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

Jeff Simpson llcooljeff at gmail.com
Fri Nov 18 11:06:54 EST 2005


>
> 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...



I think you're right to apply the scientific method. Start by unplugging all
devices, leaving only the PS and MB. Power it up, and see if it will stay
"on"
for longer than that 15 seconds. If it doesn't, you'll know the problem is
the
CPU, memory, PS, or mainboard, so you can start doing part-swaps to find it.
If it does stay on, you can start adding parts one at a time to see which
one
breaks it. I suggest this order:

Video Card
Hard Drives
Other Cards

Video card is an obvious first choice, because it will make the computer
stop
doing POST code beeps and actually do something useful. If you had onboard
video,
you'd already be past that part anyway, so ignore that.

Hard drives are next, because they use a lot of juice and you need them to
boot. If the
system is still working fine past the 15 second point, I think you've
effectively narrowed
the problem down to one of the add-on cards. Start adding them in one at a
time until
you find the culprit.

If you're hideously unlucky, you'll put everything in and find that it's
working fine, only to have
the problem resurface an hour later. I agree that it sounds like a PS or
mainboard/CPU problem.
Are you positive that the CPU fan is working? Overheating would be a good
reason for a system to
shut itself off 15 seconds after it turns on. That, or a short somewhere.

- Jeff
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