Baffling computer problem

[kb2vxa]

OH STOP IT! If you were paying attention when I said IT WON'T BOOT you wouldn't be arguing with me or each other. Anyway thanks for the help, when I reseated the RAM it crapped out entirely and most likely because flexing the mobo broke the intermittent connection altogether. Now I'm thinking of when I re-soldered a cold joint on a board that crapped out after 20 years in hard service but I digress. That pretty much narrows it down to the mobo, it died and went to meet its maker, Scott W2SJW so now if I get REALLY lucky he can come up with an exact replacement which for obvious reasons will save a LOT of trouble. He gave me a loaner so I won't go entirely out of my mind, I need just a little sanity to bring you my insanity. So in my usual fashion stealing a line from The Worst Band In The World by 10cc "but we're working on it". Eh, life is a minestrone.

[NA4BH]

It sounds stupid and everyone of the real computer people here will disagree but check your CMOS battery. Some of the equipment I work on has similar problems, the computer brains with my company determined it was the battery. Problem solved.

[n2ize]

How old is the system ? Sounds like it's time to get a new computer. Particularly if its a mobo problem. And, in particular, If it's an old single core 32 bit system I would suggest that you take it to the nearest swamp and reef it and buy yourself a new 64 bit multicore system.

[K0RGR]

Not much help now if you can't boot it, but what was the BSOD code? The BSOD meant that Windows saw something it didn't like - a code should have been recorded if it had access to the hard disk. You can then Google the code for clues. If nothing was recorded, that means that Windows wasn't able to access the drive - certainly some kind of hardware or BIOS issue. The errors will be recorded in the Event Viewer Logs. If you see intermittent errors pertaining to things like disk drives, that may be a clue.

[KC2UGV]

It sounds stupid and everyone of the real computer people here will disagree but check your CMOS battery. Some of the equipment I work on has similar problems, the computer brains with my company determined it was the battery. Problem solved.

Another viable solution. Fail to boot at all means very basic BIOS functions cannot load. It's either:
* Cannot load initial instruction address (CMOS battery, or corrupted PROM)
* Cannot load the GPU jump instruction (GPU problem)
* No power (Obvious, see lights on the board)
* Physical defect in the mobo (If none of the above resolve it, this is it).

In my trouble-shooting experience, swap out GPU. Then, swap CMOS battery. Then, try a bare metal CMOS flash. Check power supply. None of these work? Chuck the machine, and buy a new one. It's nigh impossible to repair motherboards reliably.

[kb2vxa]

I guess you guys are just swapping ideas, Scott and I had the beast diagnosed two weeks ago and he started ordering parts, an exact replacement mobo and new CPU cooler since disturbing a liquid cooler usually damages it. He took it to his shop last Sunday and for some unknown reason the C drive connector came apart when he removed it so he ordered an exact replacement and luckily was able to clone it to a USB drive so nothing was lost. The new cooler is a new design (for me at least) with a radiator that looks like one for a liquid cooler but is an air cooler, all I have to do to clean it is remove the fan and brush it off. The beauty of it is since it's all OEM parts, the OM being Altec Communications (Scott's company) no reinstalling anything, just putting the data back on C drive and away she goes. Last but not least an upgrade, disabling that POS Micro$hit Security Essentials and installing Symantec Endpoint Protection. It won't be long before I have my baby back, I can return this loaner with... ugh... Windblows 8.1 <gag> <choke> <RALF> on it and air the stink out of the room.

[n2ize]

In my trouble-shooting experience, swap out GPU. Then, swap CMOS battery. Then, try a bare metal CMOS flash. Check power supply. None of these work? Chuck the machine, and buy a new one. It's nigh impossible to repair motherboards reliably.

Actually it is possible to repair MOBO's. I know people that have done it. Power supplies can also be easily repaired. Besides, nothing is impossible for us AM'ers.

[KC2UGV]

Actually it is possible to repair MOBO's. I know people that have done it. Power supplies can also be easily repaired. Besides, nothing is impossible for us AM'ers.

Sure, anything is possible... I've hardly ever seen it aside from power connectors.

[W3WN]

Actually it is possible to repair MOBO's. I know people that have done it. Power supplies can also be easily repaired. Besides, nothing is impossible for us AM'ers.

Want one?

No, seriously. Something on the MFB blew out on my Dell 320 machine a few weeks back. It's being replaced by a Dell 760 I got from work (we just replaced 130 Dell 760's with Lenovo machines running < blecch > Windows 8.1 < /blecch > ) this weekend, and I hate on general principles to just trash it. You're welcome to it, as is. (No drives, they're going into the new machines, but other than that... )