Complete System Meltdown...Help

[Jeff Mottle]

Ok this just plain sucks. My wifes computer (one of my slave machines) has sundenly dies today. It had been crashing on and off for the longest time and I had been meaning to rebuild it for a while, but before I got to it I figured I would just update the system with the latest DAT file becuase for some reason the autoupdate was not working. Everythign installed ok then after a reboot the system would BSOD as soon as you logged in. After crash after crash I decided to go into Safe mode, but it crashes there too. I tried all of the various safemodes and it crashes no matter what. I tried to do a repair with my XP CD but as soon as it tries to load windows it BSODs.

 

At this point all I want to do is copy a few files off and reformat, but I'm not even sure I can so that as I can't even get the XP disk to boot. Is the HD toast?

 

Help!! Point me to one of your fancy tools there Greg...which one should I try?

[Fran]

Hi Jeff,

 

You can probably hook it up to another box as a slave drive and harvest your data.

 

Hope that works for you.

[recon]

Originally posted by Fran:

Hi Jeff,

 

You can probably hook it up to another box as a slave drive and harvest your data.

I would try what Fran suggested...

The exact same thing happened to my wife's computer a couple years ago. All her digital pictures and recipies were on there and of course not backed up. And I kept telling myself I would get around to checking it out:)

 

When it finally died, I ordered a new machine for her from Dell, took out the old hard drive, moved the jumper to the slave position, and crammed it in her new machine. It's been there ever since as her second hard drive. I never even bothered erasing all the old system stuff.

Oh yeah, now she knows how to write a cd backup:)

 

-john manning

 

[ August 15, 2003, 04:49 PM: Message edited by: recon ]

[Jeff Mottle]

Ok I think we have a winner.

 

I just walked back to the box and I see a hardware failure notice. I check the BIOS and my CPU (a single CELERON 1.7) is running at 75C!!! and the MB is at 55C.

 

I pulled the case cover off and the fan on the CPU is still running at about 4300 RPM, so I have no idea what is wrong with it. Is 4300RPM within spec?

 

This would make sense for the crashing....

[xgarcia]

hmmm....just a guess but maybe RAM went bad? Regardless, do as fran says - hook up HDD as slave to another machine and glean your files - then completely format your wife's computer (bootdisks or cd). good luck.

[Jeff Mottle]

Ok now that I have left the case off for a while everything seems to be within spec. I'm looking at the case and there are no exhaust fans!! No wonder it's overheating. The system still needs to be rebuilt, but this crazy heat wave is is playng havoc on the CPUs. It's 32C (88F) here in my office. I was just confused, as the OS that needed an overhaul and the heating problems came at the same time and I did not initially suspect overheating, although it did exhibit all the classic signs..

 

Oh well, I'll just thow a few fans in and all should be cool again.

[Greg Hess]

Jeff,

 

Sorry I was picking my parents up at the airport .

 

http://www.3dluvr.com/content/article/105

 

(For future reference).

 

I'd do whats already been suggested. Get that data backed up on another computer ASAP.

 

Here's a quick ghettoish solution to your computer problem.

 

Remove the case. Place a box fan or oscillating fan about 3 feet away, and blow it in the case.

 

Observe CPU temps.

 

If they drop 10C or more...you need better case airflow.

 

If they don't fluxuate very much, you need a better heatsink, and/or a new application of thermal goop/hsf install.

 

I just helped egz out with a similar problem the other day doing this.