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problem with cpu

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nchrist

MIS
Sep 17, 2002
22
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US
We had a power failure, now when I try to turn on my computer it says (in a very irritating voice) "you may have cpu problems". What could this be? I've checked to make sure the battery is still seated. Any other suggestions?
 
Human puters! Whatever next? Let's assume that the PC voice is wrong, because I can't for the life of me see that a power failure could do damage to the CPU, then I think that I'd short out the CMOS memory and start a fresh.

Looking at your profile, I would assume that you know how to do that. DOS Tip #1701: Add DEVICE=FNGRCROS.SYS to CONFIG.SYS
Phil
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
 
Welllll, IF there was a spike, before it bloo, yeah, it COULD damage the CPU and other things as well.
You don't really say what state the machine is in...so you cause me to ask:
Does it let you go ahead in spite of the message?
What is the status of the machine, plz?
Likely as not, tho, Phil is right as usual (he says, putting up the hedge LOL ) and moving the jumpers will clear the BIOS and quit with the irritating voice. I'm gonna' have to try one of those talking motherboards.
 
Suggest you reset the bios to defaults and start over. You might have just lost a setting in the BIOS. Power surges can damage motherboards and CPU's. A surge can cause a power supply to receive a huge increase in voltage. This is one reason to use a UPS. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
 
The state of the computer is that it doesn't get to bios. It doesn't even get to the point where it sees the monitor.

Also, in regards to my profile...I may have overstated it just a bit. When you say short out the cmos are you talking about taking the battery off the motherboard? HELP!!!

 
Oh, by the way...the guy that actually uses the computer just came over and said that this has happeded before. As best as he can remember the person that used to maintain our pc's did something around the power supply. Like he reset something. What could this be?????
 
There are jumpers on the motherboard (usually near the battery) that you'll also see detailed in the motherboard manual and moving that set of jumpers, with the machine powered down and unplugged from the AC outlet, to the next set of posts for a second or two and then back to where it was will "flush" the BIOS ROM and give you the default settings for all sections of the BIOS.
a.k.a. shorting out the CMOS
 
Ok...tried that. And that stupid chick is still saying "Your cpu may have problems". I'm about ready to rip her heart out and just buy a new puter. You've heard of road rage...well this is puter rage.

I talked a little more to the owner of the computer and he said he thought the previous guy actualy stuck a screwdriver up in the power supply box. Does this sound logical??? I mean I may be old but I'm not ready to leave this earth.

 
I've certainly not heard of medical professionals suggesting putting a screwdriver in a PSU as a road to longevity, whereas undertakers are always suggesting it.

I take it that temporarily changing the jumpers over on the CMOS battery did not achieve what I intended it to. DOH!

How are you with a voltmeter? Are you able to check the power out of the PSU? I'm fairly certain that it's power related and that somewhere there is a reset button. Just check your power setting on the PSU. Normally there are two settings 115V and 230V. Whilst unplugged change it over and back to where it should be depending upon where in the world you are (you write like USA central or southern). DOS Tip #1701: Add DEVICE=FNGRCROS.SYS to CONFIG.SYS
Phil
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
 
More likely that the person used a screwdriver to short out the pins for the clear CMOS.

What (specifically) is the motherboard in this system? Mudskipper
___________________________________________________________________________________

Groucho said it best- "A four year-old child could understand this! Quick! Run out and find me a four year-old child: I can't make heads nor tails out of this!"
 
Correct me if I sound stupid, but if the PC doesn't reach BIOS, then where is the voice coming from? Isn't it logical to assume that the voice would be recorded in the BIOS? I'm sorry I'm not helping I'm just interested

Sam
 
Before it falls over, Sam, it has it's say.
Like Artie used to do on the tricycle...
 
Wassup393 - Well, they actually have an IC with the voice warnings. The simplest explanation is to think of them as advanced beep codes (only it plays sound files instead of beeps). Interestingly, Asus boards will allow you to customize these messages as well....

I would imagine that if you do a google search on Asus Post Reporter, you will come up with some good info on Asus's voice warnings. Mudskipper
___________________________________________________________________________________

Groucho said it best- "A four year-old child could understand this! Quick! Run out and find me a four year-old child: I can't make heads nor tails out of this!"
 
Egg on my face...You know how you have that user that will call and say "Something is wrong with my monitor, it's just black." and your first question is "Is it turned on?" Well this is not quite that bad but close...I changed the power cable from the UPS to the computer and it works fine!! I know, I know, I know, that was the first thing I should have tried but, this is the first time I've had a computer TALK to me before it even booted up so I was a little confused.

I sure have enjoyed talking to you guys...I may have to invent another problem just to talk to you. And Phil you are too good, yes I'm in Alabama. I can't believe we southerns even write southern!!

Tks for all your help.
 
Hi nchrist,
Thanks so much for feeding back to us the outcome...and we've all worn egg on our face!
 
OK... but now I wanna know how the computer talked without electrical input (I'll assume that you meant that the UPS cable wasn't delivering power) and I'm glad that you managed to fix your problem. Some things can be so damn ANNOYING!!

Sam
 
OK, Sam, this is "The rest of the story". I got tired of walking over to our plant to work on the computer so I had the guy unplug and bring it over to my office. He didn't bring the perif's (keyboard,mouse,etc) so I took a power cable out of the cabinet and plugged it in, turned it on, WITHOUT hooking up any of the perif's. NO annoying voice. So I ASSUMED it was the power cable. However, when he took it back over to the plant and plugged everything back in the annoying voice came back so...we unplugged all perif's and plugged one in, booted the computer, no voice. Plugged the next one in, booted, no voice. We continued until all were plugged in and we got no voice. It's worked fine ever since. Go Figure.
 
Well that sounds damn strange to me, but as I've always maintained: a bit of a shake-up never does them any harm. It gives support to the "PC Violence" theory.

Sam
 
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