the day my desktop pc dies....

[laksaboy]

Is it still under warranty?

Have you tried to troubleshoot the problem yourself?

Try to boot into Safe Mode. If the freezing stops in Safe Mode, it is most likely a software problem (virus, driver, corrupted registry).

If it is hardware, try to eliminate the causes. Test your RAM with diagnostic software (e.g. Memtest86), then check your power supply. Maybe it is the video card. Maybe it is due to faulty or loose cables. Maybe it is a heat problem (easily tested by opening the PC case and letting a table fan or aircon blow directly onto motherboard). Maybe it is due to BIOS (some newly released motherboards may not be stable until after a few BIOS revisions). Maybe the hard disk is dying (unlikely in your case).

Are there any blue screens? Take note of the error message. It may provide clues.

Here's a simple process summary:

1) If it is a software problem, reinstall Windows and update your drivers (motherboard, video, sound, network card). You may find them in the CDs that came with your system, or they can be downloaded from the manufacturer's site. Microsoft Windows Update may also detect your hardware and update with the appropriate drivers automatically. Remember to back up your data before your format your hard disk for Windows reinstallation.

2) If it is a hardware problem, pinpoint exactly which piece of hardware is causing the problem and replace it. If you're unlucky it may be more than one piece of hardware, but that's usually rare.

3) If it is detected to be a motherboard problem, you may want to ask the manufacturer for a replacement if it still under warranty. If not, it is probably better and cheaper to just buy a brand new system. If you're building a DIY PC and are on a budget, you may just want to buy a new CPU+motherboard bundle and use back the other parts on the older PC. But be careful of compatibility issues, especially RAM. Newer motherboards may not support older (e.g. DDR2 RAM.

 

[bushtucker]

keep and re-use your existing hard disk drive. brand new drives are still very expensive even after the thai floods have subsided.

 

[laksaboy]

keep and re-use your existing hard disk drive. brand new drives are still very expensive even after the thai floods have subsided.

Prices will go back to normal around or after CNY 2012.

 

[leetahbar]

keep and re-use your existing hard disk drive. brand new drives are still very expensive even after the thai floods have subsided.

thanks. was told about that too during the repair. the technician suggested that they could do a DIY using my motherboard to exploit the "license" of my pc which was HP and it would work out to be cheaper than getting the branded new cpu.

was quoted $450 with everything fixed into it with a 1 year warranty. is that more economical?

 

[leetahbar]

Is it still under warranty?

Have you tried to troubleshoot the problem yourself?

Try to boot into Safe Mode. If the freezing stops in Safe Mode, it is most likely a software problem (virus, driver, corrupted registry).

If it is hardware, try to eliminate the causes. Test your RAM with diagnostic software (e.g. Memtest86), then check your power supply. Maybe it is the video card. Maybe it is due to faulty or loose cables. Maybe it is a heat problem (easily tested by opening the PC case and letting a table fan or aircon blow directly onto motherboard). Maybe it is due to BIOS (some newly released motherboards may not be stable until after a few BIOS revisions). Maybe the hard disk is dying (unlikely in your case).

Are there any blue screens? Take note of the error message. It may provide clues.

Here's a simple process summary:

1) If it is a software problem, reinstall Windows and update your drivers (motherboard, video, sound, network card). You may find them in the CDs that came with your system, or they can be downloaded from the manufacturer's site. Microsoft Windows Update may also detect your hardware and update with the appropriate drivers automatically. Remember to back up your data before your format your hard disk for Windows reinstallation.

2) If it is a hardware problem, pinpoint exactly which piece of hardware is causing the problem and replace it. If you're unlucky it may be more than one piece of hardware, but that's usually rare.

3) If it is detected to be a motherboard problem, you may want to ask the manufacturer for a replacement if it still under warranty. If not, it is probably better and cheaper to just buy a brand new system. If you're building a DIY PC and are on a budget, you may just want to buy a new CPU+motherboard bundle and use back the other parts on the older PC. But be careful of compatibility issues, especially RAM. Newer motherboards may not support older (e.g. DDR2 RAM.

wow! sound very technical. but thanks anyway. so far after the visit, pc seems to be ok.

would consider to get a new pc or a DIY fr that shop after cny like u advise. thanks again!