>From: "camplate" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: RE: ASK THE LIST:power supplies >Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 13:02:58 -0400 (EDT) > > > > More of a discussion. > > > > > > My sister is still having trouble with computer. They had a > > > problem two weeks ago and replaced the power strip, thinking > > > that was a source. It was actually because of too many of > > > those hidden programs were running, or at least that fixed > > > it. But it failed again last night, and the resources were at > > > 85%. Her office computer guy said it may be the wall outlet. > > > > How exactly would a faulty power supply effect system resources? > > *boggle* > > > > (I'm not a hardware guy, I just play one on TV) > > > > > But now I'm thinking: America may not have the best power in > > > the world, but I'd bet we have better power than other > > > computer using countries like China or India. So are their > > > computers failing all the time because of poor power? > > > > I've had power supplies burn out, but only 2 or 3 times over hundreds of > > computers I've used or admin'd. > > > > -j- > >It had to do with diagnosing the problem. Sister sent e-mail, went to >cooking dinner, came back and found computer locked up. So hit reset and >the computer wouldn't fire up at all, and the monitor wouldn't come on. She >called me on phone and after offering suggestions she unplugged computer >from power strip and it fired up from a different outlet, but wouldn't get >past Win98 cloud screen. > >Hauled to work and techie fixed it, couldn't say why computer locked up so >hard, but found resources were way down because of junk programs. That's >the only thing he found. > >So now two weeks later, different power strip but same outlet, computer >again stops running. She can do safe mode but nothing else. That's why >techie said maybe wall outlet. > >Kevin T.
Is it possible that this is a processor heating problem and not a power supply problem? Often a processor that's being overworked by many TSR's (That's olde-time shorthand for "terminate and stay resident", or "programs that suck system resources,") will overheat when they're not properly ventilated. The symptoms you describe: crashes, locking-up etc., are also consistent with overheating. I would think that's more likely than a power supply short problem. If I may make a suggestion: set up a small fan that will blow into the back of the computer case. See if the problem stops. Also, clean the fans where possible inside the case. Most computers now have at least two fans, and one additional on top of the processor. Buy some canned air and blast the fans and processor to remove excess dust. Sometimes heat builds up when the fans are clogged. I might be off base... but these are low-tech, low-$$$ solutions that might help. :-) Jon, who saw a laptop advertised by Alien Computers that had 8 (count 'em) fans installed to offset the heat produced by a 2.4ghz processor. :-)))) [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
