P4 Desktop: Input Device Lockup

edited September 2004 in Hardware
Ok... my P4 desktop has a problem and I'm asking for all of your help.

I leave it on all workweek (M-F). I got home, used it for 5 or 10 minutes, came back about 10 more minutes later, and the mouse and kbd were frozen. The mouse is a USB optical, plugging into the USB port. It's optical light was out when I looked at it. The KBD is a regular PS/2, plugging into the PS/2 port. It doesn't do this all the time, just sporadically.

So, I tried Ctrl+Alt+Del, but of course it didn't work. I unplugged the kbd, plugged it back in, and all 3 indicator lights came on, then went off. It still appeared to be frozen.

So, I hit the power button and turned it off and then back on.

I have about 4 months of BestBuy warranty left, it's good until January. It's a 3 year old PC.

My questions are these:
1) What could be causing it?
2) Should I reformat and see if the problem is fixed?
2) Should I take it in and see if they can fix it? I don't want it to escalate and wind up with a dead motherboard.

Thanks so much.

[Edit by Q: Spelling]

Comments

  • Try disabling everything in power management except the monitor. What's doing this I'd see what others say and then I'll see what I say/take my pick. How long has it been doing this?

    -Q
  • have you checked it with other kbds and mice?
  • No, I suppose I should cross check with other devices. It's just so hard to reproduce it because it is speratic..
  • try installing the latest chipset drivers....
  • That means... I need to find what board is in it... how would you recommend doing that, considering it's a Sony?
  • go to sonys site and look around
  • No, I suppose I should cross check with other devices. It's just so hard to reproduce it because it is speratic..
    That's certainly worth trying. Remember though if it works it still
    could be that you could turn it off and unplug and replug everything
    and it might work for a while. I never can get mine to work when
    it quits without turning it off and repluging.
    Is it XP and did you install SP2? I've heard of something like
    that happening with it to a few people.
    You probably don't reboot ofter enough.
    Try to make it steady and secure, it could be getting jiggled.
    Take it in before the time runs out if it's not fixed.
    Good Luck !
    Thump
  • Hasn't reoccured yet... yes this is running the infamous XP SP2.
  • I updated the BIOS and found a fan utility on the Sony site, so I installed them. XP seems to be taking linger to boot after this flash of BIOS, maybe it was just the first time. It was couple seconds longer.

    Just up to observation now.
  • Hasn't reoccured yet... yes this is running the infamous XP SP2.
    I should have caught it earlier. That's what it is then.
    It's because you've got the P4. I'm thinking about ditching
    SP2 myself for other reasons. It's up to you but I think
    that's what it is.
    guzzle.gif
    Thump
  • Chipset drivers won't fix anything -- PS/2 requires no drivers.

    I'm stating the obvious here, but it's either hardware or software. If it's software, you can try updating the BIOS (you've already done that), you can see if it happens in a non-Windows OS (sit in DOS or Linux or something for a while), you can try re-formatting, etc.

    If it's hardware, you can cross-check with other devices, but that's about all that you can do on the hardware side. If it's not the devices, it's the motherboard = you're f***ed unless you go to Best Buy and yell at them.
  • If it happens again, I'm just going there and yelling until my 3 year old PC gets a new mobo. :P thx
  • If it happens again, I'm just going there and yelling until my 3 year old PC gets a new mobo. :P thx
    I hope I'm right and it's SP2. That's not to good but it's software.
    They ain't gonna give you a new motherboard! If harried
    enough they will give you a refurb that's already screwed up on
    someone else.
    My questions are these:
    1) What could be causing it?
    2) Should I reformat and see if the problem is fixed?
    2) Should I take it in and see if they can fix it? I don't want it to escalate and wind up with a dead motherboard.
    I hate to hear the work reformat. You may have to try reinstalling
    and not getting SP2.
    Or SurfinSHELL23, I hate to bring it up, could it have been
    caused by your dog knocking against the wires?
    It needs to be stable.
    guzzle.gif
    Thump
  • It can be so... for example, when 3 or more devices use the same IRQ. Check that...
  • How would I check the IRQ? I don't think she'd be able to get to the wires... she was noted to tap on the keyboard during the day, so I started locking my PC when I left home a while ago.
  • How would I check the IRQ? I don't think she'd be able to get to the wires... she was noted to tap on the keyboard during the day, so I started locking my PC when I left home a while ago.

    i think its in device manager

    and u lock it wen u leave home? i lock mine wen i leave site of them
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • You may reorganize your IRQs in system BIOS, or using some utils for Bios...
    I saw that also in 2000 device manager...
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • The hell... it just did it again. I'm goonna uninstall SP2 and see if it happens again.
  • I will stay with the opinion: the fault is in your hardware, not in OS.
  • That suprises me, it's XP you know, lol!
  • I will not say XP is good or something, but now it's really not XP fault...
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