Computers and the People They Hate

[astuarlen]

Rrrrr, so ticked off at my computer right now. It decided to commit suicide this Friday, the day before I left for semester break. I was finally gonna be able to work on my own art and stuff... haha, not now.
Basically, I've spent the last few days trawling for info online, performing useless surgery on its guts, and obsessively checking for replies to my post on a troubleshooting forum. Whee.
Damned thing turns on--all the fans start whirring merrily, harddrive spins up, CD/DVD drive responds--but it won't pass POST. I think I've got it down to the motherboard, CPU, or video card, but that's where I hit a wall, 'cause I don't have spares of any of that stuff stashed in my closet. Rawr.
Rawr rawr urgh.

I'm hopping mad. I mean, I would be if I weren't sitting down.

And I've already been through machine check exception hell with this box of electrical doodoo (thankfully, I finally got that solved).

It kind of kills me that my baby, whose organs I took me an agonizingly long time to choose and collect and assemble, has been such a pain. Can't help but wonder if it's not my fault, even though logically I know it's probably not.

Anyway, I guess it's kind of pathetic that I can't quit obsessing over the damnable thing, but all my art and my music is on there and those are my most valuable possessions.

So, grr to you, computer. I would break your face if you had one, but I'd rather get you fixed up.

angryfaces here]

[KojiroAK]

Hope the HDD isn't defect.

Otherwise you should still be able to get a extern HDD sled.
(you know one of those where you can insert the HDD and connect it via USB)

[Leviathan]

ouch. hehe, i have to fix ALL of my friends computers because theirs hate them but absolutely adore me. <<guess i have the nerds touch. ;]>> sorry for that happening, but it happens...

[Blitzkommando]

On 2006-12-17 11:22, KojiroAK wrote:
Hope the HDD isn't defect.

Otherwise you should still be able to get a extern HDD sled.
(you know one of those where you can insert the HDD and connect it via USB)


If the computer is not even posting, then it's definitely not the harddrive causing the error as it's not even being accessed yet.

If it were the processor you should get some additional response out of the machine. I had a motherboard go out in March and it was very similar problems but I was able to swap parts between machines and deduced it was in fact the motherboard that had failed.

I'm sure you've already done it but just in case have you completely removed the battery from the board to do a complete reset of the BIOS? Make sure the machine is completely unplugged as well if you haven't. Sometimes that's what it takes but unfortunately it sounds like you say that the board or CPU went.

I'm leaning away from video card because you didn't mention if the harddrive was active or not after turning it on. If it is active and the machine sounds like it is booting, or at least doing something, then it could be the card. If not I feel fairly confident the card can be ruled out.

[astuarlen]

Thanks for taking an interest, Norvekh. I didn't go into much detail since this was posted in rants, rather than as a tech support request, but I certainly won't refuse advice!

It is NOT the harddrive (I swapped it into my brother's computer successfully). Voltages on the PSU are ok. And, yes, I did clear the CMOS to no avail. Also have tried booting without usb devices, CD/DVD, monitor... no dice.
As I mentioned briefly in the original post, all the chassis fans, the chipset fan, processor fan, and video card fan start, the harddrive starts, the chassis and motherboard lights turn on, and I can open/shut the CD/DVD drive (it also appeared to try to read a CD I inserted); however, the monitor is totally nonresponsive, as are keyboard, mouse, and tablet. This all started after my computer randomly froze up Friday morning. Rrrrr.
I really want to test the video card hypothesis, but since I don't have onboard video (and the only other card around here is my brother's AGP [mine's PCI-Ex] that's not possible.

>:{
I fear that if I cannot use my computer for half of my semester break, I'll become homicidal.
Angry astuarlen. >:{

[Blue-Hawk]

It's not a vid card issue. ESPECIALLY if you get any type of text on the monitor at all. Might it be a bad/fried stick of system ram? Also, when turning on the pc, do you get a series of 3 beeps? If you do, then it could be the processor. Happened to my friend a month ago. Either that, it it might be something as simple as the monitor going. You know, it's ALWAYS the simplest of solutions that's overlooked first.

[Blitzkommando]

Ah, okay. Well, if you can find someone with a cheap old PCI video card (assuming you have at least one PCI slot I'm sure) you could use it in attempts to boot and remove all other cards from the machine while doing so. That would give you a pretty clear idea whether it is the motherboard or not. The keyboard and mouse not responding says to me it is probably (not certain, but based on personal experience) the motherboard. I've had a couple bad motherboards but I've not had a CPU go bad from running stock settings before athough it is possible I highly doubt it. I'm pretty certain based on what you've said that it is the motherboard which should (in theory) be cheaper than the processor.

Do you know of anyone that would be willing to help you by switching components with your system and their own system? I feel that is basically the only way to conclusively prove it without simply RMA'ing the board for another (assuming you're under warranty still).

[astuarlen]

Well, what do you know? I finally got around to checking the RAM individually--should've done that earlier--and one of the sticks would appear to be borked.
Yay!

Thanks to everyone for their advice. :>

[Blitzkommando]

I didn't even think in that direction! Doh. Glad that's the problem though as RAM is usually cheaper than a board or processor. I'm glad to see it worked out for you and I'm glad to have at least tried to help.

[Kent]

Yeah, RAM is really cheap. You could find a stick of 512 in a box of cereal.

When I first read about your computer not POSTing, I figured, most likely, something's either wrong with the RAM, or the motherboard...

...Want a new stick of RAM for Itam Day?