BIG BIG computer problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter wannabecomedeat
  • Start date Start date
W

wannabecomedeat

New member
hey,

My computer was freezing and rebooting. I carried it back to the seller, he changed the motherboard and the problem was still there so I changed the motherboard, the CPU, the power supply, the ram, the graphic card, still it locks up.

what can it be from?

new stuff in my comp are

amd 3500+ socket 939
asus motherboard AN8-E
asus 6200 graphic card
kingston ddr400 ram

one hard drive is a maxtor 40gig, the other one is a western digital 160gig EIDE connectors.

Hope someone can give me a hint, it's a full month with no recording computer :(
 
wannabecomedeat said:
hey,

My computer was freezing and rebooting. I carried it back to the seller, he changed the motherboard and the problem was still there so I changed the motherboard, the CPU, the power supply, the ram, the graphic card, still it locks up.r :(
Click to expand...



After, all that troubleshooting, you should return your computer to the seller for a full refund. Are you using a legit or cracked version of whatever operating system you are on? Using some cracked operating systems can give you loads of intentional headaches (not that i condone cracked software in the first place).

You pretty much troubleshooted the entire computer, except for the hard drives.


Why you didnt ask the seller for a brand new computer in the first place is beyond me.
 
If the CPU is running too hot, that will cause freezes and reboots. Is the machine getting enough air flow? I had a machine do the same thing even with a CPU fan. Added a case fan and the problem went away.
 
disassemble everything.

put on your motherboard, a single RAM only , only your primary hard drive, and your video card, plus mouse and keyboard. Boot the thing. If it works, one of your hardware that is left behind has the problem. If not, its your operating system or DID YOU INSTALL RECENTLY ANOTHER SOFTWARE OR DRIVER BEFORE THE BAD THING HAPPENS?
 
the craziest thing is it locks up while in bios. I have to format to make windows bootable again. Kinda tells you I don't have a cracked windows version, eventho it's still not installed.

that's total crap. It's at the store right now, if they aren't able to fix it then F*** them, I get a new comp at another store. I wonder if it is the new motherboard that has bugs.
 
you shoulda posted this in the AMD or INTEL for DAW thread
 
are you sure its a new motherboard? I would make a small mark on any component before returning it. That way I know its not the same one if they tell me its a new replaced one. second thng is that if a HD is bad, even if its not the one windows is loaded on, it can cause the problems your having. have you tried booting without your slave drive? also try pulling off all cd/dvd drives, floppy drive, audio cards , modems, network cards. strip it down to just mother board, processor/heatsink fan, one memory modual one HD, mouse, keyboard. If you have another PC try taking its graphics card and installing it. also try another mouse and keyboard. hopfully you can get these from a friend or another pc so you dont have to spend any more money. make sure the processor is seated right, and that the heatsink is also seated right. the heat sink may look like its on right but if its not making full contact it will not do its job. hope any of this helps in troubleshooting your problem.
 
every old stuff on my comp was discontinued, so everything is brand new. Reminds me they made tests for a full week with my old stuff, the HD were having no problem. when working alone, the motherboard and CPU were doing crazy things, and because of incompatibility I had to change all I did, but still it freezes up. It's up to them to find what's wrong from now on. Hope they'll figure it out, I made a million tests too, not much revelant.

Thank you so much for your help, I hope it's just a driver problem they'll figure out.
 
get your money back now if you can...........

wannabecomedeat said:
every old stuff on my comp was discontinued, so everything is brand new. Reminds me they made tests for a full week with my old stuff, the HD were having no problem. when working alone, the motherboard and CPU were doing crazy things, and because of incompatibility I had to change all I did, but still it freezes up. It's up to them to find what's wrong from now on. Hope they'll figure it out, I made a million tests too, not much revelant.

Thank you so much for your help, I hope it's just a driver problem they'll figure out.
Click to expand...

most bio's have an audible troubleshooting setting telling you by beeps and even voice on some machines how far along boot sequence it is getting if it freezes on boot.

is the amd 3500+ a 939 socket processor? are ya sure?

if it locks up that quick from a cold boot, it is not overheating. send these guys a UCC (uniform commercial code) letter demanding you money back.

there are sooooo many things that can go wrong, you should not have to become a computer expert to record your damn music! or any kind of music!
 
Hey,

What OS are you using?

When it freezes, what are you doing? Does it happen immediately upon bootup, or only when you use certain programs?

Do you get any errors? Does the screen flash blue with white lighting? Does it restart itself or just freeze?

Go to google and search for MemTest86 and Drive Fitness Test. Put those onto either a bootable floppy or bootable CD and run them. They will test to make sure your Memory and Hard Drives are okay.

It sounds like you've taken apart and put the computer back together again. Have you tried swapping IDE cables for the drives? Have you checked the jumpers?

How about your operating system? Try pressing "F8" repeatedly right after you turn on your computer and go into XP safe mode with networking. Does it lock up there? If not, do a virus scan at http://housecall.trendmicro.com and a spyware scan at http://www.geeksquad.com. Also, run AdAware, SpyBot, HijackThis! (ONLY IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING), and LSPFix (if you're having internet issues or HijackThis! tells you to). Make sure the spyware is cleaned; that's the number one problem I see with computers.

Have you downloaded and installed all the latest Windows updates? If so, have you updated your drivers (ESPECIALLY the sound card)? I had the same problem with intermittent freezing and rebooting, and I realized it was becuase I installed Service Pack 2 without updating my EMU drivers. SP2 changed the way your computer interfaces with certain drivers, so you most certainly want to check all that.

Try all that and let me know what you've found.

Jarick
 
Rstiltskin said:
is the amd 3500+ a 939 socket processor? are ya sure?
Click to expand...

yup it is, to be sure I looked again on the net, + I already went to 3 stores, they all told me socket 939.

cheer mate
 
hey, Yareek

thanks for the long reply, but I no longer have the pc now, it's back at the store so I can't try. This was not spyware problem, I already have hijack spybot, etc. All it did a month ago is turns off but some fans were still runing.

I had to format the hd to make it bootable with the new computer parts and have not made it yet. It doesn't lock up while in windows since I can't boot windows from now. It's while in the bios.

The guys at the store are presently trying every pieces one by one on another computer (for the third times since they did it twice before realizing it was not only the motherboard)

don't know if that's clear. hope so

thanks again to everyone :)
 
wannabecomedeat said:
hey, Yareek

thanks for the long reply, but I no longer have the pc now, it's back at the store so I can't try. This was not spyware problem, I already have hijack spybot, etc. All it did a month ago is turns off but some fans were still runing.

I had to format the hd to make it bootable with the new computer parts and have not made it yet. It doesn't lock up while in windows since I can't boot windows from now. It's while in the bios.

The guys at the store are presently trying every pieces one by one on another computer (for the third times since they did it twice before realizing it was not only the motherboard)

don't know if that's clear. hope so

thanks again to everyone :)
Click to expand...

Sounds like multiple problems!

Yeah if you need any help or advice, I'm happy to help. I worked for Geek Squad for a couple years and I want to try and stay on my toes if I ever want to go out for an IT position at all.

BTW, if you are starting fresh on a new hard drive, I highly recommend using Norton / Symantec Ghost. It's a lifesaver. I install it right after a fresh restore, before updates or drivers. I made an image of my program/OS drive right after installing XP, another after running all the XP updates and installing the latest drivers, and one more after installing all my programs. I keep all my MP3's, recording projects, and data/documents on separate hard drives to avoid having to lose anything. At the least I recommend running a second/external hard drive for that stuff.

Basics for sure, but if you've ever dealt with software issues, they can be a lifesaver.
 
This all make me so glad I record music on a dedicated Yamaha AW16G - it is so reliable. My computer is good for post-recording processing, but for recording I love the standalone.
 
kahuna said:
This all make me so glad I record music on a dedicated Yamaha AW16G - it is so reliable. My computer is good for post-recording processing, but for recording I love the standalone.
Click to expand...

Oh man, I just mixed my first full band project on my comptuer post VS-1680. I'm never going back. EVER.

Way more control, way better plugs, tons of EQ options, I can line up the waves really precise, unlimited tracks, bussing and group track options :)

I'm a sucker for complexity :D
 
Yareek said:
Oh man, I just mixed my first full band project on my comptuer post VS-1680. I'm never going back. EVER.

Way more control, way better plugs, tons of EQ options, I can line up the waves really precise, unlimited tracks, bussing and group track options :)

I'm a sucker for complexity :D
Click to expand...

Flying high risks crashing hard. May you RAM never die! :)
 
Have your power supply checked out. If the power supply is not regulating the voltages properly, that can very easily happen. Also, I have had a similar problem in the past becasue the motherboard screws did not have the little rubber washers in them and it was shorting out somewhere to the frame.

Standalone units are certainly more stable. Most of this is because you can't do anything to them to screw them up. However, inside there is also a cpu, ram etc.... If you think fixing a PC is bad, wait till you find out how complicted and expensive it is for labor and parts on an OEM and possibly discontinued standalone DAW:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top