Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 has just died.It's been really slow in booting up over the past few weeks, taking around 3 or 4 mins to get past the initial screen which gives you details on drives etc. It would then take a while to load windows up too. Had done a hard drive test a few weeks ago and that passed ok.PC froze in use, no ctrl alt del worked so switched it off. Switched it on again and wouldn't get past the initial screen after 10 mins of waiting. Swtiched it off again and now am getting no screen output at all, although the pc is on. Don't know about beeps and lights etc as I pulled the cabling out in a fit of anger about a year ago.I'm guessing the motherboard has gone.If it has and I buy a new case and motherboard, will I be able to plug my old hard drives in and use as normal, or is a fresh install of windows necessary?It's an xp home, celeron 2ghz with half a gig of ram and a few hard drives. I only use it to watch recorded tv programs and avi's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Sorry to hear your PC has perhaps "died" although your diagnosis might be a tad premature.Even if it is the MoBo unfortunately it isn't as simple as just buying a new one because your existing installation of XP will choke on the new hardware and won't boot up. You'll likely get a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) and have to reinstall XP from scratch.In that process you will destroy everything on the HD so unless you can find a way of extracting anything you wish to keep I would suggest you get a new HD to install XP onto and the connect the old one in as a slave which will preserve all your stuff to be copied over at will. All assuming it's not the HD which has gone and that you have an XP CD to install from of course...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 L & R,it could be a number of things giving those symptoms...Sounds very like mine when the hard drive got corrupted after the power to the PC was cut . I tried various things to figure out the cause and in the end, I had no option but to reinstall windows.everything worked perfectly after...Its a bit of a pig if you have not backed up though..Have you checked the memory modules too? in case they are faultyDanny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracteurtom Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Most unlikely to be the MoBo but then not impossible. I'd guess its the HDD as this is the most likely to fail and give this type of symptom.Does the sytsem POST ? When does it start to slow up ? What I'd do is first remove all unnecessary bits (optical drives, floppy drive, modem, sound card etc), strip it down to a very basic system, just MoBo, CPU, 1 memory module, does it post then ? If yes add the HDD, does it POST now ? Keep adding hardware until you get a problem. If the system does POST, but slows on XP boot up, then again it looks like the HDD, you could try a XP recovery but favourite would be to fit a new HDD and see what happens then (this is where having loads of spares helps !).Also, forget trying to buy a new MoBo, if that proves to be the problem, as it is most unlikely that your other hardware (CPU and Memory) are compatible wth current MoBo technology - you could try ebay I suppose ???. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 12, 2007 Author Share Posted October 12, 2007 Some good suggestions there. Think I will take it apart and have a fiddle.It's slow as soon as you turn it on. The black screen comes up and freezes before it tells you what drives are installed etc. Can't even get into the BIOS either at this point. It used to freeze there for a few mins then continue loading xp slowly, but once it had finished booting, it ran normally. Now, it won't even give me a signal to my monitors.I'm pretty sure it's not the hd as I did a test on it in the BIOS when it forst started showing signs of dieing and this came back ok.All my stuff is on other internal hd's (and I did a backup of my bootup drive a while back, but it only contains programs anyway) so I won't lose anything.My other problem is that I no longer have my xp disc. It got left in Australia and my wifes son has it. grrr. I was certain I'd packed it too. I do have an xp disc from an old laptop that died last year. Don't know if that would work, probably not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Please don't take it apart. Boot it up in 'Safe' mode then apply devices/drivers/programs one by one until you find the culprit. I'm betting there is no hardware problem at all but either a corrupt file or a virus. Having said that, it is a Celeron so has a tendency to run hot and boil....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"] I do have an xp disc from an old laptop that died last year. Don't know if that would work, probably not.[/quote]Highly unlikely. It will have been activated for the laptop and you won't be able to activate again on a different machine. You could try asking MS if they will allow it under the circumstances but I suspect I know the answer.Alternatively; http://tinyurl.com/ys6zn5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 12, 2007 Author Share Posted October 12, 2007 [quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Please don't take it apart. Boot it up in 'Safe' mode then apply devices/drivers/programs one by one until you find the culprit. I'm betting there is no hardware problem at all but either a corrupt file or a virus. Having said that, it is a Celeron so has a tendency to run hot and boil....... [/quote]I can't get anything now. I have absolutely no output to my monitors. Getting to a boot screen or BIOS would be an achievement let alone into safe mode.When I think of the amount the computer's been through (sitting in storage and being on a ship for 6 months, and being switched on 24/7 for the past year and a half), it's had a good innings.I've had it apart loads of times putting in new hd's, dvd's, soundcards, tv cards, more memory, even a laptop hd, so I have no fear of fiddling around. At the end of the day if it's knackered, I'll just by a new case, motherboard, memory and processor and whack my old hd's in and obtain an xp disc from somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I WONDER IF IT IS ONE OF THOSE INSECTS I NOTICED ON YOUR NAME-IT SEEMS TO RUN VERY FAST!!!!![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezShells Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Personally I would buy a new machine, but if you want to solve the problem take out all cards that aren't needed to boot up (sound card, modem etc) and if you have more than one memory module use one at a time, that is if there is power getting to the board and try and see if it will boot without the cards then add one at a time, I always put it down to memory but could be anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracteurtom Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Yes, you need to strip it to its basics, then by a process of illimination you need to verify whats good. Do you have a replacement PSU ? its a start, then try a replacement graphics card and then memory. Problem is you probably haven't got the bits to try this approach, so a new PC may be the way forward .....A PC is a great thing when working, but you can gaurantee that one day it will fail to boot. The 2 most common items to fail I find are the HDD followed by the PSU. People who dont back up their data on a regular basic - by what ever means - are fools.Another tip for those living in France, always always unplug your PC at night or when away from the house. French electricity supplies and phone lines are a begger for being hit with lightning and if your PC happens to be on the end of power surge caused by lightning, its goodbye PC. [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Don't have replacement psu or graphics card (in fact I don't even have a graphics card in it, only the onboard one on the motherboard).Tomorrow is the day I'll take it apart and have a look. Ironically I normally back my laptops up to one of the hard drives on it (not the boot drive though), but the desktop needs no backing up as no work is done on it.I have a surge protection adaptor on it, one of those 10 socket things, as coming from Australia, we too had the same lightning strike problem. I remember a modem blowing up after being hit by lightning. That was fun!Can anyone recommend a French company where you can custom build a machine online? Found heaps in England, but none here.Thanks for all the advice and as I say, I'll have a bash at getting it going in the morrow. If not, a newbie (with quieter fans!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion van man Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 could be a case of 'chip creep' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Chip creep would be an easy fix. Hope so. Save me a couple of hundred euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Try http://www.grosbill.com - I've had a few bits from them - very prompt.TimI have no link with this company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion van man Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Chip creep would be an easy fix. Hope so. Save me a couple of hundred euros.[/quote]Lets hope it is that. Also clean and renew the thermal paste or pad between the CPU and cooler. Intel CPU's throttle back if they get too hot and they run hot normally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Took all the peripherals off but no difference.But boy, was there a lot of dust in there. Only hoovered it out a few months back too. Took the processor off and cleaned the hotsink up. Blew heaps of dust out.As soon as France beat England, I'll hook it back up and see if it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion van man Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"]As soon as France beat England, I'll hook it back up and see if it works.[/quote]Does that mean your not going to put it back together now? [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 14, 2007 Author Share Posted October 14, 2007 [quote user="Onion van man"][quote user="LyndaandRichard"]As soon as France beat England, I'll hook it back up and see if it works.[/quote]Does that mean your not going to put it back together now? [:-))][/quote]It flew out into the back yard!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Bought this one.http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260168463391&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=016I know it's not 5.6ghz as it states, but the dual 2.8 it has will be more than enough speed for me. But the motherboard is perfect for my needs.Spent a few hours on my old one, and it's no go. At least I can salvage most of the components and add to the new pc when it arrives.Does anyone know if I can make one of the ide drives I'll be putting in it the master boot up drive and the rest can be set to slave including the sata drive? Would like to use my smallest ide drive just for windows and programs and the other 3 hard drives that will be in it will be purely for storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 As the MSI MoBo has PATA and SATA on board then yes, you will be able to use your old IDE drive as a boot/Windows device. I notice though that this is a "bare bones DIY" package and there is no OS included unless you order it so did you do so ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion van man Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Does anyone know if I can make one of the ide drives I'll be putting in it the master boot up drive and the rest can be set to slave including the sata drive? Would like to use my smallest ide drive just for windows and programs and the other 3 hard drives that will be in it will be purely for storage.[/quote]You can use any hard drive as the Boot drive. SATA interfaces don't have master/slave as its one drive per motherboard connector so it is not needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracteurtom Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 No prob using the IDE drive as a boot drive (assuming the BIOS supports it), but its normal to use the fastest drive with most buffer RAM for the OS. You will have to set this up in BIOS and it can be a little confusing sometimes, just play around until it works ! Recommend you config the storage drives in a RAID 1 set-up for data protection - again, assuming the Mo Bo supports this, cant be bothered reading your link ! Loads of info on the web re this type of stuff, just Google it (Toms Hardware and Extremetech are good). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 One other factor to bear in mind is that the recovered IDE drive you propose using for the OS is presumably no longer in the flush of youth and therefore nearer it's (inevitable) demise then a new one would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote user="ErnieY"]As the MSI MoBo has PATA and SATA on board then yes, you will be able to use your old IDE drive as a boot/Windows device. I notice though that this is a "bare bones DIY" package and there is no OS included unless you order it so did you do so ? [/quote]I've got my copy that got left in Australia being sent over to me. Just a question of what arrives first now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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