INGO IT guys... computer problem

[RobbyMaQ]

I have a [STRIKE]fileserver[/STRIKE] computer that just quit working today. I push the power button and nothing happens. I can't get all of my cool gun pics from it. I can no longer run my ventrilo server off of it. All of my downloaded files, my media server, and pics/songs are inaccessible. My ftp server s now down. And my cameras can't save the motion activated pics to it.
I don't know the first thing about computers... what could be wrong here?

 

[PRasko]

Check the simple things first.

Is it plugged in? Don't just visually check. Make sure it's plugged in firmly. Wall and into the computer.

Power switch on the back flicked off somehow?

Does the outlet work with anything else?

If none of those things are wrong, I'm inclined to say power supply.

 

[wtburnette]

Power supply would be my first guess as well. If you're using a UPS, you may check it and see if it has failed. If it is the power supply, or if you need one to test with, let me know. I have a Corsair RM850 that was a warranty replacement Corsair sent me for a failed TX850 from a couple years ago. I've never opened it, as I scavenged a power supply from another system temporarily and decided to just leave it in. You can use it to test with and if needed, buy it from me cheap. If you want, you can bring the computer over to my place and I can help you troubleshoot the issue. I have other spare parts to test with as well. Just PM me and let me know.

 

[bigretic]

*The "first" thing about computers: Always have a backup.

 

[churchmouse]

I give this a 8 on a 10 scale.....

 

[padawan]

I would start with bad power supply if you know for sure it has power to it. (good power strip/cord/?) What brand/model is it?

 

[RugerRog]

Is it on a surge protector? Try plugging the computer directly into the wall. Check to see if the breaker tripped, and if its on a GFI check to see if it tripped. Make sure the power cord is firmly seated in the computer PS.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I was just sorta skiddin'.
Likely the power supply. surge protector is good. There's a remote chance the mobo blew... if it did, then I am off to a nas replacement.
I won't know for sure until I swap a new psu in tomorrow.
I've been wanting to 'downgrade' to a NAS that can host a printer for a while now... wife won't know any different... but if the psu doesn't make a difference, new NAS purchase it is.
The files & such are backed up to a usb drive. So I can get the files off of it one way or another when/if I make the swap to NAS.
The 'fun' part will be running cat5 to the safe (where i will locate the NAS)

 

[Cameramonkey]

Careful putting that NAS in the safe. Could run into heat issues.

I really like my readynas 312. Even works as a media server. I can stream all of my movies without having to find the DVDs.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Oh, and another cool tool Robby, Look up Code42's Crashplan. You can do offsite backups to a "friend's" PC. (or at work if you control your firewall) All for free. You only have to pay for the software if you want advanced features like cloud backup. I have an enterprise data center So I can backup mine to my own personal cloud for free.

 

[Shadow8088]

Synology makes a nice NAS or so I'm told.

https://www.synology.com/en-us/

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Careful putting that NAS in the safe. Could run into heat issues.

I really like my readynas 312. Even works as a media server. I can stream all of my movies without having to find the DVDs.

I picked up a NAS at work 2 months ago, and am so far impressed. 2nd story, no ac (dont ask, I'm miffed that it isn't fixed yet) and no issues. The only downside, is it requires usernames and PW's via Xp shares... win 7+ no issues. Easy enough to fix. Create a matching username and pw to their xp login (domain or otherwise) and all is good.
Zyxel 310. It offers a usb printer share

 

[gopher]

Oh, and another cool tool Robby, Look up Code42's Crashplan. You can do offsite backups to a "friend's" PC. (or at work if you control your firewall) All for free. You only have to pay for the software if you want advanced features like cloud backup. I have an enterprise data center So I can backup mine to my own personal cloud for free.

Monkey is right, CrashPlan is "the bomb".

If you don't have an "enterprise data center" in your bathroom like Monkey and HRC (well, maybe HRC came up a little short on the "enterprise" part ) you can still use CrashPlan to have individual computers back themselves up to a centralized computer that can then use CrashPlan to backup to the "cloud". This means you can backup an unlimited number of computers on your local network using a single CrashPlan account. Most other cloud backup services charge PER COMPUTER (which sucks ).

Just remember that a "cloud" backup will be REALLY slow to restore should you ever need it. You should also have a local backup so you can restore over your local network. CrashPlan can handle that as well.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

That's cool and all? But I backup my email, contacts, new designs, accounting, etc once a week to a thumb drive and my 'data' drive once a week.
Worse case scenario? I reinstall xp onto a system, and copy the data back to it after re setting up the shares. 2 hours tops... Not that I discount those services? I just think one could be better served doing local backups... I mean if anything major happened, I still have my local/thumb drive/sdsc backups to copy the data back. Yes it sucks installing programs (and iso's are good), but this is a file server... it doesn't host programs... just data files... of which I have multiple copies.
Switching it all to a nas, is only going to save me electricity bills... something I should have done long ago... plus, I free up a monitor.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Monkey is right, CrashPlan is "the bomb".

If you don't have an "enterprise data center" in your bathroom like Monkey and HRC (well, maybe HRC came up a little short on the "enterprise" part ) you can still use CrashPlan to have individual computers back themselves up to a centralized computer that can then use CrashPlan to backup to the "cloud". This means you can backup an unlimited number of computers on your local network using a single CrashPlan account. Most other cloud backup services charge PER COMPUTER (which sucks ).

Just remember that a "cloud" backup will be REALLY slow to restore should you ever need it. You should also have a local backup so you can restore over your local network. CrashPlan can handle that as well.

And you dont need a data center, just a friend. Thats how they market it. You point your backup to a friend, they point theirs at you. After a "seed" backup where you each backup the files to a portable drive, you exchange drives and use them as the targets. (so the software doesnt need to send ALL the data over the wire)

And dude. XP? Seriously? Put it to bed. 7 is the new XP.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

And you dont need a data center, just a friend. Thats how they market it. You point your backup to a friend, they point theirs at you. After a "seed" backup where you each backup the files to a portable drive, you exchange drives and use them as the targets. (so the software doesnt need to send ALL the data over the wire)

And dude. XP? Seriously? Put it to bed. 7 is the new XP.

Except Microsoft discontinued support for:
1-Fox Pro Database Software (which was all the rage in the 90's) and that we paid 25k for custom programming for our accounting/production.invoicing software. oops. sorry 'bout ya. SQL now? Yeah, lets see where yer at 10 years from now?
2-Bi directional parallel port. Yeah, we have a thermal wax printer that cost us 20k in 1996. We've been making bank on it ever since. I just upgraded this machine from win 98SE last fall to Win XP. And now I should upgrade to win 7 which doesn't even support bi directional parallel ports... yeah... rights... cuz, too much support on that. Guess we just throw that printer away cuz... Microsoft.. win 7... betterer...

My question is... how many other manufacturing jobs out there rely on tech that the deskjobs wish to discontinue?...

If it ain't broke? Don' fix it. plain and simple.

XP? I've got 10 boxes running xp because I know it works.. win 7? It's a crapshoot whether it will run our proprietary stuff or not.
Want to surf the internet? Bicker which OS is the best? Want to make a living? Let's dig a little deeper.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Office and os doesn't make a living... it makes home users lives easier...
It's left US manufacturing by the wayside... which, I guess is cool if handing jobs to china, mexico, etc...
thanks Microsoft.

 

[wtburnette]

Some of the reasons why I ditched MS and all their BS and went to Linux Mint

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I wish we could ditch windows... I don't think our rip & cut software would allow for it? unsure.

btw it was the powersupply. grabbed one from storage, and it booted right up... dodged a bullet for a bit longer.. I still want a NAS

 

[Shadow8088]

I wish we could ditch windows... I don't think our rip & cut software would allow for it? unsure.

btw it was the powersupply. grabbed one from storage, and it booted right up... dodged a bullet for a bit longer.. I still want a NAS

Congrats on the power supply fix.. Have you considered cloning the drive and setting up a Linux box and throwing the cloned drive as a VM? No worries about hardware dying then...