Topic: PC Troubleshooting...

[GE-Raven]

I also recommend the tool

Hijackthis.exe

Very nice and powerful tool to view and remove stuff that runs on startup.

BE VERY CAREFUL, you can easily hose your machine with it.

Google the name to find it.

GE-Raven

[Skawpya]

Another puzzle for you folks.

former and hopefully soon to be restored system
Msi 865pe neo 3 motherboard
4 x 256mb ddr ram
non over clocked pentium 4, 300 ghz
radeon 9550 256 MB
Linksys lne 100tx ethernet card
Siig sound card
power supply allied model 1 AL-A300 ATX, 300 watts
a 80 gig maxtor hard drive and a 200 gig maxtor hard drive

a few weeks ago there was a brown out, in some places, a black out, locally. Upon returning home, the 200gig hd that held the os was fried. I hooked it up to the other machine, reformatted, and then reattached to the original system, reinstalled windows ((first mistake likely)). For a while things went well enough, then the system would first have a freeze of the moniter display, a repeated refrain of any music playing at the time, and a second or two later, it would lock on one repeated note.

A few times of that and I backed up both hard drives on each other, though the os hard drive was as lesser concern as I didnt store anything unreplaceable on it. Anyway two days ago, it finally died again. I took the drive out, reformated it again, found a bad sector, had that dealt with, and again tried reinstalling windows. I also installed windows on the 80 gig drive.

The puzzle is that now, with the 200 gig drive it freezes every time I get to the "Welcome" screen, while the 80 gig drive freezes just after the normal windows display comes on.

So far I have cleared that it is not
the hard drives (both function normally if slaved on the other machine, though I did have to reformat the 200 gig hd)
the speakers or moniter, both are working fine now that I using my back up machine with them.

[Javora]

Skawpya I think I would take the system down to a local computer store(IE not Best Buy, Circut City, etc.) and have them put a electrical tester to it.  I'm thinking that the brown out might have damaged something besides your hard drive.  My first guess would be the Power Supply, followed by the Motherboard and then the Processor.  But I think taking the system in and paying $5~$20USD might be worth the time you would spend trying to test it out yourself.

While you are down there I would also take a look at a good UPS (Uninterpretable Power Supply).  That should protect you from any further brown/black outs and the cost of replacing something in your system.  Hope this helps.

[Overmind]

What HDDs are those ?
What models (WD, Maxtor, Seagate, etc.) ?

[Soliton]

One thing that drove me crazy was bad memory. It will make you PC just act flakey and it is a pain to diagnose unless you are looking for it. If your PC is doing goofy things, try running memtest. It will stress test your system's memory. It should be able to run for hours without any errors, something I do whenever I assemble a new PC. Even name brand & brand new memory can fail this test (though name brands are far better than generic memory). If you get any errors, you should replace that memory as any errors will eventually lead to big problems (corrupted files).

http://www.memtest86.com/

[Nemesis]

Twice now I have had my router "die" on me and have it turn out to be the power supply that died not the router itself.  The second time was just this week.

[Sirgod]

Twice now I have had my router "die" on me and have it turn out to be the power supply that died not the router itself.  The second time was just this week.

Raises hand ... Me also. Hell I took mine apart this last week, In order to look at the board, smell around for burning. Linksys, has crap when IT comes to adapters, as the board was fine. Well, It was untill I got upset and took the 12 gauge to the whole mess.


Stephen Shooting electronics each and every day.

[Nemesis]

I can't shoot it.  It is an old US Robotics router with a built in serial port that I use for modem sharing - nearly impossible to replace.  At least until I find where I put that &^*% spare.  Meanwhile I plan to go looking for some spare power units for it at an electronics surpluss store when I get the chance.  Considering its age I can't really complain too much of problems after years of trouble free working.

As a side effect I did learn a couple of things about Linux.  When I plug a digital camera into the USB port it is recognized right off as a camera.  Turns out that it recognizes the directory structure not the camera.  This falls in the good news bad news category.  Good news is that it autmatically gives me a selection of software to load and handle the images.  Bad news is it assumes there are only images and doesn't allow me to treat it as a hard drive.  Even if the memory card is moved to a card reader it still detects as a camera and is limited.  A little annoying as I tend to use the same cards for file transfer and cameras.  Fortunately I have a 512 mb compact flash card that is only used for file transfers but I can't use the 4gb card from the digital camera directly from the camera like I can with windows.

[Sirgod]

If you don't mind, what kind of Card do you have? I ask because I finally got around to hooking up my Copier (this huge 400lb + POS, for use as a printer, and Eventually, I want to Make some large prints of the grandkids.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

If you don't mind, what kind of Card do you have? I ask because I finally got around to hooking up my Copier (this huge 400lb + POS, for use as a printer, and Eventually, I want to Make some large prints of the grandkids.

Stephen

The new camera uses secure digital (I have a 512 mb as well as the 4 gb) the older cards are all compact flash (I have 1x16mb, 3x128mb, 1x512mb).   I prefer the larger size of the CF cards, they are easier to handle and harder to lose than the SD cards.

I do like the new camera having a capacity for 1314 (6 mega pixel) images before needing to delete things.  In theory it can take 2 hours of 30fps video on that card.  The only issue is that the camera can't format the card, I have to format it on a card reader with the computer.

[E_Look]

Hey folks- guess what: new problem.

So what else is new, right?

Anyhow, two computers on my little home wireless network are connected by Netgear WG311T wireless PCI adaptors.  The funny thing is that on one, the antenna seems to be bad.  There is evidence from unscrewing and switching antennae with the other computer and whichever computer that bad antenna was on, reception was very poor.  The system with the antenna got pretty good reception.

Could it be something else?  I mean, how does an antenna go bad?  It's not like its a moving part like a fan belt or in contact with constantly moving parts like motor brushes.

I'd like to get a better idea of what could be going on before I give in and swap out the card.

Anyone got any ideas?

[The Bar-Abbas Anomaly]

 

Well, my first thought was "How could an antenna go bad - It's really just a piece (or two) of wire!"?!?  But if it's always been that way, maybe it has a manufacturing defect.  I'd be very surprised to find that something hit it with enough current to damage it but not completely toast your router in the process...

You should be able to find a new antenna for it on eBay pretty cheap.

[E_Look]

It's not for the router itself, but the wireless adaptor card (receiver) on the networked computer.

I think, though, that I might have an extra card in the house somewhere.  If I can dig it up, I'll simply install the new one in place rather than go through eBay.

[Sirgod]

Trojan Help.

It seems my C:/WINDOWS/system32 according to AVG has the Codex.exe infected with a Trojan Genric.zzq

However, Norton doesn't see it, It can't be removed normaly, and I'm almost afraid to remove it manually.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

I just did some looking on the internet and Codex.exe is part of a piece of spyware called WinRecon.  Here is a link to manual removal instructions plus a program to remove it.  I am not familiar with the source of the program so its "use at your own risk" time.  Before trying it have you tried any of the antispyware programs on the Security sublist of the Free software list?  One of them should do the trick.

[Sirgod]

Thanks again Nem. I'll be trying the Auto Removal tool Spyhunter 2.7 From Enigma, It figures Windows defender didn't find this...

Anyway, If not, and you hear a large Bellowing scream up North, You'll know It was just me playing with the regestry again.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

Thanks again Nem. I'll be trying the Auto Removal tool Spyhunter 2.7 From Enigma, It figures Windows defender didn't find this...

Anyway, If not, and you hear a large Bellowing scream up North, You'll know It was just me playing with the regestry again.

Stephen

 Let us know if it works and what actually worked as well.  To be fair to Microsoft Windows Defender is still in beta isn't it?

[Sirgod]

Yep, Still BETA. I tired a few different ones, Finaly settled on using SbyBot  (USed to use it all the time), And IT found everything but. So I just did the Regedit thingie, and It seems to have fixed everything right up.

Well, now to the gaming forums to pester peeps over GC 2

Stephen

[Capt. Mike]

Hey folks- guess what: new problem.

So what else is new, right?

Anyhow, two computers on my little home wireless network are connected by Netgear WG311T wireless PCI adaptors.  The funny thing is that on one, the antenna seems to be bad.  There is evidence from unscrewing and switching antennae with the other computer and whichever computer that bad antenna was on, reception was very poor.  The system with the antenna got pretty good reception.

Could it be something else?  I mean, how does an antenna go bad?  It's not like its a moving part like a fan belt or in contact with constantly moving parts like motor brushes.

I'd like to get a better idea of what could be going on before I give in and swap out the card.

Anyone got any ideas?

10 days late, but what the heck...

There can be a problem with the antenna itself...many times there is an RCL circuit (very miniturized nowadays) that is an impedance matcher

See this...

A "antenna component" is a portion of the antenna performing a distinct function and limited for use in an antenna, as for example, a reflector, director, or active antenna. "Parasitic elements" are usually metallic conductive structures which reradiate into free space impinging electromagnetic radiation coming from or going to the active antenna. The "electromagnetic wave refractor" is a structure which is shaped or positioned to delay or accelerate transmitted electromagnetic waves, passing through such structure, an amount which varies over the wave front. The refractor alters the direction of propagation of the waves emitted from the structure with respect to the waves impinging on the structure. It can alternatively bring the wave to a focus or alter the wave front in other ways, such as to convert a spherical wave front to a planar wave front (or vice versa). The velocity of the wave radiated have a component which is in the same direction ("director") or in the opposite direction ("reflector") that of the velocity of the impinging wave. A "director" is usually a metallic conductive structure which reradiates into free space impinging electromagnetic radiation coming from or going to the active antenna, the velocity of the reradiated wave having a component in the direction of velocity of the impinging wave. The director modifies the radiation pattern of the active antenna and there is no significant potential relationship between the active antenna and this conductive structure. A "reflector" is usually a metallic conductive structure (e.g., screen, rod or plate) which reradiates back into free space impinging electromagnetic radiation coming from or going to the active antenna. The velocity of the returned wave having a component in a direction opposite to the direction of velocity of the impinging wave. The reflector modifies the radiation of the active antenna. There is no significant potential relationship between the active antenna and this conductive structure.

An "antenna coupling network" is a passive network (which may be any combination of a resistive, inductive or capacitive circuit(s)) for transmitting the signal energy between the active antenna and a source (or receiver) of such signal energy. Typically, antennas are designed to operate in a relatively narrow frequency range. The design criteria for receiving and transmitting antennas differ slightly, but generally an antenna can receive and transmit equally well. This property is called "reciprocity".

The vast majority of antennas are simple vertical rods a quarter of a wavelength long. Such antennas are simple in construction, usually inexpensive, and both radiate in and receive from all horizontal directions (omnidirectional). One limitation of this antenna is that it does not radiate or receive in the direction in which the rod points. This region is called the antenna blind cone or null. Antennas have practical use for the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals (radio, TV, etc.), which can theroretically travel over great distances at the speed of light (the true velocity depends on the transmission medium over which it passes). These signals can also pass through nonconducting walls (although often there is a variable signal reduction depending on the type of wall, and natural rock can be very reflective to radio signals).

Also there could just be a simple break in the antenna...replacing the antenna could be the answer..

Let me know

Mike

[E_Look]

Hey, thanks!

But I'll have to let you know a little later:

during trying to figure out what was going on, taking the wireless adaptor PCI card on and off, and on the third time I removed it and then put it back, the system suddenly would not power up.  The two little red LEDs on the motherboard lit up, but there was no power to the system.  Thinking it could be the power supply, I swapped it out with one known to be good and still no power.  Now, it could be the power switch on the case, but what are the odds??!

My take- bad motherboard (even though it was a fairly expensive DFI NF3 chipset board... you may or may not remember I had complained here about it having very possibly defective capacitors limiting the FSB rates: I had to slow it from 166 to either 133 or 100 MHz, and Dracho advised me then even to replace the mobo).  So I took a couple of days to search for a Socket A (or, Socket 462; same thing) mobo that I wouldn't be scared of buying these days, as Socket A AMD CPUs and their mobos are being phased out right now.  I came up with the Abit KW7 mobo for $60 from MicroCenter.com; though, the physical brick and mortar store in town were out of stock on it.  As soon as it gets in and I rebuild his computer system, I'll test out that wireless adaptor card again.  For all I know, it could even just be a problem also with that part of the original motherboard.

*          *          *

Now on a related tangent, boy, am I upset.  I spent a tad bit more than I actually wanted to get that original DFI socket A board, as they have a great rep (and deservedly so, based on their products' performance and durability history as far as I can glean from people and the Internet).  But, I got burned.  Rats.