posted
Ok...like Dana, I am experiencing a computer glitch on one of my desktops. Here's what's happening:
1.) All of a sudden, the computer will not turn on. When the power button is depressed (physically,not emotionally) the fan starts for about 2 seconds and then abruptly quits.
2.) I figure the power supply has gone, so I purchase a new supply, hook it up - and everything seems to work without a hitch. I think I am the master of my domain....
3.) Not so quick; The computer works for a couple days without issue - till yesterday. Now, the computer will not come on again. Well, the fan comes on and it seems to be powering up, yet the hard drive light is constantly on and "amber" in color.
I notice that there is no power to my usb mouse...as well as other usb devices....and no picture, boot up sequence, etc will display on the monitor - which eventually just goes into hibernation mode....
The hard drive light remains amber in color.
Windows 98 SE on this computer....AMD Athlon 1.6 gig processor (I think)...512 ram....
Any ideas? Thanks for your experience and assistance.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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Todd...I had the same symptoms a few years back. Turned out that one of the memory sticks had come loose and the computer stopped the boot process as the point that it detected this. (Computer builder diagnosed the problem with some gismo he had)
took out the memory and reseated it and the problem was solved.
At the time he told me it could have been anything that could have caused the problem, like a bad keyboard, a bad mouse or any number of things that the computer checks during that boot-up sequence. In my case it was a loose memory stick.
I am just suggesting that you might have jiggled something while replacing the power supply and it has now come loose again?
[ September 28, 2005, 08:33 AM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
Todd, I had a similar proble, replaced the pwr supply, convinced myself that fixed it but it didn't. It was spasmodic.
The answer was to get a new fan & heatsink & transfer compound for the cpu (also an athlon 1600, w98se & 512mb), and clean it with alcohol & attach it & it's been great ever since. $10 for the fix, plus 15 minutes time, plus 2 months spasmodic head scratching! (it was the 'other' computer with the problem, so I didn't hurry to fix it & couldn't work it out till I tried that fix.)
Edit to add that before that it was very spasmodic & illogical, with its own shut-downs. Sometimes you'd get a few hour's run, sometimes it would shut down midway through booting up, or just after getting the desktop ready to begin, or five minutes into something.
I understand the current in & from the cpu fan is monitored, & if it was hazy, like if the fan was dying, it would shut everything down as a safeguard- is that feasible ?
[ September 28, 2005, 09:40 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
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"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Bad capacitors are something I would suspect. I have traced numerous power-related issues to bad capacitors on power supplies and motherboards. Several years ago the industry was flooded with bad components, and pretty much every major motherboard manufacturer was affected.
The capacitors are shaped like little soda cans sticking up from the surface of the motherboard. If the tops are bulging to ANY degree, or if there are crusty spots on top or bottom, they are in the process of failure. Spontaneous reboots are nearly always caused by bad capacitors. Here's an example of what they look like:
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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If it's stopping so quickly in the boot sequence it must be the RAM because the CPU takes a minute or two to heat up to the shut off point. I'd suggest blowing out the inside, reseating the RAM, like Dave suggested, checking everything else to make sure it is ok, then trying to boot it. If it doesn't work then remove the hard drive, break out the light sabre and whack it.
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"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Ok, Swapped processors/ heatsinks with a known good set - to no avail.
Reseated ram to no avail (2- 256mb sticks)
Swapped ram, using just one stick to see if the other was bad and rebooted - to no avail.
Tried booting the computer without the serial cables hooked up...to see if I got anything on screen and bypassing the hardrive, etc... - and also got nothing on screen.
Cleared the cmos by moving it's jumper pins to the clear position and then back to the default position - to no avail...
Capacitors are all "flat-headed" and don't appear to be bulged or crusty.
Could it be my new power supply went ca-flooey?
It's gotta be the motherboard wouldn't it??? Time to get a new motherboard?
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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disconnect all items but the hard drivve the os is on. Reboot. If the computer still fails start by checking your ram 1 stick at a time. If nothing happens again swap your video card. Problems like this can be frustrasting. Most of a time it is like playing wheres waldo in finding the bad component. My best guess is video, ram or mobo related.
-------------------- Adam May 205 S. Sangamon St. Lincoln, IL 62656 217-735-9939 headhoncho@ampstudio.net www.ampstudio.net Posts: 149 | From: Lincoln, IL | Registered: Jul 2004
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Check your socket for ground and voltage consistancy. Make sure nothing in your power line is trying to trip or is wearing out.
Put a box fan on the case and try to boot to BIOS setup and see if you can tell how hot the CPU is getting. Or you can put your hand on the heatsink, just be careful of static.
Do you get the post handover beep on boot or does it die before that? Warning beeps? (normally multiple rapid beeps)
-------------------- Paul McDowell 7 Hills Signs Virginia Posts: 84 | From: Lynchburg, Virginia | Registered: Oct 2004
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It could be more than one item going bad...Win98 tells me it is an older puter.
If it was me, I'd buy a new puter, take the old hard drive out, put it in the new puter as the primary, and move the new HD to the secondary position. Then move all the files to the new HD. Just leave the programs on the old HD, it will run faster plus if it fails, all your files will be safe on the newer one. If perchance you get a virus, your files will again still be safe.
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Thanks for all the suggestion folks! I checked each one as best I could...and have pretty much figured the motherboard is toast.
Russ - Upon a second, closer inspection, I did indeed find several of the smaller capacitors which were ballooned on top and had a "scab" of rusty looking crust on top. I missed them the first time as they were hiding under a ribbon cable.
A "geek" at Best Buy told me to take out the ram and boot the computer...if I heard "beeps" while booting, the motherboard was to fault, no beeps - and it was bad ram.....Well, I heard beeps.
Si - I think you nailed it...I've screwed around long enough on this...but instead of a new computer, I'll order a new mobo,processor, ram combo and stick it in the case I have....save me some $$$ since this is a secondary computer.
Thanks again.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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To clarify my heatsink & fan replacement- the first time I tried it, I didn't use fresh heatsink compound, but used an old working fan and the problem was NOT fixed, so I thought the problem must be elsewhere. Later with another new fan & some COMPOUND, the problem was solved. (for us anyway!)
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"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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