Troubleshooting success (tips?)

Hubby's system would crash, getting progressively worse. It started out by "poufing" itself from the browser(AOL...), then other odd stuff would happen, including system freeze. Hard shutdown (power off) only way out. Then it wouldn't boot Windows, not even safemode, but able to get to set-up. Finally, the monitor would display 'check your PC and signal cable'.
It had been years since I looked at computer guts - gave up during the "processor wars ", I guess once Socket7 was retired more or less. About the time hubby's computer started acting up, the old W98 machine I've been keeping for Distinctive Ring fax support gave up the ghost in a similar fashion. This was (IS) pretty scary and I started the hunt for a cure. After scouring the Microsoft Windows KB for days, I found this Forum and immediately liked the professional attitude displayed. Meanwhile, I yanked hubby's HD out and had him back-up his data to my HD. No problems or 'funny' noises. When all his data was safe I tried booting from his HD - which went without a glitch on my machine. Bingo! So it was NOT a software problem. Searching this forum I found one reasonably similar sounding problem and one of the replies contained a link to www.badcaps.net. THANK YOU! I spent a significant amount of time searching there, too, but after taking one light look at the mobo, there was no doubt that the capacitors along the CPU were fried. Found out, too, that power supplies are often the culprits in this. "My" caps were not by a "bad" manufacturer, but the particular series of caps had some problems with the 2002-03 manuf. years. Bingo, again.
So, time for a new mobo since I'm not going to take up soldering and re-cap the thing myself. Went to the computer manufacturer's website and found the mobo to be available but to call an 800 number before placing the order. Did so, and found out that they ship that motherboard WITH a free new PSU. Confirmed with them that the original PSU was a much maligned Bestec, apparently notorious for frying its own caps and taking "the rest" with it.
For now, hubby's computer hull is sitting on the dining table, its parts scattered in various safe places, waiting for delivery of new mobo and psu tomorrow.
I just never really thought about hardware causing the kind of flaky behaviour that led up to this and I'm sure others, who like me are not exactly geeks (that's a GOOD word, btw!), spend hours and days trying to find a software cure, when a quick look inside the case may provide a plausible answer within just a few minutes. This applies particularly if the symptoms appear out of the blue with no new installs - soft or hard - and on an adequately secured system (firewall, antivirus, etc.).
Thought this might help somebody else and save a lot of time!

THANK YOU ALL.
Cecilia.

BTW - just for fun I took a very quick glance at the old W98 machine's mobo - sure enough, there's another bad looking cap. Once hubby's machine is operational again, I'll see if the old one by any chance also has a Bestec in it (it's cobbled-together, but hubby's is an emachine, so they're not related, that way).

 

[FONT= "Fixedsys"][SIZE= "2"]cecilia,
Thanks for the info and tips.[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

Just fyi, Cecilia...there was a "capacitor debacle" in the PC industry over the past few years.

Lots of cloak and dagger but the end result was that the "recipe" for cap. fluid was stolen but one key ingredient was missing from the recipe. And that was the chemical that would prevent the cap from emitting hyrdrogen(?) gas.

Bottom line is that many, many people have had mainboards go bad on them due to leaking capacitors. I just had my first one go bad earlier this year - a socket A board.

I don't think this problem existed way back in the Socket 7 days.

Just food for thought. Glad you got your machine running again.

Gary

 

Sultan - you're welcome!

Chiles - yeah, www.badcaps.net was a real eye-opener, found out about the bad formula, etc., there. I think I'm developing cap paranoia BTW, I'm not out of the woods yet - the new mobo and PSU just arrived here a few minutes ago, so I've yet got to re-assemble the machine. A big "don't miss it" note was included: any warranty or exchange is voided if this mobo is used with the original PSU as it WILL fry the mobo. So - a bad PSU is a recipe staple for disaster. That's why I'm going to take a closer look at the old W98 computer (Socket 7) when I get the emachine back up and running - I probably have a Bestec PSU in the old machine, too! Socket 7 or not, it deserves better... And it definitely has at least one bad cap on the mobo.
The emachine original mobo had Nichicon HM caps, which were plagued by some manufacturing flaws during 2002-03 (overfill in some, also in HN), but Nichicon has not gone on the "bad formula" list, that I've seen. The new mobo does not have those same caps but I can't tell what they are without the magnyfying glass (...what a drag it is getting ooold...)
Thanks for the feed-back!
Cecilia

 

...and the emachine is back up and running on its new au31 mobo with a new FSP PSU.
Success feels soo good!

Cecilia.

 

Welcome to the forums Cecilia and congrats on your success!

Gary