Member Avatar for kdw3

Hello to all,

Yesterday, I booted up my machine, it checked the memory, detected the Hardrives and then shut itself down. It always shuts down at the same point in the boot sequence. I am running a Pentium D something with Windows XP. I had the machine upgraded about 4 years ago because the it kept freezing. It turned out that the power supply wasnt good enough to say they upgraded to a 550W. My first thought was that it could be the power supply but since it always shuts down at the same point I figure its more likely to be the motherboard or something along those lines.

Does anyone have any advice on how to check if the mother board is finished? Or anything else that might be useful.

Many thanks

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— the pattern you describe (memory test, HDD detection, then power-off) narrows the fault to hardware that either fails under initial load or is being cut out by a safety/short. and have good starting points; below are practical diagnostics that complement those suggestions and help decide whether the motherboard really needs replacing (instead of buying a new one right away, as suggested).

Do a careful visual and simple electrical check first. With the PSU unplugged, inspect the motherboard for bulging or leaking capacitors, scorch marks, or damaged connectors. Smell for burnt components. Make sure the CPU fan spins and that the 24-pin and separate CPU power connectors are fully seated. If the board has no internal speaker, temporarily attach one and note POST beep patterns — they narrow down CPU/RAM/graphics problems.

If visual checks look clean, focus on the power delivery side before condemning the board. Swap in a known-good PSU or use a dedicated PSU tester; a power supply can appear to start but still fail under load. The basic “paperclip” trick only proves the unit will run with no load and is not a reliable diagnostic for intermittent shutdowns.

Try a minimal, out-of-case boot (breadboarding) to eliminate shorts from the case or misplaced standoffs: motherboard on a non-conductive surface, CPU+cooler, one known-good RAM stick, PSU main and CPU power, speaker, and power-on jumper. If that boots reliably, the problem is likely a short or case wiring. If it still dies at the same point after swapping PSUs and testing outside the case, the motherboard is likely failing and replacement is reasonable. Take ESD precautions and consult a local shop if unsure.

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Member Avatar for gerbil

Get memtest86+, load it onto a floopy or USB flashdrive.. boot your sys with it. If RAM passes that, then remove all extraneous hardware, even all hdds, and see what error message you get about loading an OS, if it gets that far.

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..is your motherboard is compatible for upgradation?.did you updated your BIOS version?.If your board is compatible for upgradation then try to check this options:..(1)check for the cpu heatsink if it is properly installed or (2)check the cpu if there is still a thermal paste on it, if it is dry, put thermal paste on it..(3)try to transfer your existing memory to another memory slot..vice versa..or (4)try to replace or swap a new memory to your existing memory..i hope it helps!..^_^..

Member Avatar for benmar

buy a new MB to solve your problem... no headache at all..

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