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From: larry moe 'n curly on 9 Aug 2010 04:58


PeoplesCho...(a)chicago.net wrote:
>
> If I decide to build my own computer, what recourse do I have if it
> doesn't work?

Check the merchant's policies (ResellerRatings.com is good for
checking reputations) and the manufacturers' policies and practices
(some take forever to return fixed products), and use a credit card
because, thanks to federal law, it provides a lot of protection in
case of fraud, bad products, etc. Also card companies have their own
policies, some which go beyond the law (any 60-day limit for some
complaints is extended to a year, dollar or geographic restrictions
waived), plus American Express and Gold or Platinum from Mastercard,
Visa, and Discover add warranty extension (often doubles standard
warranty, up to an extra year), and purchase protection (damaged, or
stolen products may be covered for the first 90 days). Amex and Visa
are very good about this coverage, but Mastercard often wants the
customer to get a repair estimate and won't pay for it (they saw
nothing wrong with requiring a $100 diagnosis on a $50 product). I
don't know about Discover.

> How would I determine which component is bad or incorrectly connected, etc.?

The easiest way is by installing just one component at a time and
testing it before installing more. Of course, should uplug the AC
power cord each time you install anything, even through cables (except
USB). Start off with a barebones system consisting of just the
motherboard, power supply, CPU, CPU heatsink/fan, power button (or you
can momentarily short the header pins with a pen or pencil), keyboard,
video card (if the mobo doesn't have built-in video), monitor, one
memory module, and the mobo speaker (can beep diagnostic codes when
nothing else works). If that works, get into the BIOS setup and go to
the screen for system status/PC health, and check the temperatures and
voltages for a few minutes. Then activate the high temperature alarm/
shutdown, and set the boot sequence so you can boot from floppy, USB
flash drive, or CD/DVD and run diagnostics. One of the first tests to
run is a memory diagnostic, and good ones are available form www.GoldMemory.cz
(try to get ver. 5.07, but it requires a floppy), www.MemTest86.com,
and www.MemTest.org (not as good as MemTest86). Most memory modules
are made from no-name chips, so you should test them for several
hours, individually and all together, in every slot. If the memory
tests out perfectly (accept no less), add the hard drive and run the
factory diagnostic or Seagate's Sea Tools (works with any brand of HD)
on it.

Follow precautions against static electricity and shorts. Static can
reach thousands of volts even if you don't see sparks or feel fuzz,
and the best way to prevent excess is by covering the whole table with
non-metallic anti-static material, such as pink bubble wrap or pink
foam sheet (not all pink material is anti-static), and working
barefoot and in short sleeves. Frequently touch this material (why
the short sleeves) or bare metal on the computer case.

Shorts usually happen between the mobo mounting holes and case because
a copper power or signal trace runs too closely to the hole to clear
the screw or brass standoff (inspect each hole, top and bottom, and
add fiber insulator washers where needed). Other causes of horts are
extra standoffs in the case that don't line up with any holes in the
mobo and lack of support within 2" of each corner of the mobo. If a
standoff can't be used there, put a stick-on rubber bumper foot on
the case to keep the mobo from shorting.

From: Rick on 9 Aug 2010 11:02
On 8/8/2010 2:45 PM, John Doe wrote:
> Rick<fholbrook nospam.cableone.net> wrote:
>
>a
>
> Fuckturd?
That was an intelligent response

--

Rick Holbrook
Fargo, ND
N 46�53'251"
W 096�48'279"


Remember the USS Liberty
http://www.ussliberty.org/

Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net





From: Nil on 9 Aug 2010 12:34
On 08 Aug 2010, PeoplesChoice(a)Chicago.net wrote in
alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt:

> If I decide to build my own computer, what recourse do I have if it
> doesn't work? How would I determine which component is bad or
> incorrectly connected, etc.?

You need knowledge and experience. The knowledge you can read up on.
The experience comes from doing it. You can expect to make some
mistakes along the way.

Troubleshooting bad hardware is often done by swapping in known-good
hardware until you pinpoint the problem. That means you need to have
spares available.
From: John Doe on 9 Aug 2010 13:37
Rick <fholbrook(a)nospam.cableone.net> wrote:

> John Doe wrote:
>> Rick<fholbrook nospam.cableone.net> wrote:
>>
>>a
>>
>> Fuckturd?
> That was an intelligent response

Great quoting job...
From: PeoplesChoice on 9 Aug 2010 17:19
Thanks to everyone for your responses. I have a kidney stone and haven't
been able to read them yet - but I will as soon as I get better. If you
have any more responses, please feel free to send them. I *WILL* get to
all of them. Thanks again.......

Bob



On Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:34:45 -0400, Nil <rednoise(a)REMOVETHIScomcast.net>
wrote:

>On 08 Aug 2010, PeoplesChoice(a)Chicago.net wrote in
>alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt:
>
>> If I decide to build my own computer, what recourse do I have if it
>> doesn't work? How would I determine which component is bad or
>> incorrectly connected, etc.?
>
>You need knowledge and experience. The knowledge you can read up on.
>The experience comes from doing it. You can expect to make some
>mistakes along the way.
>
>Troubleshooting bad hardware is often done by swapping in known-good
>hardware until you pinpoint the problem. That means you need to have
>spares available.
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