Computer Disintegrates Before My Eyes (Help!)

[CCC]

Working with the accountants computer here at work. Shes been having some weird glitches now and then but nothing too serious.

I was setting up a blank hard drive for her to back up her account files into since shes had a few corrupted files from improper shut downs due to the above mentioned glitches. Theyre still using Windows 98 btw.

So I format the new hard drive and restart the computer. The fans run and everything lights up, but nothing is working. The monitor doesnt come on, the CD-drive, though lit, wont open, it doesnt go into the bios, nothing.

So I unplug all the drives and try again, still nothing.

Is this a sign of a CPU that just bit the dust or maybe a short in the motherboard? I have pretty limited experience in working with computers, but the only time I've seen the bios fail to light up is with a bad CPU or motherboard.

Anyone have any other ideas?

I changed the hard drive last night and ran it for several hours with it connected, then it ran for about 30 minutes this morning while I was formating the disk. Dont know what could have caused it to suddenly stop working.

Would appreciate your help.

 

[HardWareBoss]

Did you smell anything? Like fried PSU?

 

[apesoccer]

Usually when i get this kind of system instability, especially after working inside a case, i reconnect every cable in the case, blow out the inside of the case, reset the bios, and/or disconnect any new hardware. If this doesn't do anything double check the ends on the two hds (and ata/sata/scsi cable/s attached to them), make sure they haven't become damaged. It won't hurt to update the bios as well, unless it's storming outside heh.

edit: Win 98 is glitchy by definition...It doesn't know how to handle memory.

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+ (down)][2500+][2400+][2000+][1.3][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][X 2.8x2][P4 3.0x2][P4-M 2.4][P4 1.4x5][P4 1.3]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by apesoccer on 09/02/05 04:58 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[twofethers51]

I am having the same problems but with Windows XP. I am not a expert but i decided to go and build a new system for around 400$$$. Reason being that even if you solve the current issues they tend to keep coming back. For example 2 days of working on the system to resolve the same type of problems as yours. And yes i thought they were fixed and then BOOM lost everything. 1/2 day of research and 400 $$$later new Motherboard MSI RS480m2rocessor: AMD Athlon 64 (venice) Corsair Dimmm`s 1GB: Power Supply 450 and i am back in bussiness for 3-4 yrs.And peace of mind if you know what i mean. This is just my way of thinking GOOD LUCK