I have an eMachines computer and as I was reading comments on GT and opening My Pictures and opening a new tab to go to Photobucket on, all of the sudden my screen goes black. All I can think is 'Oh no, its happening again.' And then, just as I predicted, the startup screen, e logo for eMachines shows up. Then it goes back to my desktop and I then wait for Norton to load, and then an error report window comes up saying 'Your system has recovered from a serious error'. After that, I went here to GT again.

This is problem that I am all too familiar with.
When we had our computer in the past (before the time when my dad wiped it because Norton #$@!*& up), this was an error that would happen, oh, 2-5 times a day. We'd be in the middle of something and then kaput. The screen would have 4 seconds of blackness, then it would just start up again. It was like it was automatically restarting itself over and over, except there was no 'Logging Off' or 'Shutting Down' messages. After the wiping since 2007, this problem has happened 2-3 times.

Anyone know whats wrong?

Edit: And I just found out that the smilie I was gonna put on photobucket when this happened doesnt blend in with the GT backround -_-|||

EDIT2:10/29: Uh oh. Something I do not know of just happened. I went onto YouTube, my screen goes black, and doesnt come back on. When it didnt come back on, the computer started beeping. "Beeeep.......Beeeep.......Beeeep.......Beeeep.......Beeeep.......Beeeep......." It didnt end. I had to turn off the thing that its hooked up to thats hooked up to the power outlet.

I had something almost like that happen, but that was a bad RAM stick, so most likely not your problem. Is the computer a pre-built or a custom?

If your computer is automatically restarting, turn off that Windows feature so you can actually see the error (should be a blue screen of death). As for the beeping, look at your motherboard's manual and find the beep codes. Computers don't just randomly beep. Those beeps actually stand for something. Consider them error codes.

[RDH]Zerted wrote:If your computer is automatically restarting, turn off that Windows feature so you can actually see the error (should be a blue screen of death). As for the beeping, look at your motherboard's manual and find the beep codes. Computers don't just randomly beep. Those beeps actually stand for something. Consider them error codes.

Like morse code?

I get the blue screen sometimes. Hasn't really affected me that much.

[RDH]Zerted wrote:If your computer is automatically restarting, turn off that Windows feature so you can actually see the error (should be a blue screen of death). As for the beeping, look at your motherboard's manual and find the beep codes. Computers don't just randomly beep. Those beeps actually stand for something. Consider them error codes.

How would I turn off that Windows feature? No one in my house in computer savvy. I guess Ill search for that motherboard manual now.

@my comps prebuilt, tsu.

Give me the model number of your eMachines and I'll hunt down the mobo specs.

By the way, if this dies don't ever buy an eMachines again. I work on more eMachines computers than anything else. They're terribly built, and the power supplies are really cheap, allowing the motherboard to get overloaded really easily. From what it sounds like it could be a heat issue, and if it is you're likely to be out of luck seeing as this is an eMachines.

Well if thats true, my dad is an idiotic man who doesnt know a [Diet Dr. Pepper] about computers. First he gets a bad computer, then he gets a bad anti-virus program...the anti-virus program WRECKS our computer, he goes back out and buys the same anti-virus program again.

...! Now I get it! THATS why we got a computer at all! He found a terrible cheap one!...Little [Amp]...


System Model: W3410

The issue you're describing doesn't have anything to do with a virus, just so you know.

*edit*

After looking things up, looks like you have the classic eMachines case:

1-Power supply begins to die. It constantly restarts the computer (normal with dying power supplies).
2-Because there are no/very cheap voltage regulators in eMachines power supplies (VERY BAD) it begins to overload the mainboard with power.
3-Mainboard dies due to overload, continuous beeps from an overheated board/chip.

It's a classic case with eMachines. Most good power supplies have a good voltage regulator that will basically sacrifice the power supply by killing it off instead of a mainboard. eMachines have no/cheap regulators that allow too much voltage to go through, killing the mainboard.

For the future, if you're experiencing random restarts turn and leave the computer off until you can replace the power supply (a very easy job to do). Just take the old one into Best Buy and they'll match you up with a new one.

Yea, that happened to my eMachine.

People trash Norton waaaaay too often.
No offense, but if you don't know what you're talking about, you shouldn't say anything.
Yeah, maybe it's not the best, maybe there are better alternatives, but my family has used it for as long as I can remember, and the only viruses we've ever had are because of things we've done (opened bad emails, downloaded virus-filled programs, etc.). If you keep Norton updated and don't be stupid about downloading/installing, it works really well.

Anyways, I guess I'm sorry for hi-jacking this thread

Thanks for the help

So I suppose I have to disect the processor for the power supply. *puts on rubber gloves and pulls out a saw*

Edited for Dohnutt: well what our Norton did was run out of days on a certain feature and for some reason we couldnt buy more days or sumthin (memory is foggy so this might not be accurate), so for awhile instead of a yellow norton button with a green surrounded check mark on our taskbar, we got a yellow norton button with a red surrounded x on our taskbar, and after awhile of it sitting there like that some things messed up and kaput went the computer.

redgroupclan wrote:Thanks for the help

So I suppose I have to disect the processor for the power supply. *puts on rubber gloves and pulls out a saw*

Edited for Dohnutt: well what our Norton did was run out of days on a certain feature and for some reason we couldnt buy more days or sumthin (memory is foggy so this might not be accurate), so for awhile instead of a yellow norton button with a green surrounded check mark on our taskbar, we got a yellow norton button with a red surrounded x on our taskbar, and after awhile of it sitting there like that some things messed up and kaput went the computer.

To be honest, it's too late. If you're getting those beep codes that never stop, either your mainboard or processor are fried. Nothing you can do but open it up and salvage the hard drive. Normally I'd say grab the RAM and graphics card, but every eMachines I've ever worked on that's done that has fried those too.

Open it up, learn about the inside guts, salvage what you can and throw it in the trash.

redgroupclan wrote:Edited for Dohnutt: well what our Norton did was run out of days on a certain feature and for some reason we couldnt buy more days or sumthin (memory is foggy so this might not be accurate), so for awhile instead of a yellow norton button with a green surrounded check mark on our taskbar, we got a yellow norton button with a red surrounded x on our taskbar, and after awhile of it sitting there like that some things messed up and kaput went the computer.

So then it wasn't a problem with Norton.

Teancum wrote:
To be honest, it's too late. If you're getting those beep codes that never stop, either your mainboard or processor are fried. Nothing you can do but open it up and salvage the hard drive. Normally I'd say grab the RAM and graphics card, but every eMachines I've ever worked on that's done that has fried those too.

Open it up, learn about the inside guts, salvage what you can and throw it in the trash.

So then I have to throw away my computer and ask my parents to buy a new one? Crap Im screwed...
My mom might just not buy a new one because they're expensive, and my dad wont buy one again cuz he realized he hates me being on the computer.
Just in case, goodbye GameToast

So then I guess I better start moving my files onto disks.

Oh and tell me, what kind of computers do you guys suggest?

What price range are you looking at?
Custom is probably the best option, but not if you don't have the experience.
Dell is what I prefer - you can customize your computer online and then order it. However, they are usually a bit more pricey than other brands, but you're paying for quality, so...
HP, I've heard isn't very good, but that may not be true.
Compaq, not sure.

But don't go out and just look for brands, make sure you're getting a decent computer.
I can't really tell you anything else until I know the price range though.

redgroupclan wrote:Oh and tell me, what kind of computers do you guys suggest?

I suggest dell. It hasn't failed me yet, except for a bad video card which we got a free replacement for (was the vid card's fault).

Dell or HP computers are probably the best right now.

Alright I looked at some

Would anything from two hundred something to four hundred something dollars be the cheap ones that would kinda be like an emachines computer?

redgroupclan wrote:Alright I looked at some

Would anything from two hundred something to four hundred something dollars be the cheap ones that would kinda be like an emachines computer?

Unless you're getting just the tower, and not the monitor/keyboard/mouse/etc., then somewhere in the 300-500 range wouldn't be bad. However, if you want the whole deal, then you're probably looking from somewhere in the $700-1500 range, depending on how good of a computer you want.

Also, if you're looking online, post some of the ones you're looking at. We might be able to help you refine your search.