Overview of the problem
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My external HD just stopped working a week ago, then my computer started having random errors, and would slow down or freeze, and now it wont boot.
Full description of the problem and symptoms
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The computer was infected with a virus last year and it messed up windows. I could not get windows to work without errors, and could not find the virus, online scans came up clean and "repair windows" didnt work. So I thought it was a HD, so I bought a new HD, and reloaded everything. I also bought an external HD at that time. I wanted the data off my other drive so I slaved it in the computer so I can access it and move the needed files to the New C drive. I left the HD connected, but never access it again, and never installed anything to it. (if it was a virus, can a virus work off of a slaved drive it is never accessed and it is not the OS drive? I reinstalled the OS to a new HD, so a new registry, and the drive was a new drive letter)
Last week the external HD just quite working. then my computer started having random things happen, like popup errors, slowdowns, etc but now it wont even boot up to windows. In fact, it doesnt even complete a POST. It starts to post, then blanks out. The CPU fan runs, it doesnt slow down, like if going into windows after a boot up, like if the monitor or video card was bad and I couldnt see it, and no beeps. Not even the normal beeps to get into safe mode. It never gets that far.
Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
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Worked fine for the last 5-6 months after I reinstalled everything and then BAM!
Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, yes. Everytime I start it up, the same happens.
I already tried these steps:
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Prior to total shutdown, I checked the AV and it was updated. I ran windows update, no problem. I ran Adaware, and no issues.
After complete shutdown, I made sure the CPU was cold when starting, thinking it was a CPU issue or a HSF issue, but both seem OK. The CPU and HSF seem to have no problems and seem to be seated properly.
On the HD, I tried swapping out the USB port it was connected to, and that didnt help.
I may think it is the PSU, but the few PSU's I have had that went bad never exibited these sympyoms to me, and there is power going to the mobo.
I thought maybe the cmos battery, but when I unplug the computer, the internal lights stay on for like 10 seconds or so before going off.
My software:
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Windows XP SP3 I think, if not at least SP2
Running Nortons 360, updated, and scans where clean when ran
Also have Adaware installed (could that be a problem)
Firewall was handled by N360 I think? Sorry, cant check
My hardware
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For ease of explaining, I said this was mine, but it is actually my friends who is not good with computers, and I am trying to help him out. I cant figure it out without starting to just replace stuff. He says it is an HP and it says AMD64. I know the computer is 4-5 years old, I doubt it is a 64 bit computer tho.
The symptoms sound at first to me like a virus, then it sounds like the CPU or HSF, then it sounds like the PSU. I really dont know.
He doesnt want to replace part by part until it works, would rather buy a newer computer, but if the problems point to something specific, we would explore that if possible. Also, this is his only computer, and he runs a small business from home, so there is urgency to get him back up.
Our though is if it is too time consuming, he will buy a new computer, I will move the HD to the new computer and get him all set up, then work on this one, and his kids could have it if its easy to fix.
Any IDeas?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My external HD just stopped working a week ago, then my computer started having random errors, and would slow down or freeze, and now it wont boot.
Full description of the problem and symptoms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The computer was infected with a virus last year and it messed up windows. I could not get windows to work without errors, and could not find the virus, online scans came up clean and "repair windows" didnt work. So I thought it was a HD, so I bought a new HD, and reloaded everything. I also bought an external HD at that time. I wanted the data off my other drive so I slaved it in the computer so I can access it and move the needed files to the New C drive. I left the HD connected, but never access it again, and never installed anything to it. (if it was a virus, can a virus work off of a slaved drive it is never accessed and it is not the OS drive? I reinstalled the OS to a new HD, so a new registry, and the drive was a new drive letter)
Last week the external HD just quite working. then my computer started having random things happen, like popup errors, slowdowns, etc but now it wont even boot up to windows. In fact, it doesnt even complete a POST. It starts to post, then blanks out. The CPU fan runs, it doesnt slow down, like if going into windows after a boot up, like if the monitor or video card was bad and I couldnt see it, and no beeps. Not even the normal beeps to get into safe mode. It never gets that far.
Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worked fine for the last 5-6 months after I reinstalled everything and then BAM!
Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, yes. Everytime I start it up, the same happens.
I already tried these steps:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prior to total shutdown, I checked the AV and it was updated. I ran windows update, no problem. I ran Adaware, and no issues.
After complete shutdown, I made sure the CPU was cold when starting, thinking it was a CPU issue or a HSF issue, but both seem OK. The CPU and HSF seem to have no problems and seem to be seated properly.
On the HD, I tried swapping out the USB port it was connected to, and that didnt help.
I may think it is the PSU, but the few PSU's I have had that went bad never exibited these sympyoms to me, and there is power going to the mobo.
I thought maybe the cmos battery, but when I unplug the computer, the internal lights stay on for like 10 seconds or so before going off.
My software:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows XP SP3 I think, if not at least SP2
Running Nortons 360, updated, and scans where clean when ran
Also have Adaware installed (could that be a problem)
Firewall was handled by N360 I think? Sorry, cant check
My hardware
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For ease of explaining, I said this was mine, but it is actually my friends who is not good with computers, and I am trying to help him out. I cant figure it out without starting to just replace stuff. He says it is an HP and it says AMD64. I know the computer is 4-5 years old, I doubt it is a 64 bit computer tho.
The symptoms sound at first to me like a virus, then it sounds like the CPU or HSF, then it sounds like the PSU. I really dont know.
He doesnt want to replace part by part until it works, would rather buy a newer computer, but if the problems point to something specific, we would explore that if possible. Also, this is his only computer, and he runs a small business from home, so there is urgency to get him back up.
Our though is if it is too time consuming, he will buy a new computer, I will move the HD to the new computer and get him all set up, then work on this one, and his kids could have it if its easy to fix.
Any IDeas?
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