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[SOLVED]My PC is getting more frequent hanging problems!

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First post, by old_MySpace

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Hello everyone,
I'm having some problems with my Windows 98 rig, this is occurring more frequently these days.
At first, the computer started hanging when I opened ""heavy load"" programs. No response from the PC, the cursor was simply stuck, and the red HDD indicator was stuck on.
Then it, today, it started doing it worse. For an example, when I try to access a floppy disk, the PC hangs with the same symptoms said above.
Also sometimes it hangs on exit too.

It can't be the hard disk, as I changed for the third time.

My parts:
motherboard: QDI SUPERB 4V-ALX, some caps are sightly bulged.
cpu: Pentium 4
ram: 512 MB
video card:ATI Radeon 9250 128MB AGP
hard disk: maxtor 40gb
sound card: SB Live!
PSU: is some cheap early 2000's PSU, the brand I don't really know since it has been months since I opened the computer, but I remember it was "premium" version of it. On the back there is the red voltage change switch.

Can the Mobo caps or/and the PSU be the culprit of the hang?
I also reinstalled 98 so many times so it's not the OS the problem. I remember this happened too when I installed Windows ME as well.

Also I want to remember the same PC does this joke on me every time I disassemble it:
USB Ports not working at all!

PS: Tomorrow, when I have more time, I will open up the PC, take some photos and post it here with more detailed specs.

Thank you for reading, MySpace.

Last edited by old_MySpace on 2018-09-01, 09:32. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 1 of 3, by CkRtech

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MySpace wrote:

motherboard: QDI SUPERB 4V-ALX, some caps are sightly bulged.

PSU: is some cheap early 2000's PSU,

😒

I don't think we need photos. This sounds like a pretty classic caps problem.

Displaced Gamers (YouTube) - DOS Gaming Aspect Ratio - 320x200 || The History of 240p || Dithering on the Sega Genesis with Composite Video

Reply 2 of 3, by Ageve

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MySpace wrote:

Hello everyone,
Can the Mobo caps or/and the PSU be the culprit of the hang?

Yes.

My advice is to never use a "cheap early 2000's PSU" (at least not without making sure it's ok first).

A bad PSU (usually with broken/vented low quality caps) can cause good quality caps on the motherboard to bulge (high ripple causing high temperatures that destroy the caps over time).

Reply 3 of 3, by old_MySpace

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UPDATE:
Yes, it was the PSU. I forgot to add, when the PC froze or it was booting up, it made a sightly clank/click noise. Now with the new PSU the weird noise is gone so the freezes.

I also double checked the motherboard, the capacitators look fine. So again, it was the PSU.
Thank you all for helping!
MySpace.

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