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LAN_403

Part Scavenger

Mon Jul 02 2007, 01:12AM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

I starting to believe that the RAM is bad too. Every RAM check program (5+ of them) I have run has failed and has errors in the 195 to 220Mb range. I found two processor checkers and they said the MOBO was good and so was the processor.

So, may I presume that *if* the CPU was broken, I would be getting random RAM errors, and not ones with the same addresses? I'm really believin' it's the RAM now, but I don't want to tell dad the wrong thing. I tried DDR1 Memory but it doesn't fit. (the notch is in the wrong place, and yes I flipped it over).

Thanks VERY much for the help guys.

Alex

Mon Jul 02 2007, 02:29AM

Geometrically Frustrated
Registered Member #6 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 04:18AM
Location: Bowdoin, Maine
Posts: 373

Wow, that's a dirty CPU. I had crashing issues with my HP Pavillion desktop after it ate too much dust:

thedatastream

Mon Jul 02 2007, 07:07AM

Registered Member #505 Joined: Sun Nov 19 2006, 06:42PM
Location: Yorkshire!
Posts: 329

Get into the BIOS and underclock the memory by as much as possible and see if that fixes the problem. Your computer will obviously run much slower but if it is a memory timing issue rather than a quality issue this would tell you.

DDR memory costs nowt these days anyway...

EDIT: nowt = nothing (for those of you outside Yorkshire)

Part Scavenger

Mon Jul 02 2007, 04:58PM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

UHHHHHHH, I think I did something really bad. **Panics***

I had already underclocked the RAM to 133Mhz and nothing was better the day before yesterday. So today I tried doing it to 100Mhz, (The CPU runs at 133Mhz, so I didn't go below this before, only @ multiples...) Not the computer won't come ON AT ALL!!!!!

What the CRAP did I do? I tried resetting the CMOS with no effect. The computer will come on, but I get no screen, CTRL + ALT + DEL doesn't work, The HDD light is full on... What the heck?

Any ideas on what to do now? My dad is coming home with a new RAM stick and he's gonna be pretty unhappy.

EDIT:> Ok, maybe I flipped out too soon. The manual said this is what happens when the RAM is not put in correctly. However, the RAM is in right, so I'm guessing the RAM just died. Sheesh.

Conundrum

Mon Jul 02 2007, 05:52PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4061

Seen this happen with a Dell Dimension 3000 b0xen due to a bad memory slot.

The RAM was fine, but just knocking the PC would cause a reboot or blue screen.
On restart if would do exactly what you described.

It might even be the vibration from the CD drive causing a dodgy contact to open...

If new RAM won't work (unlikely but possible) try disconnecting the power supply from the motherboard, and take out the CMOS battery. Mash the power and reset switch a few times, then leave it for half an hour.

Connect PSU back up then try booting again. 90% of the time this works on "dead" PCs.

BTW I fix these beasts for a living so I know most of the tricks :)

-A
"Bother" said Pooh, as he destroyed 5/6ths of a solar system...

Dave Marshall

Mon Jul 02 2007, 06:49PM

Registered Member #16 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 02:22PM
Location: New Wilmington, PA
Posts: 554

Does the system have a mobo speaker? If so, is it beeping at you? If it isn't, do what Conundrum said, then if still nothing, try removing the ram completely and powering on. It should definitely beep at you with no ram installed at all. If it doesn't, bad things are happening.

Dave

Part Scavenger

Mon Jul 02 2007, 10:37PM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

The new RAM didn't work.

I am trying Conundrum's idea, and will try Dave's next, but it does have a speaker(that works, I tested it) that has never beeped at me. The manual doesn't mention beeping, but I'll try the boot/beep next... Thanks.

Oh, and may I mention that the computer is acting a litte different with the new RAM, the lights don't stay on as long.

Gosh I hope this works... My dad wasn't too happy when the RAM didn't do anything.

EDIT...
No Boot, no beeps.

I tried Conundrum's idea to the letter, only I left it an hour, and then I tried Chris'. I'm not sure what to do now? Do I get a new MOBO or CPU or both? I'm guessing both, what do you guys suggest? I'll leave it without a battery overnight and see. Was there some way I could have messed up the computer by slowing the RAM down to 100Mhz when it normally runs at 266MHz? I didn't think you could, but as a rule, I don't mess with speed settings. Do you think that the CMOS is not resetting or that something major is fried?

Part Scavenger

Tue Jul 03 2007, 12:22PM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

Yay!!!

Ok, maybe this is embarassing, but I'm too excited to care. It was the RAM, I got the computer running again and the new RAM tests passed with 0 errors. Then Windows installed flawlessly. The most recent problem (dead MOBO) was caused by a faulty UPS I had swapped for my power strip because someone needed my power strip yesterday.

It just decided to fail at the exact same time I underclocked the RAM. I woke up this morning and the guts were all melted, it smelled horrible. Turns out it was causing an undervoltage to the computer, and now the computer is working better than ever!!!!

THANK YOU GUYS! You were tons of help!!!
-Part Scavenger

Ken M.

Thu Jul 05 2007, 03:15AM

Registered Member #618 Joined: Sat Mar 31 2007, 04:15AM
Location: Us-Great Lakes
Posts: 628

Congrats! And your welcome, even though most of the good ideas where mentioned by the more experienced people, but I would say try finding a way to setup a POST speaker to your mobo that way you'll get beep commands when something fails, like Video, keyboard, ram, and a few others that I can't remember.

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