Need major help!

[Dowfen]

Hello everyone,

I was hoping that someone would be able to help me out with a very frustrating problem.

I was helping my friend install some new Christmas components into his computer (PNY 256 2100 DDR Memory, Western Digital Hard Drive, SOny CD-RW unit) and clean it out.

His system specs are:

Epox 8kha+ w/ AMD Athlon 1800+ Processor
Copper Heatsink/fan (don't know company)
512MB Crucial 2100 Memory
60GB Maxtor Hard Drive
DVD Unit
Gainward GeForce 4 Ti4600
Antec 400W Power Supply

So, anyway, we opened it up, vacumed it all out and install the comonents. Everything went smoothly, but when we started it up, we heard this really odd noise that sounded mechanical in nature and a burning smell. So we shut it down, and then it failed to post. First off, could the memory do this? THat is the only system crucial thing we added... We tried everything, but we could not get it to post. Now when we turn it on, a fan makes this squeeking noise and the only fan we can pin point it to is the CPU fan. We unplugged the small fan on the chipset just to check. It is the only think it could be. His heatsink is very heavy so it may be that that became unseated and fried the processor? Any help is greatly appreciated? I can give any more information that is needed.

If that happened, could anything else be damaged? The CPU/Heatsink stills seems pretty snug, but it does make that noise... but how would a fried processor make a fan make noises?

I'm lost. Oh, BTW we get a C1 and a FF on the LED diagnostics on the motherboard.

Thanks in advance,

Eric

 

[Kartajan]

POST CODE Problem possibilities Tips to solve

FF or CF

BIOS chip reversed. Make sure BIOS chip is installed correctly.
Updated with wrong BIOS.
Motherboard problem. Swap motherboard and/or processor.
Add-in card inserted wrong. Check all installed add-in cards.
CPU problem. Swap motherboard and/or processor.



C1 - C5

Memory inserted wrong. Make sure memory is installed correctly.
Memory compatibility problem. Swap memory.
Memory bad. Swap memory.
SPD data incorrect. Load BIOS defaults. Set memory timings manually.

 

[amdskip]

Start the computer with the bare esentials. Don't hook up a hard drive, network, sound, cdrom, burner, etc. Just memory and video card to get it to post.

 

[Dowfen]

Yes, we saw those Post Code things, but that could point to anything.

I will try it with the bare essentials. I'll get back with the results.

Thanks for the replies,

Eric

 

[Dowfen]

No luck guys and we've tried everything.

Hopefully someone else can shed some light on this elusive problem?

Eric

 

[D1vine]

"mechanical in nature"

Only thing that could be is a fan, the harddrive, or the cd burner. I would rule out the CD burner as a culprit because the problem exists after it is removed. All your descriptions of the burning smell sound like something shorted out somewhere. Take the HSF off the processor and replace with the factory provided one (assuming you still have it and it was purchased retail and not OEM), and test that out. Check the Processor Core and the socket area for evidence of scorching (can be seen as a blackish residue) and test out with a different power supply. The memory or one of the new peripherals may have shorted the PSU. Is it daisy chained up pretty good or is most everything going to a different power cable?

 

[VicodiN]

What did it smell like? If it smelled like 'poo', it was most likely a fart in nature

Ok, now seriously, what exactly did the sound ummm - sound like? It sound like something popped? sprung? Metal snapping?

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: dowfen
Hello everyone,

I was hoping that someone would be able to help me out with a very frustrating problem.

I was helping my friend install some new Christmas components into his computer (PNY 256 2100 DDR Memory, Western Digital Hard Drive, SOny CD-RW unit) and clean it out.

His system specs are:

Epox 8kha+ w/ AMD Athlon 1800+ Processor
Copper Heatsink/fan (don't know company)
512MB Crucial 2100 Memory
60GB Maxtor Hard Drive
DVD Unit
Gainward GeForce 4 Ti4600
Antec 400W Power Supply

So, anyway, we opened it up, vacumed it all out and install the comonents. Everything went smoothly, but when we started it up, we heard this really odd noise that sounded mechanical in nature and a burning smell. So we shut it down, and then it failed to post. First off, could the memory do this? THat is the only system crucial thing we added... We tried everything, but we could not get it to post. Now when we turn it on, a fan makes this squeeking noise and the only fan we can pin point it to is the CPU fan. We unplugged the small fan on the chipset just to check. It is the only think it could be. His heatsink is very heavy so it may be that that became unseated and fried the processor? Any help is greatly appreciated? I can give any more information that is needed.

If that happened, could anything else be damaged? The CPU/Heatsink stills seems pretty snug, but it does make that noise... but how would a fried processor make a fan make noises?

I'm lost. Oh, BTW we get a C1 and a FF on the LED diagnostics on the motherboard.

Thanks in advance,

Eric

First of all, I hope that vacuum you used was a special vacuum for electronics, as regular vacuums create a lot of static electricity, which can be transferred to electric components in your computer, and, well, screw it up bad.

I'd say it most definately sounds like a CPU failure or a power supply failure. It could have also been a memory failure, however that wouldn't explain the sound and it leans heavily towards one of the first two scenarios. Try taking out the new RAM stick. If it still doesn't POST, then you've pretty much got it narrowed down to the PSU and the CPU. Try a different power supply; if it doesn't post, then it's the CPU for sure. If the heatsink became dislodged or dislocated for 1 second (even less), and the power was on, then the CPU would fry. Athlons are merciless like that I'm afraid.

 

[D1vine]

I'm not sure but I think some motherboards won't even post if you don't have memory installed. You might try swapping with some known to be good memory (at your own risk of course...if something is shorting you might fry your own memory too).

 

[Xanthguy]

I have an Epox 8k7a, and I thought FF stood for Fully Functional?

This website seems to confirm:
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/epox8k7a/2.html

I can't find a list of the Postman (that led thing) codes for your board, but I'm fairly sure FF means your motherboard is fine.
Probably one of those new components is causing the problem. Try taking them all out and seeing if it posts. If it doesn't, you could try reseating the processor, seeing if the die is crushed, etc. That smell you indicated is a bad sign. Plastic melting or something.

--Xg

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: D1vine
I'm not sure but I think some motherboards won't even post if you don't have memory installed. You might try swapping with some known to be good memory (at your own risk of course...if something is shorting you might fry your own memory too).

That's why I said to take out the new stick (256 MB) while leaving the old one (256 MB) still in there .

As for post codes, I believe Xanthguy is correct. FF is the output it gives after the BIOS confirms everything works... weird.

 

[D1vine]

Should have read your post a little closer huh
I glanced and just saw you say take out the memory and i was like uh....