Re: need some help please
Try cleaning the contact points for the RAM and the video card.
If that doesn't work then disassemble everything looking for tiny hairline cracks. Clean every contact point and reapply thermal paste to heatsink(s). After that, check all the wires. Try bending them gently back and forth while the PC is on (great caution required here).
Re: need some help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234
Try cleaning the contact points for the RAM and the video card.
If that doesn't work then disassemble everything looking for tiny hairline cracks. Clean every contact point and reapply thermal paste to heatsink(s). After that, check all the wires. Try bending them gently back and forth while the PC is on (great caution required here).
i lack thermal paste. :( probably shouldn't take the heatsink off w/out some of that to reapply huh?
Re: need some help please
Probably not.
Sounds to me like the motherboard is failing.
Re: need some help please
didn't think so.
clocker, i had also suspected that the mobo was going to shit.
the computer had also done this i guess while my parents were using it. they said it went to the 'no signal input, check cables...' screen twice while just surfing the internet. my dad said he just moved the mouse and it snapped out of it. :blink:
the guy that [fixed] it originally said that "it must have just locked up pretty good." i kinda agree with that cuz it seems the computer is just stuck. the red activity button stays solid whenever i turn it on, no blinks or anything, just solid.
would clearing the cmos or anything help (guessing again)?
Re: need some help please
Do you have a second (comparable) PC in which to test parts?
Preferably one that is not randomly screwing up?
If so, pull the RAM from the suspect machine and Memtest in the good PC.
Ditto with the vid card (not Memtest obviously...say looped Aquamark3 or something).
Slave in the HDD and run the manufacturer's diagnostics (available free on the net).
Now you're down to the CPU or the board and my bet would be the board.
Re: need some help please
So you took everything out and put 'em back in 56 times?:huh:
Get a life:P
jk, but do check the mobo.
Re: need some help please
Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker
Do you have a second (comparable) PC in which to test parts?
Preferably one that is not randomly screwing up?
If so, pull the RAM from the suspect machine and Memtest in the good PC.
Ditto with the vid card (not Memtest obviously...say looped Aquamark3 or something).
Slave in the HDD and run the manufacturer's diagnostics (available free on the net).
Now you're down to the CPU or the board and my bet would be the board.
unfortuneately the only other working pc i have right now is mine, which uses DDR, and the broken box has SDRAM.
i think i would have eliminated the gfx card as the culprit by trying two different cards, not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seedler
So you took everything out and put 'em back in 56 times?:huh:
Get a life:P
jk, but do check the mobo.
yeah, its such a strange problem, and i fixed it before by doing the same thing, so it's the only option i could try to get it werking. :frusty: i do live in the middle of nowhere, so it's not like i had anything better... to... do. :lookaroun
Re: need some help please
ok, well this morning i talked to the guy on the phone. he said he cleared the cmos and it seemed to help. this morning i cleared the cmos (took the battery out for a bit too) and then went to hook it back up.
magically it booted up alright. i saw the regular startup screens and had to press F1 or Del for setup. pressed F1 and it seemed normal until it got to loading windows. it just hung at a black screen. restarted it, and then nothing comes up just like in the beginning.
guessin' the board is shot. time to start shopping.
Re: need some help please
Fortunately you have lots of spare time....right?
You can kill time by counting crows or watching paint dry.