Uh-ho

B. Newman

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Posts
4,855
Loc
Kodak, Tn. USA
Have I killed my shop computer? I was working away, trying to figure out how to import customer info from QuickBooks into Small business customer manager when all of a sudden, everything stopped working. Well, that has happened a few times over the past few days, but I'd just hold the power button for 4-5 seconds and let the machine shut down, then wait about a minute and restart it. No problem, until today. Today, it would never restart. It makes all the noises of restarting, but the screen stays black and nothing happens.

All the talk of back ups, I'm glad I saved the important stuff, but none of my writings :( .

Can this computer be saved?

Betty
 
Betty, do you have a start-up disk? This is a bootable floppy disk that you put in the drive before you try to restart the computer. Sometimes it will give you some clues about whether you have a problem with your hard drive, your operating system or something else altogether.

Sometimes you can try and restart the computer nine times with no results and on the tenth try it will boot into Windows. If this does happen, copy EVERYTHING you need, 'cause it may not work on try #11.

This has happened to me several times and it always turned out to be a hard drive failure. On at least a few occassions I was able to recover most of the data by installing a new drive, making the old one a secondary drive and using the new drive to boot.
 
First things first, the screens stays blank, I would reccommend you check the conections first, you really don't know when they might come loose.
 
Even if it looks like all of the connections are tight, undo them,and redo them. Sometimes, this will work, when nothing else will. Sometimes, you will also get some dust or something in the connections, and taking them apart and putting them back together will fix it.
 
You might also consider connecting it to a different monitor just to be sure...


Jason.
 
Does it make any odd beeps when you turn the power on? (It may take up to 5 minutes for the error beeps to happen) Most motherboards are designed to make a pattern of beeps for major errors, that often identify the cause.

To me it sounds like a loose/bad memory chip or video card. If you're feeling techie, open it up and make sure those things are seated properly.

When a hard drive fails, you will usually see the Bios name/memory count/etc. Because it's doing NOTHING, I would be willing to bet that your data is absolutely fine.

If you need any help by phone, I'd be glad to help.

[ 01-30-2003, 07:04 PM: Message edited by: RHODY ]
 
It's the Troll with red hair. Or is it orange?
 
Originally posted by tnframer408:
IF Betty's computer is down, is she reading these posts???
Like most of us, Betty has a shop computer and a home computer and internet access on both.

After all, she started this thread. Right?
 
Actually, we have more computers and musical instruments than most folks have cars! (And we have several of those "classics" as well!)

Mike, my husband who works on big computers (As400 etc) took the shop computer apart last night and determined that the hard drive was "spinning", so it must be the video card. (Then we came in the house and I read your post!) He took it to work with him today to test out.

Now I'm wondering, with all that "restarting" I did yesterday, have I hurt something else?

Oh, just about an hour before everything went kaplooie, we ordered a new cd driver/burner. (Mine has not worked for about 6 months when I put in a audio or data cd, but will work with DVDs. Now, is that strange or what?)

Betty
 
Here's an MSN link with some information for anyone wondering if it's time to start shopping for a new computer. There are also some backup tips and ideas for how to dispose of the old computer. (Hint: Don't throw it into the trash bin.)
 
Bet,
See my gloating post on 'Dead Horse'. I don't know if y'all have BJ's Warehouse, but I got a heckuva deal on a full-race Hewlett-Packard computer!
The difference in getting one like it built and buying the one I got was about $2500!!!!! You can afford to get your Farmall's fixed for that!!!!!
 
Betty,
Is the computer you're having trouble with happen to be a notebook? What you described happened twice with mine in the two years I've owned it. Strangely enough,(and I don't know why I thought of doing this)I simply pulled the battery out, waited a few seconds and pushed it back in. Worked just fine.

Another suggestion, if a program locks up, don't just shut the machine off. Try useing task manager to "end task" first.
 
Well, we're back in business, sorta. It was indeed the video card. Joe brought a piddley one home with him to try out, and wow, everything is much bigger now, just like when it's in Safe Mode. Plus the colors are all pixley (I guess that's the right word.) And it doesn't have enough "stuff" to run my AdobePhoto software, but at least we know what the deal is anyway.

We went out to buy another card tonight, but the one we got won't work, so gotta take it back and just use "piddley" until then.

Got the CD driver in today and installed. Looks like it's gonna work fine.

And Denny, no not a laptop, this is a Compaq, and the old video card was a Voodoo(?) what ever that means.

Thanks for all your help. Just as soon as the new video card is acquired and installed, I'll begin a regimen of back ups.

Betty (Wow do I feel like I'm shouting here with this big stuff!)
 
Hey that's great news. Welcome back!

To fix your large video settings problem:

1) RICK CLICK on your desktop's wallpaper. Select PROPERTIES from the bottom of the menu that pops up and left click on it.

2) Click on the SETTINGS tab on the top right.

3) In the QUALITY section, Select HIGHEST it supports.

4) In the RESOLUTION section (bottom left) try 800x600 or 1024x768.

Click on APPLY and OK, and you should be back to normal. It might take a couple tries with the different resolutions to find the settings you had before.
 
Hmmmm, Voodoo video card!?! :eek:

Sounds to me like it's that "Old Black Magic's got you in its spell" again, Betty. ;)

Omar
 
Mike, I tried that, but it only gives me a choice of either 16 colors or 2 colors and the other setting is 640x480.

No other choices period.

Betty
 
That's because you need to install the drivers for the video card before you can take full advantage of it (ie more colors/resolution)


Jason.
 
Jason is right on the money. If you have a driver cd that came with the new video card, that will contain the files you need. You can also go to the website of the video card and get the newest one there.

If running XP, you can go to start -> control panel -> add new hardware and it will probably do all this for you automatically.


Mike
 
Now you guys are talking over my head. (At barely 5'1" that's not hard to do!)

The video card that Joe brought home is a verrrrry low end card. He only borrowed it to see if that was the problem. The CD driver is something else all together. Two totally separate issues. The CD driver does have a cd with it, but until we get the graphics card replaced, we're not going to mess with another thing.

We bought a Radeon 7000 card, and it would not work. Nothing on the screen at all. I will take the Voodoo booklet back with me to try to get the right thing this time.

Thanks,
Betty
 
Progress report - none!

I think I understand what you all meant about video card driver now, is that the cd or software that comes with the video card?

This is what happens. When we plug in the new video card (we're now on our third one) we still get a black screen. When we try to install the software for the new card with the piddley card plugged in, which is the ONLY one that we can get any kind of graphics with, the computer says basically "we can't accept the software without the card", but it won't accept the card anyway! We've tried 2 different types of "plug in" places, but neither of them work.

The only Voodoo3 3500 cards that are available anywhere are on Amazon, and Bizrate, and sites like that and they are used only. No new ones anywhere. But I'm afraid now that even the Voodoo card would give a black screen.

Man, we are stumped. Looks like I'll be carting the box off to some service center. Hmmm, wonder if they need any framing done...

Suggestions? (Please speak in non-computer language! ;) )

Betty

[ 02-06-2003, 11:03 AM: Message edited by: B. Newman ]
 
Voodoo(3dfx) went under a few years ago, unfortunately. When I switched to XP, I had to get rid of my voodoo 3500TV card.

Are you using Windows XP?
 
I found a Windows98SE driver for your card at this link: http://www.video-drivers.com/drivers/76/76443.htm

Its possible that some old drivers or cards are still installed and are confusing things. It might be a good idea to clean out all video cards first from your settings, before you attempt to try the voodoo card.

Right click on MY COMPUTER, go to PROPERTIES, go to DEVICE MANAGER tab, click on the PLUS SIGN to the left of "DISPLAY ADAPTERS" and delete any that come up in that list. Hit OK, then shutdown the computer and try the Voodoo card again. If the card is actually blown, this won't help - but its worth a try. It might be best to do this in safe mode.

I'd be glad to help you by phone if interested. I'll be in the shop for the next couple hours at 401-725-3400.

Mike
 
YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

Fixed, up and running! It took a while, my husband took it to a PC guru friend of ours, but it is finally fixed.

Whew. Back to work tomorrow. Thanks to all for advice and suggestions.

Betty
 
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