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FMluvswater
03-06-2004, 09:45 PM
coming from my puter is likely not a good sign? :confused: :(
Fan(s?) need replaced/repaired/cleaned maybe? My baby is only just over a year old. :( I keep thinking the mantra *please don't let whatever smells like that fry my hard drive*. Advice please? I do know a few guys who could replace the fan for me if that is what is needed. There's a seal on the case to prevent anyone other than the company I got it from working on it during the warranty period (at least I think that is why it's there?) but I'm pretty sure my warranty from where I bought it is already expired anyway. :( Hmmm expired warranty? Law of probability says this dramatically increases the chances of needing repairs, right? :rolleyes: :(

572Daytona
03-06-2004, 10:08 PM
Make sure that the fan in the back is still turning, if not you may be running hotter than you should which will lead to problems. There is also a fan on the CPU which may have quit, if you know how to get into your BIOS (usually F1 or del key during a reboot), sometimes there is a screen that will show the internal temps. In my experience memory is usually the first thing to exhibit problems when temps go up, this would show up as general protection faults or random machine crashes. If you aren't seeing anything like that and scan disk isn't finding bad sectors on your hard drive it may be nothing to worry about it. I have a couple of DVD players that always have that smell and they continue to work.

FryJet
03-06-2004, 10:11 PM
Hose it down. :wink:
F.J.

Infomaniac
03-06-2004, 10:53 PM
Maybe the operator is too hot?
:wink: :wink:

FMluvswater
03-06-2004, 10:57 PM
Originally posted by 572Daytona
Make sure that the fan in the back is still turning, if not you may be running hotter than you should which will lead to problems. There is also a fan on the CPU which may have quit, if you know how to get into your BIOS (usually F1 or del key during a reboot), sometimes there is a screen that will show the internal temps. In my experience memory is usually the first thing to exhibit problems when temps go up, this would show up as general protection faults or random machine crashes. If you aren't seeing anything like that and scan disk isn't finding bad sectors on your hard drive it may be nothing to worry about it. I have a couple of DVD players that always have that smell and they continue to work.
I appreciate your reply 572Daytona, thank-you.
I'm aware it's possible to get into the BIOS ... but the thought of me doing it terrifies me. Only error message I've been getting on restart is something about a failure to find 'bridge.dll' :confused: . Don't know if there are bad sectors on my hard drive or not because Scan Disk has never worked from day one. I load it it says it's working and should only take a few minutes ... four hours later no progress whatsoever ... even with no other programs running.
I've looked at the back of my tower but can't tell if the fan is turning or not - sounds like it is. If I put my palm in front of it there's a draft ... a very warm one ... coming from it.
Don't know if this has any bearing on the sitch but I'm on an AMD Athlon 1800+ running Windows XP Home Edition.
If I uhh get brave and try the BIOS thing how high a temp is something to worry about? Can it be something as simple as dust making it overheat? I so would rather not have to get a fan replaced but I will if it means saving my hard drive.

FMluvswater
03-06-2004, 11:03 PM
Originally posted by Infomaniac
Maybe the operator is too hot?
:wink: :wink:
You just made me smile despite my puter worries. Thanks HON. :cool:

572Daytona
03-06-2004, 11:50 PM
Try downloading and installing Speedfan:
http://www.tucows.com/preview/226226.html
If your motherboard is supported it will give you some information as to the internal temperatures and fan speeds. It sounds like your power supply fan is working if you can feel warm air coming out. I did some searching and you should probably be under 60deg C but I just ran the program and I had one of the sensors reading 77C so maybe I'm running too hot as well.

Scream
03-06-2004, 11:55 PM
FM,
If you think you're out of the warranty stage, you probably are. Open that baby up. You really can't screw too much up in there actually as long as you don't unplug anything you cannot identify.
The smell may be comming from dust heated inside the case and exhausting into your room. Vacuum out the cabinet with a canister vacuum to get the bulk of the cruds out of the cabinet. Dust is conductive and can cause minor to major problems with any computer. You will have dust, but the type of environment you keep your computer in will determine the amount of dust you have. I have mine inside a dest near the ground, it has a huge dust buildup. If it's kept above the ground a bit the dust load will be lower, and thus less maintenance.
A clean puter is a happy puter...
Vacuum what you can and if necessary use compressed air, like the duster cans available everywhere, to get the remnants out of the nooks and crannies. This will go along way to keeping your system runnin happy...

Tom Brown
03-06-2004, 11:57 PM
I've never known an AMD system to run stable over 55C when measured from the socket diode. It's possible because there's such a wide variance in diode calibrations but I'd try to keep it under 55. It will run higher, but I'd be surprised if it will run stable.
I'm with 572D, drape a tissue over the power supply and see if air is moving out of there. If not, you need to replace the PSU fan ASAP.
Those sleeve bearing fans clog up with dust and don't last long.
-- Tom

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 12:01 AM
Originally posted by 572Daytona
Try downloading and installing Speedfan:
http://www.tucows.com/preview/226226.html
If your motherboard is supported it will give you some information as to the internal temperatures and fan speeds. It sounds like your power supply fan is working if you can feel warm air coming out. I did some searching and you should probably be under 60deg C but I just ran the program and I had one of the sensors reading 77C so maybe I'm running too hot as well.
Okay thank-you. I downloaded it, installed it, ran it and this is the result I got
http://img19.photobucket.com/albums/v56/FMluvswaterbabe/speedfancapture.gif
... and I have no idea what it means.

Tom Brown
03-07-2004, 12:06 AM
That looks OK but I'd be concerned about the HDD temp. You should try to keep it under 40C. Maybe ether the PSU or case fan has stopped functioning.

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 12:08 AM
Originally posted by Tom Brown
drape a tissue over the power supply and see if air is moving out of there. If not, you need to replace the PSU fan ASAP.
Those sleeve bearing fans clog up with dust and don't last long.
-- Tom
Tissue moved. Air flowing. Didn't know to check like that. :o
What is a sleeve bearing fan? :confused:

Tom Brown
03-07-2004, 12:09 AM
Check the case fan too. That HDD temp seems too high to be normal.

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 12:13 AM
Originally posted by Scream
FM,
If you think you're out of the warranty stage, you probably are. Open that baby up. You really can't screw too much up in there actually as long as you don't unplug anything you cannot identify.
The smell may be comming from dust heated inside the case and exhausting into your room. Vacuum out the cabinet with a canister vacuum to get the bulk of the cruds out of the cabinet. Dust is conductive and can cause minor to major problems with any computer. You will have dust, but the type of environment you keep your computer in will determine the amount of dust you have. I have mine inside a dest near the ground, it has a huge dust buildup. If it's kept above the ground a bit the dust load will be lower, and thus less maintenance.
A clean puter is a happy puter...
Vacuum what you can and if necessary use compressed air, like the duster cans available everywhere, to get the remnants out of the nooks and crannies. This will go along way to keeping your system runnin happy...
Thanks for that advice Scream. I will try the vaccuuming thing ... perhaps not tonight but I'll give it a go tomorrow. Any suggests what to put my tower on? It is currently directly on the floor (tiles not carpeting).

572Daytona
03-07-2004, 12:16 AM
Compared to mine FM's looks pretty good. I may have to reboot and check my BIOS readings, maybe the program isn't that accurate.
http://www.carlsonspeed.com/~daytona/speedfan.gif

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 12:16 AM
Originally posted by Tom Brown
Check the case fan too. That HDD temp seems too high to be normal.
I don't know where the case fan is located but the sides of the tower feel toasty warm. :( Thought it was supposed to feel slightly cool to the touch.

Tom Brown
03-07-2004, 12:17 AM
When you have it apart and on the desk, turn it on for a few moments. Look to make sure all the fans spin properly.
Vaccuuming out a system is always a good idea. I'm with Scream on that.

572Daytona
03-07-2004, 12:19 AM
I don't like what it is showing for the negative voltages on FM's either. That can't be right.

Tom Brown
03-07-2004, 12:19 AM
Holy ****, 572D! That has to be a P4. I can't imagine any other CPU still running at that temp.
The programs all have the same accuracy as they all take their info from the same registers.

Tom Brown
03-07-2004, 12:21 AM
Originally posted by 572Daytona
I don't like what it is showing for the negative voltages on FM's either. That can't be right.
That's pretty normal. Most programs, including MBM, don't know the correct divisors for those voltages on every board. Those aren't used on the system board anyway.
I find her 1.5v vCore more interesting. That 1800+ must be a TBred core.

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 12:23 AM
I have never opened up a computer before. I have seen my ex do so countless times and paid some attention. He was always taking precautions against static transferring from himself to the puters innards; is this a consideration if I won't be handling the hard drive? :confused:

Tom Brown
03-07-2004, 12:27 AM
I wouldn't worry about static if you are just going to vacuum it out and look at the fans. I've found the long brush works great for most of it and, of course, the crevice tool is always useful. You've probably got the crevice tool mounted on your hose right now.

572Daytona
03-07-2004, 12:34 AM
Originally posted by Tom Brown
Holy ****, 572D! That has to be a P4. I can't imagine any other CPU still running at that temp.
The programs all have the same accuracy as they all take their info from the same registers.
Well it is a P4 but I just checked the BIOS and it is only showing 2 temps CHA=38 and CPU=46.

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 12:37 AM
Thanks Tom. :) I just hope I don't wreck my puter trying to get it opened up. I have a screwdriver. :) If the screws are in too tight that may not do me any good; weak wrists. :o I do not want to call my ex and ask him to do this for me - I just really don't. I'll deal with it tomorrow.
Thanks for the help 572D, Scream and Tom. :cool:

Jungle Boy
03-07-2004, 05:57 AM
Where do you guys learn all this stuff.??:eek: :eek: I just turn it on and if it goes bad from there I hit it a few times. Just before Christmass, it was getting real bad and I was still half gunned up from the night before and I threw the whole tower out the bedroom window when it wouldn't turn on. You might say the ole lady was a little upset over this. I brushed my teeth and got dressed and went down stairs to get in my truck to buy a new computer. It was then I noticed that my snowmobile had been ripped off that night. It was a very expensive day.
FMl - how high up do you live.:D :D Lot of satisfaction in tossing shit out a window.:cool:

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 10:14 AM
Originally posted by Jungle Boy
Where do you guys learn all this stuff.?? I just turn it on and if it goes bad from there I hit it a few times. Just before Christmass, it was getting real bad and I was still half gunned up from the night before and I threw the whole tower out the bedroom window when it wouldn't turn on. You might say the ole lady was a little upset over this. I brushed my teeth and got dressed and went down stairs to get in my truck to buy a new computer. It was then I noticed that my snowmobile had been ripped off that night. It was a very expensive day.
FMl - how high up do you live. Lot of satisfaction in tossing shit out a window.
LMAO! :D I treasure my puter too much to abuse it on purpose. :o
Ground floor JB. :) So see? It wouldn't really be of SCTV satisfaction (I used to love watching the opening with all those tv's being tossed out the window! :D ) anyway. :)
Now about this opening up my puter myself ...
I'm faced with a dilemma (I think? :confused: ) I'm perhaps being overly cautious. I got up today thinking about opening it up to vaccuum it and check the fans and I decided to seek out my invoice to double check about the warranty period. Unless I'm misunderstanding the warranty, I should still be covered for maintenance services for two more years yet by the company as long as the seal is intact (which it is so far). Y or N? :confused:
Here's the relevant parts of the warranty ...
Date: February 28th, 2003. Important warranty information: One year on computer systems and oem parts, except oem cpus which come with 14 days warranty ... Vanco Computers Inc. computer systems have 3 yr. labor warranty. Warranty void if Vanco Seal is broken. *The warranty will not cover consumables, software and installation, unauthorised maintenance and damage results from improper operation, firmware update, virus contact, accidental hit or drop or natural disaster ... invoice required for warranty services.
So now I don't know if I should break the seal and do the vaccuuming/fan testing myself or not. :confused: The company is not open today. :(

Keithb87
03-07-2004, 10:22 AM
Get a can of air, stick the straw in the moving fan, and spray.... this way you don't break the seal, and you can see from the cloud of dust just how much dirt is in there....
(don't forget to take the straw out ) :D
Then call the manufacturer tommorow and ask them if you are still covered.
:D

FMluvswater
03-07-2004, 10:25 AM
Originally posted by Keithb87
Get a can of air, stick the straw in the moving fan, and spray.... this way you don't break the seal, and you can see from the cloud of dust just how much dirt is in there....
(don't forget to take the straw out ) :D
Then call the manufacturer tommorow and ask them if you are still covered.
:D
Riiiiggghhhttt!!! :D Thanks Keithy. ;)

Scream
03-08-2004, 07:59 AM
FML
Your warranty seems a bit confusing, however if I'm reading it right, your 1 year is up for parts/labor and your labor only is in effect. Not too bad, really. It's usually the labor that's expensive to begin with.
Contact your manufacturer or retailer to determine the actual warranty questions. Don't forget to get the persons name when jotting down the info, you know, evidence for later use.
I'd hold off on stirring up that dust inside while still closed up...Dust has a habbit of getting everywhere you don't want it to be, including inside your drive bays. It goes in easier than it comes out. Dust inside a cd drive can ruin your whole day.
As for answering Jungle Boy's question. I learned my puter skills in my garage. I started messin with them from the Comador Pet days, when you had to program your own programs every time you wanted to do anything with the computer, then if you shut it off, you lost all your programing and had to start over...
That and I have killed my fair share of computers over the years and have had to fix my F___ups, so that's why I don't have a problem opening up a box and taking a look, changing parts, etc.

FMluvswater
03-08-2004, 10:21 AM
Originally posted by Scream
FML
Your warranty seems a bit confusing, however if I'm reading it right, your 1 year is up for parts/labor and your labor only is in effect. Not too bad, really. It's usually the labor that's expensive to begin with.
Contact your manufacturer or retailer to determine the actual warranty questions. Don't forget to get the persons name when jotting down the info, you know, evidence for later use.
I'd hold off on stirring up that dust inside while still closed up...Dust has a habbit of getting everywhere you don't want it to be, including inside your drive bays. It goes in easier than it comes out. Dust inside a cd drive can ruin your whole day.
Thanks for the good advice Scream. It's okay I didn't disturb the dust inside my computer. ;) I just got off the phone with the company. My puter is going to the shop for maintenance. They are picking it up between noon and 2 today and charging me $25 bucks for pick-up/delivery. I will get it back on Wednesday (hopefully he means Wednesday and not someday - I've heard horror stories. :eek: !). So looks like I'll be MIA around here at least until Wednesday. :( I'll be missing this place.

Tom Brown
03-08-2004, 02:06 PM
I hope my technicians don't read your post, Scream. They might try to tell me they don't want to clean out a server because they don't want to disturb the dust. Of course, I'd kick their ass... :D

Scream
03-08-2004, 05:37 PM
Originally posted by Tom Brown
I hope my technicians don't read your post, Scream. They might try to tell me they don't want to clean out a server because they don't want to disturb the dust. Of course, I'd kick their ass... :D
I mean't without opening up the case of course...
I wasted a perfectly good 3.5 and 5.25 floppy drive once because I did just that, stuck the nozle of the "air in a can" in the box and started a blowin like a gardner gone bad...What a smell those things make when they fry.

FMluvswater
03-10-2004, 04:31 PM
So it turns out my power supply was kaput and the repair dude told me if I'd waited much longer I could have lost my whole system. Power supply has been replaced and check out new Speed Fan result ...
http://img19.photobucket.com/albums/v56/FMluvswaterbabe/speedfancapture2.gif
:cool: I'm happy. :D

Scream
03-10-2004, 06:28 PM
Good Deal! Back to life.

FMluvswater
03-10-2004, 06:57 PM
Originally posted by Scream
Good Deal! Back to life.
Back to reality .... bytes? ;) :D
Thanks again for all the help guys. :cool: