Packard Bell computer driving me crazy!!!! Help!

Dave Headley · 2011-09-28T21:24:34+00:00

I know this is OT for the DIYers but there's some brilliant computer gurus in there and I need all the help I can get as I'm losing my hair on this one.Right, a friend rang me to say that there had been a burning smell from the computer (Packard Bell iMedia X2416 running Windows Vista). When I got it there were no signs of life whatsoever - no fans or drives spinning, no BIOS beeps, nothing. Previous experience led me to think the PSU had died but it tested OK with all voltages being within range. As a 'belt and braces' test I also put it into my own machine and it did indeed power up my computer and worked well. I also tried a known good PSU in his machine but still no life there at all.Next I took his RAM, put it in my machine, and ran Memtest86+. I let it complete one pass and there were no errors, so I let it continue to run (actually left it running overnight with no errors) while I hooked his hard drive to another spare computer I have here. It booted OK but of course it didn't have my motherboard (or any other) drivers installed so it complained about that but it did spin up and boot, so that's OK.So now it's either motherboard or processor and from what I know, processors very rarely give any trouble, so I plumped for a faulty motherboard. I found one available on Ebay, used but tested and with warranty (it's a MCP73PVT-PM by the way) so I got it.I put it all together on the bench, powered up, and we now have signs of life - but it's now in a BSOD loop. It POSTs OK and it gives one BIOS beep as it normally would but then blue screens and reboots ad infinitum, with an odd different BSOD thrown in for good measure. I sent that mobo back under warranty and got another one, but this one also displays EXACTLY the same symptoms, leading me to believe that the first mobo I got from him wasn't actually faulty after all.That would imply that it's the CPU at fault but I don't have a spare Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 lying around to test it with, and the cheapest I can...

Sep 28, 2011 44 Replies

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Jules Richardson 14 years ago

But furniture is just something you have in the home, and generally isn't physically attached to it - so presumably falls foul of the same rules which prohibit mention on this group of building/maintaining computers without professional help.

;-)

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John Rumm 14 years ago

I can go change the FAQ if you want ;-)

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Jules Richardson 14 years ago

Well, you could add suggested guidelines for recommended volume of posts on specific topics per month... ;-)

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John Rumm 14 years ago

Can you imagine the arguments about post quota!

We would need a WT: prefix for "Wrong Title" - i.e. we have our quota of plumbing posts this month, so I have titled my "how do I change a tap" post as "WT: making a mortice and tenon joint" ;-)

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Mark 14 years ago

Ah, a "know-it-all". FYI the messages are not always the same. SOME messages can help and some are of little use at all.

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