Omnimaga

General Discussion => Technology and Development => Computer Usage and Setup Help => Topic started by: guy6020665 on November 15, 2010, 07:15:12 pm

Title: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on November 15, 2010, 07:15:12 pm
My computer with all my calculator stuff just died. It won't boot anymore, I've tried booting it with a different Operating system to see if that would let me fetch everything, but no such luck. Curse the BSOD.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: ASHBAD_ALVIN on November 15, 2010, 07:15:59 pm
That really sucks :(
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Netham45 on November 15, 2010, 07:16:24 pm
I got one on eBay right now. :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200543661419



Sucks about the calculator files, tho. :(
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: jnesselr on November 15, 2010, 07:16:36 pm
Well, the only thing left is to transfer the hard drive and hope you can save stuff off of it.  Godspeed.  Be sure to give it a proper burial.  Also, remember that you can reuse parts in it.  Pictures would also be nice.  What type of computer was it?  CPU, mem, etc.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 15, 2010, 07:16:47 pm
Sorry to hear. Maybe someone will be able to give you advice so you can fix it or salvage the hard drive content?
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Builderboy on November 15, 2010, 07:17:54 pm
D: hopefully you can save your files!
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Ranman on November 15, 2010, 07:18:13 pm
If you get a BSOD, then it is booting something. Did you change any hardware drivers recently -- or maybe you got a virus of some sort?
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Netham45 on November 15, 2010, 07:18:47 pm
worst-case, you should be able to pull the hard drive out of the machine and put it in a new one to get at the data, unless that's the component that actually failed.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on November 15, 2010, 07:25:23 pm
Wow that was fast, ummmm lets see

That really sucks :(
Yes it does

If you get a BSOD, then it is booting something. Did you change any hardware drivers recently -- or maybe you got a virus of some sort?

No changes, last thing i did was run Mozilla Kompozer, and that comp doesn't connect to the internet, so I don't think it was a virus.

D: hopefully you can save your files!

Thanks

Well, the only thing left is to transfer the hard drive and hope you can save stuff off of it.  Godspeed.  Be sure to give it a proper burial.  Also, remember that you can reuse parts in it.  Pictures would also be nice.  What type of computer was it?  CPU, mem, etc.

Um i can't do pics because i don't have a method of doing that, unless you would like a really rough sketch done by me, ummmm, lets see, Gateway, made in 1996, no idea bout much else at the moment

To everything else, I got on the phone with 3 people i know who have a lot of experience with computers when this happened, two of them thought the cable to the hard drive was loose, until after i checked it, the other one had no idea.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: calcforth on November 15, 2010, 07:40:02 pm
Um i can't do pics because i don't have a method of doing that, unless you would like a really rough sketch done by me, ummmm, lets see Gateway, made in 1996, no idea bout much else at the moment
Does it have a CD? If the HDD can be detected then you anways grab CloneZilla (http://clonezilla.org/), USB HDD and make a backup.
To everything else, I got on the phone with 3 people i know who have a lot of experience with computers when this happened, two of them thought the cable to the hard drive was loose, until after i checked it, the other one had no idea.
It's quite hard to determine what happened over phone. If the HDD is dying then the first priority is probably to salvage what can be salvaged. Here is decent article on subject (http://www.averyjparker.com/data-recovery-hard-drive-failure-monitoring-data-recovery-and-rescue-tools/).
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on November 15, 2010, 08:02:13 pm
Cool thanks will try these at next chance.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: fb39ca4 on November 15, 2010, 10:04:45 pm
1996??? I thought my 1998 Dell "gaming computer" was old.
Best of luck to you recovering your data.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 15, 2010, 11:08:24 pm
Wow same here. I had a P2 for a while and the only game I could run was Starcraft. Anyway I hope you don't lose anything precious and can get the computer fixed.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Juju on November 15, 2010, 11:24:57 pm
Well that sucks.

Same thing happened to my laptop this weekend, I suspect the hard drive cable went loose as well... Since it's still on warranty, tomorrow I'll bring it to the place where I bought it in order to attempt to repair it. So I can't work at home on my current Visual Studio projects for the week, which really sucks...

So I wish you the best of luck, guy, as well as myself, I'll need it...
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Juju on November 16, 2010, 02:48:26 pm
Update: I went to the Staples store where I bought my laptop and they said the hard drive simply stopped to function. Will take at least 7 openable days to repair, with a non-negligeable risk of data loss. So if you can see the BIOS booting and have a CD booting as well, but the BIOS complains there is no operating system it can boot on, something must happened to the hard drive, either a loose cable or the hard drive stopped to rotate.

Until then, I will use my desktop computer (not sure if I will be able to develop my 3D project on it, since I get lots of BSoDs when using the graphics card) or one of the school's awesome computers.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on November 16, 2010, 02:50:45 pm
Ouch, best of luck juju2143. As for me, I won't lose anything too important, the only reason that we need that cpu is that it's the only one we have that my dad can plug the cash register in to program.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Munchor on November 16, 2010, 02:52:29 pm
Update: I went to the Staples store where I bought my laptop and they said the hard drive simply stopped to function. Will take at least 7 openable days to repair, with a non-negligeable risk of data loss. So if you can see the BIOS booting and have a CD booting as well, but the BIOS complains there is no operating system it can boot on, something must happened to the hard drive, either a loose cable or the hard drive stopped to rotate.

Until then, I will use my desktop computer (not sure if I will be able to develop my 3D project on it, since I get lots of BSoDs when using the graphics card) or one of the school's awesome computers.

That sucks, I'm sorry
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 16, 2010, 04:22:45 pm
Sorry to hear Juju2143 :/

Either it's a coincidence or computers just won't go through the summer to winter transition well (colder and more humidity)
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Ranman on November 17, 2010, 12:57:21 am
Update: I went to the Staples store where I bought my laptop and they said the hard drive simply stopped to function. Will take at least 7 openable days to repair, with a non-negligeable risk of data loss. So if you can see the BIOS booting and have a CD booting as well, but the BIOS complains there is no operating system it can boot on, something must happened to the hard drive, either a loose cable or the hard drive stopped to rotate.

Until then, I will use my desktop computer (not sure if I will be able to develop my 3D project on it, since I get lots of BSoDs when using the graphics card) or one of the school's awesome computers.
Make sure you get a price quote on that hard drive repair before you commit to anything... Hard drive repair could be $$$.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 17, 2010, 04:30:51 am
True, if you can get a new (and better) one for cheaper, you might be best buying a new one. :P These days, that seems to happen a lot. :P
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Juju on November 23, 2010, 02:43:44 pm
I just got my laptop back. :D So they replaced the hard drive (and they gave me the old one :D) and the batteries, and they installed Windows Vista (yuck?) with all the HP stuff that comes with HP laptops.

So today, I'll do an install party: I'll upgrade the preinstalled Vista Home Premium with a newer and better 7 Pro that I got for free, install all my software and install Arch Linux in dual-boot. And all that while studying some big Spanish exam I have tomorrow.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 23, 2010, 04:19:16 pm
Cool to hear! Too bad about Vista and the HP stuff, though. X.x At least you got it back working, I guess.

I hope it doesn't break again. Laptops seems to break easily, especially hard drives. X.x
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: TravisE on November 23, 2010, 05:09:54 pm
Yeah, the only laptop I had (not including my current netbook) back around 2001 to 2003 or 2004 didn't last too long, either. I used it all the time (it was my main computer at the time) and tried to take care of it, but something new always seemed to go wrong every few months. :D Eventually, the whole power supply circuitry finally gave up, and it was pronounced dead after barely limping along for the previous year or two. (The 10 GB HDD survived, though, and I actually used it in my desktop computer for a while a couple of years ago using an adapter I found in a computer store.) Nowadays, I pretty much shy away from laptops completely due to that experience.

I think the main problems with laptops is that they're constantly being moved and banged around, there is a ton of major heat-producing stuff crammed into an insanely tiny space with virtually no room for any effective cooling/ventilation, and everything suffers because of it. Come to think of it, it's perhaps a bit amazing they even manage to last as long as they do. ;)
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: Juju on November 23, 2010, 05:15:20 pm
Ouch TravisE x.x

Mine survived like somewhat longer than 1 year before breaking. Now after a repair, it's like new. :P Of course, I bring it everyday to school and my careless brother often plays with it, so, it's not helping... Also it's worth noting that my mom's laptop also has problems with the batteries and the Windows on it is nearly unusable...
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 24, 2010, 01:08:37 am
I think it's mostly due to the fact the stuff is so much more fragile and they're not done to be used intensively for stuff like gaming or even a server.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: calcforth on November 24, 2010, 05:04:59 pm
I think it's mostly due to the fact the stuff is so much more fragile and they're not done to be used intensively for stuff like gaming or even a server.
No, that's the whole "portability" thing. I know a lot of people who used old, retired laptops as servers - they work in this role for years without stop or breaking. But when they actively are moved around... that's different story.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 24, 2010, 05:09:54 pm
Ok, I guess we really need to be careful, then... something that is very hard when you are in a city bus heading to college on roads that look like that:
(http://evenement.branchez-vous.com/upload/2008/03/nidsdepoule.jpg)
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 05, 2010, 08:14:48 pm
So the computer wasn't fixed, today my tech savvy friend came over and tried to boot it with a linux live CD, the computer didn't like it. So I'm currently borrowing her computer so i can actually do the work that i used to do on that computer.

Small problem, the built in speakers aren't working, Its an Inspiron 9400 and i can't seem to install any of the reccommeded drivers that supposedly fix the problem, it just won't let me run the installation, help please.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on December 05, 2010, 08:35:08 pm
Ouch X.x I'm sorry to hear. I wonder if the problem is more on the software side or on the hardware one...
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 05, 2010, 08:37:32 pm
I think its more a software one because we have an inspiron 6400 and it had the same issue for a while, but we fixed it, unfortunately I've forgotten how to fix it.  :'(
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: shmibs on December 05, 2010, 08:51:31 pm
the speakers on HER computer? does she not care if you just start installing things?
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 05, 2010, 08:55:46 pm
Well she tried to fix it first, so i figure the least i can do for borrowing it is to return it with its speakers fixed.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: shmibs on December 05, 2010, 09:11:14 pm
ah, ok.
well, if the problem isn't with the drivers then i can't imagine what could be wrong aside from hardware. did she tell you anything about the circumstances leading to them ceasing to function?
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 05, 2010, 09:13:01 pm
Re-installation of windowsXP I think the problem is the drivers, the computer cant find them, i tried to manually find them but no luck.

Edit...again: nevermind, i got it working.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on December 06, 2010, 02:46:12 pm
It works perfectly now? If so, then glad to hear :D
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 06, 2010, 05:49:58 pm
Yes the sound works fine now, though i wish it would tell me how loud it is before i play it, as in the little volume bar.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on December 06, 2010, 07:17:14 pm
I see, so you can't change the volume? Isn't there a way to enable the volume icon?
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 06, 2010, 08:37:45 pm
I can change the volume, i just have no idea how loud it is until the speakers blow my ears off.   so whenever something plays i look like this ->O.O :o
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on December 07, 2010, 01:59:36 am
I'm confused. Do you mean there are only two volume settings?
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 07, 2010, 09:54:11 pm
No I mean I have no way to measure the volume except when it actually plays something. Windows usually has a little icon at the bottom right that lets you open a volume percentage bar, I don't have that.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: willrandship on December 07, 2010, 11:35:22 pm
You can get it. Go to the control panel, Sound, and somewhere in there it'll have an option "show this in the taskbar)
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: guy6020665 on December 07, 2010, 11:41:55 pm
Cool. Thanks, it worked.
Title: Re: Cpu Fail
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on December 08, 2010, 04:11:50 am
Cool, glad it got sorted out. :) Some keyboards also let you set the volume but it can lag inside some apps and on Youtube it won't respond.