To the computer wiz out there

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
basically i have a problem with my computer, to you all pros out there please help :down:

I bought a packard bell desktop computer two years ago.

In the last couple of months, it started rebooting itself quite frequently. I started to notice a pattern in this rebooting problem, it would reboot itself after approximately 20 minutes.

I formatted the hard drive thinking it could be a virus problem. Computer became normal for about 1 week until the problem re-appear again, only this time is more severe, the computer would just switch itself off.

Thinking it could be an inconsistancy in power supply I checked the power socket and the power supply and they seemed to be fine - working well with other electronics.

I went as far as thinking this could be down to ventilation problem so I move this computer to a well ventilated area with extra fans blowing and side panels removed but nope.

The hardwares shouldn’t be incompatiable as they were factory installed, I did think that certain after-market softwares may not be compatible with the computer so I deleted it all.

But the problem still presists, do you think I should perform a low level format to clear potential virus hidden away in the registry?

what does this problem sound like to you?
 

ollie240585

Ex. Club Member
I had a packard bell which done this and was due to the fan ceasing on Power Supply Unit. would explain more but going home now.
 

rlees85

Ex. Club Member
sounds like PSU is EDITED (most likely) becuase that can cause intermittant faults like this or the CPU is overheating (build up of dust on it?).

could also be the hard disk has bad sectors? (check by opening up the command prompt and typing chkdsk c: /r)

lastly, if its none of that, motherboard/cpu/ram/gfx/etc has EDITED up (could be anything!)
 

Courior

Fat ppl r harder 2 kidnap
its not the HDD cause this would more likely cause a lock up or a Blue screen of death. my old pc did this because it was overheating. What processor is it running? intel have for free download some software that lets you tell the temp of the cpu from onboard sensors that they dont tell you about.
If you get this software the CPU should run at no more than 67C after that it will reboot to save its self.

If i was you i would. Download a Linux LIVE CD. anyone new one will do. remove the Hard disk (to eliminate this prob) then boot with the cd. if after 20 mins its still going strong then it may well be the hdd thats at fault. If it reboots then its more than likely Power Pack, or cpu is full of dust. I used to get a foot pump and use it to blow out all the dust then vacume it thouroughly. hope this helps :)
 

masterbiker

Ex. Club Member
I bought a packard bell desktop computer two years ago.

That's where the problem started. :laugh:

Just joking, I am sure it will be something over heating. Borrow someone's spare power supply, (if all the heat sinks are free of dust etc. if not get the dust out of them) to see if it is your power supply before buying a new one.
 

Gurpreet

Ex. Club Member
tse_adam... how did you go about the format? was it proper hard reset using windows 98 emergency disk? or did you just reinstall windows?

Yep try it with different PSU / Heat sink and see what happens...

Perhaps even with a different hard drive and see what happens...

all part of the diagnostic process and narrowing it down...
 
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tse_adam

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
hello.

thanks for all the helpful suggestions. but over the weekend...........the power box at the back went on fire! LOL

i think thats where the problem lies! LOL

there i was thinking it was a virus problem. if it happens to you too ollie it must have happened to a lot of other packard bell customers. never thought something like that would happen to a factory built machine.

now the computer is just sitting there with the back of the box all blacked out, i think i should sue someone dont you?

oh well now thats gone, any recommendations on sub £500 pc to get me going again?
 

Gurpreet

Ex. Club Member
cant go wrong with an acer or hp compaq... buy the base unit and keep your monitor etc i say... if you have a flat screen already? otherwise flat screens are decently priced on ebuyer as it is... Id say Dell but I know dell don't last... Acer laptops are pretty good too... you could pick up a fully loaded one for under 500... their a new company... and their strategy is fully load up on spec and reduce price! So far so good!!!
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
It could be one of those PCs suffering capacitors drying out on the motherboard..
 

rlees85

Ex. Club Member
if it was just the PSU that went bang then you could get a new PSU for like 20 quid.... easy to fit aswell, just four screws and unplugging a few wires...
 

Layla

Deactivated Account
my packard bell lappy does the same thing, and it is the PCU over heating. it only does it if i leave my laptop on my bed, no problems if it on the desk with the vent clear
 

Andrew

Club Member
That'd be called ignoring the bit in the instructions that tells you not to use it on soft surfaces and block the vents.
 

Courior

Fat ppl r harder 2 kidnap
For a Sub £500 quid machine look on ebay for a base unit only (i take it the monitor and mouse etc all work fine). you can get a very smart and madly fast pc for 500 quid.. .or why not spend 20 fixing yours and you got 480 to mod the car with ;)
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
my old computer did that before the PSU blew up too! You can pretty much rule out viruses etc. Dell work stations are pretty rock solid, but i wouldnt touch a laptop of there's without a warrenty. We've had 8 out of 9 go wrong at work in the past 3 years, but 1 in 50 or 60 desktops go wrong in the last 5 years

I might be able to hook you up with a i think Optiplex or Precision, cant remember! Its a flat one that can be mounted virtically, comes with genuine windows 2000 & genuine office XP professional, including all CD's & Drivers disks. 1.7 P4 processor, 256 Ram, 20GB disk drive, CD rom, 10/100 LAN, etc etc. easy access to insides by pushing two clips. If your interested, give us a shout / make an offer etc
 
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tse_adam

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
i am a bit crap with computers, i take it the PSU is that big power box at the back of the computer?
Shall i just rip the old one out and try to find a same one with the same voltage etc and just slot it back in? is it that simple?

thanks for your offer arnold but i think i should keep with desktop for now as i know nothing about laptops etc and it must cost even more to fix if problem arises.

so we all agree on packard bells are pretty kak then?! :doh:

oh and andrew, chill mate! :)
 

Andrew

Club Member
i am a bit crap with computers, i take it the PSU is that big power box at the back of the computer?
Shall i just rip the old one out and try to find a same one with the same voltage etc and just slot it back in? is it that simple?

Most PC power supplies are the same these days (ATX), but the two PB PCs I have fixed in the last 2 years have both had non-standard motherboard plugs on them - so I wouldn't be able to say for sure.
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
thanks for your offer arnold but i think i should keep with desktop for now as i know nothing about laptops etc and it must cost even more to fix if problem arises.

It is a desktop bud, and its a 1.9 processor, not a 1.7.
 
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tse_adam

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
It is a desktop bud, and its a 1.9 processor, not a 1.7.

oh :wasntme: oops well i'll do some shopping first, i will let you know mate. cheers

Most PC power supplies are the same these days (ATX), but the two PB PCs I have fixed in the last 2 years have both had non-standard motherboard plugs on them - so I wouldn't be able to say for sure.

i wonder if packard bell will tell me which one i need. but shouldnt finding the same one from a computer shop be alright? fwn
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
Another option, if your not interested in buying that Dell one i was on about, is to buy another case. Usually come with a PSU mounted to it, so just transfer the motherboard and accessories over! Really easy
 
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tse_adam

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
Another option, if your not interested in buying that Dell one i was on about, is to buy another case. Usually come with a PSU mounted to it, so just transfer the motherboard and accessories over! Really easy

that sounds easier to me, am i right thinking any case will do? will the holes at back of the case match the output sockets of the motherboard?

one more thing, how can i prevent this from happening again? i just dont expect something like can happen, i would gutted if it happens again to the new case and new PSU.

anyway if someone wants to get this off me with some cash then be my guest! cos i kinda want to stay away from packard bell stuff! lol

its a P4 3.0Ghz with hyper-threading, 512mb ram, 2 dvd drives (one is rewritable), 12 in 1 card reader, ATi 128mb graphics card, on board sound. no windows as i have cleaned it out, basically just a case with those stuff in. Need psu as mentioned by andrew and arnold.
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
It blew because it was a packard bell lol, no doubt using extremely cheap and unreliable parts in there systems. The case will more than likely be compatible for your motherboard as cases have various holes pre drilled for various size boards. If your not sure, take it to your local shop.
 

AntMat

Ex. Club Member
One way or the other, you should expect more than two years' use out of the effing thing. I think that you will find, if you talk to your local Trading Standards people, that you have a comeback against the retailer involved!
 

zanes

Ex. Club Member
Not a bad spec, I'd take it to a computer repair shop + have em fix it.

Not the cheapest reapir, but (if you don't mind me syaing) the easiest and best for someone with limited pc knowledge, and still cheaper than buying a new pc.

Oh, you're right about laptops being more expensive. Just had a new PSU and optical drive put in. Not cheap!! :wow:
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
One way or the other, you should expect more than two years' use out of the edited thing. I think that you will find, if you talk to your local Trading Standards people, that you have a comeback against the retailer involved!

All goods must have a 1 year warrenty. Its down to the end user if they wish to take out an extended one. If it blows after a year and a day, thats just unfortunate, but there's nothing you can do but cover the cost of repair yourself.

The only reason you could complain is if you have a valid warrenty and they don't fix it.
 

Andrew

Club Member
All goods must have a 1 year warrenty. Its down to the end user if they wish to take out an extended one. If it blows after a year and a day, thats just unfortunate, but there's nothing you can do but cover the cost of repair yourself.

The only reason you could complain is if you have a valid warrenty and they don't fix it.

In the UK, you are covered by more than the warranty. The Sale of Goods Act means that the goods should last a reasonably length of time, up to 7 years. Most suppliers of electrical goods will bow to pressure if you try.
 
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tse_adam

tse_adam

Micra Attitude
i will take it back to my work place and get some IT technicians to take a look at it. they should be able to tell me what to buy and how to fit it etc. god bless IT department. lol

i have sent packard bell a formal letter plus an email regarding this issue but i am not expecting to get much out of it. the thing is this packard bell problem usually starts after 1 year for most of us, and we cant do anything about it after that time. it is quite annoying!

it is good spec for a 2 year old computer, i am hoping the damn PSU is not that PB type andrew was on about.
 

Dragonmaster_uk

K12 NUTTER
if you haven`t sorted anything then if the PSU Doesn`t fit to the motherboard then i`m sure someone will do an adapter to be honest near two years for a psu aint bad i had one blow up after a couple of weeks if you have any more problems just let me know i build computers as a hobbie by the way an can fix most problems
 
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