PC problems thread

[Ethric]

Thought maybe there was a thread like this, but I looked far and wide and couldn't find one.

So this will be all about me for now, but thought it a good idea to make it general for possible future use without anyone feeling like they are hijacking.

My current problem is that when starting up, my PC will find mouse, keyboard, start detecting primary master drive... and then stop. But the harddrive starts clicking. And I mean physical, mechanical clicking Started it up without the covers on to verify that the HD is indeed the source of the clicking.

Wasn't any problem, like this or anything else, when I turned it off yesterday. I checked the cables to the best of my ability and they seem to be properly inserted. Aside from that, I don't know where to start looking for the cause. It's a Samsung SpinPoint T166 500GB SATA2 16MB 7200RPM, there's no other physical drive. I thought about moving that pin in the back, but seeing as it worked just fine yesteday where it is now I can't see how that would help, and I'm hesitant to muck about blindly.

Any help appreciated.

[Pol]

I would say your drive is close to be proclaimed as deceased. That's clicking or crunching sounds means that hdd's heads are trying to get into position but are failing. If it's in warranty bring it to reclamation.

Good news is, that as of yet your data are probably still intact.

PS That small thing in the back is called jumper and here's really no reason to touch it. It serves for changing master/slave mode and some other settings.

[Kalah]

I would say your drive is close to be proclaimed as deceased....If it's in warranty bring it to reclamation.

Good news is, that as of yet your data are probably still intact.

Ethric, isn't this the computer you just bought? It's brand new. And it's not the first time you've had trouble with it either. Remember I told you to go with dell..? Now you'll be shipping this thing in the mail and be without your PC for another ridiculously long period of time... isn't that what's going on? I'm not spitting this out to enhance your frustration, but I really think that a new PC should work properly for a bit longer than a month, and that if it doesn't, you should talk to the salespeople again... gloves off.

[Ethric]

And as I told you, mr. Dell spokesperson, I'm not paying 10-20% more to those guys just because you claim they are faster with repairs. If they managed to sell stuff that didn't break down in the first place you might have a case, but all commercially avaliable hardware have a chance of malfunction.

@Pol: that bad, huh? Thanks for the constructive help (kick upwards). I will indeed complain and get a new one. While I don't know much about PC's and such, I do know how to complain.

I don't have any important data, though I dread reinstalling OS; drivers, etc, it's boooriiing

[Kalah]

I say kill them

[Pol]

I don't have any important data, though I dread reinstalling OS; drivers, etc, it's boooriiing

When you will once succeed you may do a backup for a quick install with nLite.

PS For those who use WinXP with SP3 here's a fix to get your address bar back.

I have two Dells at home, bought them as old with idea if they had survived first three years in England, they sure can make it here into pension.

[Kalah]

Yeah, I wasn't advotating dell for their reliability, though, but for the reason Ethric mentioned. Mine has gone wonky twice in two years, and within a day, a solution has been underway thanks to that extra guarantee option. One time a guy came over to my house the next day and fixed the thing. If you buy a PC from somebody else, you'll have to send it away to have it fixed if something ever goes wrong. That could take weeks. My landlord sent her laptop in, got it back after two weeks, still with the same problem.

Now, Ethric has a point: if you never have a hardware problem with your PC (which isn't totally out of the question) within those 3 years the extra warranty lasts, you have paid an extra $130 for nothing. But that's what insurance is all about. I chose to shelve out the dough, and I didn't regret it.

Still, Ethric has a perfectly serviceable spare, I believe; a laptop he bought off my dad. Would have been worse if he'd been without a computer altogether. He might be able to survive without a computer for... well, maybe a couple of hours, but I suspect that after that the neighbours would become suspicious about his running around the neighbourhood naked, covered in blue war paint, screaming about how ducks are invading.

[Ethric]

Quack, damn you.

But I wasn't aware you paid extra for the service, in addition to dell's steep markup on the actual PC compared to other sellers. I don't need paid-for guarantees, the law gives me the rights I need. Expensive guarantees are (in this country at least) for suckers who don't know how to apply the law. That'll be you, layman

Actually I have two serviceable spares; the laptop and my old desktop. The latter is as stable as a gyroscope, which is surprising given I've more less built it myself over the nearly 8 years since I bought it. Well, I seem to recall it beng freaked out by wireless adapters, hope that has magically fixed itself

[Metathron]

I say kill them

Or tie them down and make them watch Kalah's West Wing collection. Surely, that'll make them want to off themselves.

That's for taking shots at Lost you dingbat!

[Kalah]

Quack, damn you.

I don't need paid-for guarantees, the law gives me the rights I need.

Correct. What I did pay extra for was the click-heels, "Sir, yessir!" type of service. I mean, the network card didn't work, I called dell, and the next day a guy was on my doorstep, ready to fix it. As I have said, and as you well know, the alternative would be waiting longer to get it fixed; possibly weeks. While I could have done that, I made the conscious choice of spending some extra money for the extra service.

Expensive guarantees are (in this country at least) for suckers who don't know how to apply the law.

You make an interesting point. Elkjøp (that's a electronics store chain, for you non-Norwegians reading this) has an "extra guarantee", but that one really is superfluous. The only thing "extra" you get is that they'll fix your item for free even if you broke it yourself. You could toss your PC in the bathtub and they'll get you a new one. But: you still have to send in your malfunctioning item, and it will still take weeks before you get it back. That's the issue as far as I'm concerned: time. If you're not too bothered with that, by all means, save the money.

[Ethric]

A guarantee which makes them reimburse/fix it for you regardless of why it malfunctions can be worth it, the law only gives you rights where the fault isn't yours.

And you also have the right to a replacement object if the repairs take more than a week, unless it would be particularily inconvinient for the seller.

I don't get my kicks from paying people to act servile, I get my kicks writing snooty letters to said people

[Kalah]

you also have the right to a replacement object if the repairs take more than a week, unless it would be particularily inconvinient for the seller.

My landlord did get one of those "replacement laptops" while her own was out being fixed, but it was really really bad. That's like getting a Fiat Panda while your Mercedes SLK is at the shop. The dell guarantee was more like having a mechanic fixing the car in your own garage over night.

[Ethric]

Well, some like to pay for it, others prefer working for it to get it for free. It's harder that way, but a bit more satisfying in the long run, I think.

[Corribus]

Dell sucks, no doubt about it.... but I have no complaints as far as their warranty service is concerned. They've always been quick and reliable in that department.

[Muszka]

I have a Dell at work and it's not particularly bad or good. But I'm satisfied with it.

@Ethric
You could try another HDD in your PC, or try your HDD in another PC, but at the end Pol might be right. But since it's in warranty than you don't have to bother.

@Pol
Here's a situation.
A friend of mine has problems with his PC, he asked me for some advices. His machine is restarting continuously. It restarted even after he started Winamp. I said that his video-card's or processor's cooler might be the fault or the devices in talk. No OS problem because he reinstalled it many times.
Just curious what you think, or what experiences you have with such problems.

[darknessfood]

Dell sucks, no doubt about it.... but I have no complaints as far as their warranty service is concerned. They've always been quick and reliable in that department.

Indeed, i hate Dell as(s) well, i usualy go for Acer, now THAT'S good stuff...

[Ethric]

You could try another HDD in your PC, or try your HDD in another PC, but at the end Pol might be right. But since it's in warranty than you don't have to bother.

I thought about this, thinking this way I could also still use the PC while the HD is being replaced. But then I realised that the HD of my old PC won't fit, it's a different system.

[Kalah]

IDE vs SATA, is it?

But since you have other computers, sending the thing in for repairs isn't that big of a deal, I guess. Worse for me, since my old laptop is really old and isn't even usable for calculating 2+2 anymore. Hoping my dad gives me his spare laptop when he buys himself a new one.

[Corribus]

Worse for me, since my old laptop is really old and isn't even usable for calculating 2+2 anymore.

Well if you're having trouble with your 1st grade math homework, Kalah, you can always post your questions here.

[Pol]

A friend of mine has problems with his PC, he asked me for some advices. His machine is restarting continuously. It restarted even after he started Winamp. I said that his video-card's or processor's cooler might be the fault or the devices in talk. No OS problem because he reinstalled it many times.
Just curious what you think, or what experiences you have with such problems.

That virtually can be a thousand things. Let name some:
1* Here is newly added component and PSU is too weak to supply it with power. Could be a graphic card.
2* Defective memory, however it's unlikely that you would be able to install the system with it without many suspicious system messages.
3* Overheating - that's I believe can be easily tested. Open case add one more big cooler and watch. Or install temperature watchdog software and let it log the situation.
4* He installed a strong antivirus system and when proceeding with reinstallation it wasn't on new freshly erased (formatted) harddisk, he later installed a different antivirus system and the resulting restarts are effects of collisions.
5* Virus can lock onto your computer by your IP. You will reinstall system, don't add firewall-antivirus and hop before you will install them from the net virus gotta you again.
6* Drivers...

What is needed to know..
1* If he installed it on clean hdd (previously formatted), no other hdd presented, especially not like master.
2* If was added any component and after what action started that trouble.
3* Or it's new computer?
And so one, some preemptive diagnosis is needed.
(After that it can be also helpful that blue screen message. Switch it on -> Control Panels -> System -> Advanced -> Startup and Recovery -> uncheck automatically reboot.)