My PC Crashed -- Any Ideas?

[Steve Schacher]

Yesterday my PC stopped working. My wife was on it at the time. She says that while she was working in Excel the screen suddenly went black. The light on the monitor started blinking, so this leads me to believe that it stopped receiving a signal from the computer.

When she turned off the computer (at the switch because ctrl-alt-del didn't work) and restarted it, it briefly accessed the HD and then did nothing. I was on the phone with Gateway support but they had me go through all the things that I had already tried before calling them:

1. Reboot

2. Reboot pressing F8 to get to boot menu

3. Reboot pressing F1 to get to bios

4. Reboot pressing both shift keys (some sort of back door -- I didn't try this one)

5. Reboot with Win98 disk

6. Reboot with Gateway System Disk

7. Reboot with emergency restore floppy disk

In all cases, the PC didn't respond. It usually accesses all the disks searching for where to boot from, but it did none of this. I plan on bringing my PC to a Gateway store technical service dept since I am still under warranty, but my wife is afraid that the HD may be lost. I'm not so sure about that yet -- I'm hoping that it is a firmware problem and that the HD is recoverable.

If they tell me that they have to reformat the HD, I'll probably tell them to put a new one in and I will try sending the old one to an HD recovery service.

Any comments on my situation?

[Guest Shingen]

A similar situation happened to my computer awhile back that was caused by the fan in the back of the computer. It had shut-down, and there was no warning-trigger in the system that monitered the fan.

Needless to say, without the fan, my processor fried, and I had to get another one. I don't know if this is your problem, but you might consider it.

(a side-note: In my case, the HD wasn't damaged, and all of the data was still there AFTER I had the processor replaced. I think, it might have been the mother-board, or something, I'm not a computer-expert )

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Shingen ]

[Hector Socas Navarro]

Does it power up?

Maybe your power source is fried.

[Guest]

It's a government conspiracy Shindgen, more profit for the computer companies!! lol

Sounds like your CPU, see above post, or your motherboard may have flipped out on you. I'd wait until Wold responds, his opinion you can trust almost like the god of computers!!

He might be able to tell you what to do.

[Guest Shingen]

quote:

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It's a government conspiracy Shingen, more profit for the computer companies!! lol

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Hey, you read my mind! Actually, it's a Microsoft/IBM/Gateway/ect.,ect.,ect consiracy!!!

[Tyrn]

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Schacher:

Yesterday my PC stopped working. My wife was on it at the time. She says that while she was working in Excel the screen suddenly went black. The light on the monitor started blinking, so this leads me to believe that it stopped receiving a signal from the computer.

---

Actually just had this happen to our chief of operations this morning. Wiping his screen and poof...all is dead. Anyway, what exactly does your machine do when you turn it on?

• No power = power supply or motherboard is dead

• Powers on but nothing else = motherboard or CPU is dead

• Powers on and then endlessly beeps one long beep = bad/no memory*

• Powers on and then you get one long and three short beeps = bad/no video card*

All of the above lend hope that your data is still intact although whatever caused your hardware failure could also have easily eaten your HD as well.

• Other post errors would display an error message (keyboard/Floppy/Hard disk failures/etc.) and so it's likely not one of these (obviously)

* these are Award BIOS beep codes but are generally followed by other BIOS manufacturers as well.

In short, as has been said, your Motherboard is very likely toasted but your data is likely recoverable.

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Tyrn ]

[Finder1]

Power Sullpy in the computer had the same thing happen to me about three months ago.

[Guest]

HMM,.... writes down Tyrn's name to his list of "who to call for help when Computer takes a dump and I am dazed and confused"

Geez, we got some high talent people on this site. The more I think about it though, the more sense it makes!!

[Steve Schacher]

Your replies all sound encouraging (from a data recovery standpoint).

Here is exactly what happens:

1. I turn on the power.

2. The monitor indicator flashes on and off.

3. The HD light goes on.

4. The CD light flickers once or twice.

5. After about 30 seconds the HD light goes off.

Nothing more after that. No sounds of any kind. Now that you mention it, I don't hear the fan going.

What usually happens is this:

1. Turn on the PC.

2. The monitor light goes on steadily.

3. The Gateway logo screen comes up while a status bar grows along the upper left. (if I press F1 at this point, I go into BIOS setup)

4. The CD light goes on and off.

5. The floppy drive accesses.

6. The HD accesses.

7. The internal speaker beeps and the screen changes to the disk controller status. (if I press F8 or CTRL at this point, I go into the boot menu).

8. The Windows logo screen comes up with the status indicator on the bottom crawling from left to right.

9. The Windows login popup appears.

Let's hope that it is a CPU/Motherboard problem.

[Soback]

I had a similar thing happened to me, and the system would boot up the same way after that. My hard drive just crashed and was wasted, after I replaced the hard drive it worked again. So maybe your hd just crashed?

[Parias]

Ick. Sounds like a serious motherboard issue... possibly the BIOS got fried somehow, or the CPU got blown?

Try setting the BIOS reset jumper and see what happens (place the jumper into "reset" mode, turn on comp, wait a few seconds, turn off comp again, set the jumper back to where it was, turn on comp). Might be something that just got borked. More details in your mobo manual.

[Steve Schacher]

quote:

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Might be something that just got borked.

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Oooohhh...

I'll save that one for another time.

[Gallion]

I give a 95% probability that HDD data is still intact. Since this be a Gateway and under warrenty, take it back to the farm fer repairs

TTFN

[Tyrn]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gallion:

I give a 95% probability that HDD data is still intact. Since this be a Gateway and under warrenty, take it back to the farm fer repairs.

---

After reading your, Steve, post about exactly what it does on power up (or rather doesn't do ) I agree completely with Gallion and my first post. HD crashes are often accompanied by weird spinning cycles (the HD sounds like it's the engine of a car reving up and down) or odd/entertaining noises - well, entertaining if they aren't coming from your HD . I had one drive that sounded just like a gong as it kicked out its last.

[Steve Schacher]

Thanks, Tyrn.

I figured that if the hard drive crashed, the screen would still remain intact until the opsys tried to access it again and then, maybe, it would go to the blue screen. The fact that it went black (and to be more specific, it stopped receiving a signal rather than receiving a black screen signal) led me to believe it was some firmware and not the HD.

My wife will be pleased at this, although she won't be happy about losing internet/email access for two weeks.

I'm going to Gateway today after work to get the repair process started.

Thanks, everyone!!!

[Maxamillian]

Steve,

Gateway had a batch of low end Motherboards from JP, They burned out and had to be replaced. My Daughter went through three months of shuting down with a black screen until they owned up to their substandard motherboard. You will have to get it replaced and the data on the HDDs will be OK.

Good luck...

'MAX'

[Guest Shingen]

Well, MY personal opinion of Gateway cannot be repeated in polite company!

I bought one of thier PIII 633's with win2k, and the damn thing kept crashing and locking up! When I first got it out of the box, it wouldn't even load/install Win2k from the CD!!

Then after DAYS of headache they finally gave me a different system altogether, that would at least install and run win2k. But it wouldn't run Homeworld worth a damn, it wouldn't run BC3K at all, so I finally send it back, got my money, and went and built my own from generic parts! (well I HAD it build )

anywayz.. that was MY 15 minutes worth...

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Shingen ]

[Parias]

I'd advise anybody who gets a pre-built system confirm what video card it comes with. You can't exactly run Battlecruiser Millennium on an S3 Virge...

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Parias ]

[Guest Shingen]

I had mine specifically designed to conform with the requirments to run BC:M. I actually took the requirments list with me when I went to the computer store. JUST TO MAKE SURE!

[Kush]

I never ever get pre-built systems from major comanies like Gateway or Dell. I just don't trust them. I find it's way better to buy from a local store, from someone you can talk to in person if something goes wrong. And if you know enough to hand pick your components, then you at least have some idea what's under the hood.

[Guest]

In all honesty, I build my own systems, and all you nontechy's out there could do it too, IT IS NOT DIFFICULT!!

I remember the first time I opened a computer, it was an Apple, and I was scared to death that I would somehow screw it up, but I installed the memory, and another board, and it worked. Then when I got an 8088, I did the same thing.

The new motherboards are incredible, jumperless, plug and play, load up the operating system, and then the drivers, and oh my god it works. YOU CAN DO IT!!, and if you have a backup computer for online help, I know that any of us techy types would be more then willing to help you through the tricky parts!!

So, I say, do it yourself, and don't be scared, you'll know what's in there, how it works, and what you can do if it takes a dump on ya!! And the satisfaction of knowing that you indeed built it yourself, with EVERYTHING that YOU wanted!!

EDIT: OH MY GOD, it's my 500th post, whoopee!! YES!!!

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Jaguar ]

[Guest]

"Gateway support"

Thats your problem. Gateway

Im an ex-gateway tech. Unless you SPECIFY what components you want on your system, they will sell you pieces of crap that are overclocked to make them perform better at the cost of the lifetime of your system. Heck, if you bought that pc after 1999, its almost sure to be a RED OWL winmodem, the biggest pieces of dung ever installed in a pc. You can't fix it if its a software problem, its format or bust. Your vid card, if it didnt fry on the first week, is overclocked and overheats inside your system. Make sure you update the drivers from the GW site, the new drivers arent overclocked (guess the little scam cost em a lot of money to replace!)

Send me an e-mail with your pc specs, problem, what your wife was doing before it happened, any programs you installed or downloaded from the net, etc.

From what you've said here, it could be either a HD problem (you not getting any beeps so it could be the HD is fubar) or a MB conflict/damage.

If you take it to the GW store they WILL format your HD. Dont ever trust them with your hard drive data. It is standard procedure to format/reinstall if they cant fix the system in 10 minutes.

I'd suggest you reset the BIOS (have a GW tech on the phone when you do it, how to do it depends on what MB you have). If it doesnt work open the box and take the modem out. Turn system on. Didnt start up? turn system off and unplug something else (repeat process until it either boots up or you're left with the vitals... video, ram and hard drive).

In order, unplug (by unplug I mean to physically take the card out of the pc):

modem

ethernet card

scanner card/joystick controller card/any toy you got

sound card

CD-ROM/DVD/CD-R (just the IDE cable)

video card (at this point, if you take the

vid card out and start system and get beeps "beeeeep bip-bip" that means your MB detects no video and you know the MB may be ok and your vid card is fubar)

Hard drive (unplug IDE cable and see if it tells you NO Operating System Found, if it does then its your HD that got fubard)

RAM (again, if you start system after taking RAM out and get beeps then it means its your ram that got fried).

Whenever you unplug something and the PC starts up (or you get a MB beep if its RAM or video), it means that component you took out was messing up the boot process. Plug that component back again, make sure you plug it in firmly and start system up. if it does not boot, that component is fried. If it does boot, it may be that the component had gotten loose or the contacts on the card had lost...well, contact with the MB .

Hope you read this before taking the pc to the GW store.

[Tyrn]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tac:

[QBIf you take it to the GW store they WILL format your HD. Dont ever trust them with your hard drive data. It is standard procedure to format/reinstall if they cant fix the system in 10 minutes.[/QB]

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I've always suspected as much, 'tis the #1 reason I build all the work and my personal machines.

[Kush]

Tac, you just confirmed what I feared all along.

I'm sure there are some good people working at companies like Dell and GW, but that doesn't matter, it's a big huge company and has all the problems of a big huge company I'm sure.

Steve, I really would suggest next time you buy, you put the system together yourself. Do a little research on quality products and then go nuts. Jag is right, it's not that hard to do, and the benifits are plenty. Not only do you get satisfaction of creating it youreself, you also get greater stability.

There are plenty of computer nightmare stories out there, and my guess is that there are fewer stories coming from those of us who put together our own systems. I know I can't complain.

[Wold]

Thankyou for your vote of confidence there Jaguar, but I'm not sure that I'ld go quite that far. Fact is I almost busted my spleen from laughing when I read that line.

Steve, I'ld have to say that your problem has probably been covered in the above posts.

Gateway isn't the only one that formats the drive and reloads to factory defaults...that's SOP for most of those tech support lines.

In my experience hard drives, CD Roms, Zip Drives, CDRW, and DVDs all have their own internal POST (power on self test) and their activity lights will flash (regardless of motherboard, CPU, memory, or bios status) during this test.

Pop the top off that pc and see if your fans are kicking on. IF not, then that CPU is sure to be fried.

When facing your issue, I do what Tac suggested, but in reverse. I remove EVERYTHING then add memory, then video card, etc. back in, 1 at a time.

May your PC ills be short lived....