Friend's computer issue

[nub]

So my friend has been having computer issues as of late, dealing with his graphics card (which I've already sorted out) and his hard drive.

I thought at first things were simply overheating. He contacted me initially with just the GPU issues (getting lines on his screen, geometry stretching in games), but later he called me up saying he was getting a "corrupt or missing registry file" boot error. This was before fixing the GPU issue, so I suspected that his pc was simply getting too hot and it fried both his hard drive and his graphics card. The GPU seems fine, the cable that connects the VGA (blue) monitor port to the card itself was kind of loose on the plug. He pushed it down some and it clicked.

Here's the interesting part:

I told him to vacuum out his computer (and to be careful when doing so) and he went ahead and did that. He says right after he vacuumed it, he started getting the registry file boot error. This was AFTER he started getting GPU issues. He claims he never hit anything with the vacuum, but he did try and suck dust out of the area behind where the hard drive is located. The front end of the hard drive is facing this space, so there isn't any ports or cords connecting to it there, it's just solid plastic. I don't know if this has caused the boot error, and it seems impossible that it would. I even pulled the whole drive out and checked for signs of over heating and such and there's nothing at all; it looks completely fine.


Any idea? Either the vacuuming did some weird shit to the hard drive, or it just happened at such an awkward time that it seems like this is the cause. The computer isn't that old, it's about 1.5 years, so I can't see why a hard drive would die so quickly. It's a Seagate Barracuda 500GB HDD.

My current idea is to get a bootable disk that whipes out all the data on the hard drive. That way I can start a completely blank partition. When you reinstall Vista, it keeps a folder called "windows.old" that contains all the programs you had installed before you reformatted. I think this may be the reason why he might have a virus still (I reformatted his computer a few months back because he got a nasty trojan). If you know any good hard drive erasers like this, post them...with any other information you can give me.


Sorry for the long-ass post, but I just thought it'd be a good idea to give you a detailed sit-rep on what happened.

[zombie@computer]

so, in chronological sequence

1) got virus
2) reinstalled windows over virus
3) gpu issues
4) vaccuum
5) registry thingy

?

1) its quite unlikely a single file is corrupt because of a broken hdd. Seagate has some testtools (google for them) if you want, i'd personally start with a checkdisk (windows cd-> recovery console or whatever its called). Other steps may be more usefull with a more usefull error message...
2) parted magic is a partition magic analog (its a linux distro with various test tools and partitioning tools). Download it, burn it, start it.
3) vacuming can, err, will, cause static electricity near the nozzle of the vacuum. Get too close to chips and you may fry them without even touching them. Same applies for fans. If the vacuum makes a fan spin, it will generate electricity, sending it to places that should not have it. Be carefull with vacuums in pcs !

oh, and 5). Reinstalling windows over a windows with a virus is probably the worst advise one can give. Not only does it not get rid of the virus, it also forces the user to reinstall everything.

[nub]

Thanks for the reply.


The reformat I did for his computer was months before this all happened. He didn't have anything important on his computer, so he didn't mind losing everything. I don't think a virus has anything to do with it, but that's based on my experience, of which I don't have a ton of. I'm not ignorant when it comes to computers, but I'm not like a pro or anything.

His computer had no issues up until his GPU started going wacko on him, and then soon after the hard drive doing the same. He used a vacuum, but he just corrected me not too long ago and said he really tried using a swiffer duster in the area behind the HDD, not the vacuum. He did use the vacuum as well of course, just not in that specific area.

My uncle actually does this when he cleans his computer, and he's a computer technician and such. I usually trust anything he tells me regarding these things, but it's possible he doesn't know about this either.

I'm pretty sure the GPU is ok. It's a scrawny piece of shit though and I wouldn't be surprised if it did overheat. Its size REALLY surprised me because it's an 8300 GS but the thing is like half the size of my old 7900 GS and has a shitty little fan on it. It also runs like shit compared to my 7900 GS. It amazes me how bad this card is:



I'm going to let him use my 7900GS once we get his hard drive sorted out.

Anyway, I'll look in to those the tools you recommended. I was going to reply to this thread sooner, but I was actually at his house for the night working on the PC, then his network decided to take a shit as well and their modem went down and has been since. They're gonna contact their ISP to sort it out.

Thanks for the info, it's appreciated.

[coder0xff]

Reinstalling Windows over a virus infected copy of windows is effective, unless you are upgrading or repairing perhaps. So long as the new installation doesn't reference any old data (which it doesn't if you do a fresh install) then there is no way for the virus to even be executed, lest you are a dumb ass who finds the executable and runs it.

Static electricity does form from moving air, and just the act of removing dust from a surface creates static electricity, but I'm not so sure it is considerably greater at the end of a vacuum hose, unless you're rubbing it up against something. That doesn't count out the possibility though. Any insulator poking around a CMOS is a risk. Overall, it's generally not recommended to use vacuums in a computer because they are powerful and clunky. Last thing you need is to suck a weakened capacitor off of your mobo. Use canned air duster - that's what it's for.

Good advice from Z@C, but it sounds to me like your friend just has really bad luck (damn gnomes).

[nub]

When I reinstalled Vista on his PC the FIRST time (way before this), it automatically did this thing where it saves all the old programs. A real stupid feature if you ask me. I couldn't say no to it or anything, it just did it automatically. The second time around I just deleted the partition completely and then made a new one and installed fresh.

Anyway, his PC had a 3-year warranty and he had it for about 1.5 years. They got the thing off the shelf at Best Buy (very bad move on his father's part). They returned it last night and earlier today they called and said the hard drive AND the card were indeed fried. They don't carry his card (that puny 8300 GS in my last post) so they had to send it back to HP to get everything replaced. So in other words, the matter is settled.

It most likely is bad luck. I just got done fixing their damned internet. Their router died as well, apparently. Maybe they've been getting weird power surges or some shit that's frying things. The router went down about a week after he got his PC issues though. I was in fact there when the router went down. His mom was forced to buy $120 replacement. Apparently Time Warner (ISP) discontinued distribution of Netgear routers because they have the tendency to die in short periods of time. The guy that came to check out the modem and such recommended Linksys, so we went and got one; and ended up picking the same model my uncle also bought to replace his 15 year old router that died not too long ago.


I guess I've been running in to a lot of these situations, whether they affect me or not.

[xoqolatl]

WTF is with that static electricity hysteria. As long as your PC is powered off with PSU cable plugged in and all components properly mounted to the case nothing will happen. Proper grounding > static. Moving the fan blades with your hand or vacuum or whatever is safe, too.

On the other hand, vacuums are useless for cleaning a PC - better get yourself a wide natural hair brush.

[zombie@computer]

WTF is with that static electricity hysteria. As long as your PC is powered off with PSU cable plugged in and all components properly mounted to the case nothing will happen. Proper grounding > static. Moving the fan blades with your hand or vacuum or whatever is safe, too.

On the other hand, vacuums are useless for cleaning a PC - better get yourself a wide natural hair brush.

you can still fry a chip or two if a current runs from xxx through a chip to the socket in the wall...

[coder0xff]

There is a lot of confusion about static electricity and how it works. When I worked as an electronics test engineer, I was also in charge of ESD control for the whole facility. Simply put, a grounded circuit with no ground impedance/resistance is just as vulnerable to direct discharge as an ungrounded circuit. It's the difference of potential and the uninhibited current flow that makes ESD. Yes, if the PSU is plugged in and powered off, any discharge to the chassis will not affect the electronics. But if you go and stick something charged directly to a lead or even the surface of a component it can cause damage. In severe build ups of static even being close to sensitive devices can be hazardous because of field effects. The odds of you zapping something may seem small, but about 30% (last I checked) of CMOS hardware failure, be it immediate OR LATENT can be linked to ESD.

/rant

Edit: Might as well mention some tips for when working inside a computer. Do keep the PSU plugged in and turned off (with a mechanical switch on the back of the PSU, if it doesn't have one than unplug it before you start yanking stuff) and discharge yourself on the chassis before you start touching. That'll bring your potential down to the same as the circuits - equilibrium is what we want to achieve in a controlled manner. If possible, stay in contact with the case by resting your forearm or something on it. Also avoid touching metal parts on the board, not only to avoid discharge but because the oils will slowly erode contacts, which reduces life. If you have oxidized or dirty contacts, a pencil eraser will clean them up. You can also purchase ISO standardized ESD control equipment like wrist straps or work bench mats for not too much money. Prevent and/or remove dust and animal fur from building up on components - it's like a blanket... ESPECIALLY ON LAPTOPS! People so often are like, "My laptop keep messing up and shutting off," but they don't bother to clean the vents that are choked by cat fur. And last DIYer tip if you're a bit more daring. Loose and broken usb ports, power jacks (like on the back of laptops) etc. can be remedied at least temporarily with a soldering iron. If they aren't working it's typically cause some external force caused the connection between the plug and the board to break.

/rant * 2

[xoqolatl]

While all you said is true, it needs some "adjusting" for real PC hardware
I have had almost every motherboard released in last one and a half year in my hands and I can tell you that even if you deliberately tried to kill it with static electricity, it would be extremely hard. Ever tried to kill a motherboard? Tasers usually work, but then I had two ASUS ROG mobos survive a taser shot.

Other than that, people listen to him, the man is right

[coder0xff]

There are excellent ESD suppression technologies for CMOS... Dunno if that's the case for MOBOs and CPUs and shit, but I would imagine that's the reason for your good luck.

P.S. Why are you doing this to your MOBOs?!?