My computer. It died.

[evilsquirrel]

<posting from crappy old computer>

alright, so here's how it went...

A few days ago i left the house for a few hours with my computer still running - nothing special, I leave it running all the time. But this time, when I got back, it was frozen (almost) solid. The mouse still moved, but i couldn't do anything other than move it around - and not even Ctrl + Alt + Delete would do anything.

So, naturally, I restarted the computer by hitting the reset button. It loaded up, windows started, programs that start when windows does started up...until about 30-40 seconds in, and it froze in the same manner as before. I repeated this a couple times, trying shutting down completely - shutting down properly via the logon page (which would also freeze if i left it up long enough), etc.

Finally, I decided to try safe mode. Safe mode worked, and I was able to send backup copies of all important files (map sources, etc) to this crappy computer (it lags on mario ffs). After I got the backups onto this computer, I formatted the hard drive on my main computer and reinstalled windows. After a fresh reinstall, everything worked fine...that is...until i installed the chipset/drivers that came with my motherboard. After I did that, the same thing is happening again.

After this started up, I contacted a few people that work with computers and they gave me a couple suggestions - flash the BIOS, check the fans on the GPU and CPU, make sure nothing has become detatched. None of these solved the problem, all fans work properly and everything that should be hooked up - is.

So, I've got a few things left to try...

1: Format again and install the chipset/drivers that came with the motherboard before anything else (my brother thinks this may be the problem [I installed them last this time, because I couldn't find them at first])

2: Format again and install a different version of windows XP

3: [DO NOT WANT] Format again and install Vista?


Complication - I can't format. At the moment, when I start my computer - it never reaches the part of the startup sequence where it finds that the windows XP CD is in the drive, and I can't reach the repair console thingie that I would normally use to format the drive.

Options?

My only idea for it right now is to take out the hard drive, and introduce it to Mr. ElectroMagnet.

 

[Mikkel]

Hmm check the harddisk in the computer

 

[Thothie]

I'd go with option #1.

Odds are you'll get the same problem with any install of XP.

Vista and XP use the same chipset drivers. Odds are if one is fubar'ing you, so will the other.

Make sure windows update isn't auto-updating your INF files. As if you didn't install a chipset driver yourself recently, it maybe it did. (It has been known to do this.)

Complication - I can't format. At the moment, when I start my computer - it never reaches the part of the startup sequence where it finds that the windows XP CD is in the drive, and I can't reach the repair console thingie that I would normally use to format the drive.

Hold F10 when the puter boots up. On most puters you will get a menu where you can choose your boot device and point at the CD-ROM. If that fails, keep tapping F1/F2/Delete on boot up (the key varies with computer - it may say what it should be when you start) and find Boot Devices in your CMOS settings.

 

[dRkILL]

Ever check if the problem is hardware related? Test the hard drive? The memory? Checked the voltage outputs on the pins of the power supply?

 

[Jelly]

I once had the exact same problem. It turned out to be a driver for Asus Quick 'n Quiet thingy. So I installed every´driver save that one, and the problem was solved.

 

[Froste`]

What day is it's fournal?

 

[The Man In Black]

Funeral? Wow.

 

[FER]

 

[J-M v2.5.5]

Who didn't see that coming?

 

[Darkside1]

Me I gotta call that number

 

[evilsquirrel]

Update:

F10 does nothing on my computer

I was able to use Del to change the primary boot device to CD, unfortunately - some RAID thing pops up and stops my keyboard from working before it gets to the boot option, and I would have to hit a key on the computer to have it use the CD.

after it gets past the boot options, it goes to the safe mode menu for some reason...but, since my keyboard does nothing at that point, the timer just counts down until it starts normally.


...any ideas now?

 

[FER]

Try running on safe mode and restore your system to an older date (probably has nothing to do)

 

[Blasto121]

if you haven't flashed the BIOS yet that is a must try, sometimes the latest version also isn't the best so try a couple versions of the BIOS.

After flashing the BIOS you should test your hardware, download this -> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

The ultimate boot cd is loaded with tools to test hardware. You can stress your CPU for errors, test your memory for errors, and it has nice hard drive tests as well.

If all that checks clear I suggest using a low level format utility on the hard drive, normally its not recommended that you do this, but it has saved my computer more than once. Keep in mind if you do run it there is a slight risk of permanently breaking the HD. I personally think that the low level format will help more than anything else besides the BIOS updates/downgrades of course.

 

[Thothie]

Dude, you got a Del.

So sorry.

Half the utilities on the UltBootCD won't work for Del, it chokes on the custom linux shell. MemTest386 should though... Winmem test usually does too, and it's a tad more intuitive.

The only two hardware possiblities I see there are memory or CPU cache failure. Maybe HD controller (north bridge), but not the HD itself. Assuming the BIOS isn't damaged (in which case, windows likely wouldn't boot or ID devices), I doubt it is at fault.

If its fine until you install the chipset drivers, it is most likely that the Del has a custom motherboard BIOS that does not play nice with the chipset is it claiming to be (this is very common among Gateway/Del/Compaq/HP's - especially if the board is Intel). I've seen that about a thousand times. Tends to cause other interesting issues to. (Like Windows Explorer crashing like mad after a particular security update.)

 

[Blasto121]

Dude, you got a Del.

So sorry.

ouch didn't know dell didn't like UBCD, sorry dude you may be SOL for getting it fixed. Dell likes it when you have to buy spare parts from them...

never will I forget that day with dell tech support...

two computers both same issues, motherboards that broke after one year of service... Dell guy comes in looks at one computer I ask if he could look at another he says no and leaves, stayed a grand total of 5 minutes, and told me what the problem was, something I already knew.

 

[evilsquirrel]

Del, not Dell...

as in the delete key...to acces the BIOS and CMOS settings..?


@Start in safe mode: Can't, as I said - the keyboard stops working after the RAID utility pops up.

@flash the bios: did it already

@download: this is assuming that my computer will stay active long enough to do ANYTHING.

@low level format: how do i do that?

______________________

Motherboard = Gigabyte
GPU = nVidia 6800
CPU = AMD Athlon 64


custom built, not Dell/Gateway/Compaq/Emachines/othersuckybrandnamehere

 

[Thothie]

Oh... Misunderstood "used Del" - figured you ment a Dell restore CD.

some RAID thing pops up and stops my keyboard from working before it gets to the boot option

You should also be able to disable the raid system in your CMOS. Windows shouldn't have any RAID software installed by default, however. If it's an SATA2 drive, you may need to stick in a RAID driver just to install windows, in which case it maybe related to that, but usually those are just OEM INF files so Winderz can read the drive proper, no active software.

Do you even have a RAID setup?

low level format: how do i do that?

If yer lucky, your CMOS will have an option for that. If not, there should be utilities for said on previously linked Ultimate Boot CD. Windows XP SP2 install CDs will have an option for "non-Quick" format, but not low level. I really don't think a low level format is going to help you here though.

 

[Blasto121]

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Maxtor_Powermax_d1386.html

ment for maxtor hard drives but has worked with every drive I have (I don't own any maxtor hard drives)

its a floppy based low level format utility, follow on screen instructions and do a full zero fill.

 

[evilsquirrel]

its a floppy based low level format utility, follow on screen instructions and do a full zero fill.

I have no floppy drive.

will try the disabling tomorrow...

 

[Blasto121]

then your only other choice for low level formating utility is the UBCD.

 

[Thothie]

Custom build and no floppy drive? For shame.

If you got a geek stick, you can usually boot with that, just erase the usb stick, and copy the floppy data to it (including hidden files), then choose USB boot device in the CMOS. Granted, only the newer mobos can do that, some of the older ones wont.

Plus most of these bootable things come in CD ISO flavor too, these days. (Again, I think the maxtor utilities are on the current UltBoot CD)

But yet again I stress, low level format = not likely to help. Windows XP SP2 install CDs check your drive's current format, and gives you the option to wipe it clean, or do a quick format. All versions of XP erase the MBR when they install, which used to be the primary motivation for low-level formatting, as sometimes older Winderz OS's wouldn't touch it. Only other reason is to attempt to recover sectors marked as bad, but there are disk utilities that can do that with less fuss.

 

[dRkILL]

I say send it to me and I'll fix it.

 

[Thothie]

Ditto, but I charge for that.

 

[The Man In Black]

Yes.. Send it to Thothie.. With no bombs in it or anything...........

 

[Blasto121]

haha I fix for free you just pay shipping and handling!

oh and thothie on a side note low level is not just to get the MBR but to make sure there isn't any bits that create a virus pattern. More than once have I had a hard drive that will install windows just fine but once loaded into windows with drivers seems to crap out instantly. I find that performing the low level format and setting the hard drive to all zeros eliminates the chances of free floating bits causing issues.

I figure whatever the hard drive had on it before is still effecting it even after a clean install.