Post #290,863
8/14/07 2:07:06 PM
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Ailing 'puter
My home machine has developed a problem: booting most of the time ends in a "CMOS checksum error" and a failed attempt to detect a non-existent floppy drive. Last time I turned the machine off, it wouldn't boot until I'd tried at least 30 times. And when it does "catch", there are still error messages from the BIOS complaining about "safe mode" and the like.
The machine seems to run OK once it gets going, although it's detecting an 1800 Mhz CPU as 1100Mhz.
Does this sound fixable, or should I be thinking about a new motherboard?
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #290,864
8/14/07 2:21:14 PM
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Sounds like the CMOS battery is dying.
Look for a coin-sized battery on the motherboard and try replacing it (if you can't check the voltage with a meter). You'll need to reset the CMOS parameters, but they should stick.
Otherwise, you'll need to keep it on.
Winders usually complains if it doesn't boot cleanly.
The other thing it could be is the [link|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=41144|power supply]. If it runs fine after booting, no matter how you stress it, then it's probably just the CMOS battery and not the power supply.
HTH!
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #290,869
8/14/07 3:24:12 PM
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What he said.
Alex
Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. -- Sophocles (496? - 406 BCE)
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Post #290,883
8/14/07 7:58:57 PM
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Along with replacing the CMOS battery . . .
. . unplug power to the motherboard and find the CMOS drain jumper. With the power cables removed it should need to be moved to drain for no more than a minute.
This procedure should be done any time a computer is acting insane.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #290,893
8/14/07 9:44:42 PM
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Thanks.
Where does one buy a CMOS battery, anyways?
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #290,894
8/14/07 9:56:31 PM
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Some are pretty common..
[link|http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/81/1|Hardware Secrets] has info on the various battery types.
The "coin" type batteries can sometimes be found at your favorite drugstore (e.g. in the hearing aid battery section). Otherwise, scrounge around [link|http://www.google.com/products?q=motherboard+battery&hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS219US219&um=1&sa=X&oi=froogle&ct=title|here] once you know what you need.
HTH.
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #290,897
8/14/07 10:29:33 PM
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Nearly every computer now uses the 2032 coin . . .
. . which is also used in many other devices such as car keys, bathroom scales, etc. Anyone who sells batteries should have them.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #290,901
8/14/07 11:06:42 PM
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Yep, that's what this one is. Thanks.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #290,900
8/14/07 10:55:29 PM
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Local Radio Shack for one.
Alex
Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. -- Sophocles (496? - 406 BCE)
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Post #290,939
8/15/07 10:24:09 PM
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Didn't work.
Changed the batter, drained it, reloaded the CMOS defaults. Still does the odd stuff. Bleh.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #290,947
8/16/07 1:28:08 AM
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Well, that was the cheap fix.
From here on out it costs more.
I just junked a stack of what were fine motherboards not so long ago. They all behaved insane due to capacitor rot. They were built during that period when Chinese companies were churning out millions of capacitors using a stolen electrolyte formula they had misinterpreted.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #290,955
8/16/07 6:26:46 AM
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I remember that! Wondered why I heard nada, subsequently -
any idea of a ballpark # of boards of that ilk?
Another one - a rash of alum. electrolytics which were Not "low ESR" (equivalent series resistance, for the non electron heads) -- as used in ubiquitous/cheap PSs and on mobos, as added filtering for the DC-DC inverter, lo-Volt/hi-Current CPUS du jour.
One would expect the increased resistance (over proper caps) to result in increased ripple, doing all the bad things that ripple does - like digital glitches.
I don't recall if they were mismarked "low ESR", but think not - believe you could read the label to see if the "Low ESR" stripe was absent.
Seen any of those?
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Post #290,968
8/16/07 9:32:07 AM
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On to a new power supply.
Alex
Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. -- Sophocles (496? - 406 BCE)
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Post #290,970
8/16/07 9:44:34 AM
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It has a new one already. :-P
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #291,006
8/16/07 10:25:47 PM
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Your time is too valuable
Unless you are having fun with it.
Replace it.
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Post #290,971
8/16/07 10:03:54 AM
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Bummer.
You might try some of the suggestions [link|http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic4577.html|here]. Basically, make sure there's a good connection to the battery, etc.
Have you recently changed any of the hardware, other than the power supply? Why did you change the power supply?
Can you give more details on the moterboard/PC? Maybe that particular model has commonly reported problems that will give some clues.
Good luck.
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #291,672
8/27/07 2:42:58 PM
8/27/07 2:51:57 PM
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Any news? If not, this $15 board may help.
[link|http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=12692&ta=detail_img&pi=Y&st=3|Cyberguys] $15 Micro PC Post Tester. It includes a link to a 23 page manual of the items tested. It might be worth a shot.
They have 2 other PCI testing boards listed - this is the cheapest. I don't know if the more expensive ones are better or if they just have more "features".
Good luck.
Cheers,
Scott.
(Who bought some cables from them in the past.)
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Post #291,676
8/27/07 3:40:59 PM
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I dub you the "Swiss Army Knife" of IWT :-)
Smile,
Amy
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Post #291,680
8/27/07 3:44:51 PM
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I'm stuck at home today, so I've got a bit more time.
I don't like seeing hardware threads fade away without resolution. The engineer in me wants to see problems solved, dammit! ;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #291,681
8/27/07 3:47:35 PM
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Ah, but it's PC hardware.
The value of the time used almost always exceeds the value of replacement hardware.
Which is a pity.
Peter
[link|http://www.no2id.net/|Don't Let The Terrorists Win]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Home]
Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
[link|http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?pwhysall|A better terminal emulator]
[image|http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h262/pwhysall/Misc/saveus.png|0|Darwinia||]
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Post #291,682
8/27/07 3:48:06 PM
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Yo comprendo
I hate to think of yet another box gathering dust in the closet. Hmmmm...how many do we have now, you ask? I think 4 or 5 (due to obsolescence.)
Charge on, Good Sir Knight!
Smile,
Amy
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Post #291,724
8/27/07 10:56:13 PM
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Ask Beep about old hardware...
... I hear he has an extensive collection of old bits'n'pieces, to his wife's annoyance.
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
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Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
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-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. | · my ·
· [link|http://staticsan.livejournal.com/|blog] ·
· [link|http://yceran.org/|website] · |
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Post #291,751
8/28/07 9:15:12 AM
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Shhhh...don't remind her.
I'm getting better...got rid of a few. (that were beyond dead and way too old)
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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Post #291,690
8/27/07 4:34:03 PM
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ICLRPD (new thread)
Created as new thread #291689 titled [link|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=291689|ICLRPD]
--
Steve
[link|http://www.ubuntulinux.org|Ubuntu]
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Post #291,707
8/27/07 6:47:20 PM
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'Tis an honorable affliction (I must wot)
10+ years ago, the guy I was helping re-do the roof and environs brought along a sleek (Not) but tiny GoldStar microwave. Arcing in the food compartment. (Either run once too often empty, or tinfoil or ...) Lady gave it to him --> moi.
OK, sez I - should be fun to play with..
Sand, prime pecker tracks. [Patience] wait dry thoroughly. 2 coats of close-enough paint, sanded, feathered. Wait. Cup water in: BINGO no sparkee. It has since reheated thousands of cups of tea with nary a twitch.
(And yes - my check-balancing calculator uses green fluorescent Nixies - ever so much sharper than #%&^%# butt-ugly LCDs.)
There's a downside to fix-mania though -- the mentioned closets-full? I mean I mean.. is it better that the Otrona go to the landfill Working?
Why yes.. yes it is. The slothful would never comprehend.
Just because a society is infantilized, survives only via the biz-intended massive waste of both materials and labor -- and is ungrateful for all design work ever done on their lame behalf..?
Nevertheless . . .
We Shall Leave No Stoned Tern Unresuscitated
Now.. just as soon as I rewind an interstage transformer in a '50s Victoreen\ufffd Area Radiation Monitor -- it will be ready for use in the coming attraction, Mothra Eats PNAC HQ ... look for it to appear next, <Shrieking a Warning> by the Jacob's Ladder near the guy with a white lab coat - (with bad lip-sync.)
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Post #291,818
8/28/07 5:53:46 PM
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I'll take a look, thanks.
It's been low priority since 1) it's booted and running and 2) I have my MacBook Pro to use if it doesn't.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #291,819
8/28/07 6:28:30 PM
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Understood. Thanks.
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