Comp Spazzing Out

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

When I got back to school 2 weeks ago, my computer was having trouble starting up. It would get stuck on the BIOS page and I'd have to hit F1 to continue, after a few restarts it started to work again, although any time I had to restart I would still have to hit F1 to continue.

Then it said I had to recertify my windows xp which is less than a year old. It was running fine until my school had several power outages last week. After restarting it a few times it finally booted up, and the hit F1 to continue went away.

Due to some occasional crashes while I was playing WC III i updated my video drivers. It's hard to know whether it worked or not because the crash was random and when I looked up the error file it said it had something to do with my minidump and sysdata.xml folders, so I deleted the content of the minidump and rebooted.

Also, I have no calendar for System restore. It's all just blank.

I was just watching a few episodes of Weeds on megavideo (I've watched about 30 or so just fine previously) halfway through my third episode of the night my computer starts making this stuttering sound, though the video kept playing, just with the stutter. It sounded just like the stutter it would make right before it crashed and restarted automatically during WCIII.

I tried to close the window but it froze. I turned it off and when I turned it back on, nothing came up on the monitor. I turned it off and on a couple times but nothing happened. The temp is 31 across the board, but the back plate was kind of hot so I sprayed it a little bit with the duster can.

I turned it back on and it brought up the BIOS screen again with hit F1 to continue. I do that and it gets to the Microsoft loading screen, where the loading bar just starts spazzing out and going a million mph.

After a few minutes (which is much longer than usual) it starts up again, but it takes 5 minutes before any app can be opened.

I'm planning on just going back to the old drivers, as I've never had this problem before, but does anyone know what may have caused it just in case it isn't the new drivers?

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

Just tried to reinstall the old drivers. When I restarted, it said "Warning, your CPU has changed." So I went into the CMOS and just hit save&exit.

Then nothing happened. Turned it off and back on and no screen came up. Off and on and it loaded normally after hit F1 to continue. Before my desktop loads it says "Cannot find [the old driver's .exe] and now I can't change the resolution. Wtf is going on?!

Since all of that didn't work I reinstalled the updated drivers. Now it says "Checksum error - defaults loaded" I hit F1 to continue, it loads up and my resolution is ridiculously high on both monitors. My secondary monitor is just identical instead of an extension, and when I try to change the resolution, it just goes down to 640x800 and won't change.

DarkKing · Joined: 0000-00-00 Posts: 3427

I would run a memory test

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

I'm a complete noob when it comes to anything hardware related. Going to have to explain how to do everything to me.

I just replaced the CMOS battery and it seemed to make things worse. At first it just came up with a screen saying "Detecting Drives. . ." after a few minutes it said "No any drives detected"

I turned it off and back on, and now it says
CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded
Override enabled - defaults loaded

Hit F1 to continue and it goes to windows loading screen. It loads up but I still can't change the resolution, and the date/time still loaded incorrectly even though I made sure everything in the BIOS was back to the way it was.

DarkKing · Joined: 0000-00-00 Posts: 3427

I know this sounds like an insult but it isnt.
Could you have installed nvidia platform/motherboard drivers by mistake.

I would roll back to the your last save point.

Or

First make sure all your parts cpu mem. HD etc. are properly installed.

Check your SATA cables they may be loose or fractured they are much more fragile than IDE

Run this memory test you download and burn an image reboot and it will self boot.
You will need to make sure you have CD as first boot.

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp#top

Bad memory will cause all kinds of error messages.

If the memory is good I would reflash the bios on the motherboard.

Then run a harddrive test.

Then reinstall windows form your last back up or better yet a clean install

If that does not help if may be the cpu if not its the motherboard possibly.

I doubt it the cpu unless you had a major power surge then you may have lost the entire mobo/memory/cpu combo.

But I am betting its memory or bad sectors on your HD or wrong bad driver install

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

I downloaded the correct drivers, the new nvidia 196 graphics drivers.

Everything is installed properly, nothing has been shifted or moved, inspected the cables and they are fine.

We did have a few power outages here which actually did cause some problems on rebooting, but it was working fine for 2 weeks after the outages.

As for save points, I don't have any. My system restore is blank, no calendar, no save points. I can't even create new ones.

DarkKing · Joined: 0000-00-00 Posts: 3427

Run the Memory test hopefully its a bad stick otherwise its the motherboard, cpu, or HD.

DarkViper · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:15 am Post subject:

Did you get this fixed?

Stupid question, but did you replace the CMOS battery with a NEW battery, or just one you took from another PC?
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DarkViper
"Dude, I didn't piss my shit."

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

Ok, so I installed the new motherboard, the Asus p5n-D. Everything is connected properly, all the fans are running, the light comes on, the computer powers up, but nothing comes up on the monitor. The video card is good, it was working this morning before I changed out the mobo.

The disc drive also doesn't seem to have power despite being connected properly. Anyone have any ideas on what might be wrong?

DarkChilla · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject:

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

I took it to a computer repair place so I guess I'll find out on monday. If it is a bad board have you guys had experience with sending stuff back to newegg? I'm pretty sure I remember reading that once it's opened it can't be returned, which seems silly for computer parts. But since I already installed it in the computer their probably not going to take it back or replace it right?

DarkKing · Joined: 0000-00-00 Posts: 3427

did you make sure your card and memory was inserted tightly into the slots?

DarkChilla · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:20 am Post subject:

DarkViper · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:38 am Post subject:

NewEgg is great with returns. Their lifetime 9.95 Reseller Rating attests to that. You shouldn't have a problem returning it for another board. Let us know what the repair place says.
_________________
DarkViper
"Dude, I didn't piss my shit."

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

I wasn't sure exactly what he said the problem was, but it sounded like there was a screw touching the other side of the case and it was short circuiting the board. He said the board itself is fine and he just had to do something with that screw.

I'm glad it was something simple, but also feel kind of shitty we had to pay $80 to figure it out.

I still won't have the comp for another week or two since it's at home and my car is in the shop :\

DarkViper · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:40 am Post subject:

Ahhh, the old unaccounted-for screw. You always have to be extra careful and exacting when you install a motherboard.
_________________
DarkViper
"Dude, I didn't piss my shit."

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

Just got the computer back. And I STILL can't change the resolution on the screen. I deleted the drivers and installed new ones to no avail. Am I going to have to do a fresh install of XP or does anyone have a miracle they can pull out of their ass?

DarkJedi · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:53 am Post subject:

are you sure the card is seated right?

Delta1 · Clan Admin Joined: Jul 06, 2003 Posts: 1631

100% sure, I opened it and checked it again. It's definitely in there.

DarkViper · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:25 pm Post subject:

This is probably a stupid question, but are you sure you installed the right drivers? Also, does your motherboard also have onboard VGA? If so, did you disable that in the BIOS?

Lastly, you might want to download a program called Driver Cleaner and run that to completely wipe out your display drivers. Then install the newest drivers from the web.
_________________
DarkViper
"Dude, I didn't piss my shit."