Looking for motherboard

[Paul]

I have had a look at my existing motherboard and now know what the battery looks like. I thought that I was looking at a cover, but I am in fact looking at the battery.

The refurbished board has a battery fitted, and they supplied a spare (I am surprised).

The compound that covers the back of the cpu and the heatsink interface could probably be removed with effort and a little moisture, but I am wondering if it is best left in place. It is hard of course but will interface with its counterpart.

You're fitting a Pentium D 915.

Such a processor, needs all the help it can get. 95W, and
probably uses all of it.

http://ark.intel.com/products/27515/Intel-Pentium-D-Processor-915-4M-Cache-2_80-GHz-800-MHz-FSB

You should be using paste, and fitting it properly.

You can't mate old thermal material, especially the "crusty"
kind, because then the surfaces don't mate. The Pentium D 915
is the last generation of processor with a heat problem.

Visit your friend at the store, and pick up a tube of paste.
Only thing not recommended, is cheesy zinc paste. Virtually
any other product, is better than doing nothing.

If you find a phase change (solid) material, that may take scraping.
I've only had to scrape clean one setup here - the rest just
took alcohol and a lot of effort with a cloth. Alcohol is not the
correct solvent, but the liquid does help the clean process
a tiny bit. Isopropyl alcohol works better than water, but
only slightly.

If you look at the MSDS information for this cleaning product
for CPUs, it uses "orange oil" (D-Limonene or monoterpene limonene).
The "surfactant" has the same function as a dish washing detergent
would have. The other bottle of purifier, is a solvent as well,
and is a crossover between polar and non-polar materials (so
oily stuff will dissolve). There is no guarantee these solvents
and cleaners will work with everything, but this is an example
of a product made specifically for cleanup of CPUs and thermal
interface materials.

http://www.arcticsilver.com/PDF/acn/ACN1_MSDS_3.pdf
http://www.arcticsilver.com/PDF/acn/ACN2_MSDS_3.pdf
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm

The scraping procedure is only a problem, if you gouge
the surfaces. For the hard stuff, it does take a fair
amount of effort to remove it.

You can see some material comparisons here. Look at the
height of the red part of the graph, as that's the "100% load"
performance. The MX-2 did slightly better than the Silver
compound, but the testers here probably didn't wait two
days for the Silver to "bed in". Some compounds, it
takes a couple days of usage, before the material migrates
in the gap and settles down.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermal-interface-roundup-1_12.html#sect0

A small quantity of MX-2 is $5.

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=8_128&item_id=017216

(Optional) Cleaner $8

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=8_128&item_id=026843

Paul

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, my machine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Paste is vital.

I note on ebay some cheap syringes of paste.

Thermal conductivity seems to be around 1.8 W/m-k to 2.4W/mK.

I assume the larger the better.

 

[Paul]

Paste is vital.

I note on ebay some cheap syringes of paste.

Thermal conductivity seems to be around 1.8 W/m-k to 2.4W/mK.

I assume the larger the better.

But if you get it locally, it can still be pretty cheap.
You should be able to get it, anywhere that computers are serviced.

http://www.dabs.com/products/arctic-cooling-mx-2-4gm-thermal-paste-7H0X.html?q=thermal paste&src=16

http://www.misco.co.uk/product/1108...ink-cpu-paste-thermal-compound-thermal-grease

Just stay away from the Radio Shack zinc paste, which I thought the
carrier material (silicon oil) was just too thin. If you see
a product, look for some reviews that can indicate the consistency
(either too thick or too thin).

Paul

 

[Flasherly]

I'll attempt to clean the surfaces, but if it proves difficult I'll
just bolt the sink to the processor.

-
Negatory.

As others have before you, improperly installing or forgetting the CPU
cooler, you run a high risk of burning up and destroying your CPU
without paste between the heatsink to transfer heat off and away from
the CPU.

Reconsider, read up ...

Want the best paste, hit the overclocker's and gaming nets for the
products they're using these days. It's all snake oil past a certain
point for my purposes. I really couldn't tell you what they're now
using. All I have is a sandwich bag a third full of various CPU paste
products. An accumulative. Bought some, few, many given w/ the MBs,
some on giveaway sales, near to by the bucketful offers.
Accumulatives, what is, before you know (as a PC builder) when
suddenly you've years of the crap stored up in various sandwich bags.

Thick paste isn't bad, either. Some of it's damn good, as a matter of
fact. Some even gets remarkably thick from the immersion oils getting
separated from the compound.

But, I've already explained how to handle that aspect with a 3/8"
utility razor blade from the hardware store.

The commonplace and cheaper pastes are polymer and petroleum based,
rubbery, silicon, Vaseline(TM) like, auto and household cements and
sealers. Most retail MB boxes include them if not a CPU cooler with
the worst yet, a polymer film already applied to its base intended to
melt into a CPU and facilitate their functional union. I avoid
anything above, knowing, though I do, that snake-oil test results will
show much smaller discrepancies than claims made over an actual
assortment of motley ingredients that can be stuck, impromptu, as it
were, between a CPU cooler and the microprocessor unit.

Yes, it is therefore that so I have come to have the very best from
yesterday -- the Arctic Silver(TM) extreme overclockers paste and
whatelse have you. Accumulatives, attrition, all over years of
building, wrapped into a sandwich bag, all so that those thicker ones'
essential oils of compounding shan't escape to soil a sheet of
petroleum plastic, made to resemble a wooden veneer covering my desk,
with unseemly stains.

Perhaps I should say I favor those almost gritty compounds, decidedly
thicker, over others of a pliable and lasting rubbery consistency, if
favor is any the fairer sense appropriate to almost a decided dislike
for the latter.

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, my machine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Hi Paul.

Just cleaning up the interior of the case - quite a lot of dust.

As a matter of interest, can dust in the case cause problems?

I've also noticed a white/red plastic thing (P10, or PIO) that connects by four wires (white, red, black, black) to the psu. The dark red plastic looks like a sort of large LED. Any idea what this is?

I've also noticed on the connector cables a coloured piece of wire that loops from one side of the connector to the other. Any idea what this is for?

The cable ties are also very tight and cut to their locking point, if I ever needed to remove them I assume that I would have to force a blade underneath and cut?

When the pc is hopefully up and running should the fan be in constant motion, or does it only operate above a certain temperature?

Just on temperature, why do the cpu's run so hot. My heatsink is quite a large device, having cleaning the plate (ready for paste) I note that it is made of copper, showing the important of heat conduction.

Best wishes

 

[Paul]

Hi Paul.

Just cleaning up the interior of the case - quite a lot of dust.

As a matter of interest, can dust in the case cause problems?

Dust by itself, might not cause a problem. But mixed with other
things, it makes things worse. For example, combined with high
humidity, or corrosive liquids, dust can be trapped under ICs and
help promote corrosion. Or fungus. Or mold.

But if the machine is relatively dry, the air isn't too polluted,
the dust won't do too much on its own.

If the dust insulates things (is several inches thick), or blocks
airflow, then that might cause something to overheat.

And the actual act of dust collection, is aggravated by whether
the case is "positive pressure" or "negative pressure". So it is
possible to make the case gain less dust, or for the dust level
to never exceed a thin coating, all by changing how the fans
are arranged.

I've also noticed a white/red plastic thing (P10, or PIO) that
connects by four wires (white, red, black, black) to the psu. The dark
red plastic looks like a sort of large LED. Any idea what this is?

The wire color could be yellow, red, black, black, in which case
it is probably a disk power connector. Yellow would be +12V, and
red would be +5V.

You can browse the pictures here, and see if your connector
matches something on this page.

http://www.playtool.com/pages/psuconnectors/connectors.html

I've also noticed on the connector cables a coloured piece of wire
that loops from one side of the connector to the other. Any idea
what this is for?

Could be a handle used to remove the connector from its mate.

I had a cable here today, where that handle broke. PITA.

The cable ties are also very tight and cut to their locking point,
if I ever needed to remove them I assume that I would have to force
a blade underneath and cut?

Use diagonal cutters. These come in various sizes.

http://www.robotshop.com/Images/big/en/elenco-st-26-diagonal-cutters.jpg

While they make "flush cut" tools as well, the one I tried didn't work
very well.

And the most expensive diagonal cutters I've owned, cost $100. They
had a relatively tiny business end on them, for snipping the legs of
tiny ICs.

I've broken the tips of two of my diagonal cutters here, and they
just don't make tools like they used to. But there should not be
a problem cutting nylon tie-wraps. That material is relatively soft.

If you use a knife on nylon ties, there is a tendency to "hack" at
the nylon, as the blade just doesn't seem to cut in one pass. This
can cause collateral damage. And that is why I strongly recommend
another tool, such as the diagonal cutter. The cutters are also
better than scissors. Scissors tend to require multiple "bites"
to get through the nylon. The diagonal cutter does it on the
first "snip".

When the pc is hopefully up and running should the fan be in
constant motion, or does it only operate above a certain temperature?

Fans can use closed loop feedback. Or, they can operate without
any feedback. No matter what happens, the important thing is
to monitor the temperature, and fix it if the setup is wrong.

Your number one priority, is to check disk drive temperature.
If the disk drive is in the 50C to 60C range, then it needs
some cooling. The program HDTune can read out the temperature
of the disk, using the SMART interface on the disk. Temperature
is a parameter in that interface.

The second priority, is keeping the CPU cool enough, so it
does not throttle the clock rate. The CPU is capable of
defending itself, but a side effect is you get less performance
from the CPU when that happens. And if the CPU temperature
continues to rise, eventually the PC will turn itself off.

Just on temperature, why do the cpu's run so hot. My heatsink
is quite a large device, having cleaning the plate (ready for
paste) I note that it is made of copper, showing the important
of heat conduction.

At the end of the Pentium 4 era, some of the heat was
caused by excessive leakage current. Generations of
processors after P4, have gradually improved on leakage.
At its worse, leakage accounted for 25% of the heat.

*******

The parameter for heatsinks, is theta_R or thermal resistance.

The stock cooler, might be 0.33C/W. A good after market cooler
could be 0.12C/W.

The cheapest coolers, might use aluminum. Next level of performance,
is aluminum with a copper slug in the center. And the level above
that, uses heatpipes to distribute the heat into the fins. A heatpipe
is a better conductor, than a solid copper bar of the same diameter.
Heatpipes work on phase change principles (vapor on one end of the
pipe, liquid condensate on the other end).

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, mymachine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Thank you

I did check 'Playtool' previously and could not see that PIO connector. Thebody is white, but it has red cap, no connectors visible, maybe the cap isremovable, but it looks so distinctive.

Regarding thermal pastes. Should I be looking at the ceramic pastes which do not contain metal and, therfore, maybe safer because they do not conduct electricity; or should I be looking for metal pastes because they conduct heat a little better. I have noted the Arctic Cooling Mx-2 Thermal Paste, however there is is also Arctic Silver 5, and many others.

When applying paste, it looks like a good method is to use a pea sized blob placed in the centre of the cpu. As you said, not too much and no too little.

Best wishes.

 

[Paul]

Thank you

I did check 'Playtool' previously and could not see that PIO connector.
The body is white, but it has red cap, no connectors visible, maybe the
cap is removable, but it looks so distinctive.

Regarding thermal pastes. Should I be looking at the ceramic pastes
which do not contain metal and, therfore, maybe safer because they do
not conduct electricity; or should I be looking for metal pastes because
they conduct heat a little better. I have noted the Arctic Cooling Mx-2
Thermal Paste, however there is is also Arctic Silver 5, and many others.

When applying paste, it looks like a good method is to use a pea sized
blob placed in the centre of the cpu. As you said, not too much and no
too little.

Best wishes.

If you were working on an AthlonXP, with components on the top of the
processor, and a bare silicon die, you'd use the ceramic stuff.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4937126035457648&pid=15.1

For the processors that have a metal lid over the die, the selection
is less important. Only if you planned on making a mess all over the
place, would you care about the composition.

Apply a "half-rice-grain" sized bit of paste, fit the cooler, fasten
it down temporarily, then remove it again. Note the size of the "circle"
of paste that appears when the half grain is squashed. Clean off the
residue (a quick wipe). Now, scale the size of the rice grain, so there
is enough material to complete the job. The second fitting of the cooler,
is the last one, and you're done. Observe, from the side of the socket,
whether material "wets" the gap. If it is oozing out, you want to stop
that, before it gets into the socket.

With regard to your connector, do you see it in one of the
following photos ?

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4897427660276991&pid=15.1

http://www.systembuilders.ca/image/dell-e520-1.gif

Paul

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, mymachine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Half a rice grain, that is very little.

Presumably I am aiming to cover the contact areas. The shape of the processor and the contact cooler plate are different. This difference is the edge which should be dry, if I understand you correctly. I note that the metal vs. non-metal pastes are not an issue for me.

Regarding the photographs you kindly provided, the ts4.mm.bing.net is the easier to view. Since the cable connects via the CD drive it looks like the top connector showing the white cable. I can't see the dark red cap.

Best wishes

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, my machine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Having another look at the systembuilders.ca fig, at the top of the psu to the left I see a white connector with a possible dark red cap, that could be it (pushed to the rear)

 

[Paul]

Having another look at the systembuilders.ca fig, at the top of the psu to the left I see a white connector with a possible dark red cap, that could be it (pushed to the rear)

ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_dimension_desktops/dimension-e520_service%20manual_en-us.pdf

On PDF page 13, P10 appears to be a Molex 1x4, suitable
for an older IDE drive. It's on the end of the cable,
that also has P8 and P9 SATA 15 contact connectors.

Paul

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, my machine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Hi,

It does look like the P10, but I still see a white rather than a yellow cable. I suppose that red cap I see can be removed. I haven't tried to pull it off in case I am wrong.

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, mymachine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Paul

I hope you are still around.

I have now installed a WG864 motherboard (Dell).

On starting the machine the POST test is working, unlike before. But I cannot start Vista.

I ran Startup repair and got the message:
Cannot repair automatically. Would you like to send the information to Microsoft.

I viewed the details and noted: Problem Signature and ten listed (1-10).
I clicked finish at this point.

On rebooting, I pressed F12 and noticed that only the floppy and hard disk are listed.

Please can you advise.

Thanks.

Ps. I only made one mistake on re-assembling - not connecting the fan. But as soom as the message came up I switched off the tower and connected the cable. Everything seems alright, other than not being able to start Vista orbeing able to use the other drives.

Regarding paste, I decided on Titan Nano Grease, cheap and has good reviews.. I read on the Web that people who have the LGA775 socket usually paste the heatsink because of problems with the latch on the cpu - access is also a problem. I tinted both surfaces, then used a credit card to ensure an even and thin spread. When I am up and running I will be interested in noting the cpu temperature.

Best wishes

 

[Paul]

Paul

I hope you are still around.

I have now installed a WG864 motherboard (Dell).

On starting the machine the POST test is working, unlike before. But I cannot start Vista.

I ran Startup repair and got the message:
Cannot repair automatically. Would you like to send the information to Microsoft.

I viewed the details and noted: Problem Signature and ten listed (1-10).
I clicked finish at this point.

On rebooting, I pressed F12 and noticed that only the floppy and hard disk are listed.

Please can you advise.

Thanks.

Ps. I only made one mistake on re-assembling - not connecting the fan. But as soom as the message came up I switched off the tower and connected the cable. Everything seems alright, other than not being able to start Vista or being able to use the other drives.

Regarding paste, I decided on Titan Nano Grease, cheap and has good reviews. I read on the Web that people who have the LGA775 socket usually paste the heatsink because of problems with the latch on the cpu - access is also a problem. I tinted both surfaces, then used a credit card to ensure an even and thin spread. When I am up and running I will be interested in noting the cpu temperature.

Best wishes

I can see an example here, of a failure message.

http://www.vistax64.com/vista-gener...air-cannot-repair-computer-automatically.html

"Vista Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically

Problem Event Name: StartupRepairV2
Problem Signature 01: AutoFailover
Problem Signature 02: 6.0.6000.16386.6.0.6000.16386
Problem Signature 03: 6
Problem Signature 04: 1507351
Problem Signature 05: CorruptFile
Problem Signature 06: CorruptFile
Problem Signature 07: 3221226017
Problem Signature 08: 1
Problem Signature 09: WrpRepair
Problem Signature 10: 0
OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

*******

When I install a new system (or, replace or upgrade a motherboard),
I start slow. Booting Windows is *never* the first thing you do.
You need to verify the hardware is working.

My first step, is booting memtest86+. Available for several media
formats. I happen to use a floppy, because my computers are all
old enough to have a floppy. (I also own a USB floppy, if need be.)

http://www.memtest.org/

Running one complete pass is enough. The reason being, I expect
later tests to be more stressful.

The second test I run, is booting a Linux LiveCD. Then, go to
mersenne.org/freesoft and get a matching version of Prime95. I
run the Prime95 stress test. (Answer "No" to the prompt to join
GIMPS, and then you can just do stress testing.) The program
opens a test thread per CPU core. It uses assembler code and
does things like FFTs (numerical calculation). Since the
author of the program, knows what the answer should be, the
program reports any rounding errors, or outright errors, and
the test thread stops. You want Prime95 to run for at least
four hours, with all test threads continuing to run. A single
error in a test thread will stop it. Then, you have to
figure out what is wrong with the system.

If memtest86+ passed a single pass, Prime95 ran for four hours,
*then* I try to boot Windows.

*******

I'm not a Windows expert by any stretch of the imagination.
I dabble with this and that. I don't really know what is
the best means to debug the contents of the C:. Certainly,
you can look for winload or whatever passes for a boot manager,
but I don't know of a file list that points out everything
of importance. Presumably, the repair tool knows what files
to put back. And the "Store" area of C:, likely contains
a copy of everything. So if something is removed, there is
a possibility another copy lurks in there.

It could be a driver mismatch. Like, the old hardware was
set up for AHCI in the BIOS (SATA port mode) and the new
board is IDE. But pre-built computers, don't generally
offer a lot of options to the user, and the benefit of
that, is less can go wrong from a BIOS settings perspective.

If you cannot boot to Safe Mode, there'd be no opportunity
to try "Last Known Good" configuration.

So I don't know what to do next in this case.

And before someone answers "Do a Repair Install" or "use the
build-in factory restore, sure, those are options, but what
will you lose by doing so. A Repair Install, would need an
installer DVD the OP likely doesn't have. I've done one
Repair Install here, and while it is about 99.5% non-destructive,
it does mess up a few settings. And a few is too many.

*******

Using my Linux LiveCD, I could look at any NTFS or FAT32
partitions, and examine their contents. But only if
everything is wiped out, would I have a clue what happened.
If just one key file was missing, I'd be lost.

*******

If your optical drive isn't working, re-check your
wiring. It should show up. Needs power and data cables.

Paul

 

[Flasherly]

On Sat, 1 Jun 2013 21:03:53 -0700 (PDT),

Regarding paste, I decided on Titan Nano Grease,

cheap and has good reviews. I read on the Web that people who have
the LGA775 socket usually paste the heatsink because of problems with
the latch on the cpu - access is also a problem. I tinted both
surfaces, then used a credit card to ensure an even and thin spread.
When I am up and running I will be interested in noting the cpu
temperature.

Best wishes

Good for you w/ a good CPU cooling job. I'm also setting up a 775 (on
the card table beside me as I speak). CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ paired
to an early P4 real dualcore (not a Conroe, tho, earlier probably
power hungry varient). Big as a bloody grapefruit heatsink. Have fun
trying to match my big score (good deal for under $20/US). Just
checked the bios when it booted for temps and it recorded 25C on an
immediate cold start. Haven't yet hit over 79Deg F on an extended
runtime yet (4ambient/room temps @85F).

Crappy ANTEC alum case design was a wrap-around alum shroud solution
for enclosing, before fitting, the HDs into the case drive cages. Took
four custom (big ball ends) screws for the backs of cases (makes it
easy to get in and out fast), stuck them to the HD sides and jimmied
it in (without ANTEC's alum wrap around). Dropped the HD -let's see-
from last time I ran, 115F, roughly, to a reading now of 100F (over a
time it took to write this).

Knew it would be substantial, though. (All apart a 79F CPU, which
surprised me.) Build enough and those things with a little luck tend
turn intuitive.

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, my machine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Flasherly,

How did you measure the cpu temp using the BIOS settings?

Paul,

I have a live Linux CD, so if I can't get Vista running, I could install UBUNTU. I will check the CD cables, I think I connected these correctly. Should I go into setup to 'switch on' any settings?

Best wishes

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, my machine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Paul,

I found the reason my CD drive was not recognised, it was disabled in set up.

I can't get Vista to start, but I can get UBUNTU to run from the CD drive (live cd). Using for this post.

I ran Dell's diagnostics at the BIOS page.

I give some details below in the hope it might give an indication as to why Vista will not start. I might have to re-install Vista.

In setup there is no Dell service tag.

On exit, I noticed the message: Non system disk, or disk error.

Press F8 (no beep), but it works.

Non systems disk.
replace and strike any key.

Press F12

Run diagnostics

Memory (MpmemoryVO433)
Stress
WCMATS
WCMch
MATS
Marchh13
XMATS32
WdPcMch
Marchs

All the above tests passed.

Test system
Express test
All tests passed

Custom Test Harddrive
Sata disk (WD-WCANKE265471). According to setup sata disk not installed

Quick service check
Read test
S.M.A.R.T. test
verify tests

All the above tests passed

System Board

All tests passed

Note by me
In setup 2. onboard SATA not present
my disk is I believe
3. WDC-WD250055-75NCB3. Evidently not present.

But it is listed in the BIOS.

Do you think I may need to re-install Vista.

Best wishes

 

[Paul]

Paul,

I found the reason my CD drive was not recognised, it was disabled in set up.

I can't get Vista to start, but I can get UBUNTU to run from the CD drive (live cd). Using for this post.

I ran Dell's diagnostics at the BIOS page.

I give some details below in the hope it might give an indication as to why Vista will not start. I might have to re-install Vista.

In setup there is no Dell service tag.

On exit, I noticed the message: Non system disk, or disk error.

Press F8 (no beep), but it works.

Non systems disk.
replace and strike any key.

Press F12

Run diagnostics

Memory (MpmemoryVO433)
Stress
WCMATS
WCMch
MATS
Marchh13
XMATS32
WdPcMch
Marchs

All the above tests passed.

Test system
Express test
All tests passed

Custom Test Harddrive
Sata disk (WD-WCANKE265471). According to setup sata disk not installed

Quick service check
Read test
S.M.A.R.T. test
verify tests

All the above tests passed

System Board

All tests passed

Note by me
In setup 2. onboard SATA not present
my disk is I believe
3. WDC-WD250055-75NCB3. Evidently not present.

But it is listed in the BIOS.

Do you think I may need to re-install Vista.

Best wishes

Have you looked in the BIOS for "Boot sequence" ?
If the disk is listed in the BIOS, then go to the
Boot sequence, and make sure a hard drive, and that
specific hard drive, appear in the boot sequence.

"Boot Sequence" page 30

ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_dimension_desktops/dimension-e520_service%20manual_en-us.pdf

*******

What I wanted to do with the Linux LiveCD, is just
observe that the Vista C: is visible. You'll likely
see several partitions, as a Dell also has a recovery
partition. (On some of the LiveCDs, there is a button
at the beginning, to choose between "just running" Linux,
versus "installing". And we want the "just running"
option for a look around. Under the "Places" menu,
should be named disk partitions. I always place a
label on my Windows partitions, so they end up named
in Linux as well.)

This is what the primary partition table (sector 0 of disk)
shows for a Dell. The "07" is large, at 70894845 sectors,
and that would be NTFS "C:". That second entry also has the
boot flag set on it.

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/files/dell-tbl.gif

"DE" is a Dell Utility partition.

http://www.goodells.net/dellutility/

This is for older systems.

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/

There is a separate section for Vista machines.

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/vista/

DE 00 <--- FAT16 Dell Utilities partition (disguised with "DE")
07 00 <--- 10GB ImageX recovery partition
07 80 <--- C: partition

I use this page, as a reference on partition types. Using fake
partition type fields, only adds to the misery.

http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types-1.html

I doubt browsing the Goodells site is going to restore
your machine magically, but I find it is one of the best
sites for background information.

The PTEDIT32 they use, runs from Windows, and is available for
free from Symantec (who bought PowerQuest years ago).

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/PTEDIT32.zip

In Linux, in a Terminal, the equivalent to PTEDIT32 is:

sudo fdisk /dev/sda <--- a,b,c... are disk drives
p <--- print partition table
q <--- quit

*******

I don't know how the Service Tag is maintained. Whether
it is derived from the contents of the disk, or is a
quantity held in CMOS RAM.

Paul

 

[Flasherly]

Flasherly,
How did you measure the cpu temp using the BIOS settings?

First time was the usual -
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
Don't leave home w/out it.

Since so low, second time, I immediately entered the BIOS - on the
last screen, right colum, 4th selection from the bottom, with system
settings (last three all deal with saving preceeding selection
settings) - and that screen is health monitoring. All/most MBs should
have that. (Also where you set the system shutdown, failsafe
proceedures once CPU temperatures exceed a user-defined preset range.)

First thing always to do after finished building, setting a CPU
cooler, is get there to that BIOS screen pronto to check to see your
work in fact works well, and nothing is going into melt-down.

Second time results at 25C on immediate boot. Takes awhile, something
more, for the CPU temperatures to gather heat and stabalize (from the
BIOS, that can actually be inconsequently different from heat/pwr the
OS/Windows/Speedfan maintains at idle). Awhile time subsequent turned
to 79F (according to SpeedFan - I'd possibly expect something slightly
more if going directly to the BIOS to reread after the system had sat
up for awhile).

Anyway - some things just never change. And SpeedFan is one of them.

 

[not_here.5.species8350]

My motherbaoard has blown and am looking for a repalacement. It can be second-hand or refurbished - the chepaer the better.



It is to replace a motherboard in a Dell Dimension E 520 (LGA 775, Pentium D 915 2.8GHz processor, chipset probably G965, power supply output 305W. Form factor BTX



I am considering the DEll motherboard, but I'd like something cheaper, mymachine is quite old.



Any references greatly received



PS. UK references

Paul,

I'll look at the Boot Sequence shortly.

I have noticed another difficulty.

I have a USB stick with another Linux OS installed. It is bootable.

I noticed that when the stick is inserted in the front usb ports on the tower that the BIOS sticks at one quarter the way across the screen. I have two usb connections on the monitor, one is running the mouse without a problem, But the second will not run that usb.

On the back of the tower I have the keyboard connected (usb) without a problem and the usb will run from the rear.

The test I did on the motherboard reported no faults. This board is reconditioned. It appears that something is not quite right somewhere.

Any suggestions?

I hope that these are only setup problems.

Regards