Info A strange solution for a common problem

[iso_o]

Hi dear people,
In recent weeks i have gone through a stresfull series of events since my computer occasionally started to crash/restart and stuck at DRAM led blinking, solid-steady CPU red led as well.

It had totally random schedules and patterns that i couldn't make sure whether it is software or hardware related at first. Initially i have thought it was because i am running a Linux distro which doesn't support the Nvidia card i have been using (very first to blame)

During troubleshooting this site has helped me a lot and gave me insights, so once i reached a solution i had to write an information here.

Since my set up is slightly old, based on components from 2013-2014, i first suspected faulty RAM modules and started to test them one by one on each slot. The pattern was again random, sometimes computer has stuck in boot loop, rather looked like that and wasn't able to pass memOK check of the Asus motherboard (again, i have interpreted that way)

I have also run Memtest for 7-8 passes, no errors were found.

Again in one of the crashes i have experienced the repeating crashes during BIOS screens so i have concluded it was either memory control or the bios chip, lastly the PSU.

I have started running an entire new set of memory, as well as trying a new PSU alternatively and yet the issue has persisted.

I recalled what i have replaced lastly it was the Graphics card, i have switched from a powerful one to low-end one with no additional power need, and meanwhile i have installed one more fan to relax the system. So i have narrowed down it down to, once more either new fan or the new GPU.

I have tried onboard video, removed new Fan's pins, removed SATA, yet problem has persisted. There were random crashes, sometimes computer stuck at long boot loops which seemed like a memory problem because the DRAM light was blinling, the Fans were revving and slowing down.

And the day come, i tried to reset computer several times when it was stuck at POST, i figured the reset button did not function, the computer was not resetted. And i thought, let me pull these reset pins off, and bingo. The computer has launched right away.

Meanwhile i have tried new CPU, PSU, RAMs, took Mobo outside of the chasis and rested it on an anti-static surface tried everything i could in patterns, that i could have read in here. Yet the problem was only 2 pins for the reset button, probably the reset button was 'shorting' time to time and causing repetitive hard reset which seemed like a faulty RAM, faulty Mobo or faulty PSU.

It was annoying several weeks, which i could have never caught a distinctive pattern of use to detect the cause until i tried to use that reset button which i have used once a year at most.

Just telling, it worths a try to pull those reset pins off before going further with the tests, just in case.

 

[Ralston18]

No - do not pull off the reset pins. If you mean a temporary disconnect/unplugging for testing that should be okay.

A reset is a way to recover without a hard, unexpected power loss that prevents windows from properly shutting down and preparing for the next boot up.

Sudden power losses are hard on components and cause file corruption leading to more problems.

Even if rarely used retain the Reset button.

Fix the short or other replace the Reset button - do not remove "reset".

 

[iso_o]

No - do not pull off the reset pins. If you mean a temporary disconnect/unplugging for testing that should be okay.

A reset is a way to recover without a hard, unexpected power loss that prevents windows from properly shutting down and preparing for the next boot up.

Sudden power losses are hard on components and cause file corruption leading to more problems.

Even if rarely used retain the Reset button.

Fix the short or other replace the Reset button - do not remove "reset".

I have done it as a temporary measure to keep the computer running since i don't have a backup computer (while i have several items enough to build one but not a motherboard), it was worse to leave the faulty reset button plugged in, it has caused one of the harddisk to gone bad and corrupted filesystem in the another one with repetitive resets in middle of the works. The computer in most of the times run unattended in headless mode, i will replace the reset button or the chasis board which USB and other buttons are integrated on when i figured out which spare parts are needed.

Thanks for the concern anyway.