I need your brains.

[Casey]

Trying to fix step-fathers computer.

Strange issues happening.

It won't post.
It will post, but won't let me unto the BIOS, and sticks me at a black screen with a blinking cursor.
It will post and let me into the BIOS
It will post and load windows, then freezes. Like frozen.
It loads windows and BLUE SCREENS
It won't install windows
It will install windows, but blue screens in the middle of installation.

Ok, So I thought that the freezing might be due to the processor over heating, and considering there was NO heatsink paste on the processor, I added some and turned her on. Although at one point (after it had already blue screened me and I started over again) during installation, it was analyzing some crap and it froze. I knew it froze because it stopped thinking (spinning) just like it had with previous freezes.

I tested the ram, one stick at a time, and no beep errors. We've had previous successful installations on this computer (My step father seems to think that reinstalling windows will fix what I believe to be a hardware issue, and has installed on about 4 different drives). I really don't think it's the harddrive since he has bought two new ones trying to fix the issue. (By the way, do we know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results?)

I was going to disable cache to see if that could be the issue, but the bios tells me that the processor has no cache...>_< He also updated the BIOS trying to fix this issue.

I cleared the CMOS just to be safe. No change.

Do we have any ideas for me to try, that is before my step dad does more damage to it.

 

[Logan]

This is a lot of jibba jabba to me.

Travis, SAB, or Matt might know what to do tho.

 

[Casey]

I'm hoping so!

I have a great genius buddy at work who can fix anything he gets his hands on. But he's too busy now that he got his wife knocked up and she had a kid and shit.

 

[Tarvis]

Generally blue screens and no post = HARDWARE FAILURE.

I would look at the Power Supply and possibly a replacement of the CPU.

If there was no thermal grease, then more than likely the damn thing heated up so far it damaged it. If that's the case you're lucky it turns on at all.

 

[Casey]

The funny this is this was a stock computer.

But my damn step father has tried tinkering with it so damn much that I don't have any sort of "Control" to draw conclusions from. I don't know what was from the original problem, or what was from him.

So potentially, could the processor be damaged enough to fuck up constantly, but not damaged enough to just not work?

I don't think it's the power supply though. I mean, I could be wrong, but I talked to my computer genius buddy yesterday and he said it didn't sound like that was the issue. I suggested perhaps it was giving enough power to stay on, but not enough to actually work. He said that wouldn't be the case, if would work or not.

Alright, so plan of action so far. I'm going to disassemble my other computer and test out these theories by switching out parts one at a time until I see a significant improvement.

My step father didn't even want me looking at it right away. He asked me for my knowledge of getting a new MOBO for the piece, and I said "do you know that it's the MOBO"..."Well, no". Then I facepalmed and told him to let me look at the damn thing.

Thanks!

 

[Mysta]

Do you have any of the data from blue screens? There's probably some dumps from it.

(Does sound like power supply is not sending consistent power)

 

[Casey]

That's what I thought Mysta! That was one of my first thoughts, but my IT guy buddy doesn't think that is a possibility.

I did write down some of the codes and tried to google them, but it's always hard to get a clear answer about one of them. I wish there was a damn data base of blue screen codes! I don't have them with me though, if you know anything about them I can post them when I get home.

I plan on swapping out parts one at a time tonight until I can pin point some definite problems. If you think it might be the power supply, I'll definitely swap it out to see if maybe that's an issue.

I love having smart computer frands.

<3

 

[SuperAfroBoy]

Pretty good list, I think:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerrormessage/tp/stop_error_list.htm

 

[Mysta]

I mean when that bluescreen comes up, it creates a memory dump file with a bit more information(that may or may not be useful) in windows folder. Like /windows/minidump or so.

 

[Logan]

I just realized the topic and noticed that Casey was in fact a zombie.

 

[Casey]

Lol, Logan


Thanks SAB!


No, Mysta you see. My step father is retarded. He just keeps clearing drives and re-installing hoping that would fix with hardware problem. As of now, all of the drives are empty. I tried installing and it blue screened, then when I tried again it froze. There is no windows to find such a file! It's half installed on, until I gave up to work on a laptop.