I think I killed my computer... X((

[AJ@PR]

Hello guys,...

I think...
That maybe...
Inexplicably to me...
I killed my computer...

So, yesterday, I played with the ASUS' overclocking software...
Did this... did that... crashed it once or twice...
Anyways, after the last crash, the software reverted back to default settings...
Fine.

So I left her downloading stuff for the night.

When morning comes, she doesn't respond... monitor was off... hard disk LED on the case was solid-lit.
The optical mouse's led light was off... hmmm....

So I "rebooted" ... nothing... tried all kinds of good-procedure rebooting.... all to no avail.

So I shut her off.
Waited one minute... started her back up.

Well... She doesn't want to come up.
She's inside a "loop" between powerON and the BIOS.
If I start it up, sometimes it displays the "Hit Del for Setup" screen.... sometime it just re-reboots.

Peanuts.

On various of those screens, I've gotten
"""""
CMOS Checksum Bad
Press F1 to Run SETUP
Press F2 to load default values and continue
"""""""""""""""""""""
I've tried both ways (F1, and F2) ... with the same re-reboot result.
I've unplugged the hdd and cd drive... and nothing.
Only the mouse (USB) and the keyboard (PS/2) connected.

I tried the ASUS procedure for "Clear RTC RAM"...
(( it's power cable out, battery out, change jumpers 5-10sec, battery on, cable on ))
And... nothing.

Erm... when possible... if anybody has an idea... help. Please. :)

Thanks guys... :) :)

Peace
AJ
I have no idea.

[slytherock]

Assassin!!!

Just to make sure,
have you flash your BIOS?

You can get to the BIOS, so I assume it's not the PSU, but,
Have you tried with only 1 stick of RAM?

I dont think you killed it, keep us updae, so we can help you


OH! And I almost forget, check the hour on your machine, change your battery, most of the time this error comes up when your time is wrong...

[AJ@PR]

^^^ Thanks for the reply !:)

I "think" that when you say 'flash the BIOS'... is that the "Clear RTC RAM" process?
For clearing/ereasing the BIOS of the clock's time?
That's what I did.

Yeah, I don't think it's the PSU, as it's able to move all the fans, lights, hard drive, cd drive and beer cooler (Erm... scratch that...)

I'm going to remove one stick of RAM now and give it a go. :)

Update in a couple 1 minute. :)

[Crimson Sky]

Checksum Bad=low voltage on the battery...just replace it. Many times a mobo will drain the battery after a crash for some strange reason. Also, try rebooting without any USB devices attached. When clearing CMOS, sometimes the "USB device Enable" is set to NO in the BIOS and causes a hang when you have periphs plugged in.

[Mitternacht]

On an MSI board I put in a computer at work, there's a spot on the mobo that has jumpers. In one position, it'll "flash" the BIOS, resetting all settings in the BIOS. In that position, press the power button once. The computer shouldn't turn on. Put the jumper back the way it was, and turn it on.

Hope this helps you.

[AJ@PR]

CPR did not work.

I remove one stick of RAM (the one in the second position), and tried it... nothing.

I interchanged the RAM sticks to try in position-1 the other one, tried it... nothing.

... I'm unsure. Thanks for the help!

[progbuddy]

What he said. Replace the battery, check the RAM, and look for the "red light(s) of doom". If theres only one, theres something wrong in general. If there's two lights, then you're RAM is suspended or your PCI slots are suspended.

[AJ@PR]

Checksum Bad=low voltage on the battery...just replace it. Many times a mobo will drain the battery after a crash for some strange reason. Also, try rebooting without any USB devices attached. When clearing CMOS, sometimes the "USB device Enable" is set to NO in the BIOS and causes a hang when you have periphs plugged in.
I unplugged all USB stuff...
Rebooted.. hmm....
Gonna try a couple of more times.


On an MSI board I put in a computer at work, there's a spot on the mobo that has jumpers. In one position, it'll "flash" the BIOS, resetting all settings in the BIOS. In that position, press the power button once. The computer shouldn't turn on. Put the jumper back the way it was, and turn it on.

Hope this helps you.
I didn't try it like that... I'm going to try pressing the power button with the jumper in the other position...
Although I followed ASUS' instructions, and it just said to change the jumper for 5-10seconds.... what do you think?

Thanks guys!!! :) :) :)

[AJ@PR]

What he said. Replace the battery, check the RAM, and look for the "red light(s) of doom". If theres only one, theres something wrong in general. If there's two lights, then you're RAM is suspended or your PCI slots are suspended.
Well, so far... I think I'm going to go with the battery as Crimson Sky and yourself have suggested.

I unplugged USB stuff...
Still in the limbo...

Oddly, the hard disk 'access' light is solid.
I don't have a "red light of doom"... I've got the light ... but it's green... the green light of hope? :D

So, I'm going to remove the battery, and go buy one.
I'm going to update ASAP on the situation. :)

[slytherock]

I'm pretty sure, as we all mentionned, it's the battery
referring to this manual, LINK (http://www.phoenix.com/NR/rdonlyres/320A0046-F6B2-41F8-8DEE-1CD7D4B78F12/0/biosawardpostcode.pdf) on page 7, The CMOS must be corrupt, and it may have been caused by a faaulty battery

[ESX]

That sounds pretty bad AJ. :/
Anyways, everyone already said everything I was going to say.
Keep us updated and we might just find a solution.

[AJ@PR]

Well...

I bought the new batteries...
I installed the brand new Energizer CR2032 battery...

The computer is still doing the same thing.
Sometimes you get further than before.
Sometimes, even less.

I was able to get the Knoppix boot-screen... but, it went kaput after that.

Don't know what's up.
Going to try... something.

Thanks :)
Eagerly I await your suggestions !

AJ

[slytherock]

Try to downclock your cpu

[AJ@PR]

Try to downclock your cpu
How?

I can't get to the BIOS menu/screen/program.

What it's doing now::::

1. Power switch ON
2. she boots... **seems** like she re-reboots or something...
3. *sometimes* she then proceeds to display the BIOS welcome screen, and the "Hit Del for SETUP"...
4. If you press Del, it... thinks, I see CD room, HDD 'discovered'...
5. BOOM... reboot.

I don't know...
I think I'm going to remove all the RAM, and start it up... see where I get.
(( BTW: Thanks Sly... :) ))

[Crimson Sky]

disconnect all PCI devices and HDDs. Try to get into the BIOS with the comp stripped down to bare essentials. Remove completely and reseat the ram in the sockets. restart and get back to us. just hit delete continually while it POSTs to get into the BIOS.

[Omega]

Here's what you do.

Make it the bare minimum.. nothing but mobo and CPU. if you don't have a speaker plugged in, plug it in. listen for POST codes, you should get some intricate beeping pattern to say something about an error about a part missing. that should be normal.

Add in that part, do it agian. keep doing that. you should find a point where the computer stops working right, and there's your problem.

[slytherock]

1. Power switch ON
2. she boots... **seems** like she re-reboots or something...
3. *sometimes* she then proceeds to display the BIOS welcome screen, and the "Hit Del for SETUP"...
4. If you press Del, it... thinks, I see CD room, HDD 'discovered'...
5. BOOM... reboot.
A bit worste then I first imagine :think:

On a side note, how did you get that previous error, when I saw it on another computer, it was after the BIOS loading?

Back on your actual problem
1 as Omega said, try for beep codes.
2 If it crash without beep code... What's your PSU? You said you OC it, with volt increment? I had, a long time ago (in a galaxy far far away, oups, sorry geek thinking) a PSU with enough power to boot up but fail on first application. so it's something we did not explored yet, maybe...
3 Do you have another Vid card that need less power?

Unless that, I think I have no other idea. sorry

[AJ@PR]

Hello again guys,

Let's see...

Crimson Sky::::
Here's what I've got that consumes power:::
HDD
CD/DVD drive
Chassis fans (2x 120, 1x80, small RAM cooler thingy)
Video card

I've tried the process whilst disconnecting the cd drive... nothing.
I've tried it with disconnecting the hdd drive... nothing.
I disconnected both cd and hdd, and still the same... nothing.

I'm going to disconnect all the chassis fans (CPU fan connected, of course) and try it again.

I hit the 'delete' key continually, but again, sometimes it goes into the pre-POST screen... sometimes it doesn't.

I'll report back ASAP.


Omega::::
Hmmm... I hadn't thought about the speaker thingy.
I'm going to look for the speaker jumpers/connections in the mobo... I've got a tiny speaker here.
I'll plug it in, and see where we get.

Again, I'll report back ASAP with any beep codes.



SlyTheRock::::

I sometimes get the CMOS Checksum Bad error by... by way of... coincidence.
Soooometimes it displays it.
Sometimes it hangs before that.
Sometimes it hangs before even the pre-POST screen...

My PSU::: Well, I can check on my eMails what the heck was it that I ordered via NewEgg about 1 year ago... I don't remember exactly. I *do* remember that it was a good PSU. Had good reviews... I didn't go the cheap-O way. I'm almost sure it's over 500W.

When I overclocked, here's the deal::: the computer is recently rebuilt... so I haven't had time to start overclocking it and *learning* about overclocking.
So, ASUS has a small windows based application for overclocking.
You do some modifications, and it resets the computer with the changes.
Because I didn't have time, I figured this application would be fine for pumping a little extra out, since it was probably quasi-kiddie safe.

When I overclocked, I used the presets of the software. There where simple presets for CPU % OverClocking (10, 15, 20 and 30%). And, presets for the FSB (about 6 presets, I think).
I didn't go over to the 'manual' settings of voltage, multipliers, etc.
So, I'm not sure exactly *what* I/the program did for the desired overclocking.

I don't have another video card with less power... but if all else fails, I can go to CompUSA and buy a simple vid card... when we're done, I'll gladly go there and waste 4 hours of my life in line to return it.

#################

I'm going to try these new things, and post the results here.

Thanks for the help guys, really really *really* appreciated. :)

AJ

PS::: Just had to post this guy here :santa:

[AJ@PR]

Ok,

I've just unplugged everything out that's un-needed.
So, here's what I *do* have plugged in:::
- mobo with the big plug
- mobo with the small plug (4-pins)
- Video card "Y" cable (two Molex --> one vid connector)

I started her up, and I got the POST screen.
Now it got further down the road. It displays:::
Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key
(( of course, without the italics... :p sorry... bad joke ))

I'm going to power-off... hook up the hdd, and try it. See where I get.
:)

[AJ@PR]

Ok, so I dabbled with it...

Hooked-up the little speaker to the mobo.
It just does one "beep" when it starts or reboots.
One beep... not a long continious one.

So, I was able to hit "Pause" after the POST screen...
And it displays (which it always displayed, but it was too quick to read):::
JM Micron Technology Corp. PCIE-to-SATAII/IDEA RAID Controller BIOSv1.06.56a
Copyright.... ......

Detect drives done, no any drive found.
The bad english is theirs, not mine.

I have no idea.
I'm off to work, but I'll come back during lunch time to see what else we can try.

Thanks for all the helps guys! I have hope!!! :) :)

Have a great day, everyone! :)

AJ

[AKA_RA]

Unplug everything.

The ram, your video card(s), your hard drives, the PSU, all of it. Then pull the battery for at least 10 seconds. Put back only what is absolutly needed to get to bios screen. Power that sucker up and see what it does.

If that doesn't work, then all I can think of is that there may be a massive heat transfer failure between the heat sink unit and the CPU. What thermal compound was used?

[slytherock]

Just had to post this guy here :santa:
At least, you keeped your smile :)

[AJ@PR]

Unplug everything.

The ram, your video card(s), your hard drives, the PSU, all of it. Then pull the battery for at least 10 seconds. Put back only what is absolutly needed to get to bios screen. Power that sucker up and see what it does.

If that doesn't work, then all I can think of is that there may be a massive heat transfer failure between the heat sink unit and the CPU. What thermal compound was used?
Thanks for the reply! :)
I'm away from the rigg right now, so I'll have to do your suggestions at lunch time... I'm going to try your technique of unplugging *everything* out, disconnecting everything from each other... then removing the battery, doing the reset jumper thing, then plugging back in the mobo, and video card.

As to the heat transfer failure:::
I see it possible.
The thermal compound used was the one that came already placed on the stock heat sink by Intel.
It was three strips of a grey looking compound.

I didn't touch it... I didn't mess with it.
I just installed the heat sink as per the instructions.

I'm going to try your suggestions... I'll update ASAP. :)
Thanks!

EDIT:

At least, you keeped your smile :)
Yeah! :)
Well, I figured I still have my working laptop (wow, that thing is slow compared)...
Plus I've got the best tech-support anybody could ask for... :) :) :)

[Crimson Sky]

Have you been able to get into the Bios at all???

[AJ@PR]

Click this link, and never have cooling problems again ;) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835100008)

Make sure you invest in this stuff. You will be amazed how much "cooler" your system will run. That stock stuff is for n0ob13s, heh heh.

Much luck, I hope your system isn't dead.

-Jeremy
Thanks. I was going to order some of that Artic stuff when I ordered the Tuniq120 heat sink... I just figured that the stock cooler would work for stock settings.
I also hope it isn't dead, or NewEgg will have a nice package sent their way.


Have you been able to get into the Bios at all???
That's the thing... No.
I have *not* been able to get into the BIOS screen *at all*.
Never since the problem.
Just the pre-POST screen, and somewhere down the line during POST.
But the BIOS menu/screen does not come up. :(
I miss it.

Thanks guys... I'll keep on checking, and let everyone know!

[AJ@PR]

Well, I tried all the latest ideas... to no avail.

Same thing as before.
I did the battery/BIOS clearing procedure once again... left the battery removed for over a minute... unplugged EVERY cable on the mother board...
removed the RAM....

Nothing.

Nada. Zip. Zilch. Damn it.

I don't know what else to do...
I don't know. :( :(
Please let me know if any of you guys have any ideas...
I think I'm going to start RMA processes with NewEgg soon... depending on you guys.
Funny thing is, I'm going to have to tell them I'm sending everything except the hard disk and fan controller back.

The fan controller I haven't used... and the hdd, well, the computer has the same problem with the hdd connected/disconnected.

Aight... no idea. :(

Let me know what you guys think please. :)

Peace
AJ

[Mitternacht]

Time to start a topic titled "Donation for AJ@PR's mobo."
Heh, if you start a topic like that, I'll donate $10 to you for a new board.

[AJ@PR]

Time to start a topic titled "Donation for AJ@PR's mobo."
Heh, if you start a topic like that, I'll donate $10 to you for a new board.
Ha!
Thanks man.
But we're still with NewEgg warranty/return possibility/Visa payment cancel options realm.

Just talked with a NewEgg rep via IM (NewEgg's), and he told me I should contact ASUS and Intel.
He said I have 30 days since Invoice Date... so we've got until 12/30/06.

I'm thinking of contacting ASUS... for some reason, I think it's the motherboard stuck in limbo-land... her status light is lit solid green.

What do you think? Maybe I should snap them an eMail and let them know that even with their reset/BIOS clear procedure, I'm still getting the same problem.

:santa:

[Mitternacht]

Be careful though. It's possible that they'll look for any reason to say that it's your fault, so they wont have to cover it.

1. Play stupid. Say someone put it in for you, it was working perfectly and it stopped working.
2. Tell them on the phone that you'll have someone take it out.

That'll rule you out and it won't be taken as user fault.

[AJ@PR]

Be careful though. It's possible that they'll look for any reason to say that it's your fault, so they wont have to cover it.

1. Play stupid. Say someone put it in for you, it was working perfectly and it stopped working.
2. Tell them on the phone that you'll have someone take it out.

That'll rule you out and it won't be taken as user fault.
Yeah, I know what you mean.

I'm really hoping that NewEgg's customer service comes to the rescue.
If they don't... I'll just send NewEgg their stuff back (they can produce a RMA out of their butts for all I care at that point) and I'll call Visa and tell them to cancel payment to NewEgg.

Again, I'm cool... I'm calm. But if push comes to shove, I know Visa is on my side.

[slytherock]

So sad, a nice rig :hurt:
Well, if everything turn right, look like you're gonna have anothr chrismas gift... And the greatest part of a build is the build in itself.

:santa: Merry Xmax :santa: (this santa is fun :) )

[AJ@PR]

So sad, a nice rig :hurt:
Well, if everything turn right, look like you're gonna have anothr chrismas gift... And the greatest part of a build is the build in itself.

:santa: Merry Xmax :santa: (this santa is fun :) )
Great attitude man!!!

Very true.... the greatest part of the build is the build in itself.
Now I get to do it all over again... maybe.
And having another xMas?! w00 w00t!

I'm going to send my eMail to ASUS today... If I don't get a reply by Friday, well, NewEgg... here I come.

Thanks guys... I'm still clinging to hope of something working... but... oh well....
:) :santa: !

[armadilloben]

damn dude that relle sucks everyone has posted all of the stuff i could think of already, good luck




ps. this is why i went with dfi... because with dfi rma is not in my mobo vocabulary lol:D

[AJ@PR]

damn dude that relle sucks everyone has posted all of the stuff i could think of already, good luck
Hey Ben,
Thanks for stopping by, and the help, anyways! :)

UPDATE:::
I came home, and decided to try it again.
So, I unplugged EVERYTHING.
Then, I removed the video card.
Did the BIOS reset procedure.
Inserted the video card... one RAM stick... no cd.

The computer beeped, rebooted, beeped some more, then it gave me a slightly different screen than other times, but with the "CMOS Checksum Bad" message.
So, I hit F1 to enter SETUP.

I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE BIOS SCREEN!!!
w00t!

Anyways, everything I saw as 'stock'.
Automatic this and that.
2.4GHz.
etc. etc.

So, I went here and there to make sure I wasn't seeing anything un-usual, and I saved settings and exited.

The computer rebooted, and damn it, I left the hdd power and data cable plugged in.
It just went into the same loop.

MY TAKE on it:::: the problem is with the ASUS windows overclocking software.
I believe that when you make a modification with the software in windows, the program saves it at the start of the hdd... like a 'BIOS flash/update'.

So, I think the ASUS windows program screwed up... and now the hdd, instead of having 'default settings', is loading 'overclocked settings' into the BIOS.
Which causes it to reboot (without deleting the modified settings @ hdd).
Which causes it to revert to ""stock"" settings. (these stock settings, I believe, are *not* the basic ones)
Which causes it to reboot once again.
etc. etc.

Probably experience members are reading this and their faces are something like this::: :?

But, I don't know... that's just my hunch.
(( but it couldn't be... because it still does the problem with hdd unplugged ))

So, I tried the same procedure again about removing the video card, etc. etc. etc.
But it went into the loop again.

Arghhh... bad thing is, I've got a meeting. I'm going to work on it later today.
I'll update as soon as I get back home.
At least we're getting somewhere now.

That, and I was able to send the eMail off to ASUS.
Something tells me I'm going to get a Hey, it isn't our motherboard! response from them, even though I sent them a friendly and open eMail.
Shucks... :(

But again, we're getting somewhere! :) :)

Peace guys, I'll update soon
AJ

[chedabob]

AFAIK, the overclocking is a bios setting.

[armadilloben]

Hey Ben,
Thanks for stopping by, and the help, anyways! :)

UPDATE:::
I came home, and decided to try it again.
So, I unplugged EVERYTHING.
Then, I removed the video card.
Did the BIOS reset procedure.
Inserted the video card... one RAM stick... no cd.

The computer beeped, rebooted, beeped some more, then it gave me a slightly different screen than other times, but with the "CMOS Checksum Bad" message.
So, I hit F1 to enter SETUP.

I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE BIOS SCREEN!!!
w00t!

Anyways, everything I saw as 'stock'.
Automatic this and that.
2.4GHz.
etc. etc.

So, I went here and there to make sure I wasn't seeing anything un-usual, and I saved settings and exited.

The computer rebooted, and damn it, I left the hdd power and data cable plugged in.
It just went into the same loop.

MY TAKE on it:::: the problem is with the ASUS windows overclocking software.
I believe that when you make a modification with the software in windows, the program saves it at the start of the hdd... like a 'BIOS flash/update'.

So, I think the ASUS windows program screwed up... and now the hdd, instead of having 'default settings', is loading 'overclocked settings' into the BIOS.
Which causes it to reboot (without deleting the modified settings @ hdd).
Which causes it to revert to ""stock"" settings. (these stock settings, I believe, are *not* the basic ones)
Which causes it to reboot once again.
etc. etc.

Probably experience members are reading this and their faces are something like this::: :?

But, I don't know... that's just my hunch.
(( but it couldn't be... because it still does the problem with hdd unplugged ))

So, I tried the same procedure again about removing the video card, etc. etc. etc.
But it went into the loop again.

Arghhh... bad thing is, I've got a meeting. I'm going to work on it later today.
I'll update as soon as I get back home.
At least we're getting somewhere now.

That, and I was able to send the eMail off to ASUS.
Something tells me I'm going to get a Hey, it isn't our motherboard! response from them, even though I sent them a friendly and open eMail.
Shucks... :(

But again, we're getting somewhere! :) :)

Peace guys, I'll update soon
AJ



whenever i have mobo problems i always check every single jumper in the case. i have ADD so things like this happen: i have two hdds in slave on the same channel "why arent my hard drives working....." or "DAAAADDDD i put the mobo into the case and quadruple checked everything but i cant get the pc to power" "YOU FORGOT TO PUT IN THE STANDOFFS AND FRIED THE MOBO!!!!!!!!!" *smashes head against wall multiple times* leading me to buying my brand new current setup with no rediculous mistakes so id say check the jumpers

last resort being make a dart board or toilet paper that says "asus customer support loves you":p

[AJ@PR]

whenever i have mobo problems i always check every single jumper in the case. i have ADD so things like this happen: i have two hdds in slave on the same channel "why arent my hard drives working....." or "DAAAADDDD i put the mobo into the case and quadruple checked everything but i cant get the pc to power" "YOU FORGOT TO PUT IN THE STANDOFFS AND FRIED THE MOBO!!!!!!!!!" *smashes head against wall multiple times* leading me to buying my brand new current setup with no rediculous mistakes so id say check the jumpers
Well, I checked all jumpers... and they are all in their correct positions.

I don't know what the heck's wrong.
And she *did* work for 3-4 days before doing this.


last resort being make a dart board or toilet paper that says "asus customer support loves you":p
Don't rule that out yet... :)

As it stands right now... I'm just waiting for ASUS' reply to my eMail.
:) I'll keep this updated.

Peace
AJ

[Omega]

Yeah man, DFI is top quality. If I were you, I'd rather get a refund and just buy a new board. I've abused my DFI board, overclocked it a bit too far (the fixed the problem, but always, ALWAYS, know your limits), and actually had an ESD on this board too.

[nil8]

I've never heard of an ASUS board acting this way.

The overclocking utility is in the bios and stock is another way to say standard. When/if you get back into the bios, my suggestion would be restoring everything to default settings just to be sure.

It doesn't sound like anything inside your bios is the actual problem. Between it not displaying, the cmos checksum error, it sounds like either the bios is corrupted or the eeprom is pooched.

One short speaker beep is the normal POST code and means that the basic test of your hardware is that it's working.

I would suggest starting an RMA on monday with newegg or ASUS because this isn't an issue that a run of the mill user is expected to know or fix with or without support.

I'm sure we could guide you through flashing your bios, but it might void your warranty.
The only thing you need to send back to the manufacturer is the motherboard. Everything else should work.

Another idea is that the processor isn't giving heat to the heatsink. You mentioned grey strips, that's thermal tape. Did you remove the plastic from it before you attached the heatsink?

You should scrape off the thermal tape and use Artic Silver when you get a new mobo. You only need a rice grain or so and spread it around with your covered finger. It doesn't take much and you will notice a drastic difference in your temps. There is a warning that I should mention. Once used, it's very hard to remove without buying the chemical remover for it.

Good luck dude.

[AJ@PR]

I would suggest starting an RMA on monday with newegg or ASUS because this isn't an issue that a run of the mill user is expected to know or fix with or without support.
..........................
The only thing you need to send back to the manufacturer is the motherboard. Everything else should work.
..........................
Another idea is that the processor isn't giving heat to the heatsink. You mentioned grey strips, that's thermal tape. Did you remove the plastic from it before you attached the heatsink?
1st, you're right... a 'run of the mill user' wouldn't be trying all these things we're trying... and I'm just giving them more ammo to say it was my fault.
Unless ASUS tells me of a Miracle Button on their boards, I think I'm RMAing ASAP.

2nd- Sending back the mobo only::: I've got until Dec30 to return everything.
It might be a little tight on the scheduling.
What if it ain't the mobo?
Shouldn't I just send back 'everything' (mobo, proc, ram, video card)?
What do you think?

3rd- grey strips... thermal tape... plastic before attachement...
Oh-o... erm... um... oh-o....
Ok ok, ok... Let me get this straight::::
'Plastic'?
As in a plastic 'sheath' or something?
I'm worried now.
I remember the thermal tape (three strips) didn't have anything on them... they looked like I could 'smear them' if I touched them. I didn't touch them, so I'm unsure.
Or is it a plastic on the bottom of the heat sink?
I'm positive the heat sink didn't have a plastic 'sheath', or 'cover', or 'peel-before-installation'.

So, to recap:::
Heat sink --- I'm sure that 'no'.
Grey strips --- well, is this plastic clearly visible? I see the posibility of it slipping by me... but, diggitty damn!! I can't be *that* stupid...

Thanks for the support guys... I'm very grateful for all your help.
In the past, I would have thrown the mobo into the ocean already.
The proc, I would have drilled from side to side so I could attach it in my key chain.
The RAM sticks, I would have snapped open to see 'what they have inside'.
And the video card, I would have ripped apart to take the nifty heatsink/fan out.
(( just kiddin' ))

I'll keep this updated.
Thanks for all the help!!! :) :)
AJ

[AJ@PR]

Just checked my eMail... and I got a reply from ASUS already
(( so, kudos and props to them for replying within 16hours of initial contact!!! :) ))


Dear sir/madam,

Thank you for contacting ASUS Customer Service.
My name is Penny. It's my pleasure to help you with your problem.

Do you have another power supply to change and have a test? If the system still can not boot up normally, please take all your ram sticks out from motherboard, and power on. Will it give you long-long-long repeat beep warning? If so, please clean your ram connectors with alcohol or with a clean rubber then install your ram sticks back, you can first install 1 stick of ram, if the system can boot with 1 ram stick, add another. If the system still can't boot up with those ram sticks, please change another ram stick to use and boot up the system to test.
After above steps if the system does not boot and give no beeps, please take out your! VGA card, power on, will it give you 1 long and 2 or 3 short beeps followed? if so, please try to clean your VGA card connector and install it back to motherboard, or you can try to use another VGA card test again.
If the above steps are all not helpful, I think maybe your motherboard or your CPU is faulty, you need contact with the dealer to take a future test for each one and make sure on earth which part causes system won't boot.

If you have any problem, please refer FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions) or contact us again. We will try our best to help you.
http://support.asus.com/faq/faq.aspx?SLanguage=en-us
Well, I don't have an additional PSU... but they're cheap over @ CompUSA.
Plus, we can return it later.
As to cleaning the slots... I can try that, but I don't think that's it. It's a new board (!).
Maybe the VGA is the problem... I don't know.
I'm going to try removing the VGA and hearing the beeps.

But darn it... this is getting complicated for my resources.
I'm still inclined to send back everything (mobo, proc, ram, vga).
:) :) Have a great day guys!!!! :D
AJ

[nil8]

Sometimes the thermal material has a plastic covering that gets peeled off before you apply it. If it wasn't there don't worry about it. Just covering bases.

If you're posting on the net that means you have another computer that you can use to test your memory and graphics card in if they're the same type.

It it was a processor problem, it shouldn't be this sporadic. Most processor issues are regular and constant. They work or they don't.

Ram is a possibility. Power is a possibility, but I doubt it. This doesn't sound like an issue that's being caused by anything but your motherboard.

What the ASUS email is about is basic POST codes. Removing the RAM and powering the machine on listening for initial beeps lets her know if the motherboard is at fault or if it is your ram. Same for the video card.

Do them just like the rep said to, listen for the beeps, and email her back when you get a chance with your results. If you don't hear back within 2 or 3 business days, call ASUS and try to talk directly to her or get an RMA.

[AJ@PR]

nil8:::

Thanks for the reply. :)
I'm happy to hear that we're covering bases with the tape... I was preparing the spot on the wall to hit my head against (!).
My brain cells say:: Sheesh! That was close...

My other computer is a laptop, ProStar... (( BTW: I'll be modding that soon... got a really cool idea... but, obviously I don't want to crack it open until this other new rigg is up and running. I know you guys are going to like the laptop mod :D ))

Because it's a laptop, well... yeah... no mem testing, etc.

RAM::: If it's the ram, it's both sticks. Because I've tried with one, then with the other.

I'm going to try the ASUS eMail suggestion, to see where I get. I'll have to post later because I need to hit the streets to do some errands.

I was able to stop by CompUSA and buy a new PSU. I bought an Antec TruePowerTrio TP3-550. 550watts (d'oh!).
Good piece of equipment. Looks solid.

Anyways, I changed it quickly in the computer, hooked-up the motherboard (2 plugs), video card (2plugs-->Y-splitter-->VGA), and powered up. It did the exact same thing. No difference. Except this new PSU doesn't have blue LEDs. So the case wasn't shinning blue.

Other than that super-insightful scientific fact of observation, I believe, as you've stated, that the PSU isn't at fault.

I'll return the PSU later tonight if I get there within time (30 minute window, Traffic Gods, help me!).

When I get back home, I'll try the ASUS' rep's suggestions, and post back the results.

Thanks again for the help.
And... :santa:

Peace
AJ

[Omega]

I say just RMA all of it. This seems to be getting way too complicated for a computer that obviously doesn't want to work right =/

And as I suggested earlier, don't go with ASUS agian. I seriously suggest DFI.

[DoctorA]

Everything has been said, I think, that are obvious 'culprits' for that sort of thing, but since I just ended a monthlong search for problems in my own machine that ended with a culprit that I didn't suspect for the longest time, I thought I'd share it.

The symptoms were similar, yet I didn't overclock or anything. Every once in a while my system would simply shut down by itself, seemingly at random and then be stuck in a wierd rebooting cycle without any error messages/beeps. My first thought of course was heat especially as it first happened in the summer. However, even after the system had been sitting unplugged over night, every once in a while it would display the same behavior (even in the morning when I just turned it on). Other times, it would work absolutely flawlessly for hours or even days.

So my second thought was PSU and especially after reading about the crappy quality of stock PSU's in eMachines (yes, it's a crappy cheap eMachine and will be retired soon - that's why I'm here ;) ), I got a new and stronger one. The problem ... persisted. So I thought, well, maybe it's the power in the house itself. It is a old house that recently underwent some remodelling including rewiring and maybe that causes spikes/sags the PSU can't handle. So I got a good battery backup (UPS) with AVR to feed 'clean' power to my PSU. Still nothing.

Then, after having tried all the stuff you guys mentioned here, I finally tried one last thing that seemed so unlikely that I dismissed it at first: could the power button be stuck, partly, sometimes? It never seemed like it did from pushing the button at the case and the actual tiny button that's connected to the mobo seemed to work fine too, but, after removing the 'mini' button from the power button on the case (having the wire with the 'mini' button come out of the case through a little whole) the problem disappeared.

Anyways, I'm sure that's not the problem in your case, but I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that something in the boot sector of your HD is messing with the BIOS settings. Especially since the problem seemed to reappear when you reconnected the HD. I'd wipe it clean completely and reinstall the OS.

Good luck!

[AJ@PR]

If your really crunched for time, just tell them you have tried everything ,and you know absolutely dick-squat about computers.
Definitely.
I'm going with that exact attitude, no joke.
I'm just going to play super stupid.
If they ask, I'll tell them a 'geek friend' built the computer.


I say just RMA all of it. This seems to be getting way too complicated for a computer that obviously doesn't want to work right =/

And as I suggested earlier, don't go with ASUS agian. I seriously suggest DFI.
Nice way to put it!
Quite obviously, this computer doesn't want to cooperate.
Damn atoms.
I'm going to check out DFI, see if there's something that catches my eye. :)


Everything has been said, I think, that are obvious 'culprits' for that sort of thing, but since I just ended a monthlong search for problems in my own machine that ended with a culprit that I didn't suspect for the longest time, I thought I'd share it.
..............................
Good luck!
Hello DoctorA,

Wow. Thanks for typing all that, I know that it was easier to just say "check the power button". :)
I'm going to try your suggestion when I get home...
It has become the 'event horizon' for my computer.
If your suggestion/hunch doesn't fix the problem, I'm RMAing the stuff.
Before that, I still need to remove the video card and RAM, and check to see what 'beep codes' the mobo beeps back.


Guys, question::::::
What should I send back?
I'm inclined to send them:
1- motherboard
2- RAM
3- Intel processor
4- BFG video card

Just to make sure.

[slytherock]

RAM installed.
I like the heat sinks they put on them... but their warranty stickers cover about 25% of one heat sink's side.
And if I remove it... I void the warranty.
I guess I'll just have to get some anti-breaking-while-removing-the-warranty-sticker fluid (TM) in there.

For the RAM I'm not sure... Just make sure you made a good job on that ;) but it may be better
Mobo and proc, you should. At least the mobo ;)

I dont think the vid is in cause...

But just to be sure, put all in it (You're supposed to be a stupid costumer, remember?)

[DoctorA]

...
Hello DoctorA,

Wow. Thanks for typing all that, I know that it was easier to just say "check the power button". :) ...

Well, that wouldn't have been very convincing now, would it? ;)

I'm still betting it's something in the boot sector of the HD that the ASUS utility put there and messed up (or the boot sector itself is corrupt). So I would at least try to boot from CD, or try with a different HD, if you can. Many years ago I had a 386 that needed something like that, which allowed it to use a larger HD than the BIOS was built for (850MB instead of 512MB - those were the days!)

[AJ@PR]

Sly and Minty,
I'll keep you updated on my GeekAmnesia.


Well, that wouldn't have been very convincing now, would it? ;)

I'm still betting it's something in the boot sector of the HD that the ASUS utility put there and messed up (or the boot sector itself is corrupt). So I would at least try to boot from CD, or try with a different HD, if you can. Many years ago I had a 386 that needed something like that, which allowed it to use a larger HD than the BIOS was built for (850MB instead of 512MB - those were the days!)
Exactly my thoughts man....

I believe it's something at the start of the HDD.
And I think she keeps on doing it even with the HDD disconnected because whatever was/is loaded on the BIOS/board, is Fked-up.
Exactly my thoughts.

I was able at one moment to put Knoppix in there, and the initial 'splash' screen was viewable... but when I pressed a key so it would load, it crashed... never to see Knoppix again.

As to your old 512/850 hdd story,.... yeah... old days.

Do you guys remember when MS DOS (and Windows) had 8 spaces for file names?
Lord...

[nil8]

Yea. It was the 8+3 file name. 8 characters for the name, 3 for the extension.

The bios doesn't pull any files off the hard drive. The MBR is stored on the drive and is the only thing the bios deals with beyond detection. Besides, if it was an mbr problem, you'd have an ntldr error or something to that effect. You wouldn't have the problems you're describing

I'm still saying it's your bios or your ram.

Knoppix shouldn't freeze due to hard drive problems. It loads entirely into your system memory. The only time I could see it freezing is while trying to mount your hard drives/read them if it is a hard drive issue.

What results came from the official ASUS test?

[AJ@PR]

What results came from the official ASUS test?
Hello nil8 :)


You lost me on the MBR.
Media Boot Registry?
Major Boob-bystic Research?
Money Back Reassurance?
( ok, sorry... I'm done now )

.........

Just saw reply from ASUS for my eMail... for present and future reference, I copy/paste here the relevant parts (cutting out the thanks/schmoozing)


On to the motherboard:::
I did what you asked for, to check for the 'beep codes'.
Here's the results:::::
(1) TEST
No video card.
No RAM.

long-short-short
long-short-short
long-short-short
over and over

(2) TEST
No video card.
RAM installed

long-short-short-short

:-_-: :-_-: :-_-: :-_-: :-_-: :-_-:
Any ideas?

And here's their reply (no "schmoozing" to leave out :p)

Dear sir/madam,

Do you have another VGA card to use and have a test? If the problem still appears, please contact your dealer and let him test P5W DH Deluxe for you. If the problem still exists, please let him send the motherboard to ASUS RMA, we will test it and help you to resolve the problem. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Penny
ASUS Customer Service Center(China)

Well Penny... I don't have another video card.
I can get a cheap-O one over at (guess!) CompUSA tomorrow.

What's your guys take on it?
Try the new video card idea?
or
Just send the stuff back to NewEgg?

Event Horizon just contracted a little bit...


SIDE-NOTE::: I don't remember if I had the HDD connected when The Knoppix Incident occoured. Sorry I forgot.

Peace, and very many thanks to all! :)
AJ

[Omega]

One long, two short: Video (Mono/CGA Display Circuitry) issue.
One long, two short: Video (EGA) Display Circuitry.

EDIT:

Oh hey, what kind of BIOS are you running? That determines beep codes. The above posted is a classic IBM beep code, which I am assuming you're not using.

[AJ@PR]

One long, two short: Video (Mono/CGA Display Circuitry) issue.
One long, two short: Video (EGA) Display Circuitry.

EDIT:

Oh hey, what kind of BIOS are you running? That determines beep codes. The above posted is a classic IBM beep code, which I am assuming you're not using.
Hey Omega :)

So, it's the video either way?
I don't have IBM components on the machine (that I know of... who knows... wow, how the world has changed for somebody to say that last sentence).

The BIOS, I'm not sure... American... Megatrends?
Sorry for the n00bish answer... I don't know if the motherboard's manual will give me the BIOS version.
And, she doesn't go into the BIOS setup screen... or is the version number visible on the 'splash' screen?

Thanks for the help! :)

[nil8]

He's probably using the standard pheonix or award bios. AJ, could you post the specific model of your mobo so I can look up what bios you're using/see your users manual?

[AJ@PR]

nil8,

ASUS P5 W HD Deluxe.
Is there an even more specific model number?
The manual has E2681 on a corner... but I think that's refering to the manual's version. I'm not sure.

:) :) :)

[Omega]

Yeah, I figure it's probably Phoenix or Award. Those are the two most common.

I'm also pretty certain that ASUS would just use the same BIOS all around.


It appears to be an Award BIOS.

One long, two short is a Video Adapter Error. "Either video adapter is bad or is not seated properly. Also, check to ensure the monitor cable is connected properly."
One long, Three short is either no video card or bad vRAM (Video RAM) "Reseat or replace the video card."
and a Repeating Pattern is a memory error. "Check for improperly seated or missing memory."

[AJ@PR]

One long, two short is a Video Adapter Error. "Either video adapter is bad or is not seated properly. Also, check to ensure the monitor cable is connected properly."
One long, Three short is either no video card or bad vRAM (Video RAM) "Reseat or replace the video card."
and a Repeating Pattern is a memory error. "Check for improperly seated or missing memory."
Nice!

For future reference, can you provide me with a link for that info?
Or is that from a downloadable manual?

Hmmm... video card... I might just go tomorrow to CompUSA after all... and try another video card.
Hmmm....

[slytherock]

AWARD BIOS BeepCodes (http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/awardbeep.htm)

[AJ@PR]

AWARD BIOS BeepCodes (http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/awardbeep.htm)
Thanks Sly!
It has been bookmarked. :)

I went to CompUSA, and bought a $85 video card... I don't even know the company that makes it... I really didn't look. I just picked the cheapest I could see while having PCI Express.

I'll test it out in a short while as soon as I get home to the rigg.
Hopefully, or not, it's the video card.

:) w00t w00t
We'll find out soon.

Now, I see Event Horizon again.
If this card doesn't work, I am *really* going to send everything RMA. :)

[AJ@PR]

And She's GOOOONNNNEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Outta here!
Away!
........

Well, I'm waiting in queue for a NewEgg representative on their IM system.
I brought home the video card I bought at CompUSA (btw, its' a GeForce 7300 LE).

I installed it... and, same problem.
So I re-cleared the BIOS with the procedure, and booted up.
I saw the BIOS splash screen... pressed Del...
Same thing.

I had hopes.
Oh well... in any event, she's gone.
Out.
Away.
Back.

Hit the road Jack... and don't you come back no more no more... no more no moreeee.... Hit the road Jack... and don't you come back no more...

[AJ@PR]

They gave me an RMA. :)

[nil8]

Good to hear. Keep us posted on progress.

[AJ@PR]

Just wanted to update guys.

I sent the package a couple of minutes ago.
Hopefully, it'll be on its way to NewEgg today.
Hopefully, they'll receive it soon and send the new stuff back.

I'll post ASAP as I know something. :)
Thanks for all the help guys!

[Mitternacht]

Did you get a new mobo yet?