11-12-2006, 08:23 PM
A family member recently gave me a really old, broken Gateway PC that I can have for my classroom if I get it working. I accepted, as the students don't really do anything on the computer that requires much processing power, and I can probably do the repairs myself.
He claims that the computer has a bad power supply. He says that he took it to a shop, and that's what they told him. He says is shuts itself off frequently, and that sometimes the power switch doesn't work when he wants to turn it back on. I believe he's replaced the CPU fan.
Before I throw any money to this thing, though, I want to make sure that I'm headed in the right direction. If this is the computer that I think it is, I know that he's also had issues with numerous viruses and spyware. I was thinking- sometimes a virus can cause symptoms like those he described, particularly if spyware is also using all of the available memory.
So, it seems to me that the first thing to try would simply be formatting the HD and reinstalling the OS. There's a chance that would take care of things, and I guess if it was a bad power supply, I would still see the shutdown problem even when I wasn't running windows, so I would know.
I don't know much about Gateways (my PCs have been self-built for years now). I have heard that they're hard to work on because you have to use Gateway parts as replacements. I took the cover off, and the plugs coming off the power supply looked pretty standard at first glance, although I didn't unplug anything to take a closer look. So, does anybody know if I will need to order a Gateway-brand power supply as a replacement, or if I'm OK getting one that has the same wattage and dimensions?
The other thing I'm wondering about is if it is going to turn out to be an issue with either the power switch or the hard drive. If it's the power switch, would I be able to replace just the (GatewayTM) switch without having to buy a new case? Also, could I tell that it was the switch before spending money on a power supply?
The hard drive would also not be too big of an issue, as I have 2 drives in my current PC. I'd probably put my backup drive into the Gateway (once again, can I do that, or do I need a Gateway HD?), then get myself a newer backup drive. But, that's also something that I'd rather not do *after* I bought another power supply.
So, in summation,
- Do I have to use Gateway brand replacement parts?
- How can I tell the difference between virus/spyware, power supply, power switch, and HD issues without spending money on the wrong parts?
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
He claims that the computer has a bad power supply. He says that he took it to a shop, and that's what they told him. He says is shuts itself off frequently, and that sometimes the power switch doesn't work when he wants to turn it back on. I believe he's replaced the CPU fan.
Before I throw any money to this thing, though, I want to make sure that I'm headed in the right direction. If this is the computer that I think it is, I know that he's also had issues with numerous viruses and spyware. I was thinking- sometimes a virus can cause symptoms like those he described, particularly if spyware is also using all of the available memory.
So, it seems to me that the first thing to try would simply be formatting the HD and reinstalling the OS. There's a chance that would take care of things, and I guess if it was a bad power supply, I would still see the shutdown problem even when I wasn't running windows, so I would know.
I don't know much about Gateways (my PCs have been self-built for years now). I have heard that they're hard to work on because you have to use Gateway parts as replacements. I took the cover off, and the plugs coming off the power supply looked pretty standard at first glance, although I didn't unplug anything to take a closer look. So, does anybody know if I will need to order a Gateway-brand power supply as a replacement, or if I'm OK getting one that has the same wattage and dimensions?
The other thing I'm wondering about is if it is going to turn out to be an issue with either the power switch or the hard drive. If it's the power switch, would I be able to replace just the (GatewayTM) switch without having to buy a new case? Also, could I tell that it was the switch before spending money on a power supply?
The hard drive would also not be too big of an issue, as I have 2 drives in my current PC. I'd probably put my backup drive into the Gateway (once again, can I do that, or do I need a Gateway HD?), then get myself a newer backup drive. But, that's also something that I'd rather not do *after* I bought another power supply.
So, in summation,
- Do I have to use Gateway brand replacement parts?
- How can I tell the difference between virus/spyware, power supply, power switch, and HD issues without spending money on the wrong parts?
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Why can't we all just get along
--Pete
--Pete