Hi,
I recently built a PC for my friend.
Specs:
Samsung 1TB Spinpoint F3 SATA II 7200RPM 32M
OCZ ModXstream Pro 600W modular PSU
LiteON IHAS324 SATA DVD-RW 24X Black Retail
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM
Corsair CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB (2x XMS3 2GB) PC-12800
Tenda W322P Wireless N PCI Adapter
Asus P7H55D-M EVO MB, Socket 1156, Intel H55 Chipset
LG E2340V 23"W Slim LED HDMI FULL HD 5ms
Intel Core i5 760 Processor LGA1156 2.8GHz 8MB Cache CPU
NZXT Vulcan Micro ATX Case
POV GTX 460 1G D5 2DVI/HDMI
He wanted a good graphics card so he choose a lower range PSU
OCZ ModXstream Pro 600W modular PSU
I checked the specs for a GTX 460 and said minimum 550W PSU and the OCZ claimed it had SLI support and had the PCI-E adapter to fit it. And an extra 1 pin connected to one of the PCI-E cables for a bigger graphics card I assume.
For the first couple days it was working but stutters such as the audio and video happened sometimes. He had to reset once in a game of starcraft 2 after the audio stutter. He said the video was kind of moving slow so maybe that was stuttering as well. So I came over and before I did anything he showed me a replay from starcraft 2. So it was working then.
I thought I would reconnect the HD audio cable into motherboard as it is tightly fit against the graphics card and wireless PCI internet card. I then turned the PSU upside down so the fan is facing down so the cables would have a better reach and were more ordered, since it was kinda messy.
Then I booted it up and it would go through the BIOS fine and start loading windows, the animation would go (win 7) and then it would hang and eventually power down. I put the Win 7 disc in thinking it may be because windows has a boot problem and it loaded up until it turned into the graphical screen and then hung. I tried the suggested windows recovery fix (forget the name, but the one after you power it down without shutting down) and it just hung again.
So I then thought it could be the PSU. Since it had booted before I turned the PSU back with the fan facing up (not far from the graphics card) like it was originally and now it will not turn on.
I am thinking that maybe the 600W wasn't enough to run the system or the PSU may be faulty. This was purchased about a week ago and it has warranty, what do you suggest?
Thanks for reading,
I recently built a PC for my friend.
Specs:
Samsung 1TB Spinpoint F3 SATA II 7200RPM 32M
OCZ ModXstream Pro 600W modular PSU
LiteON IHAS324 SATA DVD-RW 24X Black Retail
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM
Corsair CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB (2x XMS3 2GB) PC-12800
Tenda W322P Wireless N PCI Adapter
Asus P7H55D-M EVO MB, Socket 1156, Intel H55 Chipset
LG E2340V 23"W Slim LED HDMI FULL HD 5ms
Intel Core i5 760 Processor LGA1156 2.8GHz 8MB Cache CPU
NZXT Vulcan Micro ATX Case
POV GTX 460 1G D5 2DVI/HDMI
He wanted a good graphics card so he choose a lower range PSU
OCZ ModXstream Pro 600W modular PSU
I checked the specs for a GTX 460 and said minimum 550W PSU and the OCZ claimed it had SLI support and had the PCI-E adapter to fit it. And an extra 1 pin connected to one of the PCI-E cables for a bigger graphics card I assume.
For the first couple days it was working but stutters such as the audio and video happened sometimes. He had to reset once in a game of starcraft 2 after the audio stutter. He said the video was kind of moving slow so maybe that was stuttering as well. So I came over and before I did anything he showed me a replay from starcraft 2. So it was working then.
I thought I would reconnect the HD audio cable into motherboard as it is tightly fit against the graphics card and wireless PCI internet card. I then turned the PSU upside down so the fan is facing down so the cables would have a better reach and were more ordered, since it was kinda messy.
Then I booted it up and it would go through the BIOS fine and start loading windows, the animation would go (win 7) and then it would hang and eventually power down. I put the Win 7 disc in thinking it may be because windows has a boot problem and it loaded up until it turned into the graphical screen and then hung. I tried the suggested windows recovery fix (forget the name, but the one after you power it down without shutting down) and it just hung again.
So I then thought it could be the PSU. Since it had booted before I turned the PSU back with the fan facing up (not far from the graphics card) like it was originally and now it will not turn on.
I am thinking that maybe the 600W wasn't enough to run the system or the PSU may be faulty. This was purchased about a week ago and it has warranty, what do you suggest?
Thanks for reading,
Welcome to the Seven Forums! Chooseyant
I'm not seeing anything that require more then a 550w to 600w supply in the specs you provided. That only sees one main hard drive and a single optical drive along with the aveaage 4gb of memory, 1gb video card, and nothing else that would tax a good working supply.
Since the supply is suspect and brand new the option to RMA the drive is wide open. The largest draw is generally during the intial startup going through the post tests followed by each new detection of hardwares as Windows loads. The supply may be lacking the needed regulation.
As far as OCZ that had once been one of the better makes but seems to have slipped a bit quality wise. After running a 700w GameXtreme model for a good 3yrs. the new build saw a second spare supply in use for 2 weeks before it tripped a 20A wall outlet and took a new board along with it!
That was an unused supply! You get a bad one every so often with any make while I elected to switch makes for the replacement board to follow. Don't change it with that supply if you have any doubts!
The other things to look at would be a weak bios chip or weak cap on the board or something not installed correctly while the immediate shutdown being seen would most likely be a bad supply or problem on the board as an alternate source of the problems being seen.
The last build here 3yrs. of age was seeing startup and immediate shutdowns until the second or third press on the power to finally see it startup normally. Or as it got worse it wouldn't even turn on! A replacement bios chip was located and waits for me to replace the board and have an assembler replace the bad chip with the new. Try a different supply to rule that out.
I'm not seeing anything that require more then a 550w to 600w supply in the specs you provided. That only sees one main hard drive and a single optical drive along with the aveaage 4gb of memory, 1gb video card, and nothing else that would tax a good working supply.
Since the supply is suspect and brand new the option to RMA the drive is wide open. The largest draw is generally during the intial startup going through the post tests followed by each new detection of hardwares as Windows loads. The supply may be lacking the needed regulation.
As far as OCZ that had once been one of the better makes but seems to have slipped a bit quality wise. After running a 700w GameXtreme model for a good 3yrs. the new build saw a second spare supply in use for 2 weeks before it tripped a 20A wall outlet and took a new board along with it!
That was an unused supply! You get a bad one every so often with any make while I elected to switch makes for the replacement board to follow. Don't change it with that supply if you have any doubts!
The other things to look at would be a weak bios chip or weak cap on the board or something not installed correctly while the immediate shutdown being seen would most likely be a bad supply or problem on the board as an alternate source of the problems being seen.
The last build here 3yrs. of age was seeing startup and immediate shutdowns until the second or third press on the power to finally see it startup normally. Or as it got worse it wouldn't even turn on! A replacement bios chip was located and waits for me to replace the board and have an assembler replace the bad chip with the new. Try a different supply to rule that out.
Thanks a lot, yeah, I am going to test it with my PSU when I get it over. I really hope it isn't anything I've done to screw up the motherboard. I wouldn't think anything has damaged the caps on the front but it did take me awhile to fit it in to the brackets and since it is a small case maybe scratched the back a little.
*UPDATE*
I tried my PSU in it and it would load to windows 7 animation then hang.
I then installed the original PSU in and it will now boot, but same thing.
I even installed another graphics card I had on hand to make sure and same thing.
Does this mean the motherboard is faulty? It is a brand new board and no damage whatsoever seems visible. My thoughts are to return it and then wait a month or some long duration to receive a new one and install it so my friend can finally have a working computer.
RMA confuses me, I mean if they give you back a brand new product why can't the store give you a new one straight away and just restock the one they send back. In the past I've ended up just buying a new motherboard because I needed my computer, now, not 4 weeks.
I tried my PSU in it and it would load to windows 7 animation then hang.
I then installed the original PSU in and it will now boot, but same thing.
I even installed another graphics card I had on hand to make sure and same thing.
Does this mean the motherboard is faulty? It is a brand new board and no damage whatsoever seems visible. My thoughts are to return it and then wait a month or some long duration to receive a new one and install it so my friend can finally have a working computer.
RMA confuses me, I mean if they give you back a brand new product why can't the store give you a new one straight away and just restock the one they send back. In the past I've ended up just buying a new motherboard because I needed my computer, now, not 4 weeks.
If you are dealing with a defective board sometimes the vendor will ship a replacement out to you before even sending the first back depending on whether you are a regular customer. That happened when helping out a friend who received 3 bad boards in a row being the same make and model.
The vendor when contacted stated they likely had received a bad batch of boards at the time and the friend was advised to select a different model or go with a different make and model to get a new build running. Depending on where you order or buy from will depend on how the return and replacement takes to come in. Most are usually prompt once they get the bad board back in sending out a replacement.
With a different supply and card tested for this it seems you were able to rule the supply out. With any new build the first thing to have a good working supply to avoid anything like seeing a new board cooked! That was a setback seen here in late spring.
It's always a pain when your main system is down for any reason while the time and money on replacing hardwares is typically the worst. Hopefully the board is the only thing you will have to see replaced there.
The vendor when contacted stated they likely had received a bad batch of boards at the time and the friend was advised to select a different model or go with a different make and model to get a new build running. Depending on where you order or buy from will depend on how the return and replacement takes to come in. Most are usually prompt once they get the bad board back in sending out a replacement.
With a different supply and card tested for this it seems you were able to rule the supply out. With any new build the first thing to have a good working supply to avoid anything like seeing a new board cooked! That was a setback seen here in late spring.
It's always a pain when your main system is down for any reason while the time and money on replacing hardwares is typically the worst. Hopefully the board is the only thing you will have to see replaced there.
Thanks man
You're welcome! I've been there a few times with setbacks. That's why I was hoping to have the old case onhand as a backup system as well as testing things there until the board let go "right when" how ironic the new case was first running! Wouldn't you know! 
"perfect timing"!
Don't let it get to you! It's going to happen at some point anyways. Let's hope this is all you need for now however.
"perfect timing"!Don't let it get to you! It's going to happen at some point anyways. Let's hope this is all you need for now however.
To start troubleshooting this rather than just randomly sending parts back and forth.
IF the mobo has on-board video (yes, doubtful) then I would start with the following.....
If if yes, remove video card, otherwise leave it for now.
Remove all stick of RAM except one
Double check that all connections are in correctly, and make sure the CPU is seated properly
Make sure that the thermal paste is set correctly on the CPU, I have seen some HeatSinks with thermal paste already one there and a plastic or wax covering to protect it and people not remove that cover before putting it on and securing it to the CPU.
Then test it.
But this sounds more like a heat issue than anything else.
IF the mobo has on-board video (yes, doubtful) then I would start with the following.....
If if yes, remove video card, otherwise leave it for now.
Remove all stick of RAM except one
Double check that all connections are in correctly, and make sure the CPU is seated properly
Make sure that the thermal paste is set correctly on the CPU, I have seen some HeatSinks with thermal paste already one there and a plastic or wax covering to protect it and people not remove that cover before putting it on and securing it to the CPU.
Then test it.
But this sounds more like a heat issue than anything else.
Since this is being seen with cold starts I doubt any temp problem is being seen. I had one board quite after the first few days on one build. Something simply let go!
The board in the last case was acting up in a simliar fashion or the fan and lights blink and spin for a few seconds indicating the bios chip! Sure enough a board tester pointed right at it! A bad dimm typically still allows Windows to arrive at the desktop while things will tend to crash not keep hanging at the logo screen. But as part of the process of elimination a run of memtest can never hurt.
The board in the last case was acting up in a simliar fashion or the fan and lights blink and spin for a few seconds indicating the bios chip! Sure enough a board tester pointed right at it! A bad dimm typically still allows Windows to arrive at the desktop while things will tend to crash not keep hanging at the logo screen. But as part of the process of elimination a run of memtest can never hurt.
Memtest has been done through the button on the board and clears fine.
Well that's just part of the process of elimination. No bad supply, video card, or dimms to report. And since this is seen right when first powering up on a new build you don't have too many other things to look at besides the one other item not considered so far being the hard drive.
If the drive is bad from the start that cause a number of issues as well as a bad cap on the board. If you can get up to the desktop to run the "chkdsk /r" command at the Start>Run or a command prompt.
A simple right click on the drive's icon to open the Tools tab you can check off the two options there for automatically fixing any errors found in the event of bad sectors or not realizing a bad install of Windows had been seen. That's also one other possible cause for startup issues since you already swapped out video cards ruling out one set of drivers.
For the drive besides the chkdsk tool a diagnostics tool like HDTune to run that by or going to the Samsuang support site to see if they provide something there would test that idea. Other then those two you would be back looking at the board again.
If the drive is bad from the start that cause a number of issues as well as a bad cap on the board. If you can get up to the desktop to run the "chkdsk /r" command at the Start>Run or a command prompt.
A simple right click on the drive's icon to open the Tools tab you can check off the two options there for automatically fixing any errors found in the event of bad sectors or not realizing a bad install of Windows had been seen. That's also one other possible cause for startup issues since you already swapped out video cards ruling out one set of drivers.
For the drive besides the chkdsk tool a diagnostics tool like HDTune to run that by or going to the Samsuang support site to see if they provide something there would test that idea. Other then those two you would be back looking at the board again.
I sent it off, but if I didn't mention before I did try to boot from the Win 7 dvd and it would get to the install screen and hang. So I don't think it was the hard drive.
I'll post the resolution hopefully,
thanks for all the help Nighthawk and others.
I'll post the resolution hopefully,
thanks for all the help Nighthawk and others.
You got a headache on your hands there no matter what it turns out to be for sure! Typically bad ram would stall the installer! during a regular OS installation. A weak cap on the board or bad bios chip would explain the not being able to handle the draw on power seen at post and starting up.
For a cap that would take a very close visual inspection of the board to note any cap that looked slightly deformed not smooth and even but bulged on the top and sides or any discolored area on the board like something got hot. Sometimes you can spot a leaky cap.
For the eprom problems would be seen as far as simply hitting the power button and nothing happens, fans and lights blink for so many seconds, or you could even be booted to the desktop and suddenly the system restarts on it's own while temps appear normal. A variety of odd ones!
For a cap that would take a very close visual inspection of the board to note any cap that looked slightly deformed not smooth and even but bulged on the top and sides or any discolored area on the board like something got hot. Sometimes you can spot a leaky cap.
For the eprom problems would be seen as far as simply hitting the power button and nothing happens, fans and lights blink for so many seconds, or you could even be booted to the desktop and suddenly the system restarts on it's own while temps appear normal. A variety of odd ones!
Well, my friend took it back and they said it sound's like the CPU is overheating and said to buy some new thermal paste. The thing is though the thermal paste already on the stock intel fan is still stuck to the fan's base. And some of it is still on the CPU.
When I am installing the new thermal paste do I need to take this off? and if so how? I have never done that before since I have never had a problem with the stock fan / paste.
When I am installing the new thermal paste do I need to take this off? and if so how? I have never done that before since I have never had a problem with the stock fan / paste.
That's crock! When you first turn the system on and Windows hangs right away the system hasn't been on long enough for the cpu to overheat. Someone doesn't know what the real story is apparently. All they are is sales clerks!
As far as replacing the stock hsf that would have been the thought when first ordering and planning out the new build. For taxing loads and ocing things a 3rd party super cooler would have been one of the first things looked at. Plus you can still see Windows load up fully even when a cpu is cooking. Programs and the system will likely crash while that wouldn't preventa working install from booting up.
A bad cpu wouldn't even allow a post let alone see Windows hang at the logo screen. Presently while you couldn't expect the ideal temps that can be ruled out as the main cause. It sounds more like the place the board was bought from is simply trying to slide out of any refund or replacement there!
As far as replacing the stock hsf that would have been the thought when first ordering and planning out the new build. For taxing loads and ocing things a 3rd party super cooler would have been one of the first things looked at. Plus you can still see Windows load up fully even when a cpu is cooking. Programs and the system will likely crash while that wouldn't preventa working install from booting up.
A bad cpu wouldn't even allow a post let alone see Windows hang at the logo screen. Presently while you couldn't expect the ideal temps that can be ruled out as the main cause. It sounds more like the place the board was bought from is simply trying to slide out of any refund or replacement there!
I was told the motherboard was actually tested so my only other idea is to format the hard drive and reinstall windows in my PC then hook the hard drive back up. Which I should have done before but ruled it out due to the fact that it would still stall on the windows installer screen.
And thank's again Night Hawk.
And thank's again Night Hawk.
That would leave the drive itself as the next likely candidate to be having a problem if the board was found to be good provided they actually tested it. I have a few board testers onhand here since I often have to look over older systems.
There are only a couple of full system testers out there,,, PC Doctor and Ultra-X
There might be some others.
I personally am not a huge fan of either.
However, they can work. I have not used either in a very long time because I came to the conclusion a long time ago that under the majority of circumstances they were actually pretty useless and quite expensive.
I will agree that this is probably not an overheating issue. But, I have seen systems heat up and shutdown quick that were not put together right. Just saying.
There is no button on any board that will do a proper test of memory. Unless it is a built in memtester that runs for no less than 6 to 8 hours. If you push a button and it runs some test and then says fine in about 5 seconds?
it can't test memory properly that fast
If you are referring to resetting the BIOS/CMOS and booting and it going through a memory Scan, that is not a Memory Test. It's jut s a memory scan, not a test.
You need to boot to the Windows disk and run a repair and/or search for the memory diags that are on that Install disk.
Or Go here and download the ISO and burn it. Run the test and hit "t" for the extended tests and run them for no less than 6 hours.
If you did not do this,, you did not test the memory properly.
However,,,,, in the OP first post....
The eventually power down part,,, how long is the eventually? 30 seconds, 5 min??
If you are able to run Memtests for more than 10 min, then you do not have an Overheat problem, you may still have bad RAM so let the test finish...
If the test does not complete and the system still locks up and then shuts down?
That absolutely is an indication of a heat problem or a power issue.
The only time a PC will power itself off is due to over heat,,, or a power issue.
Otherwise,, if the memory tests fine and the system stays up and on
then it is either an OS problem, or Bad Hard Drive.
Which, I agree with NightHawk on and starting to lean towards also. Maybe.
There might be some others.
I personally am not a huge fan of either.
However, they can work. I have not used either in a very long time because I came to the conclusion a long time ago that under the majority of circumstances they were actually pretty useless and quite expensive.
I will agree that this is probably not an overheating issue. But, I have seen systems heat up and shutdown quick that were not put together right. Just saying.
Quote:
Memtest has been done through the button on the board and clears fine.
it can't test memory properly that fast
If you are referring to resetting the BIOS/CMOS and booting and it going through a memory Scan, that is not a Memory Test. It's jut s a memory scan, not a test.
You need to boot to the Windows disk and run a repair and/or search for the memory diags that are on that Install disk.
Or Go here and download the ISO and burn it. Run the test and hit "t" for the extended tests and run them for no less than 6 hours.
If you did not do this,, you did not test the memory properly.
However,,,,, in the OP first post....
Quote:
Then I booted it up and it would go through the BIOS fine and start loading windows, the animation would go (win 7) and then it would hang and eventually power down.
If you are able to run Memtests for more than 10 min, then you do not have an Overheat problem, you may still have bad RAM so let the test finish...
If the test does not complete and the system still locks up and then shuts down?
That absolutely is an indication of a heat problem or a power issue.
The only time a PC will power itself off is due to over heat,,, or a power issue.
Otherwise,, if the memory tests fine and the system stays up and on
then it is either an OS problem, or Bad Hard Drive.
Which, I agree with NightHawk on and starting to lean towards also. Maybe.
The testers I was referring to are not software testers but actual hardware testers you install on the system. You have to look through a code chart once the testing is complete to see what the readout is pointing to. These plug into PCI slots or by way of a usb port or serial port depending which make and model.
not to get too far off topic.... but this is my experience with such....
They also have those as a part of PC-Doctor and Ultra-X.
If the software doesn't work, which can use the loop back cables and stuff
they also have the PCI tests and such to plug in to various slots, loop backs, etc.
PC-Doctors problem is they started requiring the Loop Back cables and USB keys and other garbage just to run the software to combat piracy. Problem was, you couldn't get the damn thing to run to test if a port was actually bad, or just a problem with the loop back crap. It was a very disappointing product in the end. It was very good back in the very old days.
But even the hardware testers for that product left a bit to be desired.
Ultra-X is ok, when it works, and their burn in software was good.
As far as pure hardware testers, I know there are some pretty good ones though.
I guess my point was, or the reason I mentioned it to begin with,, is this is probably what they might have used for testing. In other words, I question the reliability of the testing done. However, this can also depend on the versions being used as well.
Because, if you walk into the back rooms of most shops, that is probably what they are using.
They also have those as a part of PC-Doctor and Ultra-X.
If the software doesn't work, which can use the loop back cables and stuff
they also have the PCI tests and such to plug in to various slots, loop backs, etc.
PC-Doctors problem is they started requiring the Loop Back cables and USB keys and other garbage just to run the software to combat piracy. Problem was, you couldn't get the damn thing to run to test if a port was actually bad, or just a problem with the loop back crap. It was a very disappointing product in the end. It was very good back in the very old days.
But even the hardware testers for that product left a bit to be desired.
Ultra-X is ok, when it works, and their burn in software was good.
As far as pure hardware testers, I know there are some pretty good ones though.
I guess my point was, or the reason I mentioned it to begin with,, is this is probably what they might have used for testing. In other words, I question the reliability of the testing done. However, this can also depend on the versions being used as well.
Because, if you walk into the back rooms of most shops, that is probably what they are using.
The best option now for Chooseyant is testing the main drive itself usually with a diagnostics tool provided by the manufacturer to confirm or rule out that being the source of the problem. That's where he is at present.
But seeing Windows installed on the drive outside of the present system will present other hardware profile/activation problems unless seeing at least a repair install first when reinstalled prior to any attempt on that. Trying a different drive and still seeing the same problem would be another way to rule the first drive out however.
When using the hardware tester on the last build it only confirmed what had already been suspected about the bios chip giving out after a full 3yrs. of use. The problems were consistent with the usual cause determined without any softwares needed.
Granted some have evolved a bit over the years to actually be of some use while others tend to be unreliable and often misidentify the actual problems as newer boards have become more complex. A program well written and kept updated on a regular basis seeing newer versions often would be the thought as far as software testers.
But seeing Windows installed on the drive outside of the present system will present other hardware profile/activation problems unless seeing at least a repair install first when reinstalled prior to any attempt on that. Trying a different drive and still seeing the same problem would be another way to rule the first drive out however.
When using the hardware tester on the last build it only confirmed what had already been suspected about the bios chip giving out after a full 3yrs. of use. The problems were consistent with the usual cause determined without any softwares needed.
Granted some have evolved a bit over the years to actually be of some use while others tend to be unreliable and often misidentify the actual problems as newer boards have become more complex. A program well written and kept updated on a regular basis seeing newer versions often would be the thought as far as software testers.
Hard Drive Testing information
*********************8
I agree, even on the hardware side of it.
They just can't keep up with the changes, or if they attempt to do so, they end up doing it kind of half-arsed and it is easier and more reliable (from a shop point of view) to just start swapping parts.
Man I loved doing Consumer side break fix. If you are good at it, and honest, it's fun.
But customers can be a real pain some times.
*********************8
Quote:
Granted some have evolved a bit over the years to actually be of some use while others tend to be unreliable and often misidentify the actual problems as newer boards have become more complex. A program well written and kept updated on a regular basis seeing newer versions often would be the thought as far as software testers.
They just can't keep up with the changes, or if they attempt to do so, they end up doing it kind of half-arsed and it is easier and more reliable (from a shop point of view) to just start swapping parts.
Man I loved doing Consumer side break fix. If you are good at it, and honest, it's fun.
But customers can be a real pain some times.
The thing to remember even with the hardware form of testers is that those are limited at times as well unless you get into the 6digit testers where you need a tech to decipher the readout. a 2 or 4 can still be looked up on a chart that points out the part of the board a problem is being seen in general however like bios, cpu, etc. For addons like anything else installed on the board separate tests still have to be seen for each item.
Another possible cause that can come up is where a video card is going on you without any beep codes being heard. You start seeing unexplained display problems however unless Windows locks on you. Typically that is seen once you arrive at the desktop however and go to run something.
The best results as a rule however are through isolation when possible of each component in order to reveal the one or more having a problem. Even with brand new hardwares to work with more then one item could be seeing a defect making diagnostics a real task at times.
Another possible cause that can come up is where a video card is going on you without any beep codes being heard. You start seeing unexplained display problems however unless Windows locks on you. Typically that is seen once you arrive at the desktop however and go to run something.
The best results as a rule however are through isolation when possible of each component in order to reveal the one or more having a problem. Even with brand new hardwares to work with more then one item could be seeing a defect making diagnostics a real task at times.
I did a new install, hooked up the hard drive and same thing. I also put another hard drive in it and in the process of installing windows on it (through his computer not mine this time) I went into the bios to change boot order and it froze.
I was going to install windows on it again through my PC but my friend choose to send it to a PC repair shop.
I was going to install windows on it again through my PC but my friend choose to send it to a PC repair shop.
Yeah the I do actually have a copy of that ram tester but my friend doesn't want to wait it out. And since it freezes after a time at the bios maybe it is heat or ram... I am quite complexed.
Unfortunately still running into the same problem when swapping out the first drive for another would suggect a bad dimm or perhaps mismatched memory was installed from the start. A look at the board's user manual not just the supported memory list at the board manufacturer's site may reveal the wrong voltage range or timings are way off from what the board requires.
As far as heatup issues that wouldn't stall a clean install on a cold startup but result in problems by the time you reached the desktop if too much thermal paste for example had been used on the hsf. The newer boards for some time have had an overheat protection circuit that would kick in if the cpu was getting hot to prevent that from cooking on you.
Unfortunately that brings you right back to board, ram, and drive with the last being ruled out. A bad 7 dvd? A bad install disk or one scratched or smeared up from handling would likely end up seeing a partial install which could hang. Problems with the optical drive would be a second less likely occurance.
Hopefully if the system went to competent repair shop they'll get things running for the price! That will take the burden off of you while it's still a bit disappointing.
As far as heatup issues that wouldn't stall a clean install on a cold startup but result in problems by the time you reached the desktop if too much thermal paste for example had been used on the hsf. The newer boards for some time have had an overheat protection circuit that would kick in if the cpu was getting hot to prevent that from cooking on you.
Unfortunately that brings you right back to board, ram, and drive with the last being ruled out. A bad 7 dvd? A bad install disk or one scratched or smeared up from handling would likely end up seeing a partial install which could hang. Problems with the optical drive would be a second less likely occurance.
Hopefully if the system went to competent repair shop they'll get things running for the price! That will take the burden off of you while it's still a bit disappointing.
If it is locking up in the BIOS.... I might first try to flash the BIOS. This could just be a bad BIOS Flash.
But.... it could be any number of things, from bad ram/solts/mismatched to just a plain bad board. I would make them swap the whole board and make sure the ram is matched properly.
But.... it could be any number of things, from bad ram/solts/mismatched to just a plain bad board. I would make them swap the whole board and make sure the ram is matched properly.
I've had to return boards as well as recently replace one cooked by a supply. It's never fun! But your friend likely made the best move by having someone equipped go through everything.
So... he got it back from the repair shop and they said it was fine! took it home and now it works. Sometimes PC's can act so strange I swear.
I have money that says it wasn't fine, they did something or replaced something and just didn't tell him
That's the unsolved mystery of the day if the repair didn't list what was replaced if anything on the receipt itself.
If the person who serviced it restored the bios defaults and your friend had toyed around in there seeing the drive set to AHCI mode and not having it set for Native ide that could have also accounted for the Windows hanging problem.
For now however "it's a mystery"! At least it's running well for the time being anyways.
If the person who serviced it restored the bios defaults and your friend had toyed around in there seeing the drive set to AHCI mode and not having it set for Native ide that could have also accounted for the Windows hanging problem.
For now however "it's a mystery"! At least it's running well for the time being anyways.
Well he didn't have to pay anything. They said it worked so they just left it on for a couple of hours.
Did they make a service slip? It may have turned out to be a simple bios setting since you had been ruling out different hardwares all through this thread. Someone simply restored the board's defaults and there you go!
The problems described however are typical with hardwares as well however. But I can imagine your friend is elated about all this now that the system seems to be running good.
The problems described however are typical with hardwares as well however. But I can imagine your friend is elated about all this now that the system seems to be running good.
I'm not sure if they made a slip, if it screws up, I'll let you know, and thanks for the help.
So... the PC is still showing signs of problems.
This is all told by my friend who isn't exactly a tech expert.
Sometimes maybe half the time when he turns his computer on, it loads windows then blue screens. He doesn't have virus protection so I'm going to remote log in, install it and have a look around.
The other problem is he says that if he leaves his PC on for over 5 or so hours it freezes. So he has to regularly turn it off, instead of say leaving it on over night.
This is all told by my friend who isn't exactly a tech expert.
Sometimes maybe half the time when he turns his computer on, it loads windows then blue screens. He doesn't have virus protection so I'm going to remote log in, install it and have a look around.
The other problem is he says that if he leaves his PC on for over 5 or so hours it freezes. So he has to regularly turn it off, instead of say leaving it on over night.
The BSODs are typically driver error or hardware fault error codes being presented on a blue screen. That information would need to be looked at and researched to isolate the cause.
Bad ram, high temps, failing cpu, weak cap on the board, supply problem??? These are the usual areas besides a cmos problem if a battery on a board is weak. But even that would tend to see a swift restart right in the middle of running a game or app or problems getting things going when first turned on.
Bad ram, high temps, failing cpu, weak cap on the board, supply problem??? These are the usual areas besides a cmos problem if a battery on a board is weak. But even that would tend to see a swift restart right in the middle of running a game or app or problems getting things going when first turned on.
Okay this is really strange.
Now the PC kills external hard drives or so it seems.
My brother tried 3 ext hdd's over the course of a week trying to get a program from the computer. The first time it broke he thought it was because he was swinging his bag around, the second time bad luck and the third time well... killer pc theory.
The story goes he put it in the front case USB slots all 3 times. The front 3 USB slots don't work for some reason, the USB connection is connected to the motherboard (2pin). And doesn't do anything, power on etc then after connecting to the back the hard drive doesn't read.
The light remains on, but can't read. Even in device manager, I also tried disk utility on mac aswell for one of the mac drives.
We sent the first one back to WD and got a refund, are the other 2 totally dead?
How is this even possible. What have I created?!
Now the PC kills external hard drives or so it seems.
My brother tried 3 ext hdd's over the course of a week trying to get a program from the computer. The first time it broke he thought it was because he was swinging his bag around, the second time bad luck and the third time well... killer pc theory.
The story goes he put it in the front case USB slots all 3 times. The front 3 USB slots don't work for some reason, the USB connection is connected to the motherboard (2pin). And doesn't do anything, power on etc then after connecting to the back the hard drive doesn't read.
The light remains on, but can't read. Even in device manager, I also tried disk utility on mac aswell for one of the mac drives.
We sent the first one back to WD and got a refund, are the other 2 totally dead?
How is this even possible. What have I created?!
I wouldn't count on the front ports for anything! With the new build here I finally got around to plugging in the front ports for use with flash drives. While the drives can read from you are not able to boot from any!
The rear ports on the board are usually the reliable while you can also add on a good usb hub and use that option to see more ports made available. The problem with front and top ports however is an all too well known problem going back several years now since cases started seeing them. The problem is typically not having enough power available through those as you would see with the rear ports.
The rear ports on the board are usually the reliable while you can also add on a good usb hub and use that option to see more ports made available. The problem with front and top ports however is an all too well known problem going back several years now since cases started seeing them. The problem is typically not having enough power available through those as you would see with the rear ports.
I agree, but now my external hard drives don't work at home. They just power on and can't be read. Have they been murdered?
If your rear ports are working as they should I would have to suspect a problem with the external power source not providing adequate current to power the drives while still enough to see lights come on.
Your other option would be removing them from the external enclosures for either internal installation or another separate known to be good usb enclosure to see if the drives themselves are toast. You can pick up a fan cooled ide/sata type for a good price at newegg for example where you can easily swap one drive out for another without a fuss for setting one drive aside while adding files onto another or to see if a drive has failed.
As for seeing them work elsewhere but not at home? That suggests the usb ports are not supplying the right amount of current where you may need to buy a good hub with it's own ac adapter to provide it's own power. I ended up buying another pair of hubs to add one to another new build worked on plus to have as a spare.
Know someone you can borrow one from to rule out the drives in case the rear ports are bad? Unless the drives had been banged around and dropped on floors it does sound a bit unlikely that multiple external drives would all fail at the same time yet work on another system without problems.
Your other option would be removing them from the external enclosures for either internal installation or another separate known to be good usb enclosure to see if the drives themselves are toast. You can pick up a fan cooled ide/sata type for a good price at newegg for example where you can easily swap one drive out for another without a fuss for setting one drive aside while adding files onto another or to see if a drive has failed.
As for seeing them work elsewhere but not at home? That suggests the usb ports are not supplying the right amount of current where you may need to buy a good hub with it's own ac adapter to provide it's own power. I ended up buying another pair of hubs to add one to another new build worked on plus to have as a spare.
Know someone you can borrow one from to rule out the drives in case the rear ports are bad? Unless the drives had been banged around and dropped on floors it does sound a bit unlikely that multiple external drives would all fail at the same time yet work on another system without problems.
The drives were new, not banging around or damage. These are western digital passports so it's not an enclosure with a standard 2.5 or 3.5 hdd in it.
I have tried the drives on various Windows PC's and a mac. They do not show up. Literally after inputting into the computer I made above they stopped working.
I have tried the drives on various Windows PC's and a mac. They do not show up. Literally after inputting into the computer I made above they stopped working.
When first plugging them in have you gone into the Disk Management tool to right click on the volumes detected to bring up the New Volume wizard at all? Each time you plug in any new drive even if already partitioned and formatted the new drive wizard has to be used.
If you are not able to initialize any of them which sounds a bit odd to start with you would then suspect having failed drives or possible bad usb ports simply not providing the current they should be seeing. If you find the ports are having that problem then adding on a hub to provide the power level requirement would be the option for using them on that particular system.
The Passports drives are still the WD Green Power series whether 2.5" or 3.5" which is their energy saving model series. Typically that simply means good for storage but still found reliable in most cases. Try assigning a drive letter once you plug them in while booted in Windows for the fresh detection to see how that goes.
If you are not able to initialize any of them which sounds a bit odd to start with you would then suspect having failed drives or possible bad usb ports simply not providing the current they should be seeing. If you find the ports are having that problem then adding on a hub to provide the power level requirement would be the option for using them on that particular system.
The Passports drives are still the WD Green Power series whether 2.5" or 3.5" which is their energy saving model series. Typically that simply means good for storage but still found reliable in most cases. Try assigning a drive letter once you plug them in while booted in Windows for the fresh detection to see how that goes.
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