Could too hot motherboard explain all this?

[geercom]

Thank you for making this awesome forum available!

My shortcuts no longer worked, neither did the controls inside my software programs such as Firefox, Word and Outlook Express. I was using Speed Fan to run the CPU fan at 50-percent to keep the computer from being so noisy. I understand that computers can run hotter without experiencing damage. That worked well for a couple of years. When I started experiencing the onset of some of these issues, I freed up some hard drive space, checked for viruses (found one and removed it), and set Speed Fan to allow the CPU fan to run at 100-percent again. Now, it seems that my computer's capabilities are coming back as the CPU (and ultimately the MB) run cooler.

I want to take a three-pronged approach to ensuring all is well now.

1. Could a too hot CPU/MB alone be the cause of all this? If not, what else should I check or do?
2. Is it possible that when the MB cools all the way back down under its threshold and stays there that all these problems will be permanently resolved?
3. How do I best test the MB to see that all is well, no permanent damage? Using what software tools?

I look forward to reading your responses.

[truenorth]

There are many variables that can create issues as to why a computer or it's components do not function (or not optimally). Therefore there really is not one test that will do it all.But there are tests (often available free) that can test individual hardware/software functionality. In your case because you decided to arbitrarily alter the performance of the cooling fans it is possible (but not a certainty) that there could be a cumulative effect occurring over time that has been detrimental to your computer. Understandably that seems to be the primary area of your current concern. So here is a link to a site that offers advice and a tool for testing that.
http://expectus.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-check-CPU-temperature
If it turns out that the tests do not indicate a problem but that you are still of the opinion that your system is not working as it used to or not as well as you desire then there are many other tests and/or hardware/software/and tuneup options that are also available to you. For other forum members to comment with greater preciseness it could be helpful to elaborate on your computer. A good start would be to do an Everest scan to determine all the hardware components of your computer. Everest free scan is available. Posting your scan results would give us more information to assess the likely performance of your computer in a variety of areas. truenorth

[geercom]

Here is the report you requested, attached. I will try the steps at the link. My MB temp is 49-degrees Celsius with fans running at full capacity.



[regaining space - attachment deleted by admin]

[truenorth]

I have reviewed most of your attached report. It would appear that you are using windows xp and your computer is at least a 2006. I do not see a reference to what actual service pack on your O/S is installed. Do you have SP 3 installed. I note that you have a great deal of available ports (both internal and external) that don't seem to have anything connected to them so i don't thing any slowness or heat issue is being generated by high hardware demands. I do note that your AVG anti virus seems to be generating some errors when it is being accessed. How current is it? You may wish to try another free virus service such as Avira or Avast if AVG is causing issues. I note that all the references to temps are in the mid or upper 40's range (i don't know if those temps are at idle or at stress). Other members may wish to comment on those temps. I assume that your computer is clean and not full of dust and that your fan ports are not obstructed.
On this question from your original post"2. Is it possible that when the MB cools all the way back down under its threshold and stays there that all these problems will be permanently resolved?" This is difficult to know as if something has suffered as a result of your reduction to the fan speeds for whatever the period was then that won't resolve itself. However i don't believe that that is currently established that any damage did occur. Do you have any memory as to what your temps were prior to your lowering the fan speeds? How is the speed of things now that you have returned the fans to 100%? I notice that you were having some program issues before that seem to have gone. Do you have slow startup issues or other slow processes that were not there from the time of before the fan speed reduction? How much resources are used by the quantity of startup programs?When you do get the results of your temp assesment let us know the results and we can go from there.truenorth

[geercom]

The PC is running SP 3. I am not running AVG. This is Avera AntiVir. I haven't noticed any issues with it. It is up to date. Temps at idle are 49-degrees Celsius for the system with the system fan doing 2,220 RPM at 100-percent, and 46-degrees Celsius for the CPU with the fan doing 3,924 RPM at 100-percent. The CPU threshold is 65-degrees Celsius, while the MB threshold is 45-degrees Celsius. The MB is still running above its threshold at about 48 to 49 degrees C. Is this all the temperature information you need?

I cleaned out the computer after a fan hiccuped and barely turned all the way on at boot up one time. The fan came on OK after that. Speed Fan has been running the CPU fan at 50-percent for a year or two. I don't recall my temps before lowering the speeds. Everything seems to be OK except that I cannot boot into BIOS setup at all and I cannot boot from the CD DVD drive at all.

With only the eight startup programs running, and other normal idle processes, the CPU runs between 0 and 46-percent and the RAM at about 900MB of the 2GB total that is available.

What do you think at this point? What are my next steps?

[patio]

Have you considered this may be a Windows issue ? ?

[geercom]

Yes, I used a ps2 keyboard Android got into the bios Android changed the boot order. I am now rerunning windows setup from a reliable slipstreamed cd with xp Android most of my favorite settings. I did find in the bios that the temps are a little higher than I thought.

[geercom]

Android is supposed to be and