[kieraninnes]

Hey,

I'm new here and as such haven't read the rules (sorry - so if this tread is in the wrong place, could a moderator please move it for me? Thanks).

First of I better let you know my system specs;


WinPower 400watt PSU [Stock one that came with the case]
Asus P5GC-MX
2GB DDR2 Ram
Intel C2D E4400 @ 2.0GH'z
500GB HDD (Hitatchi Deskstar).

And here is what happened:

IN SHORT:

1. HardDrive clicks, I backup and return and replace HDD.
2. Second HardDrive clicks, I check ram while it's still on the OS and it comes back fine.
3. BlueScreen and the HDD dies on me like the first one.
4. Can still get into BIOS etc. The comp just restarts at the XP boot screen, over and over.
5. Cleaned ram and slots.
6. Computer now shows just a black screen. No BIOS screen, no boot screen, no beeps, no nothing. Fans still working, and lights all still on. Everything the same as '4.' except I can't see anything (but their is signal, trust me).
7. Buy new PSU and isntall it.
8. Still the same problem as '6.'.
9. Post on here before I kill my computer even more...

IN LONG:

Basically a few weeks back I bought a new 500GB HDD and replaced my old, and broken 250GB HDD. After a few months (2) using it, it started making this clicking sound. I thought nothing off it, googled and found out that it was on it's last legs (even though it was only 2 months old, but never mind I thought I just received a dud). I returned the drive to OverClockers and they send me a brand spanking new one.

2 Weeks ago it happened (after using this new HDD for about 2/3 weeks). This lead me to think that it wasn't a HDD problem, but instead a PSU problem (because of my dinky little crappy stock one). When I booted up what would happen was; every fan and light for everything would turn on as normal, and I would here my beeps (1 - as I set it to skip certain checks for a faster boot). It would then get to the Windows XP Pro logo and just restart the whole computer. Rinse and repeat forever! (This was the same story for my last HDD).

So before I swanned off and bought another PSU, I did some more googling and read that it could be that the ram slots were 'dirty'. So I got a can of air, took out the sticks and gently (and I stress really gently) cleaned it with the air. Then stuck the ram back in and...NO SCREEN. Their was signal (because if a PC isn't on, then the TV/Monitor just skips past the PC Channel and it never which means their is atleast acknowledgment that it's there. I also heard no beeps.

So I went out and bought a new PSU thinking this would solve the problem.
OCZ Stealth XStream 600W PSU - SLI Ready ATX2.2 12cm Fan - Ebuyer

^ That one.

Recieved it the other day, set it all up and still the same senario. All the lights and fans etc.. would turn on, but I wouldn't see anything but black on the screen (no POST, not BIOS, no nothing).

This leads me to believe it's a MOBO problem. I've even took out the ram, and got my 3 beeps as stated in the MOBO manual. I also did a ramtest as soon as I heard the ram clicking. It got too 4000% and found nothing wrong.

So my dilemma is, what the hell has gone wrong?

And solutions (I don't mind forking out for a new MOBO, or even new ram, but I don't have the cash for a processor the now.

Please help me. Ask me questions, etc. I'll try to be as clear as I can.

Kieran.

[Chaos]

might be a video card problem also

[kieraninnes]

Hey,

I'm using onboard graphics. I don't have a video card.

Kieran

[GigaWatt]

i have read your whole post... looks to me like something is out of place... maybe you moved something while you were cleaning the RAM slots...

try this, disassemble the whole rig, and put it back together again... and i mean everything, from the CD/DVD ROM/RW, to the mother board, PSU, CPU... everything.

also, check if there are any jumpers on the mother board that are out of place or missing. check the specs sheеt from Asus for details on the jumpers whereabouts and their original configuration, but do this only when you have disassembled the rig, not when everything is onboard the mother board...

[kris23]

ok, judging from the issue at hand, let me ask a quick question:

do you know the difference between the seek noise and an actual hard drive clicking?

also, the issue with windows rebooting couldve been easily avoided with a simple reformat and reinstall.

lastly, with the memory, since you already cleaned it out, try reseating them. if the issue still persists, get a new set of memory, chances are you damaged one or both with static (it even happens to the best of us). try running each stick individually to check this out as if a module is seriously damaged, the system will not boot even if the other is good.

and.... Welcome to DH, hope you enjoy your time here. once your issue is resolved feel free to post around the off-topic forum.... good place to talk about random stuff

[Judas]

how did you run the memtest? 4000%?

a few of these things need better explanation as suggesting that the ram test passes but you don't get post would be contradictory i beleive...

It still sounds like hardrive or controller issues. Perhaps a dud motherboard but pulling the ram and starting it with 3 beeps would present that the motherboard is correctly beeping.

[kieraninnes]

GigaWatt:

Tried that twice now, and it hasn't changed anything. Thanks for the suggestion though =].

Kris23:

Yeah, my harddrive barly makes a seeknoise, but you can hear it if you put your ear to it. The clicking noise on my HDD isn't a seek noise.

I've also tried formatting, I tried it with my first harddrive (the first 500gb one that died) and it solved the problem for a few days, then more clicking.

Tried both suggestions about the ram, and nothing happened. Still the same situation.

Judas:

I ran MemTest as soon as I heard the harddrive clicking. Because as soon as I heard it, I knew that it was going to die soon (because of what happened to my first 500gb hdd) and this was my only chance to try it. So I ran 2 memtest's: testing 1gb each, and they both got to 4000% in the test and found no errors etc.

I suspected it was the HDD first time around, but since HDD's are renound for their reliability, I was a bit iffy when the second one went. Making me think it's not the HDD.


Thanks for the replies guys. Any suggestions on how I would fix it etc..I don't mind paying for a new Mobo/ram. I hope it's not the processor .

The reason I think it's the Mobo is because their is no post, no bios, no nothing. Nothing but a black screen. And the BIOS will run with JUST a mobo and a PSU, which made me think it's a mobo issue. But I'm unsure what has cause it, be it faulty ram, blown cpu, over/under volted with the last PSU.

More help would be greatly appreciated .

[GigaWatt]

hmmmmm... i have a question about the HDD... what is your room temperature...? lower temperatures can cause HDDs not to function correctly and probably fail... especially if you keep your rig opened and you open your window in the middle of the night or when you go to sleep, especially in winter... . this problem is most common (the temp problem with the HDDs) at boot up, the HDD goes from "ice cold" status to "do all the work" status in a matter of seconds (i have stated this before in some of my posts). this could be the reason for your HDDs continuously failing.

[kieraninnes]

GigaWatt.

My room is at an average temperature all the time. Never too hot, never too cold. It's around 35 degrees c all the time. I can't give you the exact figure, because I don't have a thermometer.

[Liqourice]

My god! 35c is way to hot for me!

I rarely have more than 22!

[kieraninnes]

Sorry, I meant to write 25, I must have written 3 instead of 2.

My room is around 25 degrees C.

[GigaWatt]

Originally Posted by kieraninnes

My room is at an average temperature all the time. Never too hot, never too cold. It's around 35 degrees c all the time.

Originally Posted by kieraninnes

Sorry, I meant to write 25, I must have written 3 instead of 2.

My room is around 25 degrees C.

oh good... you scared me for a minute there...

[Judas]

35*C is fun to play in... you lose weight that way... so long as you don't die of dehydration

[GigaWatt]

Originally Posted by Judas

35*C is fun to play in... you lose weight that way... so long as you don't die of dehydration

hahahahahahahah , good one Judas...

anyway, back on topic...

the only thing i could think of else is trying the same mother board with totaly different parts: different PSU, different GFX card, different DIMM modules, different CPU... change everything but the mother board itself... see how that works out... if you haven't done it already...

if in that case the mother board does give "life signals", try changing each part at a time (with the rig unplugged of course ), pluging the rig back in, see which part is causing the problem...

[kieraninnes]

Sadly I don't have any spare parts, especially to the magnitute of new CPU and PSU. Is their nothing else I can do, no?

[GigaWatt]

well, sadly no... if the mother board doesn't even show the post screen, than a BIOS upgrade or downgrade would be out of the question...

can't you borrow some spare parts from a friend...?

[kieraninnes]

I can't sadly. They're all running slow DDR computers, and processors with different sockets: (Pre-builds).

I'm stumped.

I'm gonna' bite the bullet and buy a new MOBO and test it, that's the only way right now I can see of sorting it. If it's not the MOBO i'll have to buy either a new CPU or RAM.

Thanks again for your help GigaWatt, I'll update this thread in a week or 2 with my status.

I've also plus repped all those who've helped me.

Kieran

[Judas]

would it not be worthwhile pulling everything out of the case and setting it on say a clean wood table top and plugging in some of the critical components.... just to see..

Motherboard,cpu,ram,videocard and that's it.... see if it'll post sitting wide open on a wood table or cardboard box. This would eliminate the case or any possibility of a short due to it.

[kieraninnes]

I did that before mate. Took everything out, and put the MOBO onto an anti-static mat, with the psu plugged in and the vga to the monitor and still nothing.

Kieran.