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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: DGuller on June 25, 2009, 04:39:39 PM

Title: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: DGuller on June 25, 2009, 04:39:39 PM
Just one day before I was to order a new computer, my old one decides to crap out.  Basically, the Windows XP doesn't load normally.  Right now my computer just keeps restarting during the loading process. 

I can start it in Safe Mode with Networking, and that's how I can post this.  However, I also noticed that my monitor is flickering really badly all the time.

Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what the problem could be?  My guess is that it has to be either video card or motherboard, but I'm not sure.  Given that flickering appeared at the same time that this problem did, and is present even before Windows loads up, it has to be a hardware problem, right?
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: PDH on June 25, 2009, 04:50:05 PM
Ice cream.  Your computer is out of ice cream. It is best to put it directly on the motherboard.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Cerr on June 25, 2009, 04:51:54 PM
Do you have any Linux live boot CDs? If you do, you should try booting into linux with it and see what happens.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: DGuller on June 25, 2009, 04:57:12 PM
No, I don't have any kind of boot CDs.

Breaking news: the picture on my monitor has almost completely broken up.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Liep on June 25, 2009, 05:00:38 PM
Graphics card. My monitor went crap on me at somepoint two years ago, so I tried changing the gfx card and it worked. It was on Linux though, so can't say anything about the windows boot issue.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Caliga on June 25, 2009, 05:40:12 PM
Video card.  Princesca's card died just last week and the symptoms were very similar to what you describe.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: DontSayBanana on June 25, 2009, 05:54:10 PM
Video card, most likely. What kind of video card? Low-performance/low-heat or a needs-to-be-cooled performance monster?
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Grey Fox on June 25, 2009, 06:35:08 PM
Your video card is pulling a Jackson.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Barrister on June 25, 2009, 06:37:58 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 25, 2009, 06:35:08 PM
Your video card is pulling a Jackson.

:pinch:

Too soon.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Darth Wagtaros on June 25, 2009, 06:38:42 PM
Just order a new PC and have it rush delivered. 
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Scipio on June 25, 2009, 07:22:20 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 25, 2009, 06:37:58 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 25, 2009, 06:35:08 PM
Your video card is pulling a Jackson.

:pinch:

Too soon.
It McMahoned.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: DGuller on June 25, 2009, 07:34:58 PM
Video card it was.  I remembered that I had an old one lying around, the crap one that came with the PC.  As I took out the current video card from my PC, I saw that three of the cylinders (capacitors?) popped open.  I guess that would do it.

Man, what a day, first it's Farrah Fawcett, then Michael Jackson, and now my video card.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: DontSayBanana on June 25, 2009, 08:34:39 PM
Quote from: DGuller on June 25, 2009, 07:34:58 PM
Video card it was.  I remembered that I had an old one lying around, the crap one that came with the PC.  As I took out the current video card from my PC, I saw that three of the cylinders (capacitors?) popped open.  I guess that would do it.

Man, what a day, first it's Farrah Fawcett, then Michael Jackson, and now my video card.

Big fat ones sticking out of the board? Yeah, those would be capacitors. Resistors are the smaller ones that are flush with the board and have a couple of little stripes painted on 'em.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 25, 2009, 11:51:04 PM
I'd just like to briefly hijack this thread to mention I just pre-ordered Windows 7 from Amazon for $50 :punk:
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 12:05:48 AM
Quote from: derspiess on June 25, 2009, 11:51:04 PM
I'd just like to briefly hijack this thread to mention I just pre-ordered Windows 7 from Amazon for $50 :punk:

I'll hijack your hijack and point out that I'm going to buy Snow Leopard (aka OS X 10.6) for $29 in September. :yeah:

Thats right - a month sooner and almost half the cost of your pre-order. :yeah:
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: DGuller on June 26, 2009, 12:09:05 AM
And I'd like to hijack my own thread to point out that I'll get my Windows 7 upgrade for free.  That is if I manage to find a replacement for the desktop I had in sights for a while, and which suddenly isn't available anymore.  :ultra:
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Alatriste on June 26, 2009, 02:34:42 AM
I'm going to hijack this thread to point out that new operating systems when released shoud be systematic, shoud be operative, and should be new.

Yeah, I'm embittered. Blame Vista.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Monoriu on June 26, 2009, 02:45:26 AM
When I first heard of Microsoft, I thought it was the perfect candidate to take over the world. 
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Alatriste on June 26, 2009, 04:28:06 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on June 26, 2009, 02:45:26 AM
When I first heard of Microsoft, I thought it was the perfect candidate to take over the world.

So true... eat your heart out, Skynet! Who needs nuclear Armageddon and terminator robots when you can kill every PC, every commmunications network, every factory, every traffic light, every phone all over the world just pushing one button?
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Brazen on June 26, 2009, 04:47:33 AM
It heard you were dumping it for a younger model and committed suicide :(
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 09:09:51 AM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 12:05:48 AM
[I'll hijack your hijack and point out that I'm going to buy Snow Leopard (aka OS X 10.6) for $29 in September. :yeah:

Thats right - a month sooner and almost half the cost of your pre-order. :yeah:

:yawn: I forgot how willing you Mactards are to pay for service packs.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 09:13:10 AM
Quote from: Alatriste on June 26, 2009, 02:34:42 AM
I'm going to hijack this thread to point out that new operating systems when released shoud be systematic, shoud be operative, and should be new.

Yeah, I'm embittered. Blame Vista.

The Win7 release candidate runs like a champ.  Hell, the beta ran great on an outdated, low spec machine.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 01:00:08 PM
Quote from: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 09:09:51 AM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 12:05:48 AM
[I'll hijack your hijack and point out that I'm going to buy Snow Leopard (aka OS X 10.6) for $29 in September. :yeah:

Thats right - a month sooner and almost half the cost of your pre-order. :yeah:

:yawn: I forgot how willing you Mactards are to pay for service packs.

:rolleyes:

The exact same complaint could be made about Win 7, which is just an incremental upgrade over Vista.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 01:49:12 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 01:00:08 PM
The exact same complaint could be made about Win 7, which is just an incremental upgrade over Vista.

You obviously haven't used Win7 :contract:
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 01:56:41 PM
Quote from: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 01:49:12 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 01:00:08 PM
The exact same complaint could be made about Win 7, which is just an incremental upgrade over Vista.

You obviously haven't used Win7 :contract:

:rolleyes:

You really want to play this game?

Okay then...

You obviously haven't used Snow Leopard.  Or regular Leopard for that matter.

On the other hand while I haven't used Win 7, I have read about it.  It has gotten decent press, but everything I've raid has said it is nothing but an incremental upgrade on Vista - it's just an optimized Vista.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.  I'll consider getting Win 7, for either my Mac Pro or my POS Dell laptop (I'm hoping that next year, when it's 3 years old, I can justify getting a MacBook), because of those generally positive reviews and because I like playing around with OSes.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 02:11:09 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 01:56:41 PM
You really want to play this game?

I have used Leopard, yes.  Have you used Snow Leopard?  :huh:

Anywho, it doesn't take a genius to figure than upgrading from 10.5 to 10.6 is a bit less momentous than installing a brand new OS.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 02:16:50 PM
Quote from: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 02:11:09 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 01:56:41 PM
You really want to play this game?

I have used Leopard, yes.  Have you used Snow Leopard?  :huh:

Anywho, it doesn't take a genius to figure than upgrading from 10.5 to 10.6 is a bit less momentous than installing a brand new OS.

:rolleyes:

And no, I haven't used Snow Leopard.  But neither have you.

That's just Apple's nomenclature.  They really like the name OS X so each upgrade since then has been a point upgrade, but the changes between 10.0 to 10.6 have been enormous.  For starters they've transitioned entirely from PPC to Intel chips.  I didn't use the older versions of OS X, but from screen shots they look entirely different.

Besides, apparently the kernel for Win 7 is actually only version 6.1 - sounds like an upgrade to me.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Ed Anger on June 26, 2009, 02:29:08 PM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg43.imageshack.us%2Fimg43%2F397%2Fyouroperatingsystemsuck.jpg&hash=e65d65f1921b2dd8e46e6ffb99cba8afd0e6f15c)
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 02:40:32 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 02:16:50 PM
And no, I haven't used Snow Leopard. 

Then hush until you have a chance to compare the two :P
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Ed Anger on June 26, 2009, 02:42:30 PM
Quote from: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 02:40:32 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 02:16:50 PM
And no, I haven't used Snow Leopard. 

Then hush until you have a chance to compare the two :P

Problem is, he can't. Steve Jobs needs the cash to pay for his new liver.
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Ed Anger on June 26, 2009, 02:50:08 PM
Also Beeb,

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg5.imageshack.us%2Fimg5%2F7356%2Fcatwatermelonlake.jpg&hash=c8d60daedc306473e9b78b368c2d459ccef2c6ae)
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 03:20:59 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on June 26, 2009, 02:42:30 PM
Quote from: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 02:40:32 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 02:16:50 PM
And no, I haven't used Snow Leopard. 

Then hush until you have a chance to compare the two :P

Problem is, he can't. Steve Jobs needs the cash to pay for his new liver.

My $29 isn't going to go very far then :(
Title: Re: Computer geeks, I need your help
Post by: derspiess on June 26, 2009, 03:36:56 PM
Quote from: Barrister on June 26, 2009, 03:20:59 PM
My $29 isn't going to go very far then :(

Combined with the $29 from all the other iLemmings, it'll add up.  Kinda like how those $10 iPod firmware upgrade fees add up.

I will admit that I'm sorta/kinda/almost missing that 8gb iPod Touch I used to have-- it was a mediocre mp3 player but a very capable internet device.  I need to resist temptation to buy another until September, when the Zune HD comes out.