spontaneous shutdown and video errors

[Bluff]

Hello all,

was using my computer as normal
(Athlon XP 64-bit 3200
GA-K8NS mobo
1 gb ram
Ati X800 Pro
SATA HDD
Win XP Home)
and plugged in a usb device (my smartphone) and at the same time my usb mouse turned off. Attempts to turn it back on told me that 'a usb device has malfunctioned'. Anyway, I restarted, without the mouse, and plugged in the mouse. It wouldnt work. I took it out.

A few seconds after that, it turned off. So I started it up again. It began to load windows, then turned off. I turn it on, it starts the POST, it turns off.

I manage to get it into Safe Mode, and everything (except the mouse) works fine. So I restart. It starts to load windows etc...
Then after a few more tries, after showing the windows loading logo, I get a bluescreen telling me the ATi driver is in a loop. So I turn it off, then start in safe mode. But when it gets to safe mode, it crashes!

Sorry for the long explanation, but since I can't see whats causing this, thought I'd better explain it fully. This is so random!

edit: after writing this, it wont turn on at all!

Any thoughts?!

[ShadowWynd]

My first thought is "Not Good".

You say that USB quit working as soon as you plugged the device in. It is not unheard of for USB devices to pull a considerable amount of power upon insertion, sometimes enough to stress the power supply. Since all the USB power comes from the motherboard, this means putting an extra amount of juice through the motherboard, with potentially devastating results. It is also possible for a short to develop between the pins if you insert it at an angle or if the device is faulty. In either case, the end result is large amounts of power going through the motherboard. When the computer randomly shuts off, that is not a good sign.

My first guess, based on your description, would be dead motherboard, possibly a dead power supply as well. If you look at your post, you can see the problem getting progressive worse (parts going from crippled to dead) as you fiddle with it.

When you say "it won't turn on at all" do you mean it doesn't load Windows or doesn't even post or physically turn on? If you mean it doesn't load Windows, try a linux-on-CD like Knoppix and see if that loads (thus taking any software/driver issues out of the equation). If it is not posting, that only lends strength to bad PS+Motherboard. If the motherboard has been fried, chances are other things in the system (RAM, CPU, Video card) may not be working very well either.

[Bluff]

Ah.
I see.
By not turn on at all I mean there's no power, so yeah, dead PSU.
Basically there's no way of telling what's been fried...

What would you recommend I do first? Get a new PSU and test? Or might that further the damage on any connected parts?


i feel an expensive headache coming on...

[ShadowWynd]

Right now, now, motherboard-memory-ps-cpu are all suspect. Any of these things being bad and the system will often not start.

Disconnect all drives, pull all non-necessary cards, including video.

Try and see if the system does anything when you try and turn it on.

Also see if you can get your hands on an ATX power supply tester.

If not, you are going to playing the parts-swap game. See if there is a used MB from an old system (not likely, considering your rig) and start trying parts. Hard drives and optical drives are usually the last to die. If you are using new equipment do so very carefully. Depending on the damage, some pieces become "destroying angels". For instance, lets assume the memory has been fried in just the right way - putting it in another system could kill the new system's motherboard and power supply as well (same with motherboard/cpu/ps).

Also time to start looking and seeing which things are under warranty. I think I would agree with the expensive headache idea.

[Bluff]

Luckily my rig come with 12-month warranty... I think instead of risking the destroying angels I might just get stuff replaced. Thanks a lot for your help though ShadowWynd, I might just try that if I get bored..though it would void the warranty.


Just out of interest, the warranty states (about 5 times ) that the customer is responsible for backups before repairs are made by the retailer. However, I have about 100gigs of data, and no hard drive big enough to back it up to (even if i had a SATA-mobo). Any tips on what I could do?

[ShadowWynd]

Now is the time for phone-a-friend. Preferably one who has a SATA motherboard, a big hard drive, and who owes you a favor.

Barring that, ask around in some of the local computer shops. Most places have no problem selling you a nice new SATA drive and copying your data (assuming it still exists) to the new drive. You may want to have them check and see that the drive still exists before you plunk down a lot of money. I would advise getting all the information you want off the drive before you ship it away, as I have not seen anything since 1992 come back from the manufacturer with the data intact.

Having backups is good - but this is the wrong way to learn this lesson.

[Bluff]

Haha. Thanks.

Ok, one last thing. I'm an honest guy, but do you think it would be easier to keep the details to a minimum when describing the fact that I turned the computer on a few times after it kept failing? This was not misuse, but would it affect my warranty claim anyway?

[ShadowWynd]

Inserting a USB device is not abuse or misuse - it is expected use (otherwise, they would not put USB ports on a system). Neither is turning a "glitchy" system back on abuse unless you KNEW FOR SURE that it would kill it. The most common tech support advice in the world is "turn it off and turn it back on" - which is what you did. You should be fine telling them "I plugged a USB device into the computer , it shut off and now doesn't turn back on again".

You might want to find a junky computer with USB and test the smartphone on it - the smartphone could now be a destroying angel as well.

[Bluff]

Thanks ShadowWynd...
Much appreciated