Any Computer wizards out there?

[Craig Mac]

I need some tech support here... First off, I consider myself to be pretty good at working on computers, and have built and fixed dozens of computers in the last few years. All of which are still running fine with the exception of mine.....here is the situation.

This computer is about 5 years old, and about a week ago I was using my PC and the computer randomly restarted, then it repeated this process every 20 mins until finally it just shut off and I couldn't start it. So I tried every possible configuration to see if I could figure it out. Pulled each stick of RAM one at a time. Tried with just one hard drive and even with no hard drive. Tried a different video card also. All the fans work, I tried 3 different power supplies as well. Put it all in a different case, as you can see I tried several things.

So I was talking to a guy I know who I consider knowledgable about computers and we seem to figure it had to be the motherboard. So I found the same motherboard online and tried that. The first time I started it the bios began to load, it stalled after it showed the processor and ram info, but locked up when trying to verify the IDE bus. After that the computer would start but I never saw it load the bios. The drves spin, the fans work, dvd drives work, but no bios loading.

It seems to me that from here it must be the processor, because that is the only thing I haven't swapped out yet. But would the processor being bad prevent the bios from loading?? I am baffeled here, I never have run across a problem I couldn't figure out with a computer, and this is one that is frustrating me. I don't mind if I have to just buy a new computer, I am due for one anyway, but I would like to get this one back up and running.

Any help or advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated

COMPUTER SPECS: Win XP Sp2, Athlon XP 2400+, 1 gig RAM, 80 gig WD HD, 160 gig Seagate HD, Radeon X1300 video card, M-Audio Delta 1010 audio, Firewire PCI card, Fan Controller with 3 fans, 450 watt PS, and a few case lights.

[pjsnyc]

I would yank out all usb devices and add-on cards (esp. the firewire card) and leave just the motherboard, ram, cpu, hd, and gpu. see if it boots.

if it does, start adding in all your expansion cards one by one.

if it doesn't boot - then the cpu might be the culprit - but weird that the bios doesnt come up? i would just plop down a couple hundred bucks for a new dell :) (I got a core 2 quad proc with a 24 inch widescreen lcd for 850 bucks)

[Craig Mac]

I would yank out all usb devices and add-on cards (esp. the firewire card) and leave just the motherboard, ram, cpu, hd, and gpu. see if it boots.

Tried that originally, with no luck.

if it doesn't boot - then the cpu might be the culprit - but weird that the bios doesnt come up? i would just plop down a couple hundred bucks for a new dell :) (I got a core 2 quad proc with a 24 inch widescreen lcd for 850 bucks)

I guess this is my issue, would the CPU being bad cause it not to load the bios? I didn't think it would, but I have never had a processor go bad. I realize I do need to just buy a new machine, but I would like to get this one fixed, but not wanting to waste too much money on it at the same time.

[InTheTwenties]

Diagnose a computer problem by looking at what changed. Did you ad anything new?

Regarding the restart, is it a hard restart where the computer goes black, then you see the manufacture logo on the screen in monochrome, or is it a windows restart.

Either way, if you didn't add any thing new- then you probably had some software add itself, surreptitiously. To see what is running, try downloading spybot (do a google on it), then run it.

Finally,look at your proceses. My current box has only 19 processes. You can see what your computer is doing by going to Start->Run->taskmgr.exe

Good luck.

[Craig Mac]

Diagnose a computer problem by looking at what changed. Did you ad anything new?

Nothing new hardware or software wise, computer has had exact config for 3+ years, it is a hard restart, but now it doesn't start at all not even showing bios before windows loads, as I said earlier it powers up, fans and drives are spinning but no bios, no windows.

[Avid Golfer]

Nothing new hardware or software wise, computer has had exact config for 3+ years, it is a hard restart, but now it doesn't start at all not even showing bios before windows loads, as I said earlier it powers up, fans and drives are spinning but no bios, no windows.

It sounds like what I encountered about a year ago with my old desktop. I was using it when suddenly the screen froze and nothing responded. When I rebooted the power light came on, the drive lights (hard drive and dvd drives) lit, the fan was running, but nothing loaded on the screen. No BIOS boot, no windows screen, and no drive activity (aside from the inital power up flash). I after trial and error and picking the brains of people on other computer forums I came to the same conclusion that my motherboard had gone bad. I ended up buying a new motherboard, case, CPU, memory, PSU, and GPU while keeping the peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, hard drive, and dvd drive) from the old system. It depends on the motherboard, but I believe many of them beep (just like with RAM slot errors) if there is a problem with the CPU. Do you have any LED lights that are built directly on to the motherboard? Sometimes the LED light will shut off or change color when a motherboard goes bad. Who manufactured your motherboard and CPU? You may want to try contacting them to see if they have any recommendations for determining if the problem is the motherboard or the CPU related.

[michaeljames92]

well theres your problem right there. AMD!! i too have puilt many pc's and i wouldve said either Psu or mb but since you've changed it, it looks like the processor. do you have any old procesors lying around to test?

[Craig Mac]

well theres your problem right there. AMD!! i too have puilt many pc's and i wouldve said either Psu or mb but since you've changed it, it looks like the processor. do you have any old procesors lying around to test?

I was wondering when I would get some grief about the AMD, at the time I was putting the machine together I had to go AMD to use the Delta 1010 with it. No processors laying around, just about everything else though. I ordered an Athlon XP 2200+ for less than 40 bucks, it will be the last money spent on this dinosaur of a box.

[walk18]

I was wondering when I would get some grief about the AMD, at the time I was putting the machine together I had to go AMD to use the Delta 1010 with it. No processors laying around, just about everything else though. I ordered an Athlon XP 2200+ for less than 40 bucks, it will be the last money spent on this dinosaur of a box.

get a mac, and you won't have any of those problems. I figured you already had one with your name!

[perlguy9]

Nothing wrong with AMD. I'm running an Athlon X2 4400+ right now on this PC. I do echo the "Get a Mac" sentiment, since that is also my first choice.

I have had an AMD 1700+ die on me.. first and only time I had a proc crap out, so it does happen, but not very often. Get another proc that the mobo supports and give it a shot.

[InTheTwenties]

Nothing wrong with AMD- they are black box reverse engineered. I ran a three state server farm with one for years.

Try re-seating your memory cards. also check/replace the cmos battery. finally, look at your power supply. These things go bad frequently; especially if you have a dirty electric power. You can probably swap it out.

good luck.

[Craig Mac]

So it turned out to be the processor, I replaced it and it fired right up. Thanks for the responses!! When I did open the box it did have quite a few dust bunnies inside, that may have been the contributing factor to the processor crapping out on me. I was running 4 fans inside and cleaned it regulary but it had been about a year or so since I had cleaned it out. With that many fans I found it requires more cleaning, good for keeping the temp lower but seems to pull more dust inside the box.

get a mac, and you won't have any of those problems. I figured you already had one with your name!

The

Mac in my name is a letfover nickname from my younger years, it was a play on the artist Craig Mack, dubbed upon me by a rap artist I recorded years ago

[MunkeyGolfer]

Does your computer run that hot to need 4 fans? If it doesn't I would put some filters over them (cheap brands of fabric softener sheets with no dyes or fragrances work good) .

As far as getting a mac statement, a couple months ago I would have argued that statement but I now have a mac mini and love it. Both of my windows pc's are now setting in my closet. anyone in need of a pc?

[Craig Mac]

Does your computer run that hot to need 4 fans? If it doesn't I would put some filters over them (cheap brands of fabric softener sheets with no dyes or fragrances work good)

Three of the fans are case fans(front(intake), back(out), and side(out)) the other is the processor fan. This machine can run pretty hot when it is running 24 tracks audio loaded down with effects(which isn't as often as it use to be). Great idea with the filters, I was thinking of adding some of the filters like you would find for a widow AC unit, very thin fiter, usually comes in a 2 foot square and can be cut to size. We use this for our control box fans in my printing shop. Seems like it would work well.

[JJR8588]

your best bet might be to save yourself a headache since it's 5 yrs old and get yourself something new, considering computers get out dated the next day after you buy one

[Craig Mac]

your best bet might be to save yourself a headache since it's 5 yrs old and get yourself something new, considering computers get out dated the next day after you buy one

They do get outdated rather quickly these days. I have two newer computers, a laptop and a desktop that are about a year old, this particular machine is used as an audio editing machine. While not often it serves a single purpose. Much cheaper to fix than replace the hardware/software it uses. It is now up and running as I stated in an earlier post. Thanks again to all that replied!!

[flipside]

quoted for truth.