[Tfug] Any tips for diagnosing possible hardware problems?

[Bexley Hall]

--- Glen Pfeiffer <glen_ap at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Can anyone offer any assistance on how to diagnose
> which (if any) hardware component is bad? Here is
> my problem...
> 
> I have been trying to install either Ubuntu or
> Debian (preferred) on a PIII. I am confident the
> media is okay because both cd's have worked
> flawlessly in several other instances, but both are
> failing on this one PC. 

If this is media that *you* burned, then don't think
that you can deduce it is "ok" just because it worked
in another CD-ROM reader!  There's a lot of
variability
between drives.  If you *know* that the drive is
having problems reading the media (your comment,
above), try different media *or* try swapping the
drive out of the machine that *did* read it.

(I assume these OS's don't allow you to install
via FTP/NFS/miniroot?)

> I have removed most of the non-essential hardware
> (floppy, agp video
> card), and still have the same issue. I have also
> swapped out the hard
> drive as it was suspect. I have checked all the
> cables, and replaced
> many of them. I have tested the memory in another pc
> and verified that it is alright.

And you are sure it is the right "flavor" of memory?
(often, the "wrong" memory will work in many cases
but not completely -- depends on access patterns)

> At this point I am thinking either the motherboard,
> cpu or possibly the
> CD drive. I haven't the first clue on how to
> diagnose them apart from
> replacing the part and trying again (and I don't
> have enough spare
> parts - these are my spares). Any help?

Install windows.  This tells you if things work
with a "real" CD, etc.  If you can't get windows to
install, then you *know* you've got a hardware
problem.

Silly to replace motherboard without "proof"
(though if you see signs of bad electrolytics
on the MB, it's toast -- cheaper to replace than
to re-cap it)

Get the machine "working" in a benign environment
(e.g. Windows) before deciding if you've got a
real problem.

--don

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