Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:11:49 -0400 From: John Almberg <jalmberg@identry.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: How to diagnose hardware problem? Message-ID: <0234CF40-42D1-461E-A074-CA5C32EC8BCE@identry.com> In-Reply-To: <20090413183147.GA82769@slackbox.xs4all.nl> References: <648C2025-CD72-4BA1-8D5D-48D4CC781250@identry.com> <20090413183147.GA82769@slackbox.xs4all.nl>
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> > First things first; if the machine is still in warranty, don't mess > with > it but send it back to the manufacturer and demand a replacement. It is in warranty and I am following their process. I'm hoping to short-circuit that process by finding the problem on my own, if possible. Plus, I've never really had to deal with a hardware failure before, so it's a good learning process. > > If the machine is out of warranty, you might consider replacing it > altogether. My employer's IT department ditches PC's and servers at > the first > failure after the warranty runs out. Accordinf to them it's cheaper > than > repairing them. > > > But if you want to have a go, this might help: > http://www.daileyint.com/hmdpc/manual.htm > > Basically, it's just a problem of elimination. > > First check if your machine is the only one having problems at the > hosting site. Maybe they have unstable electrical power. > > Then make sure that all expansion cards and RAM are well-seated, and > that all connectors are OK. Also check that there is no dust build- > up on > e.g. fans and heatsinks. If necessary, clean carefully with (dry, oil > free) compressed air. Dust can lead to short circuits or reduced > cooling. Next, look for capacitors that have leaked fluid, or have > bulging metal end plates on the motherboard; those are dead or > dying. It's a leading cause of motherboard failure. It is possible to > replace them, but you'll need the right equipment: > http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fixing-motherboard,1606.html > > Install a monitoring program like mbmon or healthd, and have it log to > another machine or a USB stick mounted syncronously. Monitor CPU > temperature, fan speeds and the different voltages. Not all power > supplies are created equally. See the articles at tom's hardware: > http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/Components,1/Power-Supplies,6/ > > If you've found nothing so far, it's time to start swapping out > components, starting with the power supply. This is all good stuff to try. Thanks. -- John
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