System stalling

ming

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Joined
17 Jun 2003
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Hi people.

Just got back from holiday in Malaysia. yay! :laugh: :squareeye

Got a problem that I need a bit of help with. My old PC (which I gave to the family to use) seems to keep stalling after opening of the internet browser. At first, I thought it might be the gfx card coz the screen goes blank with a message saying 'no input source' or 'input signal out of range' or something similiar to those lines. BUT then I found that the system hangs at random stages including when I'm in the BIOS or when the system is booting Windows. I noticed that when the system hangs inside the BIOS the screen goes all funny with distorted vertical lines.

Does anyone know what the problem might be?
 
It might be the graphics card, although it could also be the graphics card is not getting sufficient voltages. I'd try swapping out the PSU and graphics card if possible :)
 
both is a no no... got nothing to swap with.
if it is the gfx card, what is causing the fault?
 
If it hangs in bios with a scrambled display it is most likely the video card. (No drivers involved while in bios.) The "no video input" is also a video card/cable issue.

-Blow any dust off the video card HSF, and make sure the fan is still working.
-Remove and reseat the video card.
-Unplug the PC to monitor video cable. Check for bent pins and cuts, crimps in the cable. Replug the cable and screw it in securely.
-Ask if anyone might have yanked on the video cable. Cleaning accident, moving things around etc.

If none of that helps and you know that you had an adequate power supply since it was your old system it is most likely the video card.
 
LeeJend, done what you said. No difference. The exact message I get is "Out of scan range... Resolution > XGA"
 
Well, it sounds like you've got a dead/dying graphics card, and that's the end of that. I used to have a similar problem with an old, um, 3dfx Voodoo card. My monitor would work for a little while and then would display the " no input " or whatever it used to say back in 1998.
 
Yeah, looks like the vid card.

Funny about Nick's comment. I have a voodoo 4500 in a backup machine that just started doing the "no video" thing if I boot with the KVM switch looking at a different computer. It looks like my voodoo is finally passing away.
 
ming said:
Hi people.

Just got back from holiday in Malaysia. yay! :laugh: :squareeye

Got a problem that I need a bit of help with. My old PC (which I gave to the family to use) seems to keep stalling after opening of the internet browser. At first, I thought it might be the gfx card coz the screen goes blank with a message saying 'no input source' or 'input signal out of range' or something similiar to those lines. BUT then I found that the system hangs at random stages including when I'm in the BIOS or when the system is booting Windows. I noticed that when the system hangs inside the BIOS the screen goes all funny with distorted vertical lines.

Does anyone know what the problem might be?
hello... Im new and just wanted to say hi.
 
Just tried swapping with friend's gfx card, but still getting same problem. Now I have a feeling it's got something to do with the motherboard or BIOS. Got a message about CMOS error, can't remember what the exact message said.
 
You might need a new CMOS battery. But that should not be causing the error messages you posted. Worst that would do is drop you back to default settings and erase the clock. Unless the MB has built in video, in which case it could be causing a conflict if it turns the on board video back on.

You might also have two different problem which makes trouble shooting tricky. Leave your friends card in until you have this totally sorted out. That will remove the vid card as a potential problem.
 
Saw this once when a monitor cable was bad so if you have another monitor then test that way.

Since it happens with another card it may well be the monitor or the cable.
 
American Zombie said:
Saw this once when a monitor cable was bad so if you have another monitor then test that way.

Since it happens with another card it may well be the monitor or the cable.

The system hangs. No cursor movements if windows manages to stay on-screen, numlock/capslock/scroll lock lights won't flash when tapping keyboard.

LeeJend, I was thinking the same thing about the battery. But isn't that only for the BIOS? Also, I thought that the Bios has no effect on the system once the system starts loading into the OS.
 
ming said:
LeeJend, I was thinking the same thing about the battery. But isn't that only for the BIOS? Also, I thought that the Bios has no effect on the system once the system starts loading into the OS.

On the older MB's if the bios has on board sound/video turned on and there are add in cards with sound or video it can cause a hang while windows is loading drivers.

Boot to bios and disable sound/video. Then boot into safe mode and clean out the video drivers. Then reboot into bios and turn off the video and sound again (in case the battery is dead) now when booting into windows install the drivers for the video card you borrowed.
 
Got a new message today during POST. The system gave two short beeps and an error message saying something like "CMOS/GNPV bad checksum".

What does that mean? I've changed the CMOS battery already and the message shows up on every other boot up of the system.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
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Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
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