Official "Computer Troubles" Thread

[Zoop]

I already tested with the onboard video and it gives the same issue, so I highly doubt it's the GPU. That's why I also reset the CMOS, for in case the GPU disabled the onboard video, but still nothing after that. PC seems to boot up, but no video.

Going to try and see if I can't RDP into the PC to make sure it's booted up properly.

[Wesley]

Going to try and see if I can't RDP into the PC to make sure it's booted up properly.

Don't you hear the Windows logon sound? But anyway if it does the same thing without the GPU, then most likely the 12v rail has failed and your PSU is useless. Test with a multimeter if you have one and use the molex connector. Touch the black to the black cables (ground) and try the red and white ones in turn. Black and red should give you 12v. If it or the white cable gives you nothing, then the PSU is busted.

[Zoop]

I had the PC on the bare minimum - 1 stick of RAM, no GPU, no HDD, no disk drives, etc. Still didn't power up. So I replaced all the hardware components in anticipation of giving up, but decided to try one last time, and it actually booted up with an image. I hadn't plugged in my PS2 keyboard, so I shut it down to do so and when I wanted to start it up again, it started up, ran for a few seconds and then shut down just to try and start itself up a few moments later.

After this I unplugged the PSU cable again and then plugged it back in, and voila! Booted up again.

I still think it might be the PSU that's on its way out, but I'm not 100% sure. What do you think? I've been meaning to replace the PSU anyway (it's the one that had the noisy fan), so I guess it can't hurt to try?

I checked in Stellenbosch, but Faithful Computers don't have any 500watt PSUs left, and Incredible Connection wants R500 for their cheapest one, which sounds a bit overpriced. What's the standard going price for 500+ watt PSUs nowadays? My current one is a 550 that I got for around R400 two years back. Don't want to spend too much on a PSU right now. I see there's a Matrix store somehwere in Stellenbosch, so I want to go check them out tomorrow.

[Lysis]

This isn't really a computer problem so much as it is a preventative maintenance question, but here goes. The current hard drive containing my steam folder is about run out of space. I have another hard drive in the computer which has some free space and I was wondering if there was a way to get Steam to install games on the new hard drive while continuing to access games currently installed on the old hard drive? So in short, is it possible to make Steam split its folder across two different hard drives?

[Zoop]

As far as I know, you can't make Steam install anywhere other than the client's install directory, but there is another way to get around it. There's nothing stopping you from having a second Steam install. Just copy everything in the Steam directory except for the SteamApps folder to a Steam folder on the other hard drive. You can then start that one up any games you install through that specific install will be installed to that hard drive.

You'll have to exit and launch Steam from the first Steam install directory to play games installed on that specific install, but that's not such a major issue.

At the moment I've got a Steam install on my D drive and my I drive, and it hasn't caused any issues yet, aside from me sometimes forgetting which games are installed on which install and then launching the incorrect one.

[Lysis]

Thanks Zoop, I suspected that might be the answer. It's a bit of a messy solution, but definitely not as messy and painful as rearranging my storage space so that the Steam folder sits on only one drive :P

[Wesley]

Steam SSD Optimiser will work in this case as well. You may find that creating symbolic links to the second folder where your games are installed on the other drive will help as well.

I had the PC on the bare minimum - 1 stick of RAM, no GPU, no HDD, no disk drives, etc. Still didn't power up. So I replaced all the hardware components in anticipation of giving up, but decided to try one last time, and it actually booted up with an image. I hadn't plugged in my PS2 keyboard, so I shut it down to do so and when I wanted to start it up again, it started up, ran for a few seconds and then shut down just to try and start itself up a few moments later.

After this I unplugged the PSU cable again and then plugged it back in, and voila! Booted up again.

I still think it might be the PSU that's on its way out, but I'm not 100% sure. What do you think? I've been meaning to replace the PSU anyway (it's the one that had the noisy fan), so I guess it can't hurt to try?

I checked in Stellenbosch, but Faithful Computers don't have any 500watt PSUs left, and Incredible Connection wants R500 for their cheapest one, which sounds a bit overpriced. What's the standard going price for 500+ watt PSUs nowadays? My current one is a 550 that I got for around R400 two years back. Don't want to spend too much on a PSU right now. I see there's a Matrix store somehwere in Stellenbosch, so I want to go check them out tomorrow.

Aha, that's ageing capacitors in the PSU, nice find. What GPU do you have installed? You'll be able to get away with any of the following if your GPU has a single six-pin PCI-E connector:

Corsair VS450 @ R442
Antec EA-380D Earthwatt Green @ R496
Cooler Master GX 400w @ R500
Cooler Master GX 450w @ R598
SilverStone ST50F-ES @ R545 (if your GPU has two six-pin connectors and uses less than 250W at full load. Tell us what it is if you're not sure of that)

Look for any of those PSUs, they're all reliable. If you can afford it, the Silverstone is the best value for money and is based on a popular FSP design. Personally, I'd go for the GX450W because its a Seasonic unit, although a slightly older one.

[Zoop]

Ah, I've got a Radeon HD 6870 which uses 2 six pin connectors. My current PSU only has one six pin connector, but I'm using a cable that converts a molex connector to a six pin connector.

I'm not quite sure what the power usage is at full load, but AMD recommends a 500watt PSU for this card, which is quite beefy. I'm not really sure how to determine what the usage is under load, but if it's under 250W I might just go for the SilverStone. It's a bit more than I can currently afford, but the end of the month is only 11 days away and it's better to pay for a decent PSU than buying another generic one that's going to flake on me a year and a half down the line.

Thanks for all the effort!

Edit: Did a bit of Googling and seems the 6870 does between 140 - 160 under full load, so the Silverstone should do fine.

[Wesley]

I have a HD6870 as well, the Strider is well worth the purchase then :)

[Zoop]

Okay, now here's where things get strange. I borrowed a known-good 500W PSU from a friend to test the rig, but it's giving the same issues. So, I guess it's not the PSU then?

[Wesley]

Okay, now here's where things get strange. I borrowed a known-good 500W PSU from a friend to test the rig, but it's giving the same issues. So, I guess it's not the PSU then?

Then the 12v line, the one that uses the 4-pin power connector to the CPU, is fried. That or one of the lines on the 24v connector has failed, but the board still shorts properly and starts everything else up. I'm afraid this means you have a motherboard issue.

[Legion]

Ok.. I'm going nuts.
I wrote a program that detects mouse positions.
It works on everyone else's computer but mine.
I'm trying to figure out why and I'm stumped.

Anyone got any comment or idea what so ever of what could possibly be the difference or reason why.

[Toxxyc]

Do you not maybe have incorrect mouse drives installed? It's possible. Go to your Device Manager and "Update driver" the thing. If problem persists, uninstall the drivers and reinstall.

PS: I'm wildly guessing here.

[Wesley]

I wrote a program that detects mouse positions.
It works on everyone else's computer but mine.

Messed around with any IRQ configs lately? Does it take PS/2 and USB mice into account? The Interrupt requests for the two connections are different and that might be why you're having issues.

[Legion]

Messed around with any IRQ configs lately? Does it take PS/2 and USB mice into account? The Interrupt requests for the two connections are different and that might be why you're having issues.

It's supposed to detect any and all activity from all mouse events.
but oddly after testing 3 different usb mice I had the same issue.
However no one else is having this issue.

That means 3 things
1. I cant test my programs.
2. This may happen on another system.
3. I have some serious C++ research to do.

[Wesley]

Were any of the systems AMD-based, by any chance? Is yours an Intel one?

[Gammaray]

Ok, just had to share this because it feels like I'm losing it...

One internet connection over a CellC 3G modem, one dyndns setup on the router, and one dyndns setup on the server behind the router. Both get different IPs (& ranges) and neither are pingable. One tracert times out after 2 hops and the other after 13. :\

[Wesley]

PM Cell_C on the Mybroadband forums, he might be able to help figure it out. It looks like having two DynDNS accounts kicks the connection because Cell C thinks you're abusing the network? I know people with VPNs on their network have been having issues recently.

[Gammaray]

Thanks I'll give it a try. Weird thing is that the users on the LAN can browse Internet fine, and port 25 is wide open. Very weird.

[Legion]

Were any of the systems AMD-based, by any chance? Is yours an Intel one?

Thats the thing i have a AMD..
most others that have tested it have intel.