Total computer meltdown.
Posted: 2006-06-26 04:28am
Might be better in venting, but I'll let someone qualified decide that.
Anyway, a couple days ago, I was minding my own business, playing some Freecell to kill time before work, when my machine suddenly bluescreened. Not thinking much of it, I let it reboot and tried to start up my various utilites and anti-virus software just in case. Immediately, shit starts trying to quit, but the system won't let it and won't error report and then dies again.
Repeat about three times. So I try safe mode, it spits gibberish at me and restarts. last known good cofiguration, I manage to get about a two minute session, but then it kicks me off after deciding that I'm running a bootleg OS (I'm not). I look at the BIOS, everything seems fine on that end. Try to run the restore utility off my XP install CD and it BSODs.
At this point I figure that my father, who's been using computers long enough he can remember logging onto ARPAnet, might have better luck, but he can't get the thing to do anything it didn't already. So we leave it be for a while (I had to go to work) and agree to reformat in the morning if he doesn't find a fix in the meantime.
So we try the reformat and it won't work. Five fucking times and always it won't install half the files and then BSODs. Finally he goes over the BIOS again with a fine toothed comb and notices that 'quick startup' (which disables some diagnostics) is enabled. Turn that off and now the startup screen says there's a memory error.
So now the case gets opened, we clean and reseat the RAM, tighten the screws on the hard drive, clean the DVD/CD drive, I even get around to moving one of the casefans for better airflow. Still nothing, and I'm pissed.
We've got several theories. The RAM could be bad, which seems likely since thats what the motherboard is telling us. The fact that a recent XP home update has been known to fuck up authentication and all sorts of fun stuff is a likely contributor. The drives could be off axis. The install CD could be bad. Maybe my stupid ass even managed to find a particularly virulent virus somehow. Knowing my luck, its probably all of the above.
At least everything's still under warranty.
Anyway, a couple days ago, I was minding my own business, playing some Freecell to kill time before work, when my machine suddenly bluescreened. Not thinking much of it, I let it reboot and tried to start up my various utilites and anti-virus software just in case. Immediately, shit starts trying to quit, but the system won't let it and won't error report and then dies again.
Repeat about three times. So I try safe mode, it spits gibberish at me and restarts. last known good cofiguration, I manage to get about a two minute session, but then it kicks me off after deciding that I'm running a bootleg OS (I'm not). I look at the BIOS, everything seems fine on that end. Try to run the restore utility off my XP install CD and it BSODs.
At this point I figure that my father, who's been using computers long enough he can remember logging onto ARPAnet, might have better luck, but he can't get the thing to do anything it didn't already. So we leave it be for a while (I had to go to work) and agree to reformat in the morning if he doesn't find a fix in the meantime.
So we try the reformat and it won't work. Five fucking times and always it won't install half the files and then BSODs. Finally he goes over the BIOS again with a fine toothed comb and notices that 'quick startup' (which disables some diagnostics) is enabled. Turn that off and now the startup screen says there's a memory error.
So now the case gets opened, we clean and reseat the RAM, tighten the screws on the hard drive, clean the DVD/CD drive, I even get around to moving one of the casefans for better airflow. Still nothing, and I'm pissed.
We've got several theories. The RAM could be bad, which seems likely since thats what the motherboard is telling us. The fact that a recent XP home update has been known to fuck up authentication and all sorts of fun stuff is a likely contributor. The drives could be off axis. The install CD could be bad. Maybe my stupid ass even managed to find a particularly virulent virus somehow. Knowing my luck, its probably all of the above.
At least everything's still under warranty.