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Marvello Inner circle It's amazing how little I can say in 1612 Posts |
Recently I started having issues with my computer - I went to turn it on one day and it wouldnt start, so I checked the seating of the ram, reseated it and I got it to start, but then it powered down a few seconds later and when I tried the power button it would not even do the false start unless I unplugged it and replugged it. I took out all of the ram, and it started or rather beeped at me, but the fans were working etc.. SO I put in one ram stick and it booted. I shut down and added another and it booted, I added another and it wouldnt boot. I wasnt sure if it was the ram or the ram slot, so I switched the ram slots and ram sticks around and eventually it booted back up again with all of the ram in it, and it worked fine for about a week. Then I had the same problem again today, so I decided that the power supply was bad. I checked at Best Buy, but their cheapest power supply that they had in stock was $80, which is quite a bit more than I wanted to pay. So I went to a local computer store, more of a mom and pop store instead of a chain, and they had a bunch of old parts laying around, so I bought a used power supply and installed it in my machine and now it is working fine! total cost: $10 While I was there I also looked through the freebie box and got a 4gb hard drive for free as well II don't know what I am gonna do with that, but what the hey)
Never criticize someone else until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Then, when you do criticize them, you will be a mile away from them and you will have their shoes.
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Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts |
Sounds like you know your way around a computer! Me, I probably would have chucked the thing and bought a new one. But that's my story...blow $1,500 bucks when all I really needed to spend was about $10.00!
Good job! |
MAKMagic Special user I got banned for one of my 555 Posts |
Nice Marvello, I figured it needed a new PS as your description progressed...nice job fixing it.
First rule of tech support - Check the cables.
.:Michael Kelley
On the Level, By the Square |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Now that you have replaced your power supply, here's something else you should do. If you live in a house, rather than an apartment, have an electrician install a couple of "clean" power lines to the room where you use your computer. Install a UPS. They are fairly cheap, but they are great insurance.
The reason is this: your power supply will supply the exact voltage needed to run your computer, no matter what the incoming voltage is. If you have a lot of different stuff on the same breaker, the actual voltage getting to your computer may be only 90 volts. It may even be less than that. Even if your input voltage is only 75 - 80 volts, your power supply will still put out the correct voltages, but at a price. The price is extra heat. Eventually your power supply will overheat and burn out. Not only that, the radiating heat from the power supply may damage some of the components on your motherboard. Since many of those components are surface mounted, you can't replace them. Instead, you would need to replace your motherboard. So, get that extra outlet (or two!) installed, and add a few extra fans to the inside of your computer. The amount of extra power consumed is negligible, but it will cause your computer to run cooler and last longer. Also, occasionally open the computer case and check to see if all the components are seated properly. They can work loose over time.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
airship Inner circle In my day, I have driven 1594 Posts |
I'm lucky - the electrical box for my place is in my computer room, so the line to my computer is only about 8 ft. long. Plus it has its own circuit - no refrigerator, TV, etc., running on the same juice. It DOES make a difference.
'The central secret of conjuring is a manipulation of interest.' - Henry Hay
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MAKMagic Special user I got banned for one of my 555 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-16 22:36, Bill Palmer wrote: Remember though that this is all coming from a guy with a huge brass cup on his head.
.:Michael Kelley
On the Level, By the Square |
Patrick Differ Inner circle 1540 Posts |
Yah. What Bill said. It has too been my experience the power supply is the first thing to go. Then the hard disk. Then the moose.
Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,
Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I've a many curious things to show when you are there. Oh no, no, said the little Fly, to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair -can ne'er come down again. |
ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
Quote:
Remember though that this is all coming from a guy with a huge brass cup on his head. It's to keep him from hearing the voices...
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
The older computer in our house was just renovated by a friend who knows his way around. It worked for a couple of weeks, now when I try to start it I get a message that the "hal.dll" file is corrupt of missing!
Seems this problem is so common, it has its own link on the microsoft support page! Knowing that doesn't help me because they say I need something I don't have to fix it!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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ricker Special user Tampa, FL 914 Posts |
Sound more like a bad hard disk is your root cause of this. when systems dll's start getting corrupted, that's only a symptom of a bigger problem.
But yes, you can use the recovery console in XP to expand the dll from the cab file on the cd to replace it. But if it still goes to the same bad sector on the hard disk, then that wont fix it. |
ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Ah, but I don't HAVE the recovery console to expand the .dll from the cab file.
If it's on the hard drive, I can't get to it because I can't boot windows (not even in safe mode.) I found someone who had a bootable verison for downloading and I got it off the library computer... now we'll see what happens.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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ricker Special user Tampa, FL 914 Posts |
The recovery console is on your xp installation CD. You boot from the CD and pick recovery console.
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
This is a second hand computer, I didn't GET an XP Installation CD.
Actually, I got one for my "home" edition of XP that's on the other machine. I tried using IT and doing a "DIR" on the C: drive. I can't find the SYSTEM32 folder that would hold all the boot information. I'm beginning to believe my kid somehow deleted it.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
I gave up. I drug out my old copy of Windows 98 and reinstalled it! It seems to work, but I can only get 16 colors on the screen which is maddening!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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