lots of problems

mixdmat95

Reputable
Sep 18, 2014
3
0
4,510
Hey guys. I've been in the process of building, and maintaining, my computer for a year now. And it seems like at every turn I get more and more problems. I originally built my computer with:

msi-fm2-a75ma-e35
Corsair cx430
2-4gb corsair vengeance blue ddr3
500gb western digital caviar blue
And an amd a10 5800k
Running on windows 8/ 8.1with the free update

It worked perfectly for gaming, less graphic capabilities then I wanted, but nothing less then I expected from it.
Then later down the road my 500gb hdd got roughly 390gb used, and it would run very very slow. I turned on task manager and saw that all the time even from boot the disk space would read 100%. So, I formatted it. That would've been the end of it if I hadn't updated to 8.1, so my windows key wouldn't work. Trying to do everthing I could to get it to work, I accidentally un-partitioned the drive. So I waited until my 160 gb hard drive came in. When it did I tried to use them both at the same time, 500 as a back up, drivers and os on the 160 gb western digital caviar blue. It booted fine. But after drivers were installed it rebooted and left me with an error message saying it couldn't repair the computer. I tried to repair it without partitioning this hdd, but without a system recovery disk it wouldn't allow me to do anything. Then my motherboard shorted out leaving me unable to even open bios, so I ordered a new ecs a85f2-a. When I installed everything (even my new Radeon r7 240) on it, and replaced it, and only used the 160gb on it, it let me reinstall Windows. It booted up, and everything was fine. I only downloaded and played one game, because I didn't want to use to much space. I didn't update to 8.1, because I don't have a flash drive for a recovery disk yet. I was planning to get one today. But I woke up and my computer was on, but there was nothing being displayed. I shut it down last night before I went to bed, but it never turned off. So I turned it off with the hard button, and let it cool. I went back to it at 11:30am and booted it up did some updates, then saw it was doing the same thing with 100% disk space. I tried to shut it down, so I could try to reinstall the 500gb and go to wd website and partition it with their drivers, but it wouldn't turn off. I used the hard button again. When I installed the 500gb the loading screen for Windows ran for 15 minutes. So I restarted it and now nothing will show up on screen through my motherboard, or my graphics card. I unplugged the 500 trying to salvage the mess, but same thing happend. I can't even see anything to try to format, and restart. what's wrong? can anyone help me? I'm really sick of all these problems. I would be able to order a terabyte hard drive, but what good would it do me if I can't see the screen? And how do I fix this crappy 100% disk space junk? Any help would be appreciated.
 
Solution
Okay quick 'dumb' test before we get to the BIG process.
1) are there any lights on the case when you press the power switch?
2) are there any lights on the monitor when you press the power switch?
3) Does the computer make any 'beeps' ? If so what 'pattern' do they form?
4) Reseat the Video Cable in the Monitor, the OTHER END should be plugged into the MOBO VIDEO - not the video card. Turn on the computer, can you see BIOS (( If you DO have it in the MOBO VIDEO and NOT Card swap it to card ))
((Just to make sure you UNDERSTAND, BIOS is the display logo and words about the computer on the screen BEFORE you see Windows Logo))?

Basically if this is all NO JOY on any results you have a hardware issue, something is broken or wrong. As we...
Okay first thing. install the 500GB. Get DBAN and make a disk. WIPE 500GB drive. Install Windows. YOU HAVE TO UPGRADE TO 8.1 through the store THEN do the 8.1 Update to get ANY updates from Microsoft.

Download and run Slim Drivers, install all the latest updates but you don't need to reboot until you do the last update

Remove whatever AV your planning to use and go to www.filehippo.com and download AVIRA, AVG, Comodo or Panda then Download Malwarebytes - this repeatedly has resolved alot of people issue relying on MS Essentials.

Download and run SPECCY, copy and paste the first tab to show your idle temps
Download and run MSI Afterburner, run some of the games, what temps are you getting when underload?
With MSI Afterburner Do you see anything funny that the CPU or other parts are maxing out (we are testing here not trying to WIN at the games, so if your screen is filled with readouts then just deal as we are just observing).
 

mixdmat95

Reputable
Sep 18, 2014
3
0
4,510


Thanks for spending the time to write all that out, but I'm not using my msi motherboard anymore. I have the ecs now, and the screen wont even turn on. I power up the computer as usual and it sends no signal to the monitor.
 
MSI Afterburner has nothing to do with MSI motherboard.

Okay your post was about how your at 100% utilization again NOT that "power up the computer as usual and it sends no signal to the monitor" is it's current state, so lets step back for a minute and clarify the problem.

When dealing with hardware issues, loading / booting Windows is NOT the test for success. Windows is the LAST THING to worry about, the main TEST is to BIOS and that what BIOS sees (which it needs to tell Windows) is exactly what it supposed to show (Windows).

So with that in mind all my step right now are ABOUT and ONLY BIOS. Power off the PC. Pull the power plug. Open the case, remove the 'watch battery' on the Mobo. WAIT NO LESS THEN 15 Minutes. Replace battery, close case plug back in power, turn on; CAN YOU SEE BIOS?
 

mixdmat95

Reputable
Sep 18, 2014
3
0
4,510


The watch battery reset didn't give me a video signal.
 
Okay quick 'dumb' test before we get to the BIG process.
1) are there any lights on the case when you press the power switch?
2) are there any lights on the monitor when you press the power switch?
3) Does the computer make any 'beeps' ? If so what 'pattern' do they form?
4) Reseat the Video Cable in the Monitor, the OTHER END should be plugged into the MOBO VIDEO - not the video card. Turn on the computer, can you see BIOS (( If you DO have it in the MOBO VIDEO and NOT Card swap it to card ))
((Just to make sure you UNDERSTAND, BIOS is the display logo and words about the computer on the screen BEFORE you see Windows Logo))?

Basically if this is all NO JOY on any results you have a hardware issue, something is broken or wrong. As we can't determine WHAT part is broken, or causing the issue, we need to get down to the 'barest' parts and validate what DOES WORK, before we know what doesn't. The process is called 'BREADBOARDING", and it is a pain in the butt, alot of tedious work, and plainly very boring, but does work through the 'process'. If you do not feel confident, if you feel unsure, if you feel ovewhelmed or just "don't have time for it" then STOP NOW, and take it to a IT Shop to work on your computer for you.

Get a piece of wood or the cardboard box the mobo was in. Lay it out.
Now take EVERY component out of the computer, EVERYTHING out of the case. Lay it out on non-static creating items (i.e. don't lay it on the carpet, or over a T Shirt, etc.)
Take ALL parts off the Mobo so it is just like you took it out of the box originally.

1) Reseat the CPU, ONLY ONE stick of RAM, run the PSU ONLY to the Mobo, connect from the case the Power Switch ONLY, connect video from the Mobo to the Monitor - power it on - DO YOU SEE BIOS?
2) Remove the one stick of RAM - Press power, does it BEEP out the code that there is a problem with the RAM (see your Mobo manual it has the beep code table)?
3) Remove the CPU - Press power, does it BEEP out the code that there is a problem with the CPU (see your Mobo manual it has the beep code table)?
4) Swap PSU for another PSU, repeat 1 thru 3, do the results change?

If all this is NO JOY, then the Mobo itself is DEAD. Because we just tested
1) Base minimal 'it turns on' setup
2) We check if the RAM is faulty, removing it REQUIRED a error code from the mobo
3) We check if the CPU is faulty, removing it REQUIRED a error code from the mobo
4) We check if the PSU was faulty, repeating 1 thru 3 with the 2nd PSU should worked as expected, if not then the only part left is Mobo.
 
Solution

plywrlw

Admirable
Just a warning with the above, not all motherboards have a built in speaker these days. A little black one that plugs straight into the headers on your motherboard might have come with your case, usually in the bag of screws. If not, some motherboards will beep if you plug speakers or headphones into the audio jack on the motherboard