4-year old ECS mobo. No bulged caps. Windows starts to load up but stops in the middle of the boot process. A message pops up that says a certain address in the RAM cannot be accessed. I've changed the RAM stick and triedthe replacement in another RAM slot, but nothing's changed. This doesn't look like capacitor problems and I'm not inclined to waste time doing a troubleshoot and replace caps. What do you think, guys?
-
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
ECS is notorious for using OST capacitors that can fail without any visual signs.
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Yes, I'm familiar with the various symptoms of cap failure, and have been recapping mobos for the last 3 years. It's just that this is the first time a computer freeze popped up a message like that. Methinks something else is wrong with the mobo, not caps this time.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Have you made any recent changes to Windows? Installed a new piece of software, a new driver, installed an update? You are right, this doesn't really sound like caps. This could be a hardware problem, but frankly it sounds like a corrupted Windows installation.
One quick test: Hook up a different hard drive (one with at least enough space to run Windows) and install Windows on it. (OK, that's not so quick)
Still, if it exhibits ANY problems, you can be certain it's not the Windows installation.
PlainBillFor a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Windows was working ok and the next day, it was as I described. Nothing new had been done to it. I thought a virus could be the cause, so I tried installing Linux Ubuntu on it via a different hard drive but the process hangs after a few minutes. The same Ubuntu installer cd worked fine on another system install earlier. I guess that eliminates the OS as a culprit. I havent tried a new Windows install on the new hard drive yet, as I'm afraid it'll be just a waste of time.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
I agree. It certainly appears there is a problem with the motherboard. It's your decision if you want to recap it, but I don't hold out a great deal of hope.Originally posted by berniedd
PlainBillFor a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
the ubuntu cd will have memtest86 on it.run it and see what happens.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Thanks guys, but it can't even finish the Ubuntu 7.04 live cd boot, even in safe graphics mode. So I can't get to test with memtest. Midway into the loading process, I get thrown into the command line, and the GUI doesn't load. I'm trying to find an old floppy disk of mine that boots to do memtest. Otherwise, I'm junking this mobo. Thanks, all.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
look for "test memory" on the screen after the language selection screen.
or get a hirens boot cd.
the ost failures without bulging are more common than you think.
i know its a shit mobo but if you can get or bring the board to a scope have a look at vcore and vtt.
esp if memtest give random errors on each run with known good ram.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
if you get errors with memtest then you would have to test again ram on another board to know if its the board or the ram.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Hello.Originally posted by berniedd
I say, YES, this does look like a likely bad cap(s) somewhere on the board or in the Power Supply. Oh, did I say? Don't forget the Power Supply!
ECS isn't THAT bad!
Have Fun,
Keri
PS. Here's a nice logic chart that I use...
Blowed up and leaky = Bad Cap.
Says "Fuhjyyu" on it = Bad Cap.
Emitting Smoke = Bad Cap.
Bent, Folded, Mutilated = Bad Cap.
Tests under uf or over ESR = Bad Cap.
Looks like BRAND NEW = MAYBE Good Cap.
Looks NEW + Test OK for uf, ESR = APPARENTLY Good Cap
NEW from Japan, 09 date, Test OK = ALMOST CERTAINLY Good Cap.The More You Learn The Less You Know!Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Update: I've tested the RAM on another machine, and it works fine.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
>>>
A message pops up that says a certain address in the RAM cannot be accessed.
<<<
Perhaps a bad contact in RAM slot.Mann-Made Global Warming.
- We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
-
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr Seuss
-
You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
-
Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Messages like that just point to general instability, you can't really take the address given too seriously. If it's not the ram, then it's most likely a motherboard problem.Originally posted by berniedd
An unstable machine, running through something deterministic, is likely to crash at the same point each time you try it. You might expect stability problems to be random but it doesn't always work out that way.
I had something similar happen when trying to install windows on a glitchy system - I kept getting a "file not found" error for the same file every time, and thought for sure the disc was bad but it wasn't. It turned out to just be an unstable motherboard (over-overclocked in that case).
If you can get into the bios, make sure voltages are reasonable and maybe try a different PSU if you have one.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
This could be LOTS of things. Overheating? Cold solder anywhere on the ram slots? Maybe a BGA problem even.
1. Does windows setup boot? Does it freeze or say files are missing.
2. Ubuntu. If you can get to the menu that tries to boot "safe graphics mode" then you can run memtest, its on the same menu and doesn't boot a GUI. Just scroll to memtest86.
3. Get Hiren's boot cd and try the utils there. Like it was said.
What is the exact stop error (I'm assuming you get a blue screen) windows throws at you. You might need to hit f8 and tell it not to restart on errors.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
If it's giving you a bad address error message and you have changed the memory sticks and still get the same message then I vote for a bad memory socket. If it's always the same address that is. What do you get when you run memtest on it? Does it report bad memory addresses? And if you change around the memory sticks and run the test again does the bad addresses change or stay the same?Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Use magnification to check the gold contacts at the sides of the memory sockets
I have an ECS K7S5A that had intermittent problems recognising memory in its first SDRAM slot
Found that a previous owner had got one of the contacts to stick out into the socket then squashed it flat
Tried to straighten it, but succeeded in breaking it off instead
At least that SDRAM socket is 100% unreliable nowbetter to keep quiet and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubtComment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
It's a pain-in-the-butt job but you can replace a RAM socket if you are patient and don't mind being the inventor of some new four letter words.
.Mann-Made Global Warming.
- We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
-
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr Seuss
-
You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
-
Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Update, guys: After getting hung up on other matters at work, I was finally able to memtest it via a floppy disk I had, and it had no errors after 3 passes. I then installed Windows XP via another hard drive (need the data files in the original hard disk), using the original RAM stick. The installation process stalled once after the automatic reboot but tried again and this time the process finished. Windows is working but now I get random freezes of the OS and only a hard reset gets it up and running again. I have no more of the memory access message problems. NOW, it does look like bad caps.Comment
-
Re: Doesthis looklikebad caps?
Sounds like OST's.Mann-Made Global Warming.
- We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
-
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr Seuss
-
You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
-
Comment
-
I know I've been a little scarce lately (like the last 2-3 years), but I'm still here and still doing my thing with fixing PSUs.
For today's considerations, I have a Seasonic B12 BC-550 [A551bcafh] 550 Watt ATX power supply for you (click on links for full size images).
https://www.badcaps.net/filedata/fetch?id=3591771
https://www.badcaps.net/filedata/fetch?id=3591772
It's a modern ATX unit with fixed (non-modular) cables and an 80-plus bronze certificate. Here's the label:
https://www.badcaps.net/filedata/fetch?id=359177... -
changed out the cheap HEC caps on my tv power board to a mix of nichicon chemicon and panasonic caps below.
now there's louder buzzing noise from the yellow thing in the upper left corner. (anyone know what that yellow thing does? is that the transformer?)
and the screen flickers in brightness. It's a light flicker, but noticeable.
the buzzing ebbs and flows, like cicadas buzzing.
in similar fashion, the brightness flickering ebbs and flows. the flicker might stop for a minute or two.
these are all low esr caps, and I'm wondering if that might... -
Hello,
First, I am a complete noob with high voltage stuff. I'm learning, but I need help by someone looking over my shoulder.
I recently came into posession of a Heathkit IO-4205 5MHz Dual Trace Oscilloscope. The documentation is copyright 1978. I'm told it works.
I opened it up to check the caps before I applied power, and found the following black caps and wanted to know what they were. They are on the power supply board. I was able to read the name and model and came up with, "Nytronics 162J-1, 0.1uF, 20% tolerance, 2000VDC."
... -
Hello!
I have two projects on my work bench. One is a friends dead JBL Xtreme speaker with a blown voltage regulator and corresponding bulged and shorted cap. That cap has clear markings so I know what replacement I need for it.
The other project however is a whole different deal. It's a Zoom 9000 guitar effect from the 90th that has developed a devil hound howl when there is no input from the guitar. I'm guessing caps problem. So, since I don't really use this effect anymore I thought it would be a perfect project to learn on.
I have studied the board and... -
I'm trying to repair two old VCRs, they both have bad caps. One has leaky ones, the other would barely run until I subbed in some caps from another power supply I had laying around (though they are the wrong values). This vcr works for an hour or two, but then the power supply starts whining and the picture gets lines in it. I didn't replace all the secondary caps, so another voltage might still be problematic, or the values I used are too far off.
I've been on mouser and digikey but the options are a bit overwhelming. I just need some new ones that will work. They don't need to be top quality,...
Comment