Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

Computer dying :(

KyzenKyzen Registered User regular
edited November 2006 in Help / Advice Forum
My computer is randomly dying - the screen goes black (as if the power is off), and the sound starts looping, much as if it had locked up.

I'm considering reformatting, but it would cost me my last Windows XP license to do so, and I'm not even sure if doing so would fix the problem.

Any suggestions?

Kyzen on

Posts

  • xYUUBINKYOKUxxYUUBINKYOKUx Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    you can always call microsoft if it will not let you use the key to install and they will turn it on again for you.

    xYUUBINKYOKUx on
    parkinson_kunark_sig.jpgPortfolioZune Profile
  • KyzenKyzen Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    The serial is actually through an MSDN subscription I have through work, we can only activate each key 10 times, then after that we have to request additional keys, which I believe costs money.

    Kyzen on
  • robaalrobaal Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Check the voltages with something like Everest Home Edition - they should be within 5% of the target value; look at the temperatures it reports while you're at it.
    You might also want to run some stress-test to see what happens to those values then. Prime95 is pretty good for stressing the CPU; for the GPU I'd suggest ATI Tool (not made by ATI) and its "artifact scanner", which warms up my video card very well. I think the scanner should work also under nVidia cards, and I don't mean you should really scan for artifacts - just choose "show 3d view".

    Does this happen totally randomly - even when browsing the web or somesuch - or is it randomly when you do something that stresses the system?

    Cleaning out any dust that might have accumulated inside the case won't hurt - compressed air is probably the fastest way to do it, use it on the heatsinks. I'm cheap so I just wipe them with a paper tissue.

    robaal on
    "Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra when suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
    At night, the ice weasels come."
  • KyzenKyzen Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Happens all the time randomly. There have been times where it stops merely while booting up or sitting at the desktop, and there are times where it dies while playing a game.

    Downloading everest now, thanks...

    Kyzen on
  • stigweardstigweard Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Robaal's got good advice. Also check around the capacitors for discoloration or misshaped (bulbous) capacitors. If you find any then it is most likely the motherboard that is on its way out. Everest can give you temp readings for your cpu, motherboard and hdds too, though sometimes it will give bad readings. The free version is over a year old now and it has trouble with brand new boards.

    stigweard on
  • KyzenKyzen Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Free version didn't work for me since I have my computer set up as a member of a domain. Bummer. Got a trial copy of the corporate version, and I'm not able to find voltage readings anywhere. My computer is 4ish years old though.

    Kyzen on
  • robaalrobaal Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    In the free version in was under computer->sensor IIRC... and it's the same in the Ultimate edition, but it won't tell you +12V voltage in trial :?

    You can also get Motherboard Monitor, which should work with older hardware still (it's not developed anymore AFAIK).

    You can also check your motherboard manufacturer's site, as they often provide software that will display this information.

    Lastly, you can often check these things in the BIOS.

    robaal on
    "Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra when suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
    At night, the ice weasels come."
  • stigweardstigweard Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Speedfan should be able to detect the 12v rail. It is picky with some motherboards. It finds my 12v and 3v rail, but not the 5v. Both it and Everest detect my aux temp as 120c but there is nothing in the machine that is anywhere near that hot.

    stigweard on
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum