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OT - Computer hardware problems, Mouse or USB and Video.
Tiger-Heli:
Okay, we have three desktops in the house and a laptop.
All desktops are running 98SE.
Desktop 1 uses a MSI VIA KT133A mobo and a Duron 650 processor. It has worked virtually flawlessly (one HD death) since installation.
Desktop 2 is my computer. It uses a refurbed Shuttle AK38N (Via KT333 mobo), 512M ram Barton XP2600, Radeon 128M 9200 video. Oddly, the inland optical PS/2 mouse with scroll wheel that works fine (still) in desktop 1, locks up on it, as does any PS/2 scroll-wheel mouse, so I got a USB mouse for it. Other than that, it has had no major problems.
Desktop 3 has all the demons - It started with the same type MSI board as desktop one, which blew capacitors to be replaced with an EPOX and then another refurbished and a new AK38N board. (and about 3 graphics cards and a few power supplies and CPU's). It is running 128M ram and a Duron 1.1 Ghz CPU. It didn't like PS/2 mice either, so I got a Belkin Aerocruiser USB mouse for it. I tried to swap this for an HP USB wheel mouse, but that locked up with it, so I moved it to my machine (works perfectly on it), and put the aerocruiser back in. Currently it is running an Albatron 128M FX5200 card which also worked flawlessly in my computer. By the way, it is mainly just used for scanning and saving images.
The computer has the following problems: The video doesn't work about half the time on a cold boot on desktop 3. It will start with no video, then half the time the re-boot will have video. Sometimes, if it doesn't have video on 2 or 3 boots, I can open the case and move the video card (not really unseat or reseat) and get the video to work.
It also is having problems lately when if you install a thumbdrive and try to move files onto it, the mouse will lock up in Windows explorer. Unplugging the mouse and plugging it in does not help. I "borrowed" the USB mouse from the laptop and plugged it in and it worked. Then uninstalled all the HID's and let windoze re-detect them and both mice were working, but it again locked up when moving files (the keyboard keys still work, only the mouse appears frozen.).
I have a new Soyo mini-ATX VIA KM400 board that I could replace it with and am seriously considering this, but wanted to see if anyone could recommend anything else to fix it first.
TIA!!!
testicle187:
Is your video card on desktop 3 PCI or AGP? If it is PCI try it in an entirely different slot. If it is AGP make sure the voltage is correct as some older boards won't work correctly with newer AGP cards.
Also on your USB issues are you using your front USB connections or the ones on your motherboard? Try changing to the ones straight off your motherboard. It also sounds like you have conflicts in your system as well. Check Device Manager and make sure there are no "!"s by any of your devices. Also make sure you have your USB Drivers, for your thumb drive, that should have came with it installed on your computer.
I can almost promise switching to Windows XP would solve all your problems immediately as well. Hope something I mentioned helps a little.
2600:
Testicle makes some good points. Your problems could just be for a variety of reasons.
Off hand I want to say Power issues, but if I was debugging this this is what I would want to know
Power Supply Ratings?
More information on all the Hardware in the boxes
Using a USB HUB?
USB1.1 or USB2
Tried a fresh install of the OS?
Delete the entire USB tree not just the HID.
If it was just USB it wouldn't be so bad, but the ps2 mouse thing is the wrench.
testicle187:
Yeah that PS/2 problem is really weird. I would almost try cleaning the ps2 port and ps2 mouse connector. One other thing actually, the ps2 mice you are using are they USB mice with an adaptor connected to them?
Also make sure you download the latest firmware and drivers for your motherboard, might help some problems.
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: testicle187 on May 07, 2005, 04:20:56 pm ---Is your video card on desktop 3 PCI or AGP? If it is PCI try it in an entirely different slot. If it is AGP make sure the voltage is correct as some older boards won't work correctly with newer AGP cards.
--- End quote ---
It's AGP. I think the voltage should be okay - It's an Nvidia FX5200 and a KT333 board. For that matter, I know I had that card in system 2 and never had problems. And the video works fine once it comes up, it just doesn't initialize on a cold boot sometimes.
--- Quote ---Also on your USB issues are you using your front USB connections or the ones on your motherboard?
--- End quote ---
All the USB ports (4) are in use. The 2.0 hub, the printer (Canon I760 ?) and the thumbdrive are plugged into backshell USB port 1. The mouse is plugged into backshell USB port 2. The APC Back UPS 325 (?) is plugged into motherboard header USB port 3 and something (Visioneer Scanner?) is plugged into motherboard header USB port 4.
--- Quote ---Try changing to the ones straight off your motherboard. It also sounds like you have conflicts in your system as well. Check Device Manager and make sure there are no "!"s by any of your devices.
--- End quote ---
I don't remember any, but I'll check again.
--- Quote ---Also make sure you have your USB Drivers, for your thumb drive, that should have came with it installed on your computer.
--- End quote ---
Installed those yesterday.
--- Quote ---I can almost promise switching to Windows XP would solve all your problems immediately as well. Hope something I mentioned helps a little.
--- End quote ---
I thought of that. It's an option. $75 or so to upgrade Desktop 3 to XP wouldn't be too bad, but then I would want to upgrade 1 and 2, and $225 for a little (okay a lot) better stability is a bit steep.
Will XP run okay on a Duron 1.1 G with only 128 M of RAM?