What to check on desktop.

[brynm]

I have an older desktop (Medion M3 Composer 4210E )that has been getting slower and slower. Lately it has started to act like it's resetting itself, but when it comes back on the screen stays black and says no signal, and doesn't try and reboot.

When we shut off the power then turn it back on it says something about a bluescreen error but doesn't specify.

No recent hardware or software changes, just took it apart yesterday and blew out all the dust. Considering it's ~4-5 years old it wasn't bad, there was some built up on the cpu heatsink.

Specs:

CPU - Intel P4 530 with HyperThreading (3.0GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB)

Mainboard - MSI 7046

RAM - 1GB DDR1 PC3200 - Expandable up to 4GB

HDD - 160GB S-ATA - 7200 RPM

CD/DVD - Double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW (Dual layer DVD+R9 supported [8.5 GB])

DVD-ROM - 16X DVD-ROM

PCIe Graphics - 128MB NVidia GeForce FX5300 with DVI

Sound - AC'97 6.1 Surround Sound

Realtek 10/100 Mbit onboard

Power Supply - 350 Watts

Expansion slot(s)
total/free

1/0 Processor
4/2 Memory DIMM 184 pin
3/1 PCI Slots
1/0 PCIe graphics slot
[Rear] Ports
total/free

2/2 PS/2 Ports (1 mouse, 1 keyboard)
1/1 Serial Port
1/1 Parallel Port
1/1 VGA Port
4/4 USB 2.0 (6/6 total front/rear)
1/1 IEEE 1394 (Firewire) 6-pin (2/2 total front/rear)
1/1 Ethernet port
6/6 Audio jacks(Line-in/Line-out/Mic) (supports 5.1 audio with codec)
1/1 SPDIF in/out
1/1 Modem port
[Front-ConnectXL] Ports
total/free

1/1 Smart Media Card - XD Card
1/1 Memory Stick - Memory Stick Pro
1/1 SD Card - MMC Card
1/1 CompactFlash type I/II - IBM Microdrive
1/1 Headphone
1/1 Mic
1/1 Aux-In
1/1 Left/Right Composite RCA Audio In
1/1 IEEE 1394 (Firewire) - 4 pin
1/1 IEEE 1394 (Firewire) - 6 pin (2/2 total front/rear)
2/2 USB 2.0 (6/6 total front/rear)
Operating System / Software
OS provided

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition - SP2
Disks Included

Application & Support CD
Medion Operating System Installation CD (WinXP)
MS Works 8.0 DVD
Nero Burning ROM 6.0 CD
Norton AV 2005 CD


Norton is uninstalled and have been using Kaspersky Internet Security 2010.

Pics of guts uploading. Any likely culprits?

[97gp]

Throw it out and get a new one

[brynm]

And would the specs work to use as a HTPC?

[brynm]

Throw it out and get a new one

Have two laptops, still handy to have the desktop around though.

[_AnGeL_]

Throw it out and get a new one

listen to this guy.

And would the specs work to use as a HTPC?

lolz

[brynm]

I don't give a shit. my last comp before we'd bought this one was a Pentium 150 (pre-MMX days)

[97gp]

What's your point?

[mackin]

It really isn't that bad of a computer. If you upgraded the RAM to 2gb and got a dope graphics card w/ new power supply I'm sure it could work as a HTPC.

Can't help you with your problem though, sorry. Whenever I had a big problem on my old computer I would just reinstall windows and it would work again lol.

[mackin]

It's still cold in Canada, eh?

ninja edit: I guess it's still cold here too.

[brynm]

I'm kinda like OLT on this one, why buy new if this could be fixed cheap... I don't need blazing fast, just want it to stay on. If it's just a cheap fix :shrug:

Tried reinstalling Windows.

[brynm]

It's still cold in Canada, eh?

Was nice yesterday, mid 60's. today we're getting snow.

Edit, the parents were down in TX ( somewhere near the mex border and about an hour from the gulf a couple months ago, we were only a couple degrees cooler.

[IamDeMan]

What error code do you get on the blue screen?

it could be a number of things. Could be as simple as overheating or something a shitty as a solder point gone bad somewhere on mobo.

[IamDeMan]

Due to age, I would guess either the heatsink needs to be cleaned and reseated or the PSU is starting to fail.

[brynm]

Pics:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g278/brynm/comp/IMG_0828.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g278/brynm/comp/IMG_0829.jpg

[brynm]

I never saw an error code, when we rebooted it would say it recovered from one but that's it.

[jesus]

:laugh:

I bet your RAM is getting tons of airflow, considering it's not even visible. Clean up your wiring and make sure you're running stock voltages/bus speeds (ie reset your CMOS).

[jesus]

Other than that it could be a million things if you have actually reloaded Windows. Pretty much any hardware failure can cause a BSOD.

Have you done any driver updates lately?

[mackin]

If you have extra PSU's sitting around, try that.

I would also clean all of the dust out of there. Even if that isn't the fix, you don't want that hanging around in there.

[brynm]

Other than that it could be a million things if you have actually reloaded Windows. Pretty much any hardware failure can cause a BSOD.

Have you done any driver updates lately?

No driver updates, they haven't been touched for years, last drivers that show up were from 2006/7.

Dust is all gone now, just hooking it back up.

[IamDeMan]

No driver updates, they haven't been touched for years, last drivers that show up were from 2006/7.

Dust is all gone now, just hooking it back up.

Take off heatsink. Clean off old paste/pad, and clean CPU. Reapply some thermal compound and see if that helps. Sometimes thermal compound gets baked dry and becomes useless. Also as stated try another PSU. That is what I would start with. if you reinstalled Windows then you have some piece of hardware failing.

[slim8605]

Really? Nobody?














































Call your ISP.

[brynm]

Lulz, I hooked everything back up, now it just cycles when I push the power button. Start's too boot, get's to the screen where it says windows had a problem starting click start normally then when I select anything the tower beeps then monitor says no signal. :fu: Sometimes it'll just go back to like I just turned it on.

[brynm]

At least I was able to back up all the pics on it before it shit the bed.

[IamDeMan]

reseat everything.

[jesus]

http://www.mapsu.org/index_files/unclesampee.gif

[brynm]

Will try later, I need run out now.

[mrogowski]

reseat everything.

yes.

and check the capacitors on the main board to see if they are bloated. if so toss the board.

[ragar31]

look in the folder C:\WINDOWS\Minidump and see if there are any files. If there are I can look at the dump file and see whats happening.

[ragar31]

Although reading the rest of the thread sounds like a hardware issue. Sounds like a PSU or a SYS Board.