It's not the power supply because the fan comes on and the DVD and HDD spin up and all the li'l lights blink.
It's not the video card because I swapped with a friend and it still doesn't work, and besides, I should hear sound if the video card is bad, and I don't.
There are no error beep codes so no go there.
I reseated the RAM and CPU to no effect. In fact, I *removed* the CPU to see if there was a beep code, and nothing. However, the fan did come on at a speed far greater than that of normal. I don't get that.
So - motherboard, I'm thinking. Right? I don't want to spend the money if it's not that.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
The fan sped up? The only reason that would happen is if it's getting more voltage than it should. That implies that whatever's regulating its voltage is shot. Is it connected to the PS or the mobo?
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I feel your pain- my computer is also deceased. Missing System 32 file and the CD drive is not working for a re-install and the fan is not running.
I've never tried a repair place for computers- it seems kinda hit and miss.
I'm in serious Adobe Withdrawl 2.0
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
It's connected to the mobo, and the weird thing is, the fan speeds up when the CPU is not in the socket, but spins normally when it is.
I'm in major "widescreen orgasmic Compiz plugins Linux Linux Linux" withdrawal. Repair places suck. My mom used to take our computer there because she just didn't trust that I could fix the thing, and I remember once they charged her $60 to run the automated restore disk. $60 to stick a disk in and reboot. Fuck, I gotta start a computer repair service...
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Hey, I'd GLADLY pay some bozo $60 to restore my computer at this point- local outlet stores Comp USA and Best Buy want $120 just to re-install XP- with my CD no less!
No idea if they'll give the mechanic routine of "Gosh, we need to replace your whole transmission to fix you busted tail-light". If so, I'm cool with tossing my tower through their assinine "Geeksquad" van's windshield.
I sooo want to photoshop again...and to make decals in Illustrator for my models (which I've not been building lately anyway, but still).
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Well, you could just do it yourself...it really isn't hard to reinstall Windows. It just takes..fucking...forever. Ubuntu takes 10 minutes. Windows takes an entire dedicated evening.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Could it be the computer is fine and your monitor is shot?
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
No, the monitor's brand new and works fine on any other computer.
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
I had a very similar problem and I'm trying to remember how I fixed it...oh yeah, I built a new one. Worked like a charm.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Well if I had more than $68 to my name I'd try that. Oh, and a confirmed shipping address so NewEgg would actually ship something to me. I can't even find a motherboard on *eBay* that's got what I need it to have.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Sounds to me like you need a new motherboard. Could be the PS, but I'm voting motherboard. I take it you don't have any other computers you can work with, swap out parts and get a firmer diagnosis?
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Nothing compatible. I could check with my friends and see if anybody's got a CPU for socket AM2 that I could swap out, but I don't think anyone else has an ATX psu.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by Daniel Butler: Well, you could just do it yourself...it really isn't hard to reinstall Windows. It just takes..fucking...forever. Ubuntu takes 10 minutes. Windows takes an entire dedicated evening.
Er...the CD drive is not working- thus no re-install via CD. I tried to do it via USB but no go.
quote:Originally posted by Daniel Butler: No, the monitor's brand new and works fine on any other computer.
What about the Virgina? sorry, obscure Civil War pun, there
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
COUGH *merrimack* COUGH
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
COUGH *sameship* COUGH
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
Exactly.
If I have my facts right, the Virginia was built upon the hull of a damaged and captured union ship, the Merrimack.
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
Not merely damaged, but burned to the waterline and sunk. The Confederates raised and rebuilt her into the ironclad ram CSS Virginia.
Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
It's them DAAYAM YAHNKEEES that insist on calling the Virginia "Merrimack".
The Battle of Hampton Roads was a two day battle (March 8-9, 1862) that involved multiple Union and Confederate ships. On the first day of battle the Ironclad vessel CSS Virginia steamed out and sank two wooden Union frigates blockading the harbor (USS Cumberland & USS Congress) and forcing the USS Minnesota to run aground. The next day the Ironclad USS Monitor arrived and what ensued was the first battle between ironclad warships. It was also the first use of a turret on a warship in battle. Neither side was able to sink the opposing vessel and both withdrew claiming victory.
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
Without the turret, the Monitor would have been technically inferior to the Virginia in terms of firepower. The Virginia had 10 or 12 guns, all in fixed mounts, but the Monitor had only 2, in the turret. Wasn't the Monitor sunk soon after by a storm?
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
So, the computers are as dead as the Virginia/Merrimac/Cumberland/Congress/Minnesota?
Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sean: Without the turret, the Monitor would have been technically inferior to the Virginia in terms of firepower. The Virginia had 10 or 12 guns, all in fixed mounts, but the Monitor had only 2, in the turret. Wasn't the Monitor sunk soon after by a storm?
Yes, she was caught in a gale and sunk. The Monitor only had a foot or two of freeboard so she was not a real seagoing vessel, more of a river/coastal boat.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
So my computer needs a new gun turret? Or wait, I have to buy an...ironclad video card...?
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Maybe you should spend valuable resources on upgarding it to the pinnicle of performance as a morale boost, only to lose the war anyway. (yours would be a war against tech-obsolensence).
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Mine would be the war against < 100fps in Dawn of War.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: I feel your pain- my computer is also deceased. Missing System 32 file and the CD drive is not working for a re-install and the fan is not running.
I've never tried a repair place for computers- it seems kinda hit and miss.
I'm in serious Adobe Withdrawl 2.0
You could try to download that missing file off the interwebz and putting it in the system32 folder, I've had to do that a couple times. Just be careful what you download and make sure you check it.
I just got my machine running again after a week of crappiness. Got a virus that wouldn't let me open certain windows. When I got rid of the virus the problem didn't go away, I eventually tracked it down to a corrupt gdi32.dll system file. I was going to download it and try to manually replace the bad file but I couldn't open regedit because it depended on this file to run. Dammit...
So one complete system restore later it started working, but my internet was shot. And after a freak power outage my internet suddenly started working again go figure. Oh well, I'm scraping together some cash for a new machine so I can toss this one off the deck.
Posted by bX (Member # 419) on :
COUGH *buyamack* COUGH
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
Why would he want a large truck?
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
To run over his dead PC?
Posted by HopefulNebula (Member # 1933) on :
One of the first things I look for in warranties is "defenestration." Mostly because I love the word, and partly because I like to keep my options open.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
I've thought about a Mac but really, I prefer Linux, and cloned IBM hardware is cheaper than Mac hardware (although it really doesn't make a difference which you use from The Mighty Portable Linux's point of view).
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I cant get behind buying a Mac- any company that makes computers that look like Hello Kitty accessories is just wrong in a fundamental way. Also, that fucking happy face...
Not that irrational hatred for some brand is helping my dead computer- I cant add to my System 32 folder because it wont boot shit- seriously: no safe mode booting, not last good version, no system restore...
Posted by bX (Member # 419) on :
Yeah. I'm pretty sure I've restarted this thing this month. Not sure, honestly. Musta been too busy using it. No, but you're right, that happy face/Hello Kitty shit is really a problem.
Daniel: So VM Ware Fusion would let you virtualize a variety of Linux distros (along with XP/Vista) with the advantages of freezing images, etc. Or multiboot.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
Or I could use robust and open-source virtualization software like qemu and VirtualBox instead of the proprietary VMWare and run MacOSX on my Linux box I generally restart about a half-dozen times per year, by the way. Pretty much only on a kernel upgrade. My friend's Linux server had an uptime of almost two years once.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by bX: Yeah. I'm pretty sure I've restarted this thing this month. Not sure, honestly. Musta been too busy using it. No, but you're right, that happy face/Hello Kitty shit is really a problem.
Dont make be break out the Arari 2600 on your ass!