Hardware - Thoughts on an uhh-ohh of a problem...

Author

Thoughts on an uhh-ohh of a problem...

ChrisDfer

2005-03-06, 4:13 pm

Some loony-toon picked up one of my computer systems and threw it on the ground. I do not mean drop, I mean threw it straight into the ground. Lucky for me the thing was off at the time and the hard drives appear to be fine(for now). However, the rest seems to be shot. I did the normal troubleshooting steps, pulled everything out and put it all back together with all the kings men, but we still couldn't put humpty dumpty back together again. Ok anyways... Like I said I took it all apart and put everything back together, but it was a no go. The PS turns on, but I do not get any beeps or video.

There also does not appear to be any VISIBLE damage to any of the components. So any suggestions? I suppose I could do the whole thing of swapping in a known good mobo, but blah, same with the processor... I do not have lying around. Any thoughts?

*does anyone know of a good hitman? I was gonna just with a good lawyer but that seemed too harsh.

curiousgeorge

2005-03-06, 8:06 pm

If you aren't getting any POST error beeps, my guess would be the mobo.

btw, I hope I never work where you do.

darthfeces

2005-03-07, 12:31 pm

hmmmm

THAT doesn't seem to be acceptable use !!!

ChrisDfer

2005-03-07, 2:37 pm

quote:
Originally posted by curiousgeorge
If you aren't getting any POST error beeps, my guess would be the mobo.

btw, I hope I never work where you do.

Yeah

kind of sucks. hehehe work? hah this my 26 year brother who did it to MY computer. Drunken fool was upset because I wouldn't let him drive with his kids in the car. I told him if he wanted to kill himself he could, but I wasn't gonna let him kill his family too. I suppose no good deed goes unpunished(btw: I wasn't drunk, I do not drink. I was watching his kids for the night)

Anyways, I am pretty sure the mobo is toast.. but I hoping maybe some guru PC witch doctors knew some little chant I say to bring it back to life. Other than "I'd like to buy a motherboard".... It is funny because I an old celeron 500mhz that he has tossed around before too(in somewhat similar situations) yet that thing keeps on ticking.

TheShadow

2005-03-07, 6:36 pm

My guess you have a busted "via" hole etch broken where the brass standoffs hold the motherboard up. Probably on the heavy end of the board, i.e. CPU/heatsink/fan. Via etchs are inside the laminate so your chances of fixing it are really slim and none. Alternately look at the on board power supply for the CPU for a cracked toroidal inductor (donut shape with copper wire). They break easy from stress shock but are easy to replace, same size donut and same number of turns of wire normally work. Finally Capacitors also pop from vertical shock on old motherboards, touch them all and see if they move just a bit too easily.

Chris you seem much better now, too bad it is your brothers turn. All you can do is be a good uncle.

ChrisDfer

2005-03-07, 8:46 pm

quote:
Originally posted by TheShadow

Chris you seem much better now, too bad it is your brothers turn.

ummm... lol trying to figure that one out.

Rusty Tyson

2005-03-13, 5:49 pm

Chris - I was sorry to hear that you had this experience. Many years ago, when I was buying a 1983 (year) Kaypro 4 computer the salesperson assured me he "could drop [my] computer from the top of a three story building, and it would still work!" I assured him that I trusted him implicitly, but would prefer to watch him drop his own computer from the top of that three-story building if he felt that he really needed to make that point. (The video now is haywire, and I'm only a little bit tempted to drop it from the top of a 3-story building, but why mistreat a machine still running the CP/M o/s.) I'll keep my eyes open for some old MBs. Could you fill us in a little better on what you have now so I can find something close to what you might need? I'd probably give it to you gratis; you'd just have to decide whether the shipping on it would be affordable for you to undertake this experimentation. Good luck.

metroidboy

2005-04-18, 8:38 pm

I know a way how to get your old mobo up and running, follow these instructions carefully: (1)You new the mobo in whatever shape, (2)you need your drunken brother to be there, (3)you need him to be wasted.

When he's wasted sleeping on the floor bash the mobo as hard as you can on his head. The blood running from his skull with suffice redemption to the computer god 'ASUS'. Chat these words: 'hheeeee ummmm, heeee ummmm, repair my mobooo mighty ASUS god of the mobos. I give ye the blood of a sinner drunken with foolish wine, heeee hummmmmmmm.

Or just buy a new one

J/K about smashing your brothers headin.

enforcer

2005-05-26, 6:21 am

quote:
Originally posted by ChrisDfer
ummm... lol trying to figure that one out.

Think he's reffering to your mad rants on here a little while ago.

yanqui

2005-05-26, 11:02 am

To your credit, you did the right thing even though it cost you dearly. Everything he damaged can be replaced.

BTW, if, as you said, this is not the first time something like this has happened, it may be wise to restrict or limit his access to your electronics. LIke maybe not let him in the house? I have very little tolerance for people who think drunkenness is an excuse for bad behavior, and I have zero tolerance for people who think alcohol and kids belong in the same time frame, in any form. That is, if alcohol is still in his bloodstream, he needs to be away from his kids until that situation changes.

Try ebay or some swap shop online (surely there are some somewhere) for your mobo, and tell your brother you love him and his family but if doing him favors like babysitting means you have to watch him destroy your stuff and endanger his kids, you won't do it anymore, he'll have to find someone else to enable his destructive behavior.

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