Help! Several things going wrong with desktop,one after the other

krishna · 23 June 2011 at 3:24PM

It started with a problem with the graphics card (screen kept blanking out, etc.), so I removed the card and just use the integrated graphics card. Things settled down for a few weeks. Then yesterday the computer wouldn't switch on. Power was getting through (small light appeared on motherboard), but it seemed like the switch wasn't working. Got home today and it appears to have switched itself on, but the mouse and keyboard wouldn't work properly (mouse moved, but buttons didn't do anything, and keyboard gave no response). Switching off and on a few times seemed to resolve that problem - I had already checked they were plugged in properly. Now there is no ethernet connection. I don't use wireless. The cable is fine and my laptop works off it fine. I am sure that there used to be a light come on when the network cable was plugged into the back of the PC, but doesn't seem to be doing this at the moment.

Is this a sign the the computer is on its way out? Could all these problems be connected in anyway?

Virus checker installed and up-to-date (Eset/NOD-32) and other checks were run when I had problems with the graphics card. The computer is old-ish; a Dell Dimension 4600i from 2004, running XP Pro SP3.

gonzo127 · 23 June 2011 at 3:39PM

quick check

download and burn off one of the versions of linux either CD or usb, CD is probably the best due to older motherboards not always supporting booting from USB drive, although please note the USB drive will give a faster experience.

one of these would be my initial recomendation
Ubuntu
Linux Mint
Puppy Linux

and then boot into livecd mode ('try ubuntu' etc) this basically runs the entire operating system from the CD and your systems RAM - as pointed out about it will not be 'fast'.

however what it will do is show you if your hardware is faulty or if its your software. because if everything works - ethernet, mouse, keyboard, then you can be pretty sure that the hardware is fine and that its windows that has become screwy

krishna · 23 June 2011 at 4:22PM

I downloaded the ISO of Puppy Linux and used ImgBurn to burn it to CD (it's actually a CDRW). But computer won't boot from it. Tried restarting, tried disabling HD boot, but if I do that it just won't boot. The BIOS settings do indicate that I can boot from USB but as far as I can work out you need to boot from the Puppy Linux CD before you can prepare USB boot.

krishna · 23 June 2011 at 6:27PM

OK. I have managed to install Puppy Linux onto a USB key and boot from that. Linux finds a network card but I get the following messge when I run the network wizard.
"Error! Failed to raise interface eth0. Failed command was: ifconfig eth0 up. Error retured was: ifconfig: SIOCSIFFLAGS: Resource temporarily unavailable.

Does this point to a hardware problem?

Linbox · 23 June 2011 at 9:52PM

It means it couldn't see or start the network interface = ethernet connection, same as in XP. This and the intermittent faults sounds like a possible motherboard fault.

krishna · 24 June 2011 at 7:04AM

So I guess that means time to buy a new computer?

gonzo127 · 24 June 2011 at 8:16AM

it also sound to me like your system has got a hardware fault as it is the same problem on puppy as on XP, so unless someone else can come up with a solution i believe it will be new parts time (not nessesarily new system as it all depends on whats in your old one)

candtalan · 24 June 2011 at 10:53AM

Just a chance that the power supply is on the blink. They are cheap to replace but inconvenient to do. And if it is not the PSU then you get left with a spare PSU you have no use for.

Note that you can use Ubuntu on a usb stick similarly.

Setting bios to boot from CD: rather than disabling hd boot, I would try to put the CD drive at the top of the list, above floppy drive and also above hard drive.

Also sometimes the initial boot sequence offers (very briefly) an option to press a key for a one time boot menu, (F12, F8, F5??) if so this will include CD

The several different types of faults suggest that something central is giving trouble - operating system, motherboard, power supply
good luck

krishna · 26 June 2011 at 3:18AM

I've managed to get up and running on another old computer, using one of the two hard drives from the failing computer. Problem is, the newer of the two drives I was running off on our computer was one I added a few months ago and is SATA, but the computer we are running off now doesn't have any SATA slots on the motherboard. Is there a way around this?

Also, how could I test to find out if the PSU is the problem? and if it is, could I use the PSU from another old Dell? How difficult is it to change these?

krishna · 26 June 2011 at 8:29AM

OK I decided to go ahead and tried out the PSU from another dell PC. It actually has a slightly lower power rating than the original (200W instead of 250W). Everything works the same. i.e. all OK except for network connection. So problem doesn't seem to be the PSU. Any other suggestions?

GunJack · 26 June 2011 at 8:56AM

get a PCI network card, only a few quid, and use one of your pci slots to give you an ethernet connection. Or, if using a wireless router, does a USB wifi dongle work in the "duff" pc ok ??