Win98 pc - goes blank screen & reset button doesn't work

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Apr 12th, 2003, 06:12 PM
Barwick

Win98 pc - goes blank screen & reset button doesn't work

This is a REALLY strange problem, and I'm wondernig if you guys can help me with it.

My PC is goofed up. The problem only happens in Windows 98 (I'm running Linux now), and it seems to happen at random. After a little while (sometimes hours or days, sometimes minutes) the screen will go blank (the green monitor indicator light goes from green to yellow, which means "no signal") and I can't Ctrl + Alt + Delete, can't use the reset button (works fine otherwise), nothing. However, I can power it off by holding the power button for 4 seconds (hard power down).
Apr 12th, 2003, 07:16 PM
mastermind94

reset button is harware....
Apr 13th, 2003, 05:13 PM
Barwick

yeah no kidding, it goes directly into the CPU and causes a reset, but it STILL doesn't work. Don't ask me why or how it does it, but it doesn't.
Apr 14th, 2003, 12:47 AM
Lightning

Clean you computer from the inside, pull every connector out, clean both sides with a vacuum-cleaner, put back in, the same for you memory and you ISA / PCI / AGP slots. That might work. Dust can screw up things.
Apr 14th, 2003, 12:58 AM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Lightning
Clean you computer from the inside, pull every connector out, clean both sides with a vacuum-cleaner, put back in, the same for you memory and you ISA / PCI / AGP slots. That might work. Dust can screw up things.

before cleaning the whole PC just try to clean monitor connector cable...

After that borrow some friends monitor cables and use them and see the problem stays and if yes then do something else...

There is a say that if its ain't broken don't fix it...

Cheers...
Apr 14th, 2003, 05:12 AM
Pirate

Check the GC driver . Get last version that supports Win98 and see if this would helps .
Apr 14th, 2003, 07:07 AM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Pirate
Check the GC driver . Get last version that supports Win98 and see if this would helps .

Ya that will be the next thing you want to do after you do things what I said...

No offence PIRATE but from my experience this should done first...

Cheers...
Apr 14th, 2003, 04:13 PM
Barwick

No offense, but before I go through the trouble of de-dusting my computer, why would dust cause it to happen ALL the time in Windows (after like 5 minutes usually) and NEVER in Linux?

What are the GC drivers?
Apr 14th, 2003, 07:47 PM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Barwick
No offense, but before I go through the trouble of de-dusting my computer, why would dust cause it to happen ALL the time in Windows (after like 5 minutes usually) and NEVER in Linux?

What are the GC drivers?

Fare question...

GC drivers are Graphics Card drivers...

There is no explaination...It has something to do with ur Graphics Card drivers in 98...

I agree with PIRATE...I never realise that u have linux and thats working fine...

Cheers...
Apr 14th, 2003, 10:57 PM
Barwick

They haven't updated the drivers in forever.. it's a Viper V550. Maybe I can use old drivers.
Apr 15th, 2003, 01:03 AM
Lightning

That the problem doesn't appear when using Linux, can have many reason, it might be a driver problem. Or it is just because Linux is a more stable OS as Windows, and handles error better. Try if you can find any log-file under Linux...
Apr 15th, 2003, 08:35 AM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Lightning
That the problem doesn't appear when using Linux, can have many reason, it might be a driver problem. Or it is just because Linux is a more stable OS as Windows, and handles error better. Try if you can find any log-file under Linux...

Do u think any log under LINUX is going to be helpful to Windows because LINUX handles errors in complately different manner than Windows...

Cheers...
Apr 15th, 2003, 08:55 AM
Lightning

That's fully correct, BUT if the Linux log show error which could be related to this problem, eg memory errors or power management errors, then you know where to start looking, it doesn't have to solve the problem, but he has a starting point
Apr 15th, 2003, 05:24 PM
Barwick

yeah I could do that, but where would i even find the log file?

I'll try to find an old version of the driver, or maybe a generic one that works with the card.. maybe I'll just find an old crappy card for ten bucks... I dunno.
Apr 15th, 2003, 11:46 PM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Barwick
yeah I could do that, but where would i even find the log file?

I'll try to find an old version of the driver, or maybe a generic one that works with the card.. maybe I'll just find an old crappy card for ten bucks... I dunno.

why don't u uninstall the drivers for the Graphics card and restart the PC and then work with the default driver windows install...If you see the same problem with that then I guess the next thing u need to take a look at is IRQ conflicts, DMA problems etc...
Apr 16th, 2003, 12:03 AM
Barwick

I was thinking of that, but yeah, IRQ or memory conflicts, could be..
Apr 16th, 2003, 12:07 AM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Barwick
I was thinking of that, but yeah, IRQ or memory conflicts, could be..

And I guess you know how to check for IRQ conflicts...
Apr 17th, 2003, 09:19 PM
Barwick

I tried the regular windows drivers and still nothing.. something's messed up and I don't know what.. next thing = new (old) video card
Apr 17th, 2003, 09:38 PM
wrack

Quote:

Originally posted by Barwick
I tried the regular windows drivers and still nothing.. something's messed up and I don't know what.. next thing = new (old) video card

Hmm...sounds like a good idea and also try to use ur current video card in ur friend's system or another PC and see if the problem stays there...if yes then change the video card...Since ur LINUX is working nice I don't think thats the problem but give it a go...

If I were you then after the amount you have put to solve this problem I would have installed the OS again and take a look...

Cheers...
Apr 19th, 2003, 10:42 AM
Barwick

I did reinstall Win98.. twice already since the problem began.

But it's NEVER happened in Linux, and I'm doing all the same things in Linux that I was doing in Win98. I dunno.. I hate computers.. and I'm a Computer Scientist..
Apr 19th, 2003, 10:56 PM
wrack

May be its time to so a exhostive troubleshooting from the beginning...:eek:

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