No more gambling. My computer died.

[skiny]

Exactly which problems did we eliminate?

Does the computer shut off if you're in the bios?
Does the computer shut off before the windows set up disk can start a repair?
Does the computer shut off faster the more often you turn it on? For example, 5 seconds if you had it off for 5 minutes and 1 second if you've tried it several times in a row?

If it shuts off while in the bios or faster the more times you try it, it's probably overheating. In fact the first thing I do before trying to fix one of these things is clean it out and make sure the fans are working. A hot CPU or video card will either make them shut off or just act like they're on drugs.

Look at it when you turn it on, see if all the fans turn and get a can of compressed air and blow out all the heat sinks under the fans.

 

[Seventh777]

This was something to come home to. Great advices everyone
Some I need to translate first, but some I do get
I picked up a laptop on my way home today. I need to be able to read here at the same time as I'm trying the computer, or I will miss most of it.

I'm so tired, but I'm a very stubborn lady and I won't let the computer win this battle.
At least I need to find out if it's absolutely impossible to fix it.
Here we go...

I`ve just had a great idea how to make this stressful annoyance - fun - Fixing P.C.`s with uncle Roy, okay for every may cure remedy that fails you have to remove an article of clothing .

A few more possible cures........

1). Make sure your microwave date and time are set to the correct date and time.

2). and your guitar is perfectly tuned.

3). Take your dog for a long walk.

But seriously, good luck hun .

 

[Tirilej]

I didn't get anything tried out yesterday anyway. As soon as I started the phone rung so after the second time I gave up.
I'll give it a go tonight instead and hope I'm not so tired.
It's so the wrong week for it to happen. I'm expecting some birthdaychips later this week, and trying to play them on this old computer won't even be fun. Just running CM makes my cpu go up to 100%

@Skiny I cleaned the fans not so long ago, and they didn't seem to work too hard before either.
I also have had a program installed before that checked the temp and the heat wasn't any problem.

 

[skiny]

I didn't get anything tried out yesterday anyway. As soon as I started the phone rung so after the second time I gave up.
I'll give it a go tonight instead and hope I'm not so tired.
It's so the wrong week for it to happen. I'm expecting some birthdaychips later this week, and trying to play them on this old computer won't even be fun. Just running CM makes my cpu go up to 100%

@Skiny I cleaned the fans not so long ago, and they didn't seem to work too hard before either.
I also have had a program installed before that checked the temp and the heat wasn't any problem.

I'd check them again, you never know when a really old fan will quit.

If you're just sitting there in the bios it's and happy it's not overheating.

Do you have an actual windows set up disk?
Does it get as far as the set up options and die after you chose one of them?

 

[Tirilej]

I'd check them again, you never know when a really old fan will quit.

If you're just sitting there in the bios it's and happy it's not overheating.

Do you have an actual windows set up disk?
Does it get as far as the set up options and die after you chose one of them?

It's not the temp. The fans are working as they should.

I have a disk and when I put that in, the same happens as whatever else I try to do...
It says, Windows loading files and then the arrow comes up and then the screen turns blue. At first I thought the computer was working on something when that happened the first time, but after waiting a long time I realized that it wasn't. I couldn't hear it working either.

I'll give it a go tonight.

 

[skiny]

It's not the temp. The fans are working as they should.

I have a disk and when I put that in, the same happens as whatever else I try to do...
It says, Windows loading files and then the arrow comes up and then the screen turns blue. At first I thought the computer was working on something when that happened the first time, but after waiting a long time I realized that it wasn't. I couldn't hear it working either.

I'll give it a go tonight.

Last week I was trying to fix my brother's computer over the phone. It sounded like it was overheating but he said the fans worked ok. So I took a drive over and the heatsink on the CPU wasn't snapped down to the motherboard. lol

Let us know what you've tried next and how it behaved.

 

[Tirilej]

Now I have tried everything suggested and the conclusion is probably that I won't be able to fix it

I started with checking and cleaning the fans again, and I even made sure that what you did for your brother Skiny was okey too

I havn't been able to get into BIOS before, but when following LaHuttis advice I could.
F2 to get in to BIOS, but then I only had one choise and that was Windows setup.
What I could do from there was to push the F8 for advanced setup.

Tried Safe mode with and without command prompt. It downloaded the drivers, but when the screen came up it said safe mode in all corners but the screen was black. Black and not blue this time
So no command prompt to try...
I tried a few other choices also but, as usual, the blue screen came up.

Where I could chose to change the bootmenu was with esc but when changing to CD R, loading it, it downloaded the files...and then I had my lovely skyblue screen again.
If you don't won't to read about my blue screen again you can imagine how I feel every time it comes up
It never start to install, no errormessage, nothing.

I also switch RAM again, but it didn't change anything.
If it still is the RAM it's not the RAM in it self that is broken, it's the moduls you put it in. Two of my four was already broken and since they are a part of the motherboard, then I would need a new.

So the RAMmoduls or the Harddrive probably since it refuses to start windows or even to reinstall it.
I welcome any other suggestion, but I do believe I can't fix it.

Thanks anyway everyone!
I promise I won't ask for help if the one I'm using now brokes down. It's a homebuildt computer I got 2007 with some parts from 2003

 

[skiny]

Did you mean the bios had a windows set up option? The bios shouldn't even mention windows. If it does you're not in the bios.

Can you get your hands on a boot disk? I used to keep a floppy around when I was fixing a lot of computers so when it booted it wouldn't try to start windows. If it boots to dos from a boot disk then the problem is more than likely your hard drive.

When you start it with the windows set up disk does it go to the blue screen after you try to set up windows or while it's still booting?

If it locks up or restarts before windows set up starts then it's probably something else.

How do you break a ram slot?

 

[Tirilej]

Did you mean the bios had a windows set up option? The bios shouldn't even mention windows. If it does you're not in the bios.

Can you get your hands on a boot disk? I used to keep a floppy around when I was fixing a lot of computers so when it booted it wouldn't try to start windows. If it boots to dos from a boot disk then the problem is more than likely your hard drive.

When you start it with the windows set up disk does it go to the blue screen after you try to set up windows or while it's still booting?

If it locks up or restarts before windows set up starts then it's probably something else.

How do you break a ram slot?

O my, then I was probably not in BIOS. I thought it looked strange

I can not get my hands on a boot disk, but maybe that is something I can look for in the net and download.

When using the windows set up disk it download the files, or it says, windows is loading files, but normally I can follow how it installes the files and after the first disc I'm told to put in the second. It never says anything but loading files and then the nice blue screen comes up.

It have never restarted or shut down by itself. It has only froozed, and I have shut it down before.

How to break a ram slot? I have no clue
When I bought the computer for almost nothing, it was already broken and refused to start up at all. I removed the RAM one by one until it started. Then I switched slots until I found out that they were the reason it wouldn't work proparly. I got a lot of BSOD by then
I bought new RAM, and that has worked until now.

I just got a new silly question. Can the cables to the computer be the reason it acts strange? I don't mean the cables inside, but the ones outside. I'm using the same cables for this old computers so that's why I ask. It's not a question about windows set up or anything it's more a general question about how a computer can react if the cables are old, not correct or broken in some way.
Time for bed now I think, because now I can't think any longer...

 

[Seventh777]

In response to your question about cables, yes, they can make a difference, that is why I mentioned swapping the cables on your hard drive, when BIOS starts and it runs the post, it is checking certain hardware and that it is registering, when it checks the HD it does so via the leads that connects it to the MB, just because it recognises it does not mean it is working, all it is doing is saying it`s there, so, if the data lead is broken it will not pick up on this, it`s only internal leads that matter, external leads are easily identified if they are broken Ie. monitor cable - no screen at all.

Hope this helps .

 

[Tirilej]

In response to your question about cables, yes, they can make a difference, that is why I mentioned swapping the cables on your hard drive, when BIOS starts and it runs the post, it is checking certain hardware and that it is registering, when it checks the HD it does so via the leads that connects it to the MB, just because it recognises it does not mean it is working, all it is doing is saying it`s there, so, if the data lead is broken it will not pick up on this, it`s only internal leads that matter, external leads are easily identified if they are broken Ie. monitor cable - no screen at all.

Hope this helps .

Thanks Roy!
I think I forgot to write that I did change cables to the hard drive, as you suggested.
It was the same cable from the CD-Rom to the motherboard, so I just switched them.
The result was the same ofcourse

The question about the other cables was stupid, I see that now

I did have a very low internet connection a couple of years ago, and it was going on for month without me being able to fix the problem...until I bought new cables that leads to the box

 

[Seventh777]

Thanks Roy!
I think I forgot to write that I did change cables to the hard drive, as you suggested.
It was the same cable from the CD-Rom to the motherboard, so I just switched them.
The result was the same ofcourse

The question about the other cables was stupid, I see that now

I did have a very low internet connection a couple of years ago, and it was going on for month without me being able to fix the problem...until I bought new cables that leads to the box

Anytime birthday girl, here`s a huge (with tongues) birthday kiss for ya MWAH XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (wow it does still work, fancy that ).

 

[Tirilej]

Anytime birthday girl, here`s a huge (with tongues) birthday kiss for ya MWAH XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (wow it does still work, fancy that ).

Well, thank you for that one

 

[Seventh777]

Well, thank you for that one

No, believe me, thank you .