I have the worse luck with computers.

[Jadzia]

Given that your computer is older than 5 years, your hardware has little monetary value. A similar second hand replacement is likely to cost you about $100 (or less). Asking an engineer to inspect your broken computer and then buying a replacement part is likely to cost you $100 (or more).

So unless your computer is particularly sentimental to you, or you have a strong repair>replace principle, there's not much reason to pay for an engineer to examine it.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I actually had the very same thing happen to me about six weeks ago. One day my six-year old computer was working fine, the next day it was completely dead. Everything was correctly plugged in. There was power coming from my outlets. Zip. I tried using different connections and then going back to the originals. Nothing. No lights. No internal sounds. Utterly dead. In hingsight, I do think there were some warning signs that it was beginning to go (incredibly long boot-up times and a tendency to be increasingly sluggish and occasionally unresponsive while even offline from the 'net).

I knew I could go somewhere and get it fixed, but I ultimately decided to chuck the whole thing and get a new computer from my local Wal-mart down the street for about 300 bucks.

Ironically, my very first computer--which is ten years old--is still running as if it's brand new, but its OS is horribly outdated and isn't even supported online anymore.

 

[RobertVA]

• After using second computer several years I tried the first computer and could only get random text characters on its built in display (suspect RAM problem).
• Sold second computer to a relative who was wanting to experiment a bit. I gather it died in their hands (don't know symptoms). RAM came as individual chips at that time, as memory strips weren't implemented at that time (some earlier systems used expansion cards with socketed chips on the card)
• Haven't tried third, fourth or fifth in quite a while. Were working last time I tried, but there might be issues with floppy disks still being readable. Fourth and fifth had hard drives that might be a little more likely to be readable, but the fifth has a soldered in battery that's probably dead. OS for those computers probably has problems with current years (don't know if I can find the "patch").
• Sixth (first notebook/laptop) confirmed dead. Used weird 2 inch floppies.
• Seventh (first Windows system - also a laptop) won't work. Power supply problems.
• Eighth still worked last time I tried it. Another probable dead MB battery (don't know if it's soldered).
• Ninth (laptop) worked for quite a while, but had issues with its keyboard before finally not even asking for the CMOS/Boot password.
• Tenth was working last I tried.
• Eleventh has experienced a failed motherboard and two failed graphics cards, so I'm using the replacement motherboard's built in video hardware. Have also replaced failed boot hard drive twice and failed power supply.

This doesn't include the programmable "calculator" with the magnetic backed storage cards or the "pocket" computer with the tiny Matrix display and audio tape storage. I don't recall where they would be in the sequence (would be pretty early though).

Can you tell I've been using these things for quite a while?

 

[KJbushway]

I just found out what the problem is.
It was the motherboard, but get this, they don't know why it failed. Apparently the computer is only three years old.
the motherboard that I had that failed is a
661FX-M7 Acer Motherboard revision 1.1
My father just wants me to find another one and buy it instead of replacing a whole computer. I managed to find what I think is one that is similiar on geeks.com
Still made by EliteGroup.
So I set about today to buy a new(older) motherboard and a new power box.

 

[Jadzia]

It could have failed due to static shock. Computers are possibly more vulnerable to that nowadays because of their USB ports ~ something that regularly gets touched and which connects directly into the chips on the motherboard.

 

[KJbushway]

Now I can't find that exact motherboard.
Would this work in its place and fit?

http://www.shopping.com/Elitegroup-EliteGroup-G31T-M-V1-0/info

 

[sojourner]

Looks like the right socket for the cpu. You need to make sure it will accept your existing ram or buy new ram.

 

[KJbushway]

I have DD1 memory, so as long as it takes that, it should work.

Just check the specs on a different site, it takes DDR2 memory, so yes I now have to buy
motherboard
powerbox
2G DDR2 memory
Total cost without S&H
$103.38

 

[Jadzia]

Try ebay

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=66...ion+1.1&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

 

[KJbushway]

Already have. I didn't see much of anything.
Its the same price as the new one I looked up that is like it, that other one could easily break due to age.

 

[bgrummer]

no your just special

 

[KJbushway]

Yeah computers have a special hate towards me.

 

[KJbushway]

Ok so now I have found a newer motherboard, that fits my pc and is pretty awesome I have to say. I found the same power box that I used on the old motherboard, and I managed to find a 2G memory DDR2 to fit the motherboard. Total cost is like $105-106. So buying a new computer would have actually cost me more. I just hope that when I graduate with a degree in computers that I can build my own awesome one.