bootable hardware testing for computers that sometimes boots.

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

So for whatever reason, I get a LOT of computers that come in that will only sometimes turn on, other times theyll get a flashing numlock, or battery light blinking...

I've been taking out each piece and testing one by one to find the problem.

I am hoping you all use something that if I try several times, I can get it to boot and run some type of testing software thatll just stress test/check everything?

 

[nlinecomputers]

POST Card.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

POST Card.

Can you further explain, either I don't understand, or it is still Monday morning!

 

[nlinecomputers]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POST_card

It is a diagnostic card you can plug into the computers PCI port and read POST codes and do other diagnostics depending on the card. They can be some help in a diagnosis but honestly, most computers are so cheap that such effort provides little return. Complete replacement of the PC is usually more economical or you waste time you can't honestly bill to the client only to come that same conclusion. If it doesn't boot up consistently I recommend complete replacement. I don't get paid enough to find out exactly why only to end up with the same recommendation.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POST_card

It is a diagnostic card you can plug into the computers PCI port and read POST codes and do other diagnostics depending on the card. They can be some help in a diagnosis but honestly, most computers are so cheap that such effort provides little return. Complete replacement of the PC is usually more economical or you waste time you can't honestly bill to the client only to come that same conclusion. If it doesn't boot up consistently I recommend complete replacement. I don't get paid enough to find out exactly why only to end up with the same recommendation.

Not sure if I can explain it to my customer that they are better off buying a new laptop when a simple test could show that it is just a back package on a RAM stick. Sure I replace the entire stick, but a $40 fix is better for them than a $300 laptop.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Not sure if I can explain it to my customer that they are better off buying a new laptop when a simple test could show that it is just a back package on a RAM stick. Sure I replace the entire stick, but a $40 fix is better for them than a $300 laptop.

Ram is tested by replacing it. It is rare that a RAM problem will cause an intermittent power up issue. That is usually a power supply or fault on the motherboard. And even with testing tools, it is difficult to test for intermittent errors as they either are working fine and produce no errors or have faulted and they fail to power up.

 

[NviGate Systems]

I have one of these cheap POST cards and it works fairly well. It really helps for those odd ones where my other tech wants to try every combination including standing on your head while powering on the PC. I plug it in and it tell me an error code which means mainboard failure. Done, pack it up move on. Those things are blackholes that suck your time from the universe.