On 20 Sep 2006 07:40:22 -0700, "tofu.captain"
<tofu.captain@gmail.com> wrote:


>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.
>

What I was interested in, was whether the system can do
anything, anything at all while in the frozen video state.

For example, if music were playing, does it stop or stutter
or loop? Does the system seem to respond to keyboard
commands to shut it down?

Video freezing is only part of the story, it is useful to
know the exact state of the system besides it having frozen
video, anything and everything you can think of to test
this.

Also, when it freezes, can you push the reset button (if the
case has one) to reset? If not, will the power button turn
it off?


>>
>> >
>> >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.

You are still not telling us exactly, as you observe it,
what happens. I mean an exact play-by-play account.

I doubt it says "this is a complaint", for example. What
exactly happens, what is this audio warning message saying
verbatim?


>> ... 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.

Examine the AGP slot contacts, using a strong light if
possible. Check to see if the motherboard is *centered*
over the motherboard tray mounting studs, perhaps it's
off-center just enough that given time it has failed to make
good contact due to a slight misalignment. If the system
was in a dirty/dusty/smoky/etc environment, you might try
folding over a piece of paper soaked in contact cleaner,
slip that over the AGP card contacts and insert into the
slot a couple of times in an attemp to clean them... just
make sure the paper doesn't fall apart from being saturated
with the contact cleaner so it doesn't leave behind large
particles in the slot. That is, unless you can see the
contacts very clearly and are sure they are pristine.


>
>> 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).

That is not necessarily a detection that it is connected to
a video card, some monitors will do exactly this with no
card connected, or do you have further observations that you
particular monitor does something different when unplugged
such as displaying a test pattern or no-video message?


>
>> > 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.

Ok, this is very useful info. What kind of functionality is
needed for this board? I'd try a PCI card, and continue
using if it acceptible performance per the system purpose.


<snip>

>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.


Well yes, pinpointing a problem can take a long time, if the
first few more likely (or common) faults, aren't what's
wrong. You still have yet to even itemize the system,
which is quite odd to omit in a hardware group with this
problem, but at this point it seems that if you need to use
an AGP video card, you should seek a new board, if yours
isn't under warranty by Asus anymore, but do try clearing
CMOS first- that is usually the very first thing to try.