Pesky PC - random shutdowns *shakes fist* - wha'gwan?

[editor]

Naturally, with the tax return deadline looming my desktop PC has decided to go for the lolz,

Problem: machine just turned off mid-session while doing nothing particularly taxing. No blue screen - it just shuts down.

Checked the fans - all working - and reseated the RAM after getting six bleeps in a row during the second melt down (it's a Dell desktop).

It's happened three times in 20 mins - *edit: make that four as it's just gone again. Same thing: screens go off, fans get a bit lively and then after a minute I hear six bleeps in a row.

I think it's unlikely to be the power supply as both monitors go blank first with the fans still blowing and then the system powers down.

So I'm thinking it must be the video card/drivers or the motherboard, both of which are a mighty pain in the arse.

Any ideas urban? Halp!

 

[editor]

I'm looking at online help sites now and one -sobs- suggests that the six beep problem is a keyboard module problem - i.e. the motherboard is fucked.

Excuse me while I go off for a little sob somewhere.

 

[EastEnder]

Unlikely to be drivers or s/ware, sounds like h/ware dying. RAM is less likely to die than the video card. I'd suggest trying a different video card if you have one to hand.

 

[bi0boy]

Can't you look up the definitive beep code meaning in the mobo manual?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Sounds like you need a mac.






*runs*

 

[editor]

The beep code doesn't occur when the machine is started up (which it manages to do for a while). The beeps only happen after the screens go off, the fans go a bit crazy (like the machine is about to go into hibernation) and the machine turns off and then starts up again.

 

[editor]

Sounds like you need a mac.






*runs*

Just fuck off please.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

srsly, without knowing what dell model, can't give a definitive answer, as different models may use different beep codes

This (Dell support / manuals) should have more.

 

[Ax^]

Sounds like you need a mac.






*runs*

*shakes fist at sky*

 

[joustmaster]

Boot in to the Dell Diagnostic thing, and run the tests

 

[Ax^]

By chance do you got a programme installed to monitor fan speeds and temperatures


If not go for a quick shareware option and see if its spiking as that could be a nasty problem..

 

[twentythreedom]

Turn it off then on again, again

 

[editor]

Can't you look up the definitive beep code meaning in the mobo manual?

I'm not entirely sure what the motherboard is. Let me see if I can check before it bombs again.

It has to be said that this machine has been absolutely *hammered* over the years so it won't come as a total surprise if it is borked.

Right - it looks like it is the keyboard controller - I swapped the keyboard and put it into a different USB port and the machine added drivers and then 'lost' it, found it again and then it stopped working before the thing crashed again.

Ah fuck. I may as well get a new PC if the motherboard's fucked.

 

[editor]

My first thought was that it may be temperature related, but all the fans are whizzing away and I've got the side of the case off, and it's not particularly hot.

 

[bi0boy]

PS2?

 

[editor]

PS2?

I thought of that but one website said that it made no difference - it's the actual keyboard controller on the motherboard, not the interface.

But if I can find an old PS2 keyboard I'll give it a go.

 

[Ax^]

More likely memory failure

*shrugs*

 

[editor]

More likely memory failure

*shrugs*

Why the shrug? Everywhere I've seen says it's keyboard related, but if you've got any links to suggest otherwise, I'd love to see them.

 

[twentythreedom]

turn it off, then on again, again, then turn it off, then on again.

FFS Ax, you sort it out you slacker

 

[editor]

Now the screen has turned off again, but the machine is staying on with the fans on full blast. I'd just started it up so there was nothing in particular running. Most odd.

 

[editor]

Turn it off then on again, again

It's doing that all on its own accord. About ten times now.

 

[joustmaster]

I'm not entirely sure what the motherboard is. Let me see if I can check before it bombs again.

its the model of the PC, not the motherboard, that was needed to look up the beep codes.

 

[Quartz]

My first thought was that it may be temperature related, but all the fans are whizzing away and I've got the side of the case off,

That's not necessarily a good idea: by leaving the side off you're preventing air flowing through the case.

A long shot, but how long has the CPU cooler been in place? The thermal compound can dry out after some years.

 

[de_dog]

maybe to confirm your keyboard fail; Can you access the BIOS (prolly F12 or Del) at power on.

There is usually a 'Halt On Keyboard Error' option in there somewhere.
If the BIOS reports the problem and halts after you reboot then you know it's 'really' a hardware thing.

 

[editor]

The motherboard is an Intel r849j, and the machine is (was?!) a Dell Studio XPS 435 MT.

 

[de_dog]

Mac? *runs*? wouldn't that be *crawls*?

 

[de_dog]

My XPS13 fried itself and died not long ago too,

*Orders Raspberry Pi*

 

[editor]

maybe to confirm your keyboard fail; Can you access the BIOS (prolly F12 or Del) at power on.

There is usually a 'Halt On Keyboard Error' option in there somewhere.
If the BIOS reports the problem and halts after you reboot then you know it's 'really' a hardware thing.

The BIOS is set to report Keyboard Errors (there's no option to halt on keyboard entry).

 

[de_dog]

Good Luck; Hope you don't get lumbered with Windows 8 on the new one.

 

[editor]

I'll probably get Windows 8 as there's a couple of handy new features in there and I've looked up ways to get it to look the way I want it to.