I think my mobo is bad...

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: Lasthitlarry
Ok, let me get this straight:

Did you have a hard drive with windows on it, and then you upgraded to this new stuff?
Or did you put this all together, install windows, and then you say, "hey I wanna OC!"

If it's the first option(which I highly doubt), you need to reinstall windows since it is a new system configuration. Also, which I'm sure you know, you can't install windows on an overclocked pc, it is just not recommended even if it does work.

If it's the second option, you need to take a step off your pedestal and realize that OCing isn't hard, but you have to know what you are doing before attempting it.

I am guessing you didn't increment the normal way, and then test everything, and then increment the voltages and test, etc.

I would check to see if there is any visible damage on the CPU or mobo. I highly think that the mobo just needs to be replaced, but it could be a number of things.

You say you are in high school and can't afford new parts? That's a load of bs, I think you paid around 1600 for that pc in the first place. Go up to your dad, get yelled at, and then get another mobo like a real man.

A rule I like to use at work is "google before asking questions"

:thumbsup:

Overclocking is like martial arts, it takes many years before you become a Ninja.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
Originally posted by: Lasthitlarry
Ok, let me get this straight:

Did you have a hard drive with windows on it, and then you upgraded to this new stuff?
Or did you put this all together, install windows, and then you say, "hey I wanna OC!"

If it's the first option(which I highly doubt), you need to reinstall windows since it is a new system configuration. Also, which I'm sure you know, you can't install windows on an overclocked pc, it is just not recommended even if it does work.

If it's the second option, you need to realize that OCing isn't hard, but you have to know what you are doing before attempting it.

You say you are in high school and can't afford new parts? That's a load of bs, I'll bet you paid around 1400 for that pc in the first place.

A rule I like to use at work is "google before asking questions"

I installed windows and then decided to OC. Actually the PC was a christmas gift so i didn't even pay for it. I know how to OC. If the problem was OC then something would have fried. I think the problem is the short circuit. So I'll be talking to home insurance.

 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: d3lt4
Originally posted by: Lasthitlarry
Ok, let me get this straight:

Did you have a hard drive with windows on it, and then you upgraded to this new stuff?
Or did you put this all together, install windows, and then you say, "hey I wanna OC!"

If it's the first option(which I highly doubt), you need to reinstall windows since it is a new system configuration. Also, which I'm sure you know, you can't install windows on an overclocked pc, it is just not recommended even if it does work.

If it's the second option, you need to realize that OCing isn't hard, but you have to know what you are doing before attempting it.

You say you are in high school and can't afford new parts? That's a load of bs, I'll bet you paid around 1400 for that pc in the first place.

A rule I like to use at work is "google before asking questions"

I installed windows and then decided to OC. Actually the PC was a christmas gift so i didn't even pay for it. I know how to OC. If the problem was OC then something would have fried. I think the problem is the short circuit. So I'll be talking to home insurance.


Originally posted by: d3lt4
I reset the cmos. I had the ram at 3.2v. I know this is alot, but they are winbond chips. I'm thinking EBAY, here I come.


So setting the RAM to run at 3.2 volts caused a short circuit in your home?


 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
no I had a short circuit a few weeks ago. Things kept getting worse and I think that was the final straw.
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: d3lt4
no I had a short circuit a few weeks ago. Things kept getting worse and I think that was the final straw.

Some times lost power can cause data corruption on the hard drive, maybe that is where your problem is. A reformat and re-install might fix it.
 

SparkyJJO

Lifer
May 16, 2002
13,357
7
81
last time that happened to me I found my data cable to my HD was bad - nothing visibly wrong with it, but it just didn't work anymore.
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: SparkyJJO
last time that happened to me I found my data cable to my HD was bad - nothing visibly wrong with it, but it just didn't work anymore.

Try swapping the cables. I had a problem a few weeks ago where my computer would freeze randomly on boot, after a few hours of trouble shooting I found out that the molex power connector to the hard drive was loose and the drive would lose power or spin down during boot or while I was working, so swap the data cables and check the power connectons.
 

Sniper82

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
16,517
0
76
what exactly is the problem? You can't get past the error loading operating system part? Or is your system not posting anymore? Sounds like you just corrupted a file and need windows reinstalled. I had a old piece of crap give me that exact error for no reason. I popped a WinXP CD in, booted to CD-Rom and all was well after about 45 mins. Also make sure your HDD in the BIOS is set to boot first. If you have a couple HDD's in your system you need to have the exact drive that has WinXP on it boot first.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
I tried a different hard drive and I tried formatting and reinstalling. I will try switching out the cable. That sounds like a good idea. The problem is I can't get past error loading operating system. It posts, but then I get stuck at the error screen.
 

Sniper82

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
16,517
0
76
I don't think you have any bad hardware I think something odd is going on(a settings or something). So when you try to boot to CD-Rom it just sticks on that screen? Did you try different CD-ROM or optical drives when trying to redo windows?
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
no, but the cd drive is working fine in my other cp right now. It hangs like that when I'm trying to load from the HD. When I load from the CD it runs fine. as in I can install and reformat and all.
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Good advice Sinper82, Download the UBCD and use it to boot the PC, on that disc run the tests that are specific to your drive, do run CPU, RAM, and video tests. Also check your BIOS and make sure that it is setup correctly for the hard drive that you are using.
 

Lasthitlarry

Senior member
Feb 24, 2005
775
0
0
I think you guys are getting somewhere. At first I thought something was fried, then when you said the power failure it almost confirmed that, then the hard drive, but you said you tried a different hard drive.

I think it is a BIOS problem. What is the exact error, I don't think I saw it in the thread...

And are you sure that windows cd you are using is good?
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
the exact error is after the bios loads it tries to load from the HD. Right befre it opens windows it says error loding operating system. those are the exact words. The problem is that coud mean anything. When i get home today i am going to try a different IDE cable and if that doesn't work I will try loading from the UBCD to test and see what is wrong. thanx for all the help so far everyone.
 

Sniper82

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
16,517
0
76
on the system I had the exact error on it took me a few tries and had to try a couple different CD/DVD drives. My problem was the error was popping up before the CD/DVD-ROM had enough time to seek the WinXP CD. After a few tries and a couple drives it finally booted the CD. You have to make sure the CD is in the system before post or when you first turn your system on.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
OK I left the cmos jumper on clear for about 1 day without power and tried it out again. Now the error says "a disk read error occured" That is definetly a HD problem. I am reinstalling Windows at the moment. Hoping it works. I used different IDE cables and a different CD drive.
 

Sniper82

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
16,517
0
76
how many HDD's you got in your system? The DFI has 2 places to setup what hard drive boot. One needs to be set to boot hard drive(or HDD0) first and in another menu(can't remember the name) it asks which HDD you want to boot first. I know if my 80gb(WinXP HDD) isn't set to boot first my system gives a similar error(can't remember the exact error).
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: d3lt4
the exact error is after the bios loads it tries to load from the HD. Right befre it opens windows it says error loding operating system. those are the exact words. The problem is that coud mean anything. When i get home today i am going to try a different IDE cable and if that doesn't work I will try loading from the UBCD to test and see what is wrong. thanx for all the help so far everyone.

Don't forget to try a differant molex power connector.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
Originally posted by: Googer
Originally posted by: d3lt4
the exact error is after the bios loads it tries to load from the HD. Right befre it opens windows it says error loding operating system. those are the exact words. The problem is that coud mean anything. When i get home today i am going to try a different IDE cable and if that doesn't work I will try loading from the UBCD to test and see what is wrong. thanx for all the help so far everyone.

Don't forget to try a differant molex power connector.

I tried two different PSU, and different connectors as well.
Update: I tried with one hard drive and it said a disk read error occured. press CTRL + ALT +DEL to restart. So I tried with the other Hard drive and it gave me the same error loading operating system error. Then I tried to run linux live CD (with the Hard drive that gave me disk read error) and an error came up that said "failed to start the x server(your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly."
For the UBCD do I download the zip or .exe file? then do I just copy and paste onto a blank disk?
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: d3lt4
Originally posted by: Googer
Originally posted by: d3lt4
the exact error is after the bios loads it tries to load from the HD. Right befre it opens windows it says error loding operating system. those are the exact words. The problem is that coud mean anything. When i get home today i am going to try a different IDE cable and if that doesn't work I will try loading from the UBCD to test and see what is wrong. thanx for all the help so far everyone.

Don't forget to try a differant molex power connector.

I tried two different PSU, and different connectors as well.
Update: I tried with one hard drive and it said a disk read error occured. press CTRL + ALT +DEL to restart. So I tried with the other Hard drive and it gave me the same error loading operating system error. Then I tried to run linux live CD (with the Hard drive that gave me disk read error) and an error came up that said "failed to start the x server(your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly."
For the UBCD do I download the zip or .exe file? then do I just copy and paste onto a blank disk?

Make sure that your CHS is set to AUTO in the BIOS. The UBCD is an ISO file. You can download either the EXE or ZIP. The EXE will create the ISO and the ZIP will contain the same ISO file. If you copy and paste the ISO to the CD it will be useless. Instead you need to assiciate the file with nero and open it using nero like you would open a DOC file with MS Word.

An expanation of an ISO CD Image can be found at these two links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_image#.ISO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_image

You can also view the contents of an ISO file with Daemon tools CD ROM emulator.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
I just burned a CD (UBCD-full) w/ NERO and when I went to boot the CP from it, the CP said warning: EMM6(another #) LAP A06 is already open or something like that. What does that mean? I'm thinking I'll just get a new MOBO and if that doesn't work move on down the line till I find out what is broken.
 

Zaitsevs

Senior member
Oct 31, 2005
822
1
0
don't you guys think if the components on his machine were actually fried or damaged

that it wouldn't post?


 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
848
0
76
Yea that's what I think, but what could be wrong, but the hardware if it won't boot anything but the bios?
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: d3lt4
I just burned a CD (UBCD-full) w/ NERO and when I went to boot the CP from it, the CP said warning: EMM6(another #) LAP A06 is already open or something like that. What does that mean? I'm thinking I'll just get a new MOBO and if that doesn't work move on down the line till I find out what is broken.

Were you even able to get to the options screen? Did it give you a list of programs to choose from?

Do you mean EMM386? That is DOS memory management. It allows DOS to use large amouts of RAM, that is especially important if you are running a memory test to have it enabled.

A little more detail about what happend with the UBCD would go along way to help explain what is going on with your PC. Please be exact when telling me what went wrong/.