Kansas Tech Consultants Blog
Kansas Tech Consultants Blog
I am having a problem with a Gates computer in La Crosse. Everything is acting with about a 3 - 3.5 time delay. Move the mouse and three seconds later the pointer moves. Press alt-F4 and then return and three seconds later the computer starts to shut down. I have used the XP upgrade dvds to reinstall the entire system. Hardware profile shows everything is ok. The computer is right back to acting up. Has anyone run into this? I was figuring that reimaging the drive would have taken care any virus / malware problems.
I would appreciate any ideas.
Steve
posted by Orcish @ 2:27 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Does the machine have a fixed IP? Did it happen to get the same IP from DHCP after the machine was installed? It's possible it was infected with something that kept track of "owned" machines and then re-infected it when the machine came back on-line.
...brig
IP was DHCP. When I installed the drive in another Gates computer, all problems disappeared. Leading me to suspect hardware problems. Swapped the ram, no change. There was a moderate amount of dust in the system. After a thurough cleaning preliminary results are good. Haven't had time for a long test. Complete virus scan showed nothing on the drive, spyware/ malware scans also negetive.
Remind yourself how old this PC is. Remind the library how long computers last.
Sad but true, libraries that have/use/want/like computers should consider having a budget line for that. A tiny library may not be able to actually budget for it, but if it is a hugely popular feature of the library they might be able to scare up some funding somewhere somehow.
Now back to your problem- if it is dusty and gnarly inside, a thorough cleaning won't hurt, but don't forget to remove/clean/reset as many removeable things as you can, including all the power plugs. And maybe a pre-emptive power supply replacement might be in order. I saw a stack of 250w atx power supplies on sale at compusa over Christmas for like $8 each or something. You get what you pay for, of course... -Joe
whoops, almost forgot. The customized centurion cable in those things is rather fragile. I have had to reseat them lots of times. I have also had to plug a regular power plug into the dvd drive to get it to work, bypassing the centurion thing. Now you can't exactly bypass the centurion cable to the keylock, unless you have some alternative in mind, but you *can* clean and reseat it carefully.
-Still looking for a USB-powered cooler,
-Joe
Post a Comment
<< Home