OT: dead box

[Frank Shute]

On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 09:08:44AM -0400, Lowell Gilbert wrote:
>
> Frank Shute <frank at shute.org.uk> writes:
> 
> > When I hit the power button I get nothing. None of the fans spin up
> > and there's no sign of life.
> 
> Well, that's not a *good* sign... ;-)
> 
> > I'm beginning to think that I might be in for a new motherboard anyway :(
> 
> I think you can safely conclude it isn't an OS problem, at any rate.

Yep. FreeBSD doesn't even have a chance to get going!

> 
> Don't try a new motherboard yet, though.  
> 
> If the system is critical and you're really desperate to get it back up
> ASAP, I'd go with a whole brand-new system.  That's to protect against
> the possibility that the motherboard isn't the source of the problem,
> in which case you could waste time fixing the wrong thing, and possibly
> even damage a new motherboard before you recognize the real problem.

No, it's not critical. I run 2 machines nowadays, the other
tentatively a server but I keep X and associated progs on it up to
date for scenarios like the present.

> 
> If you can afford a little more time to isolate the trouble, try
> disconnecting the power to the motherboard to make sure the power supply
> starts up (I think someone else suggested this earlier, albeit for a
> slightly more likely set of symptoms).  If not, and if you have a
> multimeter, make sure that there's voltage across the switch, and that
> there isn't when the switch closes.

The power supply should be good but the switch is a possibility so
I'll test that.

> 
> > Why do these things strike when you least need them? Damn Murphy and
> > his stinking law!
> 
> Murphy never said anything about *when* things go wrong...

But the swine said they *would* go wrong...;)

> 
> Sorry if I've gone overboard in following your jocular tone.  I realize
> that you might be feeling desperate by now, particularly if the machine
> really is critical.
> 

As I say, it's not critical but I'd like to get it going. There is
always a bit of data on it which is missing on the server and besides
that it's the machine that's tweaked to my preferences.


Regards,

-- 

 Frank 


 Contact info: http://www.shute.org.uk/misc/contact.html