DS Forums

 
 

Weird Power Supply Problem


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 18-12-2016, 18:25
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
Have you any VGA capability instead? Plug into TV if necessary?

Or just keep double-booting till you get required lead/adapter

It's getting a bit close to Christmas to start doing too much that requires back and forward through the post and dealing with new or repair of components
That's the thing, I think i'm going to have to stick with double booting for now if this reformat doesn't achieve anything. I haven't got any kind of VGA, or even HDMI capability to be able to plug it in to the TV (I must have at least half a dozen HDMI leads as well ..).

And the cheapest adapter you can get in the high street appears to be at maplin and is around £12 quid, so i'd much rather wait and order a cheap one from eBay when I know i won't have to wait for it.

But we'll see what the reformat does later on I suppose.
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 18-12-2016, 19:33
bri160356
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Made it Ma, Top of the World!
Posts: 3,984
That's the thing, I think i'm going to have to stick with double booting for now if this reformat doesn't achieve anything. I haven't got any kind of VGA, or even HDMI capability to be able to plug it in to the TV (I must have at least half a dozen HDMI leads as well ..).

And the cheapest adapter you can get in the high street appears to be at maplin and is around £12 quid, so i'd much rather wait and order a cheap one from eBay when I know i won't have to wait for it.

But we'll see what the reformat does later on I suppose.
I don’t know your circumstances, or how crucial this machine is, but putting up with an annoying boot-up problem (as opposed to spending large amounts of time and £££’s) is sometimes the lesser of two evils;

…however much it goes against the grain it’s a no-cost ‘fix’ as well.
bri160356 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-12-2016, 19:54
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
I don’t know your circumstances, or how crucial this machine is, but putting up with an annoying boot-up problem (as opposed to spending large amounts of time and £££’s) is sometimes the lesser of two evils;

…however much it goes against the grain it’s a no-cost ‘fix’ as well.
I've put up with a lot of annoying problems in the past to save money, to be fair, but I don't really want that with this PC if i can help it.

I'm just about to fire up the re-format so we'll see what happens - not really expecting much, but it's easy enough to do.
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 18-12-2016, 20:22
bri160356
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Made it Ma, Top of the World!
Posts: 3,984
I've put up with a lot of annoying problems in the past to save money, to be fair, but I don't really want that with this PC if i can help it.

I'm just about to fire up the re-format so we'll see what happens - not really expecting much, but it's easy enough to do.
...that's how much of the IT industry works.
bri160356 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 01:14
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
Well i eventually did a reformat of the SSD and re-installed Windows 7 instead, as I still couldn't get the W10 backup dongle to work properly.

Anyway, It's powered on and booted up twice in succession without a single issue.

I'll properly finish things off tomorrow by re-installing my other programs and reconfiguring everything back again before re-updating back to 10 (again), but, on the face of it, a re-format appears to have solved the problem.

Makes me wonder if it was indeed a driver issue ?

Or could it have been malware maybe ?. Hhhhmmmm ....
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 03:36
Avidian
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,334
I still don't understand why you had to install Win7 first.

I know people have their own ways of doing things but I've just done a format and reinstall of Windows of Win10 on a tablet recently.

All I needed to do was download the Win10 Media Creation Tool and put it on a suitable USB drive:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/soft...load/windows10

As long as you have all the Win10 drivers (which I didn't have ), there shouldn't be any problems, in theory.

I like a good re-format and clean install...I find it strangely therapeutic

In fact, I had more problems trying to get Win10 on a USB drive on a Win7 device.

The Win10 Media Creation Tool can't find the USB drive in Win7, which meant I had to create an Win10 ISO and then use the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool.

It turned out the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool needed a "bootsect.exe" file, which is on the Win7 disc but the disc is in a filing cabinet in the shed, shrink wrapped (the filing cabinet not the shed).

Which meant having to install Deployment Tools from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit because Microsoft wouldn't let you download the "bootsect.exe" file by itself.

Well...any way, I'm glad it worked out
Avidian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 03:40
jjesso123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,504
I still don't understand why you had to install Win7 first.

I know people have their own ways of doing things but I've just done a format and reinstall of Windows of Win10 on a tablet recently.

All I needed to do was download the Win10 Media Creation Tool and put it on a suitable USB drive:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/soft...load/windows10

As long as you have all the Win10 drivers (which I didn't have ), there shouldn't be any problems, in theory.

I like a good re-format and clean install...I find it strangely therapeutic

In fact, I had more problems trying to get Win10 on a USB drive on a Win7 device.

The Win10 Media Creation Tool can't find the USB drive in Win7, which meant I had to create an Win10 ISO and then use the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool.

It turned out the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool needed a "bootsect.exe" file, which is on the Win7 disc but the disc is in a filing cabinet in the shed, shrink wrapped (the filing cabinet not the shed).

Which meant having to install Deployment Tools from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit because Microsoft wouldn't let you download the "bootsect.exe" file by itself.

Well...any way, I'm glad it worked out
RUFUS is far better to use IMO.
jjesso123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 06:42
RobinOfLoxley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,829
W10 DVD or USB Flash should look like this https://s23.postimg.org/tflz1gvtn/W10.jpg

If it does, just try running setup.exe, for In-place Upgrade from W7.

(It may be the Flash is OK, but your BIOS/UEFI Boot settings are the problem)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Or

You can Mount the ISO File and run setup. (Media Creation Tool allows download of the ISO too.)
No need for USB or DVD then.

(Use WinCDEmu for W7 http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...windows-vista/ Right-click ISO File and Select and Mount. Check Keep drive after restart)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Or

Make a new USB Flash with Rufus, as mentioned.
Or make a DVD from the ISO. Right-click and Burn to blank disc.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=

It may be best to try W10 Upgrade before installing lots of software, for time and effort reasons.

When you do come to reinstalling lots of stuff, Unchecky is very useful.

I tend to use majorgeeks when possible. Very low levels of Junkware from their local downloads and then it's the Author who has still sneaked it in.
RobinOfLoxley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 10:00
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
I still don't understand why you had to install Win7 first
I tried the W10 backup creation tool the last time i did a re-install and i couldn't get it to work then, but knowing me it may well have been something I wasn't particularly paying attention to.

Anyway, it all does appear to be working and the power issue resolved, but W7 is doing everything inordinately slowly at the moment. I don't know if i had my router set up in any particular way before I reformatted, but everything just seems .. slow.

I kicked off "check for updates" from the W7 control panel last night and over an hour later, nothing had happened. I know it usually takes a while, but i did think that was rather ridiculous.

It might be that i'm being too fussy though and it's working perfectly fine
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 10:10
RobinOfLoxley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,829
It only has to at SP1 to be suitable for W10 Upgrade.

Getting Updates completely up to date can take many, many hours (I think my record was 36 hours one time)

It also hogs bandwidth and makes the computer run slow.

If your computer isn't at SP1, a standalone updater is available

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wi...utf-8&oe=utf-8
RobinOfLoxley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 10:23
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
It's a Service Pack 1 Installation out of the box so I can certainly jump straight in to upgrading. I probably will later on I suppose, save faffing.

Sod's law, the PSU problem will then re-appear when it's done ...
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 10:27
RobinOfLoxley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,829
Then put up with double-boot or roll-back to W7 and complete updating then.

Roll-back is fast, only a few minutes.
RobinOfLoxley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 12:25
max99
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,843
I tried the W10 backup creation tool the last time i did a re-install and i couldn't get it to work then, but knowing me it may well have been something I wasn't particularly paying attention to.

Anyway, it all does appear to be working and the power issue resolved, but W7 is doing everything inordinately slowly at the moment. I don't know if i had my router set up in any particular way before I reformatted, but everything just seems .. slow.

I kicked off "check for updates" from the W7 control panel last night and over an hour later, nothing had happened. I know it usually takes a while, but i did think that was rather ridiculous.

It might be that i'm being too fussy though and it's working perfectly fine
For now, run services.msc and disable Windows Updates. Reboot and see if the performance improves - and more importantly, throughout test the shutdown cycle to ensure the previous problem has gone.

Updating W7 is such a hideous task nowadays, that you may as well just go straight for W10. Once W10 is installed, used the Media Creation Tool to create the USB boot media and this will simplify the reinstallation process in the future. The MCT has a known fault in not recognising USB sticks when run in W7, but it should work fine when run in W10.

If you do persevere with updating W7, make a disk image to avoid ever having to do it again. And even though W10 can be installed and updated in a fraction of the time, you should still create a disk image of that too.
max99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 17:03
jjesso123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,504
For now, run services.msc and disable Windows Updates. Reboot and see if the performance improves - and more importantly, throughout test the shutdown cycle to ensure the previous problem has gone.

Updating W7 is such a hideous task nowadays, that you may as well just go straight for W10. Once W10 is installed, used the Media Creation Tool to create the USB boot media and this will simplify the reinstallation process in the future. The MCT has a known fault in not recognising USB sticks when run in W7, but it should work fine when run in W10.

If you do persevere with updating W7, make a disk image to avoid ever having to do it again. And even though W10 can be installed and updated in a fraction of the time, you should still create a disk image of that too.
MCT is terrible RUFUS works far better.
jjesso123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-12-2016, 17:19
LION8TIGER
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,975
MCT is terrible RUFUS works far better.
Yes Rufus is very good, you don't have to do much except point it at the image. I used it for Win 10 , 7 and XP .... so much easier than what you had to do only a few years ago with things like Bart ?
LION8TIGER is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2016, 00:39
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
Well almost finished tweaking and fiddling with Windows 10 again. Everything does seem to be back working completely normally again - no double boot necessary. Did disable the W7 updates in the end and the upgrade just flew through, so that worked out ok.

In a rather unusual piece of foresight from me, I actually do have my old PSU as it stands

Anyway, the only thing that makes any kind of sense is that it must have been some weird driver issue or some malware ?

Windows starts up, triggers .. <whatever> .. and shuts down again but works the second time. Just weird.

In a super fun development though, steam has decided not to restore my most recent saved game of No Man's Sky though, so that's an absolute shit-ton of time spent up the spout and I really don't want to start that all over again.

Thanks again for all the responses, tips and ideas. All most welcome and very helpful.
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2016, 02:11
RobinOfLoxley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,829
I've never heard the like. Maybe it was that Israeli Stuxnet Virus and it thought your PC was an Iranian Uranium Centrifuge.
RobinOfLoxley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2016, 06:08
Stig
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sandy Heath, Beds. UK
Posts: 10,374
I don't want to gloat, but I did suggest a driver issue. Back in the 'old days' Windows could crash in the boot stage as it tried to enumerate the hardware installed. This was sometimes manifested by the PC just shutting off. The solution was to find the bit of troublesome hardware by removing one bit at a time, and seeing if it could be reconfigured, perhaps by putting it in a different motherboard slot.

Anyway, I hope the problem doesn't return.
Stig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-12-2016, 09:07
JasonWatkins
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 53,623
I've never heard the like. Maybe it was that Israeli Stuxnet Virus and it thought your PC was an Iranian Uranium Centrifuge.
That's clearly it. It obviously interpreted my progress in No Man's Sky as a direct threat and ensured that my saved game didn't restore

I don't want to gloat, but I did suggest a driver issue. Back in the 'old days' Windows could crash in the boot stage as it tried to enumerate the hardware installed. This was sometimes manifested by the PC just shutting off. The solution was to find the bit of troublesome hardware by removing one bit at a time, and seeing if it could be reconfigured, perhaps by putting it in a different motherboard slot.

Anyway, I hope the problem doesn't return.
I also hope it doesn't return, but please feel free to gloat as you did indeed call it
JasonWatkins is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:00.