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Message |
    
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 831
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 5:45 pm: | 
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My wife's PC up and died over a month ago so I took it back to the place I bought it and they sent it out to have the main board rebuilt under warranty. Took over a month to get it back and they told me that there was a problem with the OS, WinXP Home. Long story short, they offered to try and tune it up for a fee and told me it would be best to wipe the drive and re-install. I opted to do it myself. I re-installed the OS over the original. Its better, but still there are issues such as no audio and its not being seen by our home network and generally its not the same machine it once was. Should I blow a couple of hours trying to straighten it out or 86 the drive and start over? Everything important is backed up and I'm leaning towards starting new. |
Alleygater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 2355
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 5:48 pm: |
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OK, I know this is useless information, but you did ask, and I'm a jerk so I'm willing to tell.
I'd buy a Mac. |
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 832
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 6:16 pm: |
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I don't think you're a jerk. I often give useless, comical replies to posts, so what goes around, comes around. But really it's not a Mac vs PC question. Its repair vs format of an existing PC. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1582
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 6:35 pm: |
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If it's just the audio and the network, I would download and install the latest drivers for those components.
If there is other stuff wrong, try to re-install. However some hardware might still not work until you download the latest drivers.
I guess I would try to get it to work first.
Open up the device manager and see which hardware has a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. All these didn't get recognized after the MB switch and need drivers installed.
And yes Dave this won't happen on a Mac because you don't have a choice of hardware, you need to use what Job wants you to use. |
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 833
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 7:04 pm: |
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One problem is that everything checks out in Device Mgr, but..... anyone who runs Windows knows that doesn't mean jack. Its set to boot to the "select a user" window and today it just booted straight into Windows, so I have a feeling it really needs a good cleansing and re-install. Wish I could do that to my own brain after a wild weekend with the guys! |
Dogbert
Citizen
Username: Dogbert
Post Number: 126
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 8:12 pm: |
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If you try to play audio is there just no sound or do you get an error?
If there's no sound then perhaps its a problem with the speakers or cables. Or maybe the speaker's in the wrong jack. |
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 836
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 9:11 pm: |
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Nah. Right jack, no errors, no sound. Device Mgr. says audio is good, but when you go to "Sounds" it says "No Audio Device". Just checked the machine and its looking for a password to unlock itself and it never had one. This puppy is sick. Boco loco in the coco if ya get my drift! Come this weekend, FORMAT C:. |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 472
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 9:48 pm: |
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I vote rebuild from the ground up.
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TarPit Coder
Citizen
Username: Tarpitcoder
Post Number: 92
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 8:19 am: |
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I'd do a clean install - wipe everything. Actually what I would really do (before wiping it) is download knoppix or another similar bootable linux cd, burn it to a cd, and boot off it. I'd then watch it as it boots - detecting devices etc. See what it finds. If it boots too fast and you can't see all the initialization data, just open a shell and type dmesg.
--Tarp |
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1856
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 6:33 pm: |
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If its all backed up, just wipe it out and start over. I'm sure it CAN be fixed, but my guess would be that it would take too much time and effort to make it worthwhile... |
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 842
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 8:20 pm: |
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My thoughts exactly. Just waiting for you last three to back me up.
Thanx. |
Dogbert
Citizen
Username: Dogbert
Post Number: 127
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 9:30 pm: |
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>>Nah. Right jack, no errors, no sound. Device Mgr. says audio is good, but when you go to "Sounds" it says "No Audio Device".
Personally, I call this an error.
What kind of computer is this? Basement-of-corner-store special? Not a brand name in it? The new motherboard could be garbage. |
TarPit Coder
Citizen
Username: Tarpitcoder
Post Number: 98
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 8:20 am: |
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I wouldn't count the motherboard out yet, I've seen this kind of strangeness before with XP. Fixing it is doable - but can be fairly time consuming. If the machine has piles of weirdness on it - it may be well worth just wiping it and reloading xp.
Make sure your connected to a firewall to get to the internet before you plug it in. Right after reloading XP you should go to windows update and bring the machine up to date.
If your plugging it straight into the cable-modem or DSL-modem you probably want to go over to a mates house and plug into a firewall. You can easily have your box infected just in the time between installing the OS and patching otherwise...
--Tarp
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daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 844
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 8:36 am: |
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It's an Intel board running a Celeron chip. I bought it from a company that builds their own machines. The reason the board had to be rebuilt vs replaced is because the board is no longer manufactured. I would hope that Intel tested the MB before shipping it back. I usually build my own machines, but since I didn't with this one, I'm not going to hours trying to repair only to find out that I have to wipe and re-install. I guess at that time I'll know if there's still a hardware problem. |
TarPit Coder
Citizen
Username: Tarpitcoder
Post Number: 100
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 9:06 am: |
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I could give you a Linux Knoppix LiveCD if you like. It would let you toss it in the cdrom drive, boot off it, and if your sound hardware is good you'll hear a voice saying something along the lines of 'Initializing Knoppix System'.
Might be a really quick and easy test and should work assuming it's a pretty common sound chip on the motherboard.
If you can see what kind of motherboard it is when the machine boots, I can google it and see if Knoppix should support it.
--Tarp
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daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 846
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 2:37 pm: |
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My mistake on the MB. I said Intel, but its an ASUS P4SP-NX AGP. I have a copy of Knoppix somewhere in my closet that I'll look for , but thanks for the offer and advice. |
TarPit Coder
Citizen
Username: Tarpitcoder
Post Number: 101
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 4:01 pm: |
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No worries at all. Let me know if you need it.
--Tarp |
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 851
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 5:43 pm: |
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Here's an update. Wiped the drive and re-installed XP and the MB drivers and all is well, (so far) and its back on the network. Now to re-load software and backup files. Computers truly suck. For such a time saving and life enhancing invention, it sure takes up a lot of our time. Time that I'll be begging for on my death bed!  |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 4315
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 7:21 pm: |
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Only when they don't work right.... |
daylaborer
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 853
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 8:39 pm: |
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Nah!!! I spend entirely too much time with these machines. Doing this and tweaking that,upgrading that and downloading this, even when they run right! Maybe Ligeti is on to something!
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