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Thread ID: 41952 2004-01-27 09:44:00 Computer resetting itself & and a host of other problems. Growly (6) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
210452 2004-01-27 09:44:00 Hello everyone.

This time, I'm complaining on behalf of my friend.

The computer in question is brand new, and this time, NOT assembled by me. It was assembled by the shop.

OK. So everything is working just fine, and all of a sudden the computer started to restart while playing games.

So i came over to check it out, but by then it refused to start much at all.

Sometimes, it would send no output to the screen, sometimes wait 2 minutes before displaying anything. On the occasions that it displayed something, i managed to get into bios, and cruise around in bios no sweat.

So i figured it may be a faulty Video Card (i had checked the cpu, ram and etc were working, and that the motherboard was starting as it was supposed to (by the book)... atleast as far as i could tell.

Then i tried a new video card (he had another computer handy), and the same thing happened. So Video card error ruled out. We put the old one in, and waited a bit. Now if we waited a while POST would show up, and the i managed to boot to a Windows CD.

I was installing Windows XP pro, and during format, at 10%, everything reset. So it kept resetting at random from then on in.

Naturally, i suspected the PSU, or the RAM. I downloaded memtest, and was in the middle of trying to acess my ftp server to get it, when the BIOS failed to complete POST. Oh dear.

Beep. Beeeeep. Beeeep. Beeeep. Nothing works. By now i suspected the motherboard.

On my computer, this happened when the Clock Multipliers where incorrectly set with the FSB, but on my computer, it would reset and run with priorly correct settings. Then i upgraded BIOS and it worked. No luck for me here.

Need ideas... reluctant to admit serious Motherboard fault, -in denial.

Any more ideas?

PS. About to run memtest and the seagate (the hard drive manufacturer) diagnostic (and in seagate's case, the discwizard). Afraid tho, that the thing will reset and cause permanent damage.

Ta, Growly. 		Growly (6)
210453 2004-01-27 09:47:00 Heres a thought....Dont mess with anymore puters.

And get your freind to take it back to the shop as soon as. 		metla (154)
210454 2004-01-27 10:35:00 Thanks man, (Ouch, my ego). I mean, just because luck is never on my side, is no reason to quit. Sure, anyone could've sent it back to the shop, but i needed the fix urgently.

The shop is in auckland, and sending things back is a quite a hassle, as we live in Wellington.

So, do does anyone have any ideas? 		Growly (6)
210455 2004-01-27 10:50:00 Tried another stick of RAM.? CPU and RAM are necessary for POST. Pheonix (280)
210456 2004-01-27 11:16:00 1. Congratulations on voiding your friends warranty.
2. If you have a history of failure you probably shouldn't experiment on other peoples kit.
3. Don't do any more to it. If it's just arrived from a shop, it should work, send it back, end of story

In my line of work I am constantly assailed by "it's just back from the technician and it say's can't find modem" or "technician just gave it back and the CD-Drive doesn't work"

If it was a car you'd be driving (or towing) it back to the garage, if it was a fridge you'd call the repairman back. It's their problem, not yours, let them fix it.

</thread> 		whiskeytangofoxtrot (438)
210457 2004-01-27 11:24:00 Once again, thanks for bruising my ego, but i understand the implications of what i do.

This is NOT a prefab!! It was designed from custom parts, and assembled at the shop. Even if he himself had built it, each part has a 1 - 3 year warranty, so whether i unplugged cords or tried alternatives is irrelevant. I did nothing to void warranty, i removed no stickers that said "Warranty Void if removed"....

I'll repeat that too:

I did nothing to void warranty, (geez, don't presume next time).

I am NOT imcompetent. I came here because I knew most of you would help, but you obviously have no solution so blame me for trying, please don't.

I repeat this too: SHOP IN AUCKLAND. I'M IN WELLY. CAME BY MAIL. SENDING BACK IS ONE HUGE HASSLE. PREFER TO AVOID. LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, OTHER THAN "You screwed it up, my work is sucky cause o' people like you."

Ahem: Any more Constructive ideas? (Short of the obvious?)

Thanks Pheonix. He has Dual Channel DDR, so i tried both on one channel, swapping them round, alternating using one or the other, to no avail. I couldn't turn DDR off, It would reset before i got the chance. 		Growly (6)
210458 2004-01-27 11:27:00 Oh, and sorry i cant edit my posts, but:

If you where a mechanic, you'd give your car a go before taking it back to the shop, and if you were a repairman, you'd try to fix your fridge before taking it back. 		Growly (6)
210459 2004-01-27 11:38:00 Wow... got angst? whiskeytangofoxtrot (438)
210460 2004-01-27 11:42:00 Yeah man, heaps of it, waiting to be unleashed.

I've got deep psychological problems that I can only downplay by releasing minor but relatively huge amounts of anger on poor unsuspecting people in forums designed to help people.

Speaking of helping, has ANYONE got any ideas?

If not, I'll call the the motherboard bung, and sigh. 		Growly (6)
210461 2004-01-27 18:31:00 test the ram in another PC if ok, its the motherboard or power supply send back to supplier and next time try to buy locally much less hassle returning it for servicing etc worth the extra 10% you may have saved I use Ascent in willis street myself kiwibeat (304)
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