Thread: Computer Not Booting

  1. #1
    Set Apart -- jrahhali's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    256

    Computer Not Booting

    Oh man..i'm so frusterated

    This evening I unhooked/unplugged/disconnected (and while i was at it i even cleared the CMOS ) everything in my computer, because i wanted to clean the massive amounts of dust that was blanketing everthing. Anyways i was very organized and carful with all the peices. With my handy User's Manual by my side, i proceeded in putting everything back together (something which i had never done before). In the end, everything 'seemed' to be in it's proper place but i was wrong. I first started up the computer, set the time and date (only) and continued booting up. It frooze after the windows loading screen finished. It slowly got worse until i can't even get into my bios without it freezing. Any suggestions?
    Clear the mines from our Shazbot!
    Get the enemy Shazbot!

  2. #2
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,429
    That depends... what exactly did you use to "clean" your case. Honestly, you really shouldn't be worried by dust that cannot be picked up from a distance with a vacuum hose... especially if you don't know what you're doing. Are you getting any beep codes? Are you sure everything is securly plugged back in? Did you knock something loose while cleaning? There is really no way for us to tell what you possibly could have done.

  3. #3
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,429
    You did it, didn't you? You took your heatsink and/or your cpu off the motherboard and cleaned it, didn't you? And let me guess... you cleaned off the bottom of your heatsink? Congratulations. You just removed the thermal paste rendering your heatsink utterly WORTHLESS. Why do people feel the need to mess with this stuff??? From what I can tell, you cleaned off the thermal paste and now your processor is overheating, causing it to slow down and/or shutdown.

    You're going to need to buy some thermal paste (a few bucks at a computer store), and then remove the heat sink, place a small dot on the bottom-middle of the heatsink and put it back on the CPU. BUT, judging by your other thread, you've gone and f-ed up the screws. SO now you're really kinda screwed. You might as well just buy another heatsink while you're at it.

    Goddamn... next time, don't remove all that stuff to clean your case.

  4. #4
    Useless Apprentice ryan_germain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    76
    Quote Originally Posted by ober
    you really shouldn't be worried by dust that cannot be picked up from a distance with a vacuum hose
    do NOT use a vacuum for the dust...blow it off with some compressed air
    There is not the slightest indication that [nuclear energy] will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.

    -Albert Einstein, 1932

  5. #5
    eh ya hoser, got a beer? stumon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Posts
    323
    Time to get a dell!
    The keyboard is the standard device used to cause computer errors!

  6. #6
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,429
    Quote Originally Posted by ryan_germain
    do NOT use a vacuum for the dust...blow it off with some compressed air
    Very true. I should have mentioned that.

  7. #7
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    2,001
    That, and dust doesn't hurt anything anyway, if it bothers you that much, get some fans in your case and put a filter on the intake, that will get rid of it.
    PHP and XML
    Let's talk about SAX

  8. #8
    Set Apart -- jrahhali's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    256
    lol, jeeze! Let me first get rid of these rumors *cough* ober *cough* =D of how and what i cleaned my computer with. I did not remove my cpu, though in an earlier post i was wanting too, i used compressed air to blow the dust away, and i few q-tips for the fans. As for the vacuum, i learned my lesson with my last mobo, completey wrecked it. Anyways, I followed the troubleshooting section of my manual and i got the computer to boot up (not windows) and enter the bios without it freezing. It's detecting my HD and CD-Rom (though that's sounding pretty rough). I'm going to format and reinstall winxp, but before id o that, maybe someone can help me with my front panel conections:
    Code:
                   _____
                   |O|O|
                   ----- Power Switch
                   |O|O|
                   -----
                   |O|O|
                   ----- 
                   |O|O|  ACPI & Power LED
    IDE LED        -----
                   |O|O|
                   -----
                   |O|O|
                   -----
                   |O|O|
                   -----
                   |O|O|
    SPEAKER        -----
                   |O|O|
                   ----- RESET
                   |O|O|
                   -----
    I couldn't highlight the IDE LED pins so they are the first four above the SPEAKER pins. This is were my question resides. I don't have a cable marked IDE LED, but one marked H.D.D. LED. On my manual the first four pins above SPEAKER are labled IDE LED but on my motherboard, their labled HDDLED. So im guessing i put my H.D.D LED connector here, except it's a two pin connector, and on my motherboard it points out that it takes up 4 pins. Where do i plug my H.D.D LED cable too?
    Clear the mines from our Shazbot!
    Get the enemy Shazbot!

  9. #9
    Registered User VirtualAce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    9,607
    There should be a mobo manual for your board, unless you bought some pizza box system in which case I absolutely refuse to help anyone who does. They are just too proprietary and too much of a pain in the arse.

    I'm not quite sure how taking your system apart could cause that mess other than what ober stated. You should not have to reinstall XP. Normally when BIOS freezes it is usually because the memory is not seated in the system correctly. However you should be getting some beep codes if this is the case.

    The LED hookups will not cause your system any trouble except that the lights on the front of your case will all be hooked into the wrong things. But this won't prevent any system from booting.

    Reinstalling XP is not the answer here. There is no way to screw up an installation of XP by taking your system apart. There is a way to overheat your processor however I've seen several AMDs overheat to ungodly temps and yet still work flawlessly.

    Basically unless you have screwed the hardware up...perhaps by static, although this has never happened to me, then you have to pretty much be a total moron to screw the system up. It's physically impossible to hook the components up incorrectly. Tab A goes into Slot A kind of crap.

    Some people shouldn't own a computer. Reach around the back side...hit the power switch, package it all up and take it back to the store. You are too stupid to own one.

    (I really need that 'you are stupid' smiley from flashdaddee here)

  10. #10
    Set Apart -- jrahhali's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    256
    >>You are too stupid to own one
    >>I really need that 'you are stupid' smiley from flashdaddee here
    yes please
    Well thanks bubba for you answer, i still have no clue as to where one of my LED hookups hook up, but since it doesn't effect the booting, that's a worry off my chest. Thanks.

    edit: once again i cleared my CMOS and everything was working fine again. I must have accidently chnaged some settings when i was trying to figure out what everything was
    Clear the mines from our Shazbot!
    Get the enemy Shazbot!

  11. #11
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    2,001
    >>cleared my CMOS and everything was working fine again.

    what?
    PHP and XML
    Let's talk about SAX

  12. #12
    PC Fixer-Upper Waldo2k2's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    2,001
    hey jimbob, you have no room to talk so stfu

    jrahhali, find a friend who's good with computers and have him make sure you hooked everything up correctly, I think you're beyond the help of this board, we can only do so much without being right there to actually see the victim.
    PHP and XML
    Let's talk about SAX

  13. #13
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,429
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbob1989
    Who the hell is this guy; jrahhali? It sounds like he's been messing around with his computer, possibly without researching into what he was first, or at least not very well.

    He's come here for help and if anything he sounds insulting.

    Jimbob
    I see your rep has been set back to neutral. With comments like that, it won't take long to get you back in the red.

  14. #14
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    4,429
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbob1989
    I'm just poiting out that people are trying to help him and he's not taking it very well. Whats your problem?

    Jimbob
    He was very polite actually... offering thanks and whatnot for the help that was given. Take a chill pill and go bother someone else.

  15. #15
    Registered User axon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Posts
    2,572
    >>I see your rep has been set back to neutral. With comments like that, it won't take long to get you back in the red.<<

    his rep has actually been disabled...but you could still give him some either way; it's still there, but invisible.

    some entropy with that sink? entropysink.com

    there are two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness. - franz kafka

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 34
    Last Post: 02-26-2006, 01:16 PM
  2. Major Computer Problem
    By Olidivera in forum Tech Board
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 07-15-2005, 11:15 AM
  3. Tabbed Windows with MDI?
    By willc0de4food in forum Windows Programming
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 05-19-2005, 10:58 PM
  4. Computer not booting :(
    By psychopath in forum Tech Board
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 03-08-2005, 08:05 AM
  5. Computer will not boot.
    By RealityFusion in forum Tech Board
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 09-10-2004, 04:05 PM