (upsidedown connectors...on the power supply etc or one of the parts might be defective) look and examine everypart individually
    but dont buy any other parts yet.

    even then you can easily check if the power supply is the issue on the board if you were using asus...(this feature is probably not your board i presume)however it should power up even if there is not enough power.so that might eliminate the power supply YOU MIGHT BE GETTING A SHORT CIRCUIT(bad contact mobo and case) somewhere check and make sure every riser is there dont miss any.make sure all components are reseated and the errors requires a new install.

    this is not even a name brand power supply you better invest in a real power supply with high ampage on the 12v and 5v rail... very high for this system.

    make sure the operating system process goes without missing anything your optical drive operating system cd or hard disk maybe defective.

    also i say do not update any components use the cd that came with your hardware.{motherboard video card etc)
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