Howdy all,

So I was cruising (slowly) along with my computer for the last several years happy that it was functional for what I needed to do. I had a dual boot system, one configuration for my everyday, normal, email, business applications, etc.. stuff.

The other configuration for video editing stuff. I decided when I built it that the codecs and other "unique" requirements of the video editing system encouraged me to separate the two for reliability. No matter what I did to the video editing setup, I could always use the other for what I HAD to do (ie work,) vs what I WANTED to do, (ie, play games, & edit video).

Recently Murphy raised his head though and now the whole thing is dead. (I'm composing this on my notebook) I had upgraded my video card driver to the latest ATi Catalyst driver, 4.1 I think it was. System started acting a little strange, hanging intermittently. I then added a hard drive because a couple months earlier I had one fail on me and I got a replacement under warranty from Maxtor, so I threw it in. (I wasn't trying to correct the hanging problem of the video card, it's just that it showed up via FedEx, so I put it in -better there than on my desk)

Then the computer really became unstable.

It has gotten to the point now where, with all cards stripped out of the system, including the video card, it still won't post. I ordered a new powersupply hoping that fixes it. If not, I have (get) to build a new system.

So the trouble with the computer got me surfing the web looking for good sites to discuss comptuers and I found GIDForums. So here I am.

Depending on the outcome of the powersupply test/replacement, you may well see me here a bit as I select a new computer.

Cheers

Hello Bulkhead,

That's the best Introduction I've read in a long time... At least now we know where you're coming from!

Welcome to GIDForums™ and we hope everything goes well with the attempted fixes / tests.

__________________
J de Silva
Learning Journal | GIDForums™ | GIDNetwork™ | GIDWebhosts™ | GIDSearch™

So I wanted to come back and close the loop on this post since I described a problem with my computer that I have fixed.

I received a reply from ASUS technical support that was comprised primarily of a form letter suggesting various things to try to fix my problem (above). One of the suggestions was to move jumper7 on my mobo to reset the CMOS. Well, there isn't a jumper7 on it, but in reading the mobo manual I found some other items worth trying.

I found that the jumper that specified the voltage that was applied to the processor was not set at the default value. It was set higher by one of three settings - the manual said to set it there if you inteded to overclock the pc. I reset to the default.

I also changed the jumper switches on the board to specify a "hard" operating frequency for the CPU. This can be set to allow changes within the BIOS, or to be disabled in the BIOS and set on the board itself with switches. I set everything to the default values, RAM bus speed, CPU speed.

Then with EVERYTHING removed from the computer, ie, no hard drives, RAM, floppies, video card, nothing at all plugged in, except a (new) powersupply, and a keyboard, I switched the computer on.

Beep.

Great it didn't even do that before. I added the RAM, rebooted, got a different tone from the pc speaker, added the video card, rebooted, up pops the BIOS - great!

I eventually reassembled everything and the computer has been stable for 5 weeks now. Not one glitch.

The end result is that I was able to save the pc even when it appeared to be completely dead. It wouldn't POST before I tried these steps.

Hope this story helps someone.

I would have appreciated the suggestion to try to reset the CMOS when I was facing a dead system, although it is a bit of a last step I guess. Your mobo tech support should be able to tell you how to do it for your board.

cheers