kony wrote:
> On 19 Sep 2006 06:31:17 -0700, tofu.captain@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >Months ago one of my main computers running winXP crashed. At first I
> >thought it was a software issue, and reinstalled XP. However, the
> >video seemed to struggle upon installation.
>
> What _exactly_ does "seemed to struggle" mean?
> These are key details and you're leaving them out.
>

"seemed to struggle" meaning the mouse and menus would freeze and the
OS being un unusable. The computer would boot and I would be able to
use the mouse and keyboard to login, but within a few seconds/minutes,
the screen would freeze.

> >So I put in a another hard
> >drive and installed Ubuntu Linux. It worked fine for a few days and
> >then the video on the monitor also begain to freeze and lock up the
> >system.
>
> Video freezing means what? Whatever is on screen remained
> static? Was there any system activity resulting from mouse
> or keyboard input? I don't mean video changing, I mean like
> trying to shut down with <Win><U><Enter> or other commands?
>
> Video freezing could be one of many things, like a power
> supply problem crashing the system, or motherboard, though
> seldom the video card itself (though possible?).
>
Video freezing meaning the mouse/keyboard would not be able to move
anything on the screen nor start/stop any process, and any current
desktop objects/windows would not move or animate anything, a complete
freeze.

>
> >
> >Now, I can't get the computer to POST and the mobo complains about the
> >AGP slot.
>
> If it won't POST, how can it be complaining about the AGP
> slot?
>
> You need to tell us exactly what you are observing instead
> of the summary conclusion.
>
You are right, I guess the system does POST, but the it's the video
that is not working. The system starts up and through an audio warning
system that is part of the mobo, I know that the system is able to
boot, but it complains about the AGP slot.

> >
> >The problem is that no matter what video card I put in, the video card
> >fan will not spin.
>
> ... and at this point, what else is or isn't happening?

The AGP light which tells if the AGP card is correctly in place
initially goes on when I place it in, but immediately turns off
afterwards. Everything else on the system seems to be working fine,
although I cannot completely verify this because I have no video.

> My point might be that video doesn't usually freeze because
> of the video card, as the video card is still actively
> sending that signal to the monitor- if it were not, the
> monitor would be blank. Even so, video cards can fail in
> different ways, it would be good to try another one.
>
The monitor does detect that it is connected to a video card, but there
is no signal or video going to the monitor at any time. It is in a
constant state of being on and idle (yellowish orange light, not
green).

> > So that rules out the problem being the video card.
>
> No, it does not rule out a video card problem, but it does
> suggest there might be something else wrong. In other
> words, the video card is probably fine but only having it
> working, in a runnning system, rules it out.

The video card works in other computers I have swapped it into. Other
video cards that work that I have swapped into this system does not
work. The problem seems to be the AGP slot or the power that goes to
the AGP slot.

> One possibility at investigating this situation would be to
> unplug the video fan, use a multimeter to check the fan
> header output (voltage), and trace back that subcircuit to
> the AGP connector pins (probably 12V), and with the board
> out of the case, measure that connector voltage on the back
> of the board. It is not exactly easy to prop up a board,
> have it running, and probe these connections though unless
> you have a jig set up to suspend a board with the back
> exposed, but I mention it because sometimes directly
> following a fault backwards you can find where the problem
> starts, and it can take creativity in deciding the best way
> to do it, ways seldom mentioned as generic PC
> troubleshooting tips.
>
> If using a multimeter is beyond your skill level, then what
> remains beyond stripping the system down (as mentioned
> elsewhere in the thread) is swapping parts- either those
> available or by purchasing other parts (preferribly from a
> place with a good return/refund policy).
>
>
> > So my question is, how do I determine if the problem is the
> >motherboard or the power supply?
>
> In that non-POSTing, non-running state, use a multimeter to
> check PSU voltages.
>
> Unplug the system from AC power for at least 10 minutes, and
> pull the battery at the beginning of AC disconnected, or use
> the clear CMOS jumper.
>
> If nothing else helps, begin stripping system down to bare
> essentials- leaving only CPU, heatsink/fan, 1 memory module,
> and video.
>
> At this point it should be noted that you failed to do
> something very important- start out your post with a concise
> but complete description of all major parts, including the
> PSU make, model, wattage, and the exact CPU you used (as
> some A7N8X may have a rare problem with mobile bartons- I
> still have one of these boards somewhere that only posts
> about 1 time out of 12 with a mobile barton, but runs fine
> with same barton far overclocked IF it posts, or always
> posts with another pre-Thornton Athlon XP.
>
> If you have another video card, particularly an old PCI card
> (being more compatible with legacy modes due to PCI, and
> also more likely to use less power), disconnect AC power,
> pull the AGP card, put in the PCI, clear CMOS, then plug in
> AC and try to POST again. Try it at least 2 more times, as
> it may reset the bios defaults to the lowest FSB at this
> point if it had tried the CPU default previously (I don't
> recall on that particular board, if it does this).
>
>
>
>
> >
> >Everything else works fine, so that leads me to think the mobo may be
> >the problem. But how can I be sure of this?
>
> After exhausting everything you/we/whoever can think of, all
> that remains is swapping questionable parts into another
> system or known good ones into that system. Do try it with
> the stripped-down config mentioned above, first.
>
> If your PSU is generic or not rated for more than 180W on
> the 3V+5V rails, then the PSU is another likely suspect.
> Your board uses 5V rail for powering the CPU power
> subcircuit, so it needs a fairly strong PSU 5V rating, even
> moreso if your video card is power hungry but doesn't use
> mostly 12V from an aux connector (some do, some don't, you'd
> have to web search for your card's specifics if unsure).
>
>
>
> >
> >My mobo is an Asus A7N8X Deluxe
> >
> >This computer isn't old old, and I have already bought a new machine
> >for my main needs. But I would like to bring this machine back to life
> >as it would be good as another extra computer. I don't want to spend a
> >lot of time tinkering around trying to fix it if I could spend ~$100 to
> >replace the correct part(s).
>
> It shouldn't cost that much, there are still nForce2 boards
> in the market for under $50, or an older design ATX 1.2/1.3
> PSU for about the same.
>
> If you are ambitious, you could also unplug your PSU from AC
> for a few minutes then open and examine it- mostly checking
> for failed capacitors, this is after you'd checked it with a
> multimeter, since if the voltages aren't ok then it is more
> clearly the problem... but further feedback on the issues I
> pointed out earlier might help to pinpoint the problem.

All of that sounds like a lot of work that takes a lot of time. I do
not have a multimeter and am not really intereseted in spending the
time swapping parts in and out. Although clearing the CMOS sounds like
something worth trying.