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What is wrong with my dads comp?

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ps2cho

Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2004
Ok guys...

Problems:

a) Windows started crashing more frequently
b) Wouldn't show any pictures...monitor wouldn't turn on during boot.
c) After it started to show again...during windows load screen...just locks up.

Steps taken so far:

1)Windows boot says that windows is damaged...so I repaired windows...no luck though...still locks up during boot and says Windows is damaged right away when loading the CD.
2)Tested Graphics card, tested RAM. Both good.

I'm 95% sure its a hardware problem (75% of that is the motherboard due to a previous problem with wierd noises(link below))
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=485513

Any other ideas?

As we speak I am installing windows on a different HDD so we can eliminate the HDD from the list of potential problems....and that just leaves the CPU and motherboard. But either way, he will just upgrade both as it's not worth staying with his P4 2.4 Northwood.

Thanks, ps2cho
 
could be a few things, PSU is another one to consider but it sounds more like CPU or motherboard from past experience. Also check the CPU heatsink
 
I dont believe the heatsink would be the problem here.
 
Have you checked the rails on the PSU with a multi-meter? If the card is good and seated correctly the PSU is the most likely culprit.
 
Ok looks like one of the sticks of RAM is faulty. When I tested it, it was fine. Then it started playing up again so I tested them in my own comptuer and one of the two sticks refused to boot up. So its dead.

The problem now is that when trying to install windows again...it gets locked up at the black screen that says "Checking hardware configuration" or whatever it is. It just stops and never goes to the blue driver loading screen.

Ideas? We tried using my windows xp cd too, still same deal.
 
Might be the motherboard. If you had past problems with it, and now it is freezing up. The RAM thing really makes it suspect to.
 
All I have left to test is the Power supply, the ATA Cable and the DVD Drive...but I very much doubt its any of them. But I will test them just to say it has got to be the motherboard before my dad pitches out $250 for a new C2D and motherboard.
He will reuse his X800 and 1GB DDR3200 RAM. He cannot afford to upgrade everything. Same as me :p
 
Ok he ended up getting the same processor as me:

ECS P4M800PRO-M and a Pentium D 805.

Everything installed Perfect ! So it must have been the motherboard/CPU. We did notice there was a small burn on the outside of his processor...possible cause?

Well we tried to overclock last night and it corrupted his Windows installation. He has the copper zalman cooler (cant remember exact name) and it idles 35c. We only tried 150x20 which was an increase from 133MHz.
Why could it have done that?

We have to totally reformat and reinstall windows now as I wont repair it.
 
Ok we somehow fixed windows...and when we flashed to the BIOS to the latest version. Everything died. It booted up but keyboard would not function -- thus no ability to back-flash the BIOS with a backup I made. How messed up. luckily, my brother got this motherboard too so we just dropped it right in and it worked.

This is the reason why we were having problems overclocking past 140FSB and corrupt windows:
BAD1.jpg


BAD2.jpg



Wow...how did I miss that when I put it in...I must have been in a rush. Will go to Fry's soon and get a straight replacement as I still need the board to give back to my brother
 
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