What the problem isn't: a pc mystery!

[rEdgar]

What follows is a bunch of symptoms that neither me or any other
computer tech buddy of mine could readily identify. Using the process
of elimination we found the following...

A week ago my computer shut down while I was using it. I proceeded to
press the power button to turn it back on to no avail. I saw it click
on for a split second some of the times I mashed the power button when
the LEDs briefly lit up...

I then took the powersupply out to look at it. There was a slight
smell in the case but no real smoke. Thinking the powersupply was the
problem I opened it and found nothing wrong. I placed it back in and
the computer turned on soon as I turn on the powersupply switch (as
in, I didnt even push the case power button) but it did not post. The
fans simply turned on and such but no beeps.

I then changed the power supply out with another working powersupply
and it wouldnt even get it to power up (and I knew it was a good PSU).
After pressing the case power button a few times I believe I heard a
pop noise which was either some breaker or the sound of a popping fuse
or something. What could cause that? Any ideas on the problem yet?
Let the confusion accumulate!

Now my computer still didnt post so I put the first psu back in and
removed the video card thinking the slot pooped. No avail. I took
the hardware out and put everything on another motherboard. No avail.
I switched different ram out. No avail. I tried a buddies brand new
power supply and it only got the board to turn on and the fans to run
(as my 1st PSU had); still no posting. After other small tests we
decided that the problem MUST be the processor. My main question now
is: does this scenario depict a general processor failure? Ive never
had one die.

My final thought is that this poor case might have something wrong
with it with its bumps and traveling its sustained. Based on the
process of elimination it seems cpu and maybe case. Any wisdom to
impart?

 

[Mike T.]

What follows is a bunch of symptoms that neither me or any other
computer tech buddy of mine could readily identify. Using the process
of elimination we found the following...

A week ago my computer shut down while I was using it. I proceeded to
press the power button to turn it back on to no avail. I saw it click
on for a split second some of the times I mashed the power button when
the LEDs briefly lit up...

I then took the powersupply out to look at it. There was a slight
smell in the case but no real smoke. Thinking the powersupply was the
problem I opened it and found nothing wrong. I placed it back in and
the computer turned on soon as I turn on the powersupply switch (as
in, I didnt even push the case power button) but it did not post. The
fans simply turned on and such but no beeps.

I then changed the power supply out with another working powersupply
and it wouldnt even get it to power up (and I knew it was a good PSU).
After pressing the case power button a few times I believe I heard a
pop noise which was either some breaker or the sound of a popping fuse
or something. What could cause that? Any ideas on the problem yet?
Let the confusion accumulate!

Now my computer still didnt post so I put the first psu back in and
removed the video card thinking the slot pooped. No avail. I took
the hardware out and put everything on another motherboard. No avail.
I switched different ram out. No avail. I tried a buddies brand new
power supply and it only got the board to turn on and the fans to run
(as my 1st PSU had); still no posting. After other small tests we
decided that the problem MUST be the processor. My main question now
is: does this scenario depict a general processor failure? Ive never
had one die.

My final thought is that this poor case might have something wrong
with it with its bumps and traveling its sustained. Based on the
process of elimination it seems cpu and maybe case. Any wisdom to
impart?

I've heard of similar problems caused by bad hard drives, though it's really
odd that I've never seen that in many thousands of PC repairs. Just tossing
it out, as I've read that a hard drive can go bad and cause symptoms like
you are describing. -Dave

 

[Willy Krogstad]

I've heard of similar problems caused by bad hard drives, though it's
really odd that I've never seen that in many thousands of PC repairs.
Just tossing it out, as I've read that a hard drive can go bad and cause
symptoms like you are describing. -Dave

My computer suddenly died a few weeks ago, and the sinner was a dead
DVD-drive. Nothing would run until i unplugged the power to that drive. So
since then my main computer is running without a built-in DVD-read/write.
That drive simply prevented the PSU to start.. probably a short circuit.


Willy

 

[Frank McCoy]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt "Willy Krogstad"

My computer suddenly died a few weeks ago, and the sinner was a dead
DVD-drive. Nothing would run until i unplugged the power to that drive. So
since then my main computer is running without a built-in DVD-read/write.
That drive simply prevented the PSU to start.. probably a short circuit.

Um ... The drive doesn't need to be shorted or even completely dead for
that to happen. What happens is: The system tries to load, finds a
drive out there, and tries to read specifications FROM the drive. If
the drive is truly bad (DVD or hard-disk) and doesn't respond, then the
BIOS or OS can hang forever trying to read the drive-type.

I've seen this happen with more than one drive; not just CD or DVD, but
various makes of hard-drive as well. Usually the drive is *really*
crashed by that time though; but rarely if ever shorted or otherwise
causing power problems. The evidence is that you can leave the power
connected but not the interface cable; and things will then work again.
Sometimes you can even see the drive power up.

It just doesn't do the proper handshake with the BIOS or OS.

 

[w_tom]

You still have no idea what is good. Fans can spin and yet voltages
are 100% defective. So you start blaming things? CPU is a least
likely failure items. You also have zero reasons to blame the CPU
because the list of items 'known good' is zero. Having tried to fix a
problem long before identifying a problem may have even exponentially
complicated the problem. Stop shotgunning.

Instead, get a 3.5 digit multimeter - a tool so ubiquitous as to be
sold in K-mart, Lowes, Wal-mart, Sears, Radio Shack, Home Depot, ...
anywhere that a technical person buys things. Start a procedure to
know what is or is not good. If the answer is not that definitive,
then time was wasted. Problems are broken down by not trying to fix
anything - yet. . Procedure to get numbers (collect essential facts)
is "When your computer dies without warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007
in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh
Those numbers not only exonerate or accuse a suspect. Numbers also
provide information so that the informed will reply.

Notice I did not say power supply. It is a 'system'. Power supply
is only one component of that 'system'. Having worked on it so long,
then you knew the many 'system' parts? That is the point. You still
have no idea of what constitutes a power supply 'system' AND you still
don't know which parts are good or bad. Why? No numbers.

Get the meter. Step through the computer one part at a time to
establish what is working. Two minutes with the meter. Even swapping
a power supply took many times longer - and you still learned
nothing. Use the procedure so that so many more decades of experience
can provide useful replies.

And don't blame the CPU. Don't disconnect or remove anything.
Properly trained computer repairmen would teach that immediately.
Disconnecting can only complicate a problem. You have zero reasons
(also called shotgunning) for making wild assumptions - such as a CPU
failure.