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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Computer help

at my wits end..

June 7, 2012 12:49:45 AM from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

K so, My bro-in-law got his PC around the same time I did.. about 2 years ago..

Its an i7 940, 8 gigs of Ram.. MSI X58 Pro-E motherboard. Win 7 x64

It had some bad ram a while back that was causing it to blue screen, got new, fixed that, then same sort of issue with a video card, replaced that.

Been running fine for a while now, but then started just restarting every once in a while by itself.

Has gotten worse and worse, now i cant hardly get it to boot at all, if it does boot up its usually restarted itself within minutes but most the time it resets itself before it even starts booting.. goes back to the logo screen.

Ive checked the ram, checked the video card, with the ones from my own PC... still doing it.

The lights on the motherboard, fan etc dont even go off, its not shutting down so to speak, almost like someone is hitting the reset button.

Unlikely its a virus Ive ran numerous virus and spyware apps, clean as a whistle, is used only for music production - Offline.

any suggestions at this point would be appreciated..

Cheers.

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vStyler
Aussie007
Join Date 07/2007
+49
Reply #1 June 7, 2012 2:30:09 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Had something similar.

When I started my computer it would fire up then shut itself down (not reboot as you describe)

It was the power supply. Just a thought

Regards

Macca

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #2 June 7, 2012 5:57:22 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

That was really my last resort, I have another power supply in an old PC, but not sure if it has Sata connections, will have to check.

Somehow I don't think thats the issue tho...

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vStyler
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #3 June 7, 2012 6:18:24 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

If you recently installed a high end graphics card John, the PSU really could be the culprit. It might not be 'bad', but simply inadequate for the demands being made on it. Other possibilities sound like they've been covered.

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #4 June 7, 2012 7:53:16 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Thx Doc.

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vStyler
Rosco_P
Join Date 07/2009
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Reply #5 June 7, 2012 9:08:25 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

The four most likely issues, in order of severity:

1) Short in the reset button or cable.  Easiest to test, just unplug the reset button from the motherboard.

2) PSU.  If you have a spare one lying around ('cause everyone does, not just me, right?), swap it out, see if that helps.

3) CPU.  Most likely due to overheating.  Could be a cooling issue, or the CPU isn't working properly, and is freaking out.  Check that the heatsink and fan are seated properly, maybe apply some thermal paste.

4) Motherboard.  Trickier to confirm.  Basically, rule everything else out, and if it can't be anything else, it's probably the motherboard.

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vStyler
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #6 June 7, 2012 10:25:04 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

John... if you have a relationship with a local PC repair shop, maybe they'll let you test these possibilities through them... like a new PSU?

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #7 June 7, 2012 11:07:42 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

lol... I am the local PC repair shop... or so it seems...

 

Thanks guys, Ill try those suggestions Rosco, sounds like solid advice.

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vStyler
Phoon
Join Date 10/2001
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Reply #8 June 7, 2012 11:35:03 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

John,

Look at the capacitors on the motherboard and see if any of them are bulging and/or leaking.

Found these pics that may help you identify.

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vStyler
Uvah
Join Date 05/2006
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Reply #9 June 7, 2012 11:42:03 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

That'll do it.

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vStyler
Rosco_P
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Reply #10 June 7, 2012 11:55:04 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Phoon,
reply 8
Look at the capacitors on the motherboard and see if any of them are bulging and/or leaking.

Good call.  You might also be able to look at the capacitors in the power supply.  It's a little harder to see them, but it might also point to the issue.

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vStyler
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #11 June 7, 2012 12:30:24 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Nice one, Phoon.

 

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vStyler
Phoon
Join Date 10/2001
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Reply #12 June 7, 2012 12:44:45 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

yeah but after looking at the pics of that mobo I don't believe it has that type of capacitors.

 

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vStyler
PoSmedley
Join Date 04/2005
+788
Reply #13 June 7, 2012 1:01:25 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Here's something that may help. Hirens BootCD has just about everything you need to run diagnostic tests on everything. I've used it for viruses and malware. You can probably take advantage of all the other stuff it offers much better than I can.

INFO

DOWNLOAD

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vStyler
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #14 June 7, 2012 1:42:13 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Excellent resource, Noah.

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vStyler
Disturbedcomputer
Join Date 02/2007
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Reply #15 June 7, 2012 3:28:37 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

it could be a rootkit you know they like to install them-self's before the boot up screen and logon screen

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vStyler
Aussie007
Join Date 07/2007
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Reply #16 June 7, 2012 3:34:22 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting DrJBHL,
reply 6
John... if you have a relationship with a local PC repair shop, maybe they'll let you test these possibilities through them... like a new PSU?

That is exactly what I did. Cost me $60.00 AUD to have a new one fitted.

Cheers

Macca

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #17 June 7, 2012 8:41:00 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Well, tested another PSU, doing same thing...

Cant even get the bios to come up now, just keeps cycling thru logo screen, I hit delete to go into Bios, it goes black, then restarts back to logo screen.

 

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vStyler
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #18 June 7, 2012 8:52:17 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

You're sure the HDD is ok?

Send out a help call to yrag.

 

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #19 June 7, 2012 9:06:26 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Thought yrag may ave answered...

 

could it be the battery?

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vStyler
Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #20 June 7, 2012 9:38:34 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Unplug the machine, press and hold the power button for 15-20 seconds, remove the CMOS battery and wait 20 minutes. Reinstall the battery and restart the machine and try getting into BIOS again. ( That should reset the BIOS, you will need to set the system clock)

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #21 June 7, 2012 9:51:00 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

After completely removing the motherboard, removing ram, removing CPU and cooling fan\sinks, cleaning, vaccuming everything, tightening all screws, connections... also removing\replacing battery, and replacing PSU..

 

Its booted....

 

Now, will it stay booted...

 

The great wait begins..

 

30 mins and counting..

 

 

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vStyler
Wizard1956
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Reply #22 June 7, 2012 9:56:04 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

*Fingers crossed here*

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vStyler
mystifeid
Join Date 01/2003
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Reply #23 June 7, 2012 10:16:18 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

The worsening intermittent reboot is usually caused by fluff or dust in the system somewhere and completely cleaning everything - including the back of the motherboard - usually fixes it.

I have a friend who keeps one of her pc's in a very dusty place despite my protestations. Every six months when it starts to reboot by itself she gives it to me to "defluff."

A couple of weeks after the last time though, the bearing in the graphics card fan had finally had enough (dust) and consequently the gpu fried. When she brought it here I told her that she should just take it to the local shop, buy something cheap and cheerful in a graphics card and have them install it while she was there. But a day later she rang to tell me that the tech had informed her that the computer was "dead" and had sold her a new pc which she was picking up that afternoon. I asked her if I could have the old one and she said sure.

Put a new graphics card in it and now I have an extra pc.

Her hubby hit the roof.

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vStyler
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #24 June 7, 2012 10:16:38 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

If there was a lot of gunk in there John, heat might have been the problem.

 

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vStyler
vStyler
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #25 June 7, 2012 10:23:56 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Starting to look like it may have been CMOS battery.... and I say that, as it has gotten progressively worse over past couple of days, as if battery was on last legs... Possibly also the PSU, as i did replace it, but before i reset \ replaced battery, nothing changed.

Perhaps combination of bad PSU and confused bios...


Possible?

 

could also have been dust related.

 

1 Hour and counting.

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