Lil Help (Winblows Me)

[Sheriff]

I have a client who has a Gateway:frown: and the system keeps locking up. 1st thought is Heat so I open and clean all the DustBunnies (majorly dirty) then it still freezes so I pull out the restore disc and the same thing happens no matter if I restore, reformat, install over etc. I have no clue why it's happenning and have reseated the CPU, put a stronger HS/Fan, added Ram...at wits end. Any suggestions and could it be a bad chipset in the MoBo or bad CPU? TIA

 

[bozo1]

Assuming the temps and voltages are OK, I'd run diags on the memory.

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Sheriff
I have a client who has a Gateway:frown: and the system keeps locking up. 1st thought is Heat so I open and clean all the DustBunnies (majorly dirty) then it still freezes so I pull out the restore disc and the same thing happens no matter if I restore, reformat, install over etc. I have no clue why it's happenning and have reseated the CPU, put a stronger HS/Fan, added Ram...at wits end. Any suggestions and could it be a bad chipset in the MoBo or bad CPU? TIA

I have seen several times that the puter is so badly treated that the power supply & mobo failed due to dust. Only once that I have seen the cpu actually fail due to abuse, and it was me trying to OC a 90mhz Cyrix to 120mhz.

Can you boot to safemode?

Check for pop cap on the mobo & test the power supply on a know good computer.

 

[Sheriff]

Thank Peeps

No Beep but Rig Boots and actually reinstalls Windows till the last set-up,(final drivers) then locks up
CPU Fan Spins
Aired out the PSU and it's Clean (although Generic 250wt on an old AMD 1.1GHZ (so I'm thinking Hmm) time to try major brand so I will and get back...Thanks again and I Checked the MoBo and all looks fine.

 

[spyordie007]

is it still under warranty? it's possible that you could just let Gateway fix the problem for you.

-Spy

 

[SpeedFreak03]

When it locks up, feel the heatsink fins closest to the CPU to see if it's overheating. Also, this may not be the problem, but the PSUs gateway gives in their systems SUCK. I bought a used Gateway Performance 500 with some problems for $50 about a year ago. I swapped the PSU and it ran great (actually I recased it). Then I had some weird problems with it overheating and locking up. I found that the mobo was fu*ked up, so I swapped that with an intel board, and that's my system! So, I'd try testing for overheating (check ram, chipset, and CPU), and try swapping PSU's.

-Josh

 

[Sheriff]

Still warranted so I called Gateway and told them about their POS 250 wt PSU running a 1100 AMD and the Tech laughed and asked me to try another and if it worked then send back the old 1 for replacement...I told her what's in it for me? was the PSU AMD Certified? who's going to replace the Clients funds to me...anyhoots the Enermax is going to tell the story ..BTW the HS/Fan was a Taisol evenso I changed it to better...loading now