Hi Lewis,
I'm not a computer professional, but I would make sure you have normal AC power getting to the power supply, bypassing any possible restrictions. Next I would try to lessen the demand on the power supply by disconnecting components, maybe that Zip drive first, then CD, floppy or hard drive. You'll need to leave some type of boot disk. Maybe you could temporarily disconnect case fans, but not the CPU fan. Substitute a portable fan to move the air. Get the load as low as you can and see if it helps. Then add things back one at a time and see if it tells you anything. You could probably check PS voltages at an empty plug, but that doesn't tell you about a possible high draw voltage drop at startup. There must be testers that do that.
There have been several power supply standards over the years, some recent ones being AT and ATX. Most you come across will comply with one of those standards. But I've read that some, possibly Compaq among them, could have proprietary designs. If you replace the power supply, get a higher wattage if possible because you've added at least one component.
Here is some good info on power supplies:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-supply.htm
Good luck.


-----Original Message-----
From: Lewis C Emerson <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Jan 26, 2005 6:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PCBUILD] Intermittent Problem

List,

This has been an ongoing problem for me and I'm about to go berserk from
frustration.  HELP!  The machine is a 900 MHz Compaq (5WV280) with an
Athlon processor, 256 Mbyte RAM, Windows Me OS, etc.  I have Norton A-V
installed and up-to-date, and regularly (daily) use SpyBot and Ad-Aware

The computer freezes or locks up (I don't know the proper computer term
for this) and then nothing will work, no cursor movement, no nothing,
even Cntrl-Alt-Del doesn't do anything and the only solution is to power
down, wait ten or so seconds, and then power up.  Sometimes that works
and sometimes (many more times) it doesn't.  I can try this many times
and maybe, just maybe, it'll work on the 10th or so try.  If it doesn't,
then I'll go off, come back and try again.  After some time, with
repeated attempts I'll get it up and can use it for a period of time
varying from minutes to days - literally.  I leave the computer "on" as I
let it do searches (when I'm not using it) for the SETI program (I teach
Astronomy at a Jr. college here).  It'll often run OK overnight, but
sometimes it'll freeze after a few minutes - even after a new boot up.

Other symptoms:  When I turn the power back on after a freeze up, I can
tell instantly if it's gonna boot or not.  Two things:tell me this:  The
"A" drive comes on and its light blinks if it's gonna boot, but doesn't
come on at all if it's a dead machine & the monitor light turns from
orange to green if its gonna boot, but stays orange if it's still dead.
These indicator lights are almost instantaneous - - long before the
machine has had time to really 'do anything'.

My (fuzzy) thoughts:  Since, after it died, but starts at a later time, I
thought it might be temperature problem.  I don't think this is so - I've
opened the case, removed (with many misgivings), and thoroughly cleaned
the processor chip fan and, etc.  The other evidence is that even after
'resting' overnight occasionally it won't boot - surely things would have
cooled down by then.

More (fuzzy) thoughts: Can my power supply be the culprit here?  I just
can't see a temperature problem, or Virus, spyware, adware problem.  The
PS is a 250 watt unit, but I've added nothing to the machine except a 100
MHz Omega Zip drive - that's worked perfectly for years.

I do have two or three old computer carcasses and can scavenge the power
supply from them.

Question:  Are computer power supplies interchangeable?

A more pertinent question:  Can anyone tell me what the normal voltages
are from a power supply?  I am a retired physicist, a ham radio guy, and,
while very old now, know my way around electronic stuff (but not
computers), and do still have working V-O-M equipment.

Sorry for the length of this missile, but am at about my wit's end.  I
know, from years of experience, that intermittent problems are among the
worst, but if anyone on this list has any suggestions, I'd be most
appreciative.

Lewis Emerson
Oak Ridge, TN

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