[mythtv-users] OT: Need help diagnosing backend hardware failure

[Darren Richards]

Thanks everyone for the advice.  I was able to dig into it this
evening, and one of my hard drives bit the dust.  It seems to be
drawing too much current, which causes the power supply to shut itself
down.

Those hard drives have been spinning 24/7 for a couple years now.  I
figured they'd give out sooner or later, but I was hoping for later. 
This drive (a maxtor 250gb) only lasted two years...  I guess it's an
excuse to upgrade.  I found a great deal on newegg on a Western
Digital 400GB hard drive.  $157 after rebates.  (one rebate is
"hidden", and doesn't show up until you check out.  You can either
choose a $20 refund or a 1 year subscription to pc magazine.)

thanks,
darren

On 11/18/05, Chris Trown <ctrown at safe-mail.net> wrote:
> Darren Richards wrote:
> > Sorry for the OT post, but my wife will be missing Gilmore Girls
> > today, so apparently this is an emergency.  My backend machine decided
> > to shut itself off sometime during the night last night.  Strangely,
> > the power light was still on, but the computer was off.  I reset the
> > PSU switch in back, and turned the computer back on.  After 15 seconds
> > or so, it shut itself off again.  This time the power light was
> > blinking.  I tried again, and this time it only made it 3 or 4 seconds
> > before shutting off.
> >
> > My first thought was that I have a bad power supply.  But with the
> > blinking light, I thought perhaps something was telling the PSU to
> > shut down.  I checked the CPU heatsink and fan, and everything seems
> > to be working.
> >
> > I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.  I figure I'll probably
> > cannibalize another machine and start swapping parts out until it
> > boots...
> >
>
>      If you have a power supply handy, try that first.  I think it's
> the most likely culprit.
>
>      Reseat everything.  Though the MOBO usually beeps at you if the
> video card or Memory is toast.
>
>      Start with the simplest, most likely solution, then go from there.
>
> Chris...
>
>
> --
> "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little
> temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" -- Benjamin
> Franklin
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