MacPhisto72

Commendable
Oct 23, 2016
3
0
1,510
My PC has recently started with this most recent issue. When I turn on it starts up as usual, but then comes up with a blue screen with a :( face and QR code saying that my "PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some error info, then well restart for you."

Upon restart I get the Windows logo and a "diagnosing your PC" message. Then another blue screen stating that "Automatic Repair couldn't fix your PC."

This happens over and over again.

I have entered advanced options and attempted a different restore point. Aside from that, I am just a noob and don't not what else to do. I would give my specs, but they are on the PC and I can't get at them. Processor is i5 (3570T, I think). GE Force GTX-660ti and Corsair Vengeance 8gb RAM. That's all I can get out, sorry.

I am not wanting to replace this PC yet as there is no point until I getting better network speeds. I am considering removing the hard drive and placing all vital files and documents on to a portable storage that can plug into my laptop, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it. First, what are my options for addressing the startup problem?

Cheers.
 

gn842a

Honorable
Oct 10, 2016
666
47
11,140
There are a lot of articles on this on the net, and the #1 suspect for your symptoms is a failing power supply. If this is a pre made build that you purchased, the odds are it has a very cheap, and what many of us would call a substandard, power supply. The fact that you didn't mention the power supply sort of is pointing to maybe you have a pre-made, though I'm trying to read between the lines.

The good news is that power supplies are easy to replace, you can go get one (stick to Corsair, EVGA, and Seasonic) at Best Buy or order one from Newegg. Prices range from $35 to $200. Although price is no guarantee of quality, I think many of us gravitate to the 5, 10, and 12 year guarantees. It's worth some thought because a good power supply can find a home in your next computer. As for the wattage: try to figure out what you have, and add one or two hundred watts to it, and buy that. In other words if you have 450 watts think maybe 600 or 650 watt replacement.

The bad news is that a cheap power supply, in failing, may have killed a lot of your components. If it sends out a power surge nothing in particular is safe: not the drives, not the RAM, not the mobo, not the graphics card, not even that innocent looking DVD/read write drive, if you have one. So the bad news is that your bad news may get a lot worse. Cheap power supplies are the #1 killers of computers. They are the cancer and cholesterol of PC hardware.

It's a good idea to get your files out and copied somewhere else before you do ANYTHING ELSE.

Now if you do get a power supply, understand this: THE CABLES THAT COME WITH THE POWER SUPPLY ARE WHAT YOU USE, TAKE ALL THE OTHER POWER SUPPLY CABLES FROM THE PREVIOUS UNIT OUT. These so called modular cables are not uniform even within the same brand and can kill your gear.

If you have never opened a PC before you're going to have to watch a couple of videos so that the mass of connectors makes sense to you. The first time I went into a PC I was really disoriented. There are a LOT of "how to build a PC" videos out there. Also take a lot of pictures of your build "as it is" before you pull things out.

Good luck,

Greg N
 

MacPhisto72

Commendable
Oct 23, 2016
3
0
1,510
There are a lot of articles on this on the net, and the #1 suspect for your symptoms is a failing power supply. If this is a pre made build that you purchased, the odds are it has a very cheap, and what many of us would call a substandard, power supply. The fact that you didn't mention the power supply sort of is pointing to maybe you have a pre-made, though I'm trying to read between the lines.

The good news is that power supplies are easy to replace, you can go get one (stick to Corsair, EVGA, and Seasonic) at Best Buy or order one from Newegg. Prices range from $35 to $200. Although price is no guarantee of quality, I think many of us gravitate to the 5, 10, and 12 year guarantees. It's worth some thought because a good power supply can find a home in your next computer. As for the wattage: try to figure out what you have, and add one or two hundred watts to it, and buy that. In other words if you have 450 watts think maybe 600 or 650 watt replacement.

The bad news is that a cheap power supply, in failing, may have killed a lot of your components. If it sends out a power surge nothing in particular is safe: not the drives, not the RAM, not the mobo, not the graphics card, not even that innocent looking DVD/read write drive, if you have one. So the bad news is that your bad news may get a lot worse. Cheap power supplies are the #1 killers of computers. They are the cancer and cholesterol of PC hardware.

It's a good idea to get your files out and copied somewhere else before you do ANYTHING ELSE.

Now if you do get a power supply, understand this: THE CABLES THAT COME WITH THE POWER SUPPLY ARE WHAT YOU USE, TAKE ALL THE OTHER POWER SUPPLY CABLES FROM THE PREVIOUS UNIT OUT. These so called modular cables are not uniform even within the same brand and can kill your gear.

If you have never opened a PC before you're going to have to watch a couple of videos so that the mass of connectors makes sense to you. The first time I went into a PC I was really disoriented. There are a LOT of "how to build a PC" videos out there. Also take a lot of pictures of your build "as it is" before you pull things out.

Good luck,

Greg N
Thanks Greg. I have a Corsair TX650, so I'd like to think that it is not failing. However, I have had for a little while now. It's not a pre-build, but a custom that I purchased from a local shop in Brisbane. I'm going to pick up a cable to transfer the data from the hard drive to a portable drive, which I was planning on doing anyway so my missus can have portable access to her photos (there's thousands).

I know I said I am a noob, but I have opened the case on a few occasions before and replaced some components, GPU, RAM, etc. So, I feel a little confident in being able to removed the hard drive and hook it up to transfer the data I need from it to the portable drive. I will look into the PSU issue and replace, with the assistance of Youtube of course.

Thanks,
Mac