Please help..i have a problem with my computer. It starts normally and freezes after some time…the time may vary from 2min to 15 min..when I restarts my computer starts but no post beep, nothing on screen. Green light on monitor turns on and turns to amber quickly. Fans are running, couple of small red lights (don’t know what are they ) on mother board are on and dvd drive and cd rewriter drive lights flashes. Seems every thing o.k. but nothing on monitor. It will start normally after 4 to 5 hours if I press the start button again and same freezing problem starts. Tried different cables, with different monitor, changing the motherboard battery but no use. My system runs on XP pro sp2. processor AMD athlon 2200.
any help?

thank you
pkr[SIZE=7]

Do you know what the motherboard is? Brand and model? It would be nice to find out what the lights are. Do you have a motherboard book? When I'm working on a computer, I often sometimes download one if it isn't available from the owner. Red lights doesn't sound good. Are you sure they aren't LED's? Some systems have LED's for POST codes, which can be very useful if you can decode them.

It sounds like either a heat or power supply problem. Are all your fans running?

Here's a bit of info on your motherboard: there is a VIA Hardware Utility that comes on disk with the motherboard. If you install it, it will pop up warnings or sound alarms when an abnormal condition occurs. It monitors the system for overheating; it monitors the core voltages; fan speed and failure. I'd recommend that you install it if possible.

Doesn't sound like a virus. Sounds like a heat problem, possibly in the power supply.

With computer already off , take off the side cover plate , locate your CPU and its cooling fan. Power computer on watch to see if CPU cooling fan is running. If it is ensure that it is not stopping or running in a ragged fashion. While not a common problem CPU fan failure does occur often enough to make this check mandatory in troubleshooting.

This would explain why your PC is shutting down. Your motherboard may have a CPU heat protection device. This is just one othe could be problems but the cheapest to remedy.

Dear pkr,

I have had the same problem several times. If you get nothing on the screen but the computer seems to be running correctly. It is definitely your video card. Either it died or the seating needs to be checked.

Have you added anything to your computer?

Have you moved your computer?

Have you cleaned your computer lately?

How old is your vid card?

Did you build the computer?

Also, when you check the seating of the vid card, please check the seating of all the rest of your devices.

Let us know if this helps,

Junkdk

hi all
thank you.sorry for late reply. gone on holiday. i almost given up.tryed to clean heat sink and cleaned and put some heatsink grease. detached and put together all removable parts as i can.but nothing changed except same reaccuring problem.

i will try to change the video card.

Dear pkr,

This could also be a memory problem but usually it would not even start. Re-seat everything and see. This sounds like a connection problem. If you have ready parts handy I would change out the vid card and memory. Not at the same time though. At one time I did have a memory problem that was close to what you are saying. More times is was bad seating on the vid card. Best to check all.

If you do find a bad memory module, Windows has a free mem check available at their website. Down load it to a 3.5 floppy and follow instructions. Its easy.

Thanks,

Junkdk

I had a problem like this with a Gateway. It had the same symptom. I changed everything.....CPU, memory, video, power supply, etc... It also has a VIA chip set. After three months I have concluded it was a series of capacitors (C404, C405, C406). They showed psychical signs of damage. The tops were bowed up. They also made a shrill sound when the computer locked up. If you have remove the fan from the processor be sure to clean and reapply thermal paste to the CPU/fan Assembly.

acklan