Still locking up

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marty
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Marty

I posted yesterday and was told to replace my power supply due to the power
outage. The computer still locks up. My video card fried last night. The
fan stopped working and a burning smell etc. Im not sure if its related to
the power outage. Ti4600 less then a year old gone... I replaced the video
card, power supply 400 watt and added RAM. I did a RAM test and all ok.
 
If you smell something burning and you mention a power outage, it maybe to
time to for a whole new system.

Thanks
 
Well, I do have a surge protector but I hear that doesn't always help. I
was hoping not to hear that...:( It's intermittent.
 
Well, If you don't want to spend money, you can save all your important data
off the hard drive and format and reload XP and hope.

Thanks
 
Do you think its a software issue? The video card just fried, the smell etc
and the fan was slow to turn. Im not sure if this was due to the power
outage or the power supply going nuts.
 
Software does not fry hardware. Let's assume this was due
to a power supply failure. But power supplies even 30 years
ago could not damage hardware. Excessive voltage was
immediately quashed by the Overvoltage Protection (OVP). Even
the Intel specs for power supplies demands this essential
function.

However many tell us that clone computer are so much
cheaper. Therefore too many power supplies are missing many
essential functions such as OVP. No OVP means that a power
supply failure could then fry any or every computer
component. Damage directly traceable to human failure.

So where do you begin. What does the multimeter say about
power supply voltages? That measurement would be important
data to determine what is and is not working.

In the meantime, a surge protector is only effective when it
connects less than 10 feet to surge protection. A surge
protector adjacent to the computer make no such essential
connection. There are effective protector (properly located)
and ineffective plug-in protectors.
 
Thanks but way out of my league of experience. Im going to reload XP and
back up all my stuff. I still think its a hardware issue but Im not the pro
so we'll see.
 
If hardware failure, then reloading XP is not a solution.
If you fear the so simplistic multimeter, then you have no
business with a hand inside that computer. Meters are
beginner's tools. So ubiquitous as to even be sold in Home
Depot, Lowes, Sears and Radio Shack.

If your objective is to save data, then take the drive
completely out of the system and never put it back inside that
suspect system.

Not described - was disk drive using the FAT filesystem or
NTFS filesystem? Makes a big difference. FAT filesystems can
be corrupted by power loss. FAT is just another reason why we
don't used Windows 9x systems.

But a power loss is not described. Described is what can
happen when power remains normal and a power supply (purchased
only on the specification called dollars) fails. 'Defective
when purchased' power supply then did what it was designed to
do when manufacturing defect happens - destroy other hardware.

But again, if you cannot use a multimeter, then you still
have no idea what you have and what could be problematic.
Fear of a multimeter also means you have no business doing
hardware work. Hire someone to do the work or to teach you.
Power outages don't destroy hardware. If they did, then
turning off a power switch would also damage same hardware.
Provided were the best options for a beginner.

That new power supply - did it include essential power
supply functions? IOW did it cost about $80 or more?
Otherwise you have just set yourself up for the same failure
again - assuming the power supply failed.

Reloading XP would only solve a problem created because the
drive used FAT filesystem and power was lost.
 
NTFS and I do know how to use a multimeter, just not sure where to measure
the voltage.
 
Voltages measured on power cable between power supply and
motherboard. Voltages must be within upper 3/4 limits as
provided in chart in:
http://www.hardwaresite.net/faqpowersupply.html

We would have had far more useful information is the
original power supply was measured with a multimeter long
before any 'repairing' was performed. Video card either
damaged by a power supply (that was defective when first
purchased), or from a transient entering via video display
cable. The latter is a serious problem that should not occur
in the first place AND that might be created if power supply
and computer did not share same three prong wall receptacle -
or if safety ground to each has been compromised.

To be damaged by power supply, then we need know if power
supply was missing essential functions. If it was, then video
display is suspect - regardless of whether new video card was
or was not damaged.
 
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