I am so frustrated - DPChallenge Forums

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 04:47:27 PM · #1

...my computer has been giving me trouble for months now (at least 7 months). I have tried to diagnose the problem myself and so far failed to fix all the issues.

I keep my computer running (I don't shut it down at night) and woke up to a screen saying [no input]. So over night it had lost communications between the monitor and computer. The computer was still on just not getting a signal to the monitor. Below is the list of things going on, maybe you can tell me what your best guess is the problem(s).

1. It started out by freezing when I was working on-line or off-line. You know the mouse pointer sticks and/or it will move but you can click on anything. The computer just sits there. The only way to get it to work again would be a hard boot.

2. Then it started giving me these wild hot pixels when booting up. They look like dead pixels but they would blink and be about four pixels in size and would jump around the monitor. When the computer booted up into windows they would be gone.

3. After that it began to do the same thing as in #1 but after a few seconds you would hear a winding sound in my computer and the screen would go black and the re-appear and I would be able to work again. Sometimes without another problem for days but most of the time it would do this three or four times then end up just like #1; no signal to the monitor and I would have to hard boot.

4. Hoping it was a software issue I decided to re-install Windows XP Media Edition that came with my computer. My computer is a built computer so I don't have restore disk, I have to reinstall everything individually. But when I went to reinstall Windows, while on the blue screen loading files it would popup an error message and would not let me install windows.

5. So I was stuck with a computer that I could not re-install so I could not rule our a software issue. Oh let me add that before trying to re-install windows I tried to burn a DVD and CD and it would tell me "D:\Not Accessible". But yet I could view, install (anything but OS), and read DVD's and CD's with no problem. I also have an "A" drive; same error but I can't even view a disk in it.

By now I know something or more than one thing is going on. Multiple hardware issues? Hardware and software Issue?, I had no way of knowing. I notice that the case fan was not working and its power was supplied by the power supply so I went yesterday morning and purchased a new fan ($14) and installed it. Working fine and it draws it power from the motherboard. I made sure my filter in my case was clear and clean along with CPU fan, Video Card fan, and others and my computer was very clean. But the problem still existed.

Someone told me that my Hard drive may be failing so I was lucky enough to have a Best Buy Gift Card and used it to get a new hard drive and install it. All the above problems still exist. I changed out data cables and still had the problem.

So frustrated I sent my computer to repair, the same place that built it. A very reputable and good computer store that I have been doing business with for many years. But hear is the thing. I sent it in yesterday and they just called me saying we can install Windows for you at a cost of $95 and I said no. I know how to install windows, I want you to find out why Windows will not load and find the other problem(s). I told him everything (again) that was going on - as mentioned above - and he said Ok.

It's $50 for them to do a diagnostic test and find out the problem(s) that is wrong with my system and if I want it fixed that is applied to the repair cost. I would assume if I told them I could not install OS that do a diagnostic test buy trying to install OS and it would be covered under the $50.00.
When I sent my computer in for repair yesterday I also took them the motherboard box with all drivers and software, including Windows, that they supplied me when they built the computer almost three years ago.

I don't have the money for them to be charging me for things I don't need. I need to know what the problem is and get them to fix it or I will.

UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!@!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone want to take a guess at what the problem(s) maybe?

I'm pulling my hair out hear.

Thanks,
Scott

NOTE: I'm using my sons computer in the meantime and he is having a fit wanting it back LOL

totaldis

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

11/24/2009 04:57:28 PM · #2

This could be a number of things.
The advantage of a computer repair shop is that they have replacement parts to swap out to narrow down the problem.
You may not have such luxury.

Some symptoms show signs of video card failure, some ram, some motherboard/cpu.
So it's a coin flip until you narrow it down. You can check the system logs to look for any obvious errors.

What was the error message while loading windows?
Did you recently add any more hardware? plug any more usb devices in? maybe your Power Supply is overwhelmed.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

11/24/2009 05:03:18 PM · #3

You can buy a power supply tester for about $10-20. You just plug it into one of the cables and it lights to indicate if all the proper voltage levels are present. It's cheap way of testing something that can be the cause of multiple weird problems. A decent replacement power supply can be had for under $50. A junky one can be had for even less. Free if you can rob one out of someone else's dead computer.

Message edited by author 2009-11-24 17:04:08.

chromeydome

Nikon D7000

11/24/2009 05:18:06 PM · #4

what brand is it? E-machines are infamous for inadequate power supplies when brand new, and for failing early and often.

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 05:18:39 PM · #5

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

He told me he check the power supply but was going to check it again. It maybe a that the power supply is overloaded or going bad.

Originally posted by totaldis:

Overwhelmed power supply maybe an issue. It's a 500 Watt power supply and I do have a few hardware divices attached to my computer via UBS.
- 9X12 Walcom Tablet
- WD External USB Hard Drive
- USB WinTV Digital
and both my keyboard and mouse are USB.

So now a total of 1.5 T of HD space between three drives, two internal and one USB.

It would be several errors. I don't have them in front of me because I had put them in a text file on the computer at the shop. But I can say that when I went to load the new HD the morning it took it to the shop, the error was 7. I don't recall what file it said was corrupt.

Message edited by author 2009-11-24 17:25:58.

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 05:22:06 PM · #6

Originally posted by chromeydome:

what brand is it? E-machines are infamous for inadequate power supplies when brand new, and for failing early and often.

NO E-machine. It is a built computer.

Asus Mother board P5+
Intel 6400 Chipset
Radeon 512mb Graphics card (two fans)
WD hard drives
Mid-size super quite case with shock absorbent.

FourPointX

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

11/24/2009 05:38:20 PM · #7

a couple of things to try

1.) try removing all "attached' peripherals and drives and see if the problem persists
2.) check the system logs by clicking start, run, and typing "eventvwr" and view the application logs and system logs for any clues to what is failing
3.) what is the error popping up when trying to reinstall windows from scratch?

fitz3000

Nikon D7200

11/24/2009 05:39:09 PM · #8

SDW, I've got the same problem with my machine, my computer worked 14 hours a day for about a year and these thigs starded to happen, dead pixels while starting, freezing, no contact with the monitor, first I tought was a software issue like you said and I tried to reinstall the windows...hopefully after few crashed I finaly managed to install it, same problem again...then at the computer company where I bought it they replaced the power-suply, luckily for free, but same problem again, at the end they put a new graphic card and the problem was solved, that too for free :)

Hope it was helpful

Message edited by author 2009-11-24 17:40:45.

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 05:54:52 PM · #9

Originally posted by purifier:

I'm hoping it's a cheep fix (low on funds). I know the motherboard and graphics card are still under warranty by the manufacture but not where I had my system built. They only offer a 1-yr warranty and beyond I have to go through the manufacture. So IF they do find the problem I will have to RMA the hardware that is bad to them and hopefully they will send me a new one for free. My warranty is just about up. I think the motherboard warranty and possibly the graphics card warranty expires after this month. But if its a power supply problem I know it's out of warranty. I know I'm looking a $50 just for the diagnostic test which will be applied toward the repair if I have it repaired. Then the cost of labor and parts if not under warranty.

If I have to replace the graphics card then I'm going to go with the least expensive that will have enough power to run photoshop CS3. I don't need a gaming card. But I may have to put it on hold until after the holidays.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/24/2009 05:59:34 PM · #10

the 1st thing i would have done based on your description was yank the plug'n'play graphics card out, reboot, and go the bios to switch the GPU to the on board graphics - reboot again... at the same time i would have unplugged any USB devices, and plugged in a PS2 mouse and keyboard. i'd also have disconnected any hard drives besides the boot ( windows ) drive.

if that didn't work - i'd leave everything as above and swap power supplies. if that did work. i'd re-install the graphics card, and install the most current drivers for it.

if that didn't work - i'd leave everything as above and remove/ replace some of the RAM.

with step one - you could also remove any PCI cards installed that aren't absolutely needed. ( sound card, TV out card... ect )

Message edited by author 2009-11-24 18:05:13.

ralph

Nikon Z9

11/24/2009 06:03:27 PM · #11

find a memory tester off the web & let it run over night
//www.memtest86.com/
and or
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime95

could be your issue ...

soup

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/24/2009 06:03:46 PM · #12

my guess would be the graphics card. but seeing as you're getting the weird pixels BEFORE the drivers for it load, i don't know...

Message edited by author 2009-11-24 18:04:09.

Dirt_Diver

Nikon D3s

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

11/24/2009 06:15:59 PM · #13

Scott when you get you computer back let me know. I'll come pick it up and look at it.

robinssong

Canon EOS-7D

11/24/2009 06:16:41 PM · #14

I agree with many here... one of your problems could be a video card.
My 2 cents worth...
- is the video card fan working properly? Video card overheating could cause problems.
Does the video card have a power connector? Is it connected properly?
Have you tried updating the video card to the latest drivers?

soup

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/24/2009 06:17:48 PM · #15

with four arms you ought to be able fix it up right quick :)

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 06:36:58 PM · #16

I just got a call from the repair shop. He believes he has found the problem. After running the computer all day and nothing showing up bad. He tried to load windows and the optical drive intermittently began to shorting out. He told me that the graphics card, motherboard, and memory checked out ok as well as the power supply. So I'm looking a $95 for the fix and it will be ready tomorrow after he runs a final test.

But he did advise me that I may still have a power supply issue because of all the devices I have attached to my computer. If that is the case the he can replace my power supply with a higher wattage one but that would cost another $100 or so.

For now I'm going to go the $95 route (new optical drive + labor) and if I need a new power supply I buy one when I can afford it and just unplug a few devices till then.

Dirt_Diver

Nikon D3s

11/24/2009 06:37:23 PM · #17

Originally posted by soup:

with four arms you ought to be able fix it up right quick :)

hahahaha. As a non-offical forum post moderator I'm going to have to ask that you to not integrate thread posts. It may confuse the stupid people. hahaha

Dirt_Diver

Nikon D3s

11/24/2009 06:42:38 PM · #18

a 500w power supply shouldn't have a problem running any of the USB devices you have attached. I have a 600w PS and I am running 5 internal drives, 2 external drives, a mouse, keyboard, my tablet, 2 32gb USB thumb drives, my printer, my phone charger, an external USB hub, and god knows what else... Trust me 500w is more than enough power

ralph

Nikon Z9

11/24/2009 07:05:42 PM · #19

Originally posted by SDW:

sorry - but i don't believe it -
that would be unlikely to cause random video errors ..
jsut a way for him to sell you a 20$ cd/dvd drive for 100$
if it was a pwr supply issue you would beable to disconnect items & it would run fine

good luck but i expect to hear more of this saga ...

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 07:09:28 PM · #20

Originally posted by Dirt_Diver:

I hope so. I'm hoping it was optical drive that was causing the problems and nothing more.

I just wish I would have know and I could have saved myself $50+. I could have replaced that.

I have an external DVD RW but as you know you can't load OS from an external DVD that is USB driven.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

11/24/2009 07:11:37 PM · #21

Originally posted by Dirt_Diver:

Trust me 500w is more than enough power

It is, but that does not mean it can't fail. Especially if this computer was built with a no-name power supply. My previous computer that I built in '03 cost $30 for both the case and power supply. Just this past March, the evening before I left for a week long trip, I walked in the middle bedroom and smelled something that I recognized as burned wiring. The top of the computer was hot to the touch. Awfully glad I found it before we left. I'm actually surprised the thing lasted 6 years. I buy good name brand power supplies now, however.

fitz3000

Nikon D7200

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

11/24/2009 07:17:59 PM · #22

Originally posted by ralph:

Originally posted by SDW:
I just got a call from the repair shop. He believes he has found the problem. After running the computer all day and nothing showing up bad. He tried to load windows and the optical drive intermittently began to shorting out. He told me that the graphics card, motherboard, and memory checked out ok as well as the power supply. So I'm looking a $95 for the fix and it will be ready tomorrow after he runs a final test.
[snip]

sorry - but i don't believe it -
that would be unlikely to cause random video errors ..
jsut a way for him to sell you a 20$ cd/dvd drive for 100$
if it was a pwr supply issue you would beable to disconnect items & it would run fine

good luck but i expect to hear more of this saga ...

yeap ralph has a point there, trust me you need a brand new video card nothing more, the technician told me the same that he ran the computer all day and nothing showed so I had to record a video to show him that I'm not imagining things

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/24/2009 07:32:54 PM · #23

Originally posted by ralph:

I know it sounds irrational that a optical drive is causing the problems, especially the video issues. I do believe it may be the problem in loading OS. But I'm feel the same as you do; more issues are going on. Money wise - I hope not!