Topic: name that computer problem

[bagtagsell]

Here are my symptoms
1. It use to shut down when using processor intensive programs
2. I tried to reinstall windows, but it freezes then
3. I put some new thermal grease on the cpu
4. Now it locks about 30 secs into booting.

Is this heat?  Bad cpu?  Bad memory?  Bad Mobo?

[Brian Skalinder]

Start easy - swap out the memory.  My PC was acting up recently - rebooting, failing to boot up, etc.  Pulled/swapped the memory and slots around and identified one of the RAM chips is bad.  Problems:  gone!  But I still need to replace the memory, audio downright chugs with only 256MB RAM.

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

Check this page out slut, Brians suggestion is #2 on the list.   

http://www.zdnetasia.com/insight/network/0,39044847,39047788,00.htm

[TNJazz]

Bad RAM, almost certainly.  I had the same problem with an older machine a while back.  I couldn't figure out why it would freeze halfway through a fresh windows install, every time.  Finally yanked out the RAM and replaced it with a different stick and the problem was gone.

Dirk

[fozzy]

Intel or AMD?

I'd say heat, could have fried the MB or CPU in the process.

Try blasting a box or oscillating fan on the inside of the computer (w/ case off) and see if it works for a little longer.

[bagtagsell]

hmmm...

I let it sit for a day and got an extra 40 seconds before it froze.  I still can't get into windows.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Boot into the bios and jot down your processor temps.  Let it sit for a while until they stabilize.

If you have two sticks of ram, try each separately.

[bagtagsell]

I tried both sticks, in both slots to no avail.  I'm leaning away from the memory problem.  Freezes before I can get into bios.

HD failure?

[fozzy]

I tried both sticks, in both slots to no avail.  I'm leaning away from the memory problem.  Freezes before I can get into bios.

HD failure?

no HD isn't going to be the issue in this case.

COuld also be the power supply but that is also doubtfull.

Try booting w/ just video & KB and no other cards/devices plugged in to see if you can get to the bios and look at the temperatures.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Oooh..  Ya know what..  Two months ago, I had a problem just like this.  Damned if it wasn't The Button.  The power button on the front of the computer had become unreliable.  There's a small chance that this is your problem.

Basically, that button connects to a couple of pins on the MB.  They are often unlabeled but may be labeled as SW (for power switch). Often, the connector that goes to those pins is labeled, even if the MB is not.

Basically, the MB gets power all the time. But it only turns on when those pins are temporarily shorted.  Short them again, and it turns off.

I have yet to replace the button. There is just something about sticking a screwdriver into the case and shorting the pins to start that PC that appeals to my unsatisfied car thief tendencies.

[bconnolly]

What kind of power supply are you running and how much wattage is it supposed to give out?  Try swapping out your PSU and see if that cures what ails you.  Cheaping out on a PSU is the worst thing to do when trying to get a stable PC running.

[bagtagsell]

Try booting w/ just video & KB and no other cards/devices plugged in to see if you can get to the bios and look at the temperatures.

I bought a WD hard drive two years ago, and it came with a pci card that has two ide inputs, becasue it said windows wouldn't recognize the drive.  Should I ditch that now?

[it-goes-to-eleven]

You could pull the drive controller out temporarily to see if you can get to the bios.

BTW, I agree that it could be the power sup. I replaced mine before I figured out the power button.  The power supply should always be one of the first components you suspect.

[nic]

Cheaping out on a PSU is the worst thing to do

amen!

I also recomend downloading the cd .iso from http://www.memtest.org/
its a bootable cd that tests memory and lets you know if the module is bad

[mmedley.]

It's not temperature related. There is no way a processor gets that hot to shut down that quick. My guess would be RAM or Mobo. Same symptoms I had and it was the mobo.