Strange PC issue

stevek93

Hi all,

Ok I am usually able to resolve these by myself but I need another input here. My desktop that I built a few years back has suddenly started to do something strange, so what I mean is out of nowhere the monitor would loose signal but the machine would appear to still be up. I have an external graphics card and thought it was that so I switched over to the onbroad graphics and a similar issue occured but this time the display stayed up but I lost all my USB ports at random my keyboard and mice just randomly stopped working but the clock on the taskbar continued to count the time so I knew the machine was still up only way of getting the machine to respond again was to do a hard reset. I have reinstalled Windows now still on the onboard graphics I am loosing the USB ports at random but they are now coming back without a hard reset for example if I have USB storage plugged in it will pop up that I have plugged in a device when the USB ports come back.

I have tested everything RAM, SSD CPU using Memtest86, crystal disk info/mark, OCCT, prime95, furmark chkdsk reset bios reset cmos reinstalled windows. All went well during the tests there is nothing in event viewer when this is happening so it seems to be what I think a power issue motherboard or PSU? Also once during POST recently the external graphics graphics asked me to plugged in the PCI power cables a quick off and on again resolved it.

If a spec list is needed I can post.

Thanks

_DMac_

stevek93 wrote: »

Hi all,

Ok I am usually able to resolve these by myself but I need another input here. My desktop that I built a few years back has suddenly started to do something strange, so what I mean is out of nowhere the monitor would loose signal but the machine would appear to still be up. I have an external graphics card and thought it was that so I switched over to the onbroad graphics and a similar issue occured but this time the display stayed up but I lost all my USB ports at random my keyboard and mice just randomly stopped working but the clock on the taskbar continued to count the time so I knew the machine was still up only way of getting the machine to respond again was to do a hard reset. I have reinstalled Windows now still on the onboard graphics I am loosing the USB ports at random but they are now coming back without a hard reset for example if I have USB storage plugged in it will pop up that I have plugged in a device when the USB ports come back.

I have tested everything RAM, SSD CPU using Memtest86, crystal disk info/mark, OCCT, prime95, furmark chkdsk reset bios reset cmos reinstalled windows.

If a spec list is needed I can post.

Thanks

PSU or Mobo dying possibly. I had the GPU issue previously and it was the PSU on the way out after 8 years of hard work

stevek93

_DMac_ wrote: »

PSU or Mobo dying possibly. I had the GPU issue previously and it was the PSU on the way out after 8 years of hard work

Just added to my post there after your reply. Yes I think you are right it appears to be the PSU giving up the ghost especially when the external GPU is asking for the pci power cables during a post.

stevek93

Swapped out PSU to a EVGA 850 gold and same issue, lost keyboard and mouse in the middle of a game but the machine was still up I could rdp into it. Mobo knackered?

mad turnip

it sounds like your motherboard has kicked it. Try rule out your usb devices. Unplug all unneeded devices and try using a different keyboard and mouse. USB can cause all kinds of chaos and with exposure to sweat and possible liquids it can cause very unpredictable issues. The fact the usb is going first might be an indication.
I don't want to give too much hope, but the freezing issue while seeing the time go down I saw before when a bad mouse had somehow froze the usb driver.

K.O.Kiki

Very rare, but check if there's a firmware update for your monitor.
Happened to me 3 years ago, I lost connection so often due to "no output device detected" that I got temp-banned from Overwatch.

ED E

Do you have all your USB ports on one controller or have you several? If so confirm you're dropping all controllers.

If you are dropping all you controllers I'd say chipset/mobo failing. You might see NMI/similar in the event viewer for when the device drops and comes up again.

beauf

My first thought is mobo. Power surge or something has spiked the motherboard. Hard to troubleshoot unless you have a second system to test with.

stevek93

ED E wrote: »

Do you have all your USB ports on one controller or have you several? If so confirm you're dropping all controllers.

If you are dropping all you controllers I'd say chipset/mobo failing. You might see NMI/similar in the event viewer for when the device drops and comes up again.

They are in the front and back I think I am in USB2.0 and 3.0 mouse is in one and keyboard is in the other or vis versa, I'll have to confirm and check which controllers I am using and also check event viewer and see what logs are being created if any.

stevek93

beauf wrote: »

My first thought is mobo. Power surge or something has spiked the motherboard. Hard to troubleshoot unless you have a second system to test with.

I am thinking now if the PSU has been bad would it have now damaged the mobo? The mobo is fairly new and is a higher end Asus one I cant think of the model but it is no cheap mobo.

stevek93

mad turnip wrote: »

it sounds like your motherboard has kicked it. Try rule out your usb devices. Unplug all unneeded devices and try using a different keyboard and mouse. USB can cause all kinds of chaos and with exposure to sweat and possible liquids it can cause very unpredictable issues. The fact the usb is going first might be an indication.
I don't want to give too much hope, but the freezing issue while seeing the time go down I saw before when a bad mouse had somehow froze the usb driver.

I am still hoping it is still a driver issue but it is becoming less likely that is the case, I might try install steam on ubuntu and see do I get the same symptoms.

stevek93

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Very rare, but check if there's a firmware update for your monitor.
Happened to me 3 years ago, I lost connection so often due to "no output device detected" that I got temp-banned from Overwatch.

Definitely not the monitor other devices are being effected.

Damien360

Young lads MSI GeForce 1060 was doing exactly the same a few months ago. He wasn’t over clocking at the time but the 3 screens would go black, and all the PC fans would go 100%. Checked temperatures in MSI afterburner app and all ok before the event. Very random occurrence. Upped the power limit on the graphics card by another 10% and that seems to have solved the issue.

baldur1

Sounds very like the symptoms before my mobo died earlier this year. Do you have post codes on the mobo by chance?

stevek93

Damien360 wrote: »

Young lads MSI GeForce 1060 was doing exactly the same a few months ago. He wasn’t over clocking at the time but the 3 screens would go black, and all the PC fans would go 100%. Checked temperatures in MSI afterburner app and all ok before the event. Very random occurrence. Upped the power limit on the graphics card by another 10% and that seems to have solved the issue.

Thanks but I am also getting the usb controllers bombing out now so I can almost rule out the external gpu.

stevek93

baldur1 wrote: »

Sounds very like the symptoms before my mobo died earlier this year. Do you have post codes on the mobo by chance?

No its posting without issue the symptoms occur when booted in windows.

beauf

stevek93 wrote: »

I am thinking now if the PSU has been bad would it have now damaged the mobo? The mobo is fairly new and is a higher end Asus one I cant think of the model but it is no cheap mobo.

More like a power surge/spike damaged both at the same time.

Problem with damage like that is that it can be random. So its hard to pinpoint the problem. It maybe something else, but I wouldn't rule it out.

stevek93

beauf wrote: »

More like a power surge/spike damaged both at the same time.

Problem with damage like that is that it can be random. So its hard to pinpoint the problem. It maybe something else, but I wouldn't rule it out.

I suppose now would be the time to contact Asus no harm in trying and see what they have to say before buying a new board.

beauf

The board could also just have partially failed itself with no external factors. We often see static shocks take out USB ports especially on the front of PCs. Sometimes they come back working a few weeks later.

stevek93

beauf wrote: »

The board could also just have partially failed itself with no external factors. We often see static shocks take out USB ports especially on the front of PCs. Sometimes they come back working a few weeks later.

I am going to pull the board out and build the PC again see if there is anything abrupt. I had one time a friend bring over his PC after 2 mobos went bang I found a standoff touching the back solder joints of the pci card solt, stupid can happen.

beauf

True. Also if you move the chassis around a bit or put something heavy on it, you can flex the case and cause connections on the board to flex and break or have intermittent contact. More likely with desktop cases with monitors on them than towers. Less common these days.

Skerries

stevek93 wrote: »

I am going to pull the board out and build the PC again see if there is anything abrupt. I had one time a friend bring over his PC after 2 mobos went bang I found a standoff touching the back solder joints of the pci card solt, stupid can happen.

the first PC I built in the long ago I couldn't see what the standoffs were used for so never installed them.

The PC worked for years without any issues, I dodged a bullet some how :eek::D

stevek93

Again this happened, in a game and out goes keyboard and mice but they still had power until I plugged them out and back in again then no power I have a RGB mice but strange thing was when I rdp'd into the machine it brought them back, also when I rdp'd the fans of the card spun up loudly for a second the same spin up as if during a post. I’m completely

ED E

Are you playing any of these?

- Apex Legends (EAC)
- Fortnite (EAC)
- Paladins (EAC)
- Player Unknown: Battlegrounds (BE)
- Rainbow Six: Siege (BE)
- Planetside 2 (BE)
- H1Z1 (BE)
- Day-Z (BE)
- Ark Survival Evolved (BE)
- Dead by Daylight (EAC)
- For Honor (EAC)

stevek93

ED E wrote: »

Are you playing any of these?

- Apex Legends (EAC)
- Fortnite (EAC)
- Paladins (EAC)
- Player Unknown: Battlegrounds (BE)
- Rainbow Six: Siege (BE)
- Planetside 2 (BE)
- H1Z1 (BE)
- Day-Z (BE)
- Ark Survival Evolved (BE)
- Dead by Daylight (EAC)
- For Honor (EAC)

Apex yes, also sorry I didn't mention this is also happening when not in game browsing the web etc.

ED E

Thats the wonder of anti cheat systems that work like a virus, game doesn't have to be running for **** to hit the fan.


Try a fresh install of windows with no games for a week before replacing the board.

stevek93

ED E wrote: »

Thats the wonder of anti cheat systems that work like a virus, game doesn't have to be running for **** to hit the fan.


Try a fresh install of windows with no games for a week before replacing the board.

Fresh install of windows and still happening

stevek93

I think I found the issue maybe not I still need to test but!!! I have a Jabra headset that has been the only new additional USB device I have added it has been plugged in all the time during these tests I never thought to unplug I never thought it could be the culprit until last night, I unplugged for a few hours no issue at all PC working 100% as soon as I plugged in 2 minutes later bang again I lost all USB ports.

beauf

Might have a short either with the cable or the port.

stevek93

beauf wrote: »

Might have a short either with the cable or the port.

If it is something this simple and all the effort of troubleshooting I will cry.

beauf

The Joy of Computer trouble shooting eh!

Always handy to keep an old PC for trouble shooting so you can swap parts.