Did I break two computers?!

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:30 pm

The answer: I doubt it, but why aren't they working?

Here's the deal. My girlfriend got a new computer, a [sarcasm] massive ub3r fast and new [/sarcasm] upgrade from a brand name hp computer to a custom 2ghz one (got it used for $100!).

The original problem: Sound was not being amplified by the new computer. The speakjers didn't plug into any power source, and at max volume it was like a pair of headphones, loudwise. So I suggested getting new speakers, but nooo, her dad wanted me to just swap out the sound card.

One thing led to another...

I put in a stick of 128mb ram from the old computer, and the sound card. I overclocked the new one to a reasonable level (AMD to 166/whatever) heatwise, and set the temperature shut off to 60 celcius.

And neither of the computers works with the monitor. I don't know if it's the monitor, both ocmputers don't make the boot-up beep noise (if they did to begin with, I think the beep is standard though). The new one was working until I set the shut-off temperature and overclocked it. I overclocked it a bit before, and it was fine (and was at 46 celcius).

The systems do boot up (I think) and I can hear the hard drive and fans doing their thing. ANd the hard drive light is wokring and such on both.

But the monitor seems to be in a permanent sleep mode (The green light only comes on when you turn the monitor on, then goes to the yellow/orange light).

I'm not saying the problem is the monitor.

Any idea what's wrong? I'll try to get a different monitor for it.

Post by **Triton** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:14 pm

most computers output pretty low level sound, their dad is an idiot, if the computer beeped 3 times its a memory adressing error, it choked on the ram and wont boot even to bios (monitor stays off) i would look into that, switch everything back to the way it was and see if that makes a difference

atari2600a · Post by **atari2600a** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:27 pm

Try resetting CMOS. (I think the jumper is supposed to be white for CMOS reset)

Also, a known problem for graphic cards not working is them not being pushed in all the way! (I'm serious! My brother waited a couple days for me to come home to fix his new gfx card, only for me to push it in a little till it snapped in place!)

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 11:50 pm

if its an old comptuer, it might be easier to just pop out the battery then try to find any jumper.

i dont think you should be overclocking their comptuer for them unless you can back it up with some 24-hour stability tests. 2ghz is plenty for firefox and word. a speed increase would be barely preceptable.

did the computers ever start after you moved that ram?... does the old comptuer have any ram in it now?

Post by **bicostp** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:02 am

Set both machines back up to the way they were and get amplified speakers for their computer. I do not know of any sound card that can pump out enough power to run a set of those cheap speakers at a reasonable volume. (I think they do line level at best.)

2 ghz is more than enough fro what they probably use it for (Tetris, Solitaire, Interweb Exploder and Microsoft Works). Don't overclock it, thta won't make much of a difference.

If you moved RAM from the old computer to the new one, chances are it just won't work. (You did make sure it was the right kind, right?)

There shouldn't be anything with the monitor, if it's the one they used with the old PC. Put the 128 MB stick back in the old PC and boot it up. The new PC might work now, too, because it has just the proper type of RAM for its motherboard. If you see the Windows logo, then nothing, the screen resolution might be too high for the monitor. (I think you can change it back in safe mode.)

Just give them a set of amplified speakers, and all will be good.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:39 am

The computer worked fine with the old sound card in it, and witht he old stick of ram. The old computer still has some ram in it.

The computer doesn't beep. And I don't apreciate you calling people idiots, Triton.

After it didn't work, I DID try removing the ram/sound card and trying it.

I'll try popping out the batteryt. I was thinking about it last night.

The last 5 minutes goes as follows:

New computer set-up:

Same as when I opened it, except one stick of ram and the new sound card.

Log (by memory):

- Starts up just fine and dandy.
- Found new hardware (sound card)
- Installed a driver for it (Sound Blaster Live! for a Sound Blaser Live! 5.1 card). Unsure if this was the right one, but I don't think it would cause the computer to not start up, expeially without the sound card hooked up.
- Rebooted, entered the bios, overclocked it a tad more and set a shut down temperature (60 celcius, as stated before) just in case for some reason the fan is removed.
- Rebooted, doesn't start. No beep or anything. But I can hear the ahrd drive working and the fans running.
- Left it for several minutes (about one commercial-to-commercial time period) and rebooted, in case it for some reason was actually 20 degrees hotter than it felt.
- Still didn't start, so I tried with all the taking everything out and such.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:15 am

... you didnt give them OUR sblive card did you?

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:19 am

Kurt_ wrote:I'll try popping out the battery. I was thinking about it last night.

In my experience with taking the battery out to reset the settings, it takes several minutes to erase (I took the battery out for about a minute, put it back in and the BIOS password was still there, took it out for ~30 minutes and the password was cleared).

Post by **Triton** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:09 pm

well in my opinion somebody who takes the more expensive, more difficult and less time saving route when you could just change one thing is an idiot, sorry if that hurts your feelings or wahtever. could have just put amplified speakers but no you had to open the computer and add a sound card and mess with stuff and would you look at that, it doesnt work! lol

atari2600a · Post by **atari2600a** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:41 pm

vskid wrote:
Kurt_ wrote:I'll try popping out the battery. I was thinking about it last night.
In my experience with taking the battery out to reset the settings, it takes several minutes to erase (I took the battery out for about a minute, put it back in and the BIOS password was still there, took it out for ~30 minutes and the password was cleared).

That's what the CMOS clear jumper is there for...

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:45 pm

atari2600a wrote:
vskid wrote:
Kurt_ wrote:I'll try popping out the battery. I was thinking about it last night.
In my experience with taking the battery out to reset the settings, it takes several minutes to erase (I took the battery out for about a minute, put it back in and the BIOS password was still there, took it out for ~30 minutes and the password was cleared).
That's what the CMOS clear jumper is there for...

They're hard to find sometimes, the battery is obviose (sp?).

totokan · Post by **totokan** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:46 pm

CMOS jumper usually right below battery, with the words CMOS_CLEAR or something to that effect silkscreened onto the mobo.

Indigno · Post by **Indigno** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 1:54 pm

It wasn't the sound card, it was the speakers. It's most likely the memory, the mobo might only accept error checking ram, and the memory isn't error checking, or vice verso. Or it's just a bad stick. Also try tossing in the old sound card, as there might be some kind of interrupt or something that;s affecting the whole system.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 1:58 pm

Well I'm getting the computer tonight. If me + Tim can't fix it, I'll post here, probably around 7:30-8:30ish. It's 4:00 now.

Joes2Silly · Post by **Joes2Silly** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:50 pm

totokan wrote:CMOS jumper usually right below battery, with the words CMOS_CLEAR or something to that effect silkscreened onto the mobo.

actually on my old k6 mobo the CMOS clear jumper is in the top left corner on the mobo (I gotta get that thing marked off....)Also from my experience if you dont have signal on your monitor your ram is in wrong/messed up or your CPU is messed up