w_tom
Wed Jun 11 14:34:41 PDT 2008
On Jun 11, 4:15 pm, attilathehun1
<attilatheh...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> OK, the problem now I think has to do with the CMOS. I changed the 3 volt
> battery and now isn't there a jumper on the motherboard that I can do
> something with to correct the problem? Or should I go into safe mode and run
> it that way or should I go into BIOS and configure something?
> Any help here will be greatly appreciated.
To answer many questions. Which is more likely to fail?
Motherboard. CPUs are so robust. But this assumes the system has
been working. With so much human intervention, then everything is
equally likely to fail (because humans are so inventive).
That greater than 2.8 volts battery voltage (measured by a
multimeter) suggests battery should have been sufficient (not a reason
for failure) AND that battery was ready for replacement. Battery
replaced. Move on to other suspects.
Procedure to test purple, red, orange, and yellow wires with a meter
needs no paper clip. Measure each voltage before and when power on
button is pressed. Irrelevant is how the system responds. Only
relevant are numbers for each wire before and when power on button is
pressed. Post those numbers here to obtain a suspect - a definitive
answer. In your case, purple wire voltage would have always been
there, but other wires never reported any voltage - if failure was in
a 'power supply controller'.
A good power supply can fail in one system (not relevant in your
case). A defective power supply can still boot a computer (this is
relevant). Since a system has booted, measure those same four wires
as the system accesses (multitasks to) all peripherals
simultaneously. Numbers must exceed 3.23, 4.87, and 11.7. If less,
then power supply is still defective even though it boots that
computer.
These numbers can also be used to calibrate a voltage monitor
located on motherboard. Motherboard manufacturer can provide that
program to monitor power supply voltages while Windows executes. But
that motherboard voltage monitor hardware should be calibrated with
the multimeter; set thresholds accordingly.
Moving on. Thermal paste is not necessary for any properly machined
heatsink. When that thermal past is applied, CPU temperature should
only decrease by single digit degrees. If thermal paste results in
much lower temperatures, then either the heatsink is not properly
mounted, or that heatsink is manufactured defective.
Which thermal compound? Virtually no difference exists between an
overhyped and overpriced Arctic Silver verses other thermal compounds.
Apply so little thermal compound that, when heatsink is pressed on,
then compound does not spread outside CPU edge. Thermal compound
should be applied so sparingly that most of a heatsink contacts most
of the CPU directly. That is the most ideal thermal interface.
Thermal compound is only for those few areas where a heatsink fails to
contact CPU directly. No thermal compound should ever squeeze outside
the CPU / heatsink interface. Most important location for thermal
compound is at CPU's center. Almost all heat transfers from CPU to
heatsink at the center.
Generally, a BIOS reads and then sets itself accordingly. If system
boots in safe mode, then execute Windows diagnostics and other
utilities (CHKDSK, Disk Manager, system (event) viewer, Device
Manager, etc) to confirm software system integrity (not to be confused
with hardware integrity).
If BIOS does not see and boot the OS, then this is why responsible
computer manufacturers (ie Dell) provide comprehensive hardware
diagnostics. Those diagnostics are found in a diagnostic partition on
a hard drive, on a provided CD, and available from their web site.
Less responsible manufacturer means downloading individual diagnostics
from each component manufacturer. A hardware diagnostic executes on
its own - does not load or require complications from Windows.
If hardware does verify, then Windows provides an optional boot
procedure so that bootcfg.exe, fixboot.exe, and fixmbr.exe can repair
or restore Windows' programs that would normally boot Windows. If
these programs are necessary, then a BIOS message on screen reported
that the Operating System could not be located - meaning those 3
programs might fix Windows booting code on the hard drive.