PC hardware problems

[fantasyknightmares]

Hi,

I've had my PC for the last 3-4 years now but recently ive been having
a couple of niggling annoying problems with it. The most serious of
which is that the PC powers up for 3-4 seconds then auto powers down.

My current System is as follows:

AMD 3000+ XP
2 x 512mb PC 2700 Corsair Memory (if i can remember rightly) lol
300 Watt PSU
X800 Radeon
MSI KT400 Motherboard

I have cleaned the PC of dust and the fans appear to be working fine
and have been cleared of dust and obstruction. The weird thing is if i
reset the BIOS with the JBAT1 Jumper it boots fine and i have to set
up all the BIOS settings. Anyone have any clue why it might be doing
this? All my BIOS settings are fine and have worked b4 it just seems
to be a recent issue.

On a lighter note im not sure if it has anything to do with the above
issue ever since i installed my radeon x800 occasionally the PC
refuses to boot and has a series of fast beeps that require me to
power down the PC and shuffle about the card in its AGP slot and this
usually resolves it although im not surely entirely if this is
directly whats making it work again.

If anyone could give me some advice on either issue i'd be most
appreciative.

Cheers

Malakei

 

[Malakei]

Oh yea i forgot to add. If i turn off the PC and turn back on within a
short space of time it is fine. However if i turn off the PC for the
night and goto bed and wake up 9 hours later the PC has the booting
off automatically problem which has to be resolved with clearing the
BIOS. Dunno if that info will be of any use to you but thought it
might be important to add.

 

[Yes Baby]

Oh yea i forgot to add. If i turn off the PC and turn back on within a
short space of time it is fine. However if i turn off the PC for the
night and goto bed and wake up 9 hours later the PC has the booting
off automatically problem which has to be resolved with clearing the
BIOS. Dunno if that info will be of any use to you but thought it
might be important to add.

what happens if you goto bed and don't sleep then get up 9 hours
later.....is it the same.

 

[Malakei]

what happens if you goto bed and don't sleep then get up 9 hours
later.....is it the same.

WTF? im just basically saying if i leave it for more than a few hours
it fuxx0rs up.

 

[MarkVarley - MVP]

Hi,

I've had my PC for the last 3-4 years now but recently ive been having
a couple of niggling annoying problems with it. The most serious of
which is that the PC powers up for 3-4 seconds then auto powers down.

My current System is as follows:

AMD 3000+ XP
2 x 512mb PC 2700 Corsair Memory (if i can remember rightly) lol
300 Watt PSU
X800 Radeon
MSI KT400 Motherboard

I have cleaned the PC of dust and the fans appear to be working fine
and have been cleared of dust and obstruction. The weird thing is if i
reset the BIOS with the JBAT1 Jumper it boots fine and i have to set
up all the BIOS settings. Anyone have any clue why it might be doing
this? All my BIOS settings are fine and have worked b4 it just seems
to be a recent issue.

On a lighter note im not sure if it has anything to do with the above
issue ever since i installed my radeon x800 occasionally the PC
refuses to boot and has a series of fast beeps that require me to
power down the PC and shuffle about the card in its AGP slot and this
usually resolves it although im not surely entirely if this is
directly whats making it work again.

If anyone could give me some advice on either issue i'd be most
appreciative.

Cheers

Malakei

1. update your Bios, check manufacturers website.
2. get some thermal paste and remove your cpu heatsink, clean it and
the chip, make sure the fan and heatsink fans are properly clean,
apply paste and reseat the heatsink. ensure fan spins freely.
3. remove, clean and reseat the RAM.(pins and socket, do not use
cleaning fluid)
4. remove, clean and reseat the graphics card (pins and socket, do not
use cleaning fluid)
5. remove power supply unit, open cover, clean heatsink and fan,
ensure fan spins freely. (make sure it's not plugged in!)
6. boot into bios, watch cpu temp in bios for 20 minutes or so, if it
hits 50's something is amiss. visually check all fans are spinning,
including psu.

this may help.

Mark.


--
Mark
www.markvarleyphoto.co.uk
www.twistedphotography.co.uk
www.twistedarts.co.uk
www.facelessladies.com
www.mvp-gallery.com
www.beautifulbondage.net



.................................................................
Posted via TITANnews - Uncensored Newsgroups Access-=Every Newsgroup - Anonymous, UNCENSORED, BROADBAND Downloads=-

 

[Linux Geek]

Oh yea i forgot to add. If i turn off the PC and turn back on within a
short space of time it is fine. However if i turn off the PC for the
night and goto bed and wake up 9 hours later the PC has the booting
off automatically problem which has to be resolved with clearing the
BIOS. Dunno if that info will be of any use to you but thought it
might be important to add.

Check the 3 Volt onboard battery.

--

__________________________________________________________________
Linux Geek

Saying that XP is the most stable MS OS is like saying that
asparagus is the most articulate vegetable. (Dave Barry)

 

[Yes Baby]

WTF? im just basically saying if i leave it for more than a few hours
it fuxx0rs up.

then why not just say that instead of taking us through your sleep
habits.........

there's no need for your course language either otherwise I wont help
you...........

 

[Jan Alter]

1. update your Bios, check manufacturers website.
2. get some thermal paste and remove your cpu heatsink, clean it and
the chip, make sure the fan and heatsink fans are properly clean,
apply paste and reseat the heatsink. ensure fan spins freely.
3. remove, clean and reseat the RAM.(pins and socket, do not use
cleaning fluid)
4. remove, clean and reseat the graphics card (pins and socket, do not
use cleaning fluid)
5. remove power supply unit, open cover, clean heatsink and fan,
ensure fan spins freely. (make sure it's not plugged in!)
6. boot into bios, watch cpu temp in bios for 20 minutes or so, if it
hits 50's something is amiss. visually check all fans are spinning,
including psu.

this may help.

Mark.

Hi,

After the PC powers down after 4 secs does anything happen if you push the
Power button on again? (Give it about 1 minute before pushing).


If it does start off by pushing the power button on the second boot (without
doing anything to the computer) then it most likely is the PS.

At this point I would avoid going to do anything to the cpu or HSF, but I
might also check the condition of the cmos battery. It should be 3V. Before
removing make sure you have made an account of the bios settings so you can
restore them once the battery is reinserted.

 

[Malakei]

Hi,

After the PC powers down after 4 secs does anything happen if you push the
Power button on again? (Give it about 1 minute before pushing).

If it does start off by pushing the power button on the second boot (without
doing anything to the computer) then it most likely is the PS.

At this point I would avoid going to do anything to the cpu or HSF, but I
might also check the condition of the cmos battery. It should be 3V. Before
removing make sure you have made an account of the bios settings so you can
restore them once the battery is reinserted.

--
Jan Alter
(e-mail address removed)
or
(e-mail address removed)12.pa.us- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I replaced the Battery - once ive pressed the power on button it boots
then auto shuts off then it wont turn back on again when i press the
power on button until i have cleared the BIOS settings.

 

[Yes Baby]

Hi,

I've had my PC for the last 3-4 years now but recently ive been having
a couple of niggling annoying problems with it. The most serious of
which is that the PC powers up for 3-4 seconds then auto powers down.

My current System is as follows:

AMD 3000+ XP
2 x 512mb PC 2700 Corsair Memory (if i can remember rightly) lol
300 Watt PSU
X800 Radeon
MSI KT400 Motherboard

I have cleaned the PC of dust and the fans appear to be working fine
and have been cleared of dust and obstruction. The weird thing is if i
reset the BIOS with the JBAT1 Jumper it boots fine and i have to set
up all the BIOS settings. Anyone have any clue why it might be doing
this? All my BIOS settings are fine and have worked b4 it just seems
to be a recent issue.

On a lighter note im not sure if it has anything to do with the above
issue ever since i installed my radeon x800 occasionally the PC
refuses to boot and has a series of fast beeps that require me to
power down the PC and shuffle about the card in its AGP slot and this
usually resolves it although im not surely entirely if this is
directly whats making it work again.

If anyone could give me some advice on either issue i'd be most
appreciative.

Cheers

Malakei

Do you have the card supplied with additional power from the PSU.....

Googling the spec for a X800 Radeon it states the card needs 300 watt PSU or
greater, it might just be that your 300 PSU does not quite come up to snuff.
Try a new PSU with an aux cable that connects direct to the card. Look at
the card manual.

 

[Jan Alter]

I replaced the Battery - once ive pressed the power on button it boots
then auto shuts off then it wont turn back on again when i press the
power on button until i have cleared the BIOS settings.

After reading a review of your graphics card I'm starting to think that you
may have an underpowered rig and need a larger power supply. Although you've
indicated that you have a 300 W supply already my guess is that it really
isn't and that's why the some-sometimes ability to boot, especially after
clearing the cmos. If this scenerio had not been happening before you
upgraded the video card and it began afterwards there's a reasonable
possibility that the graphics card is the reason for it with its power
requirements. Try a 400 W supply and you may really have the minimum power
you need to run it with that card.


http://reviews.cnet.com/graphics-cards/ati-radeon-x800-xt/4505-8902_7-30871661.html

 

[Sleepy]

after seeing your PC specs I agree with Jan - first thing that came to my
mind was that the PSU is inadequate for that rig. trouble is an inadequate
PSU can also affect the mobo. get a new 400w decent brand PSU and pray you
havent done any real damage to the mobo.

 

[w_tom]

I replaced the Battery - once ive pressed the power on button it boots
then auto shuts off then it wont turn back on again when i press the
power on button until i have cleared the BIOS settings

My car will not start. So I changed the oil and vacuumed out the
trunk. It still will not start. That is what you have done. But a
3.5 digit multimeter and 10 seconds would have made obvious the
battery was not defecive. Welcome to the world of shotgunning where
we replace parts until something only appears to work.

Two minutes with the same 3.5 digit meter (so complicated as to be
sold even in K-mart) would either identify the failure immediately OR
attract useful replies from better informed posters. Why so few
useful replies? Because your replies will only be as useful as facts
provided. That means numbers.

Get the meter. Power up sysetm. Important in your case are four
measurements on one of each orange, red, puple, and yellow wires
between power supply and motherboard. Or you can keep replacing
parts until something appears to work. Better is to obtain numbers
for those wires as described in "When your computer dies without
warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp
at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

It will take longer to open the case and longer to boot the
computer. Get those numbers especially when computer is performing
more complex graphics such as watching a movie. Post those numbers
here. Obtain replies that are not speculation.

Let's assume you get a new supply. Is it sufficiently sized? Some
500 watt supplies are really only 350 watts - sometimes less. But an
undersized (defective) supply may still boot a computer. Same four
wire measurements are necessary to confirm the new supply can provide
sufficient power. There is no other way to make that confirmation
other than to wait for intermittent falures to reappear in two
months. Get numbers using a meter. Stop wasting time by shotgunning
a battery, thermal cream, power cord, and so many other 'yet to be
posted' suggestions.

 

[Jan Alter]

My car will not start. So I changed the oil and vacuumed out the
trunk. It still will not start. That is what you have done. But a
3.5 digit multimeter and 10 seconds would have made obvious the
battery was not defecive. Welcome to the world of shotgunning where
we replace parts until something only appears to work.

Two minutes with the same 3.5 digit meter (so complicated as to be
sold even in K-mart) would either identify the failure immediately OR
attract useful replies from better informed posters. Why so few
useful replies? Because your replies will only be as useful as facts
provided. That means numbers.

Get the meter. Power up sysetm. Important in your case are four
measurements on one of each orange, red, puple, and yellow wires
between power supply and motherboard. Or you can keep replacing
parts until something appears to work. Better is to obtain numbers
for those wires as described in "When your computer dies without
warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp
at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

It will take longer to open the case and longer to boot the
computer. Get those numbers especially when computer is performing
more complex graphics such as watching a movie. Post those numbers
here. Obtain replies that are not speculation.

Let's assume you get a new supply. Is it sufficiently sized? Some
500 watt supplies are really only 350 watts - sometimes less. But an
undersized (defective) supply may still boot a computer. Same four
wire measurements are necessary to confirm the new supply can provide
sufficient power. There is no other way to make that confirmation
other than to wait for intermittent falures to reappear in two
months. Get numbers using a meter. Stop wasting time by shotgunning
a battery, thermal cream, power cord, and so many other 'yet to be
posted' suggestions.

The point that the OP made from the beginning was that when he resets the
cmos the machine will start. That does not indicate a faulty PS problem. The
fact that the problems began when he changed the graphics card give
reasonable suggestion that the PS is underpowered for using that card when
one reads that a minimum 300 w PS is needed to power the card. Check out the
site indicated in my first post for the card's power requirements.

 

[John Doe]

Get the meter. Power up sysetm.

Do not mess with the inside of your computer when it is powered on.

Instead, do an author history on w_tom to see what others think about
the repetitive trollish advice he frequently gives (especially about
surge suppressors). In my opinion, the most educational rebuttal is in
the electronics design group.

 

[Frank McCoy]

Do not mess with the inside of your computer when it is powered on.

Did once ... twice ... three times ... The fifth time I regretted it.
With modern computers, when you trash a chip, you trash the whole board.

 

[w_tom]

The point that the OP made from the beginning was that when he resets the
cmos the machine will start. That does not indicate a faulty PS problem. The
fact that the problems began when he changed the graphics card give
reasonable suggestion that the PS is underpowered for using that card when
one reads that a minimum 300 w PS is needed to power the card. Check out the
site indicated in my first post for the card's power requirements.

If a reset CMOS permitted the computer to start, then its power
supply 'system' is irrelevant. But since problems started after
installing a new video card, then supply 'system' is relevant and CMOS
is irrelevant. Which is it? We have 1) contradictory information,
and 2) information only sufficient to speculate. Nothing was
identified definitively. Any 'repairs' based upon that information is
called shotgunning. Even the web site only suggests a suspect -
provide nothing definitive.

If making a bet on a roulette table, then I would say the video card
needs a heftier power supply; that CMOS symptoms are only coincidental
ghosts. But with no definitivel facts, then those symptoms only
suggest where to put a meter probe first. Currently we have no facts,
contradictory symptoms, and wild speculation. Currently we have no
posts from the OP with numbers - and that is a problem.

With numbers then definitive replies - no speculation - would be
possible.

We would retrain people to stop wasting time on a roulette table.
Instead, "follow the evidence". All of this could have been answered
in a first post without any speculation if using the 3.5 digit
multimeter - and only two minutes. Either the OP has an answer
immediately or better informed posters have numbers to post a
definitive answer. Both existing without speculation and
significantly less time - if taking two minutes with the meter.

Also watts for an entire supply says little. Watts for each voltage
are relevant. Just another fact that would be apparent is using the
meter.

That same tool - the meter - would have eliminated wasted time and
money suspecting a perfectly good CMOS battery. An answer obtained in
ten seconds by using the meter.

Finally, if he does replace the power supply, then is that supply
sufficient? No one can say. More speculation. Same supply that is
400 watts by one manufacturer is only 280 watts by another. And
neither lied.

An undersized or 100% defective supply can still boot a computer. So
is the new supply good? Better trained technicians use a multimeter
to perform a full load test - confirm in less than two minutes that a
new supply is good and is sufficiently sized. Find problems before a
failure results months later.

Meter means definitive answers: "follow the evidence". It means
newsgroup replies are useful - no wild speculation answers. It means
a suspect is identified immediately. It means no shotgunning -
replacing so many good parts until something works. And it results in
answers that say 'why' failure happened.

 

[Jan Alter]

If a reset CMOS permitted the computer to start, then its power
supply 'system' is irrelevant. But since problems started after
installing a new video card, then supply 'system' is relevant and CMOS
is irrelevant. Which is it? We have 1) contradictory information,
and 2) information only sufficient to speculate. Nothing was
identified definitively. Any 'repairs' based upon that information is
called shotgunning. Even the web site only suggests a suspect -
provide nothing definitive.

If making a bet on a roulette table, then I would say the video card
needs a heftier power supply; that CMOS symptoms are only coincidental
ghosts. But with no definitivel facts, then those symptoms only
suggest where to put a meter probe first. Currently we have no facts,
contradictory symptoms, and wild speculation. Currently we have no
posts from the OP with numbers - and that is a problem.

With numbers then definitive replies - no speculation - would be
possible.

We would retrain people to stop wasting time on a roulette table.
Instead, "follow the evidence". All of this could have been answered
in a first post without any speculation if using the 3.5 digit
multimeter - and only two minutes. Either the OP has an answer
immediately or better informed posters have numbers to post a
definitive answer. Both existing without speculation and
significantly less time - if taking two minutes with the meter.

Also watts for an entire supply says little. Watts for each voltage
are relevant. Just another fact that would be apparent is using the
meter.

That same tool - the meter - would have eliminated wasted time and
money suspecting a perfectly good CMOS battery. An answer obtained in
ten seconds by using the meter.

Finally, if he does replace the power supply, then is that supply
sufficient? No one can say. More speculation. Same supply that is
400 watts by one manufacturer is only 280 watts by another. And
neither lied.

An undersized or 100% defective supply can still boot a computer. So
is the new supply good? Better trained technicians use a multimeter
to perform a full load test - confirm in less than two minutes that a
new supply is good and is sufficiently sized. Find problems before a
failure results months later.

Meter means definitive answers: "follow the evidence". It means
newsgroup replies are useful - no wild speculation answers. It means
a suspect is identified immediately. It means no shotgunning -
replacing so many good parts until something works. And it results in
answers that say 'why' failure happened.

The assumption on your part is that everyone ought to be as handy with a
multimeter as yourself to avoid shotgunning at all costs. So you're either
suggesting everyone be multimeter educated for efficiency's sake or standing
there and gloating that there's really only one way to skin a cat. On
occasion I don't mind 'shotgunning' at the answer from what I've seen or
read instead of following diagnostic procedure. It's more romantic.

By the way, how would you determine with a multimeter exactly how many watts
his PS can put out on that system?

 

[w_tom]

The assumption on your part is that everyone ought to be as handy with a
multimeter as yourself to avoid shotgunning at all costs. So you're either
suggesting everyone be multimeter educated for efficiency's sake or standing
there and gloating that there's really only one way to skin a cat. ...

By the way, how would you determine with a multimeter exactly how many watts
his PS can put out on that system?

My assumption: if an iPod is too complex, then one should not even
open a computer. A multimeter is even simpler than an iPod and maybe
five times less expensive. Why does Jan fear a meter? One must have
the technical abilities of a K-mart shopper to use a meter. But then
even 12 year olds can use them. This is not mockery. Those who do not
fear would get the meter - and learn. As the Japanese so often said,
don't work harder; work smarter. We are talking about Americans who
so want to stay ignorant as to even surrender their jobs to foreigners
rather than learn.

Two minutes with that procedure and a meter accomplishes two
things. One: says what is or is not definitively bad. Two: provides
numbers so that informed posters will reply. Based upon information
provided, only those who never learned electricity would reply - and
recommend shotgunning.

From Jan's statements, you have already decided the meter is not
useful even though you have no idea what it does. Your own question
says you don't understand simplest electrical concepts. People who
don't know will routinely shotgun. Car mechanics who shotgun find
themselves unemployed quickly. BTW, what is a first tool for each
student in first year auto mechanic school? A multimeter.

Either you want to learn or you want to argue. If you want to
learn, well, trivial money in Sear, Tru-Value Hardware, Lowes, Radio
Shack, Wal-mart, Home Depot .... well, where are meters *not*
sold? Multimeter is so simple as to be sold in every 'guy' store.
Why do you so fear?

Had the OP taken numbers using a meter, then the very next post
would answer questons in his first post. IOW do as in CSI, "Follow
the evidence." They also do not shotgun.

How does a meter report sufficient watts? With minimal electrical
knowledge, Jan would not ask that question. And that is my point.
Jan recommends solutions to an electrical problem and yet don't even
know simplest electrical concepts.

Technical ignorance is so common that some, without any idea how
electricity works, would rather argue than learn. No wonder Silicon
Valley need so many immigrants - people who do not fear to learn. One
who does not even know how electricity works is recommending supply
'system' solution? Jan - you did not even know the 'system' is more
than just a power supply. You did not know that a good power supply
in one system can appear completely defective in another. You did not
know that a 100% defective power supply can boot a computer just fine
- and cause failures months later. All those things would be common
knowledge; learned by fixing computers with a meter.

The OP's solution is described in "When your computer dies without
warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp
at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

 

[John Doe]

w_tom <w_tom1 usa.net> wrote:

....

Technical ignorance is so common

Or in w_tom's case, trolling with the possible intent of doing harm to
others and their possessions.

Search the USENET archive for author "w_tom", and a term like
"surge suppressor". In my opinion, the best rebuttals to w_tom's
maliciousness/stupidity/whatever are in the electronics design group.

Good luck and have fun.