Please diagnose my problem!

[Jabba]

Hi,

I was merrily using my PC when suddenly it gave me a blue screen of death.
This is what it said

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

There was more stuff though unfortunately I've forgotten it now.

So I restart and it wont even get to the post screen and the motherboard is
beeping. It's a constant beeping, about a 1 second long beep followed by
approximately a 1 second pause and then beeps again - and it does this
continuously.

So after lots of restarting, turning off and leaving for a while then trying
again, it went to the BIOS page and under the CPU settings it said something
like your CPU is running too fast...

From what I've read when looking up this problem it seems it could be a
power problem (or at least that is what people have said on forums).

I tried another power supply but I still get the beeping and no post screen.
MY LCD monitor doesn't even appear to be getting a signal.

I pulled out my RAM and still got the same beeping so I guess the problem
occurs before a RAM check is made.

My motherboard is an ASUS A7V8-X. My CPU IS an AMD 2600+

Any help much appreciated!

 

[Bob Day]

Hi,

I was merrily using my PC when suddenly it gave me a blue screen of death.
This is what it said

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

There was more stuff though unfortunately I've forgotten it now.

So I restart and it wont even get to the post screen and the motherboard is
beeping. It's a constant beeping, about a 1 second long beep followed by
approximately a 1 second pause and then beeps again - and it does this
continuously.

That's called the "beep code". It can mean a lot. What is
the *exact* sequence of long and short beeps?

So after lots of restarting, turning off and leaving for a while then trying
again, it went to the BIOS page and under the CPU settings it said something
like your CPU is running too fast...

What *exactly* does it say?

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[Jabba]

Thanks for the speedy reply!

That's called the "beep code". It can mean a lot. What is
the *exact* sequence of long and short beeps?

beeeep........beeeep........beeeep........beeeep........beeeep........beeeep
(ad infinitum [or about 15seconds which is all I can stand to hear before
turning it off!])

Imagine each beeeep to last about a second and the same for the pause. Only
one type of beep sounds.

What *exactly* does it say?

Unfortunately I can no longer access the BIOS to check because as soon as I
turn on the PC I get the beep code and nothing shows on my monitor.

Once, when it for some reason decided to load up normally, it got to just
after the XP loading screen then restarted itself to go into its beeping
ritual.

 

[Bob]

Unfortunately I can no longer access the BIOS to check because as soon as I
turn on the PC I get the beep code and nothing shows on my monitor.

Once, when it for some reason decided to load up normally, it got to just
after the XP loading screen then restarted itself to go into its beeping
ritual.

Use this as a convenient rationalization to build a new machine. If
you are on a budget you can put a new mainboard in for under $100 and
use the other components, assuming they are not broken.

Your purchase of new components will help stimulate the depressed IT
economy which is a much better use of your money than letting some
banker get rich lending it out at 19% to some credit card holder.

Tell your wife and kids you intend to die financially flat. That way
you will find out just how much they really love you.

 

[Bob Day]

Thanks for the speedy reply!

That's called the "beep code". It can mean a lot. What is
the *exact* sequence of long and short beeps?

beeeep........beeeep........beeeep........beeeep........beeeep........beeeep
(ad infinitum [or about 15seconds which is all I can stand to hear before
turning it off!])

Imagine each beeeep to last about a second and the same for the pause. Only
one type of beep sounds.

Possibly your cpu is overheating. Open the case and make
sure all the fans are working.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[Jabba]

Use this as a convenient rationalization to build a new machine. If
you are on a budget you can put a new mainboard in for under $100 and
use the other components, assuming they are not broken.

So you reckon there's no hope for the motherboard then.

I would be keen to build a new machine with a super new motherboard however
I have an AGP Geforce 6800 and from my limited understanding I believe most
new mobo's re going the way of PCI-E.

I suppose if there's no hope then I'll have to get another motherboard, I
just thought (hoped) the problem might be easily fixable somehow.

 

[Jabba]

Possibly your cpu is overheating. Open the case and make
sure all the fans are working.

Interestingly enough the day before I was trying to remove the heatsink to
put some silver thermal paste on the cpu because I had been getting temps of
107ºC!!! I wasn't able to remove it in the end because I thought if i
pushed/pulled any harder I was liable to break something - maybe I did
unwittingly and now it's manifested itself in this problem - though seems a
bit strange how it would take a while to appear.

I don't think however that the problem is with the CPU heating because that
time I managed to get into the BIOS the CPU temp was reported at around 32ºC
plus I have the sides and top off the case.

 

[Bob Day]

Interestingly enough the day before I was trying to remove the heatsink to put some silver thermal paste on the cpu because I had
been getting temps of 107ºC!!! I wasn't able to remove it in the end because I thought if i pushed/pulled any harder I was liable
to break something - maybe I did unwittingly and now it's manifested itself in this problem - though seems a bit strange how it
would take a while to appear.

I don't think however that the problem is with the CPU heating because that time I managed to get into the BIOS the CPU temp was
reported at around 32ºC plus I have the sides and top off the case.

Something is wrong with your cpu heatsink assembly and
the temperature monitor . A real 107C would have killed
your cpu long ago, and 32C is much too low for an AMD 2600+.
I think you definitely need to redo the thermal interface. I would
not believe the readings you're getting.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[Jabba]

Something is wrong with your cpu heatsink assembly and
the temperature monitor . A real 107C would have killed
your cpu long ago, and 32C is much too low for an AMD 2600+.
I think you definitely need to redo the thermal interface. I would
not believe the readings you're getting.

The 32ºC was when I'd just turned it on after a period of it being switched
off.

I'm going to have another go at getting the heatsink off, hopefully this
time I'll have more success.

 

[Jabba]

Anyone know how to remove a heatsink which looks like this?

(I know it does look distgustingly filthy - no wonder it was getting so hot
with all that fluff in there!)
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8986/pict00430jc.jpg

close up: http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/7165/hs24oz.jpg

I've tried pressing down on the latch thing but then it seems you need to
bend the two metal side bits out so they can pass over the white bits, but
even then it doesn't seem to want to move.

The other side of the heatsink doesnt have that part on.

 

[Bob]

I suppose if there's no hope then I'll have to get another motherboard, I
just thought (hoped) the problem might be easily fixable somehow.

Maybe there is, but face it - you have a very serious problem with
something. Do you want to live with that even though you managed to
patch things temporarily?

How old is the mainboard anyway. The electrolytics self destruct
somewhere around 5 years. I had to replace mine a few months ago after
6 years service.

 

[Bob Day]

Anyone know how to remove a heatsink which looks like this?

(I know it does look distgustingly filthy - no wonder it was getting so hot
with all that fluff in there!)
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8986/pict00430jc.jpg

close up: http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/7165/hs24oz.jpg

I've tried pressing down on the latch thing but then it seems you need to
bend the two metal side bits out so they can pass over the white bits, but
even then it doesn't seem to want to move.

The other side of the heatsink doesnt have that part on.

I can't quite tell from the picture, but if there is a recess for
a slotted screwdriver, insert the screwdriver, press down,
and then, as you said, "bend the two metal side bits out so
they can pass over the white bits". --> NOTE : If there is
no resess for a slotted screwdriver, wait for advice from
someone who knows better than I.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

 

[badgolferman]

Jabba, 8/19/2005, 11:58:53 AM,

Anyone know how to remove a heatsink which looks like this?

(I know it does look distgustingly filthy - no wonder it was getting
so hot with all that fluff in there!)
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8986/pict00430jc.jpg

close up: http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/7165/hs24oz.jpg

I've tried pressing down on the latch thing but then it seems you
need to bend the two metal side bits out so they can pass over the
white bits, but even then it doesn't seem to want to move.

The other side of the heatsink doesnt have that part on.

You push down to release from tab and then pull out away from tab.

 

[Bob]

107ºC!!!

That's ridiculous. The CPU should have shut down way before then.

You need a new mainboard, new CPU, new RAM.

 

[Bob]

32C is much too low for an AMD 2600+.

Why? What does it usually run at?

My 2.4 GHz Celeron D runs 36-38C at idle with the Retail Box
heatsink/fan.

 

[Sleepy]

Anyone know how to remove a heatsink which looks like this?

(I know it does look distgustingly filthy - no wonder it was getting so
hot
with all that fluff in there!)
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8986/pict00430jc.jpg

close up: http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/7165/hs24oz.jpg

I've tried pressing down on the latch thing but then it seems you need to
bend the two metal side bits out so they can pass over the white bits, but
even then it doesn't seem to want to move.

you grip that latch with a pair of long nose pliers and slowly push down
about
a millimeter and lever it outwards to come past the white plastic flanges.

clean up the heatsink and refit it with fresh thermal paste - it didnt look
that bad
and certainly not bad enough to cause 107c temperatures - dont know what was
going on there. My older brother once cooked an XP2400 in 2 seconds by
testing
it without the heatsink properly fitted - he just held the heatsink in place
by hand without
fitting the clips and switched on - my point is that high temps can kill a
CPU real fast and that
may have happened to you. Refit the heatsink, reset the bios, cross your
fngers and switch on.

 

[Bob]

I'm going to have another go at getting the heatsink off, hopefully this
time I'll have more success.

When I upgraded my AMD CPU to a better heat sink, I discovered that
the bastards had *glued* the Retail Box heatsink on. Since I had to
replace the CPU anyway, I used excessive force to get it off. But take
it out of the socket or you will wreck the carrier.

 

[Bob]

Anyone know how to remove a heatsink which looks like this?

As I mentioned in the previous post, it is possible the heat sink has
been literally *glued* to the chip carrier.

(I know it does look distgustingly filthy - no wonder it was getting so hot
with all that fluff in there!)
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8986/pict00430jc.jpg
close up: http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/7165/hs24oz.jpg

Good Grief! No wonder you overheated. You will need to blow that crap
out with dry compressed air. But be careful with the fan because you
can spin it to extreme speeds with compressed air, and if you touch it
while spinning you will break the fragile blades off.

I've tried pressing down on the latch thing but then it seems you need to
bend the two metal side bits out so they can pass over the white bits, but
even then it doesn't seem to want to move.

The other side of the heatsink doesnt have that part on.

It sounds like it has been glued on. That's AMD's cute little trick to
make sure the end user doesn't take the heat sink off and void the
warranty.

 

[Muttley]

I can't quite tell from the picture, but if there is a recess for
a slotted screwdriver, insert the screwdriver, press down, and then, as
you said, "bend the two metal side bits out so they can pass over the
white bits". --> NOTE : If there is no resess for a slotted screwdriver,
wait for advice from
someone who knows better than I.

-- Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com

Looking at the close up picture, it appears that there is a recess/hook for
a slotted screwdriver immediately above the centre "white bit" (as you
called them).

Just be sure that you use a screwdriver that fits snugly between the two
side wings, and be extremely careful when attempting to undo the clip.
If the screwdriver slips out and hits/scratches the motherboard, the board
will most likely be ruined...
Also, take care that the clip doesn't scratch the tracks on the motherboard
either... There is a small piece of plastic stuck to the board under the
clip to protect the board, but it's not wide enough to cover the full width
of the clip on this heatsink...

John S.

 

[VWWall]

It sounds like it has been glued on. That's AMD's cute little trick to
make sure the end user doesn't take the heat sink off and void the
warranty.

Huh! Every AMD CPU I've seen in the "retail package" comes with the
heat-sink/fan separate from the CPU. They come with a "phase change"
tape for mounting to the CPU, which can become "glued" after some time.
In any case, it's not AMD doing anything to "glue" the heat-sink!

Many people advise replacing the "tape" with thermal compound. I've had
both tape and compound give proper temperatures. Of course if you
remove the heat-sink for any reason, the "tape" residue must be scraped
off and replaced with thermal compound.