Computer crashed, can't get into Windows no more..


Recommended Posts

ok i will try that, and one last thing..should I have my friend try to reseat the cpu and cooler and see if I can get my system to boot? I have the rma already created and have the pre-paid shipping label from intel, I just want to know if its worth trying to reseat it before sending the cpu back to intel

If your friend is coming over to troubleshoot, I would also suggest trying to boot with one memory stick, try one, boot, see if it works and then again with the other memory stick like what was suggested in an earlier post.

Then you can at least rule out memory being the issue.

  On 09/01/2025 at 14:10, Steven P. said:

If your friend is coming over to troubleshoot, I would also suggest trying to boot with one memory stick, try one, boot, see if it works and then again with the other memory stick like what was suggested in an earlier post.

Then you can at least rule out memory being the issue.

Expand  

should I try with one memory stick in the same ram slot, or use a slot that that hasn't been used before? and should i put my video card in as well when testing with the one stick of ram?

so my friend hasnt come over yet to try and do the reseating of the cpu and cooler like I said yet, but I did show a picture of my motherboard with the thermal paste debris on the motherboard socket to someone at a local repair shop, to see if he can be cleaned it off easily. And he sent me back the picture I showed him and circled 2 areas and said those 2 areas are damage to the socket (not covered by thermal grease) and recommended I change the board and that my cpu should be ok. I just want to get a second opinion, I will also ask my friend for his opinion on what he thinks, but just trying to figure out if I should go ahead and get a new motherboard now or not..

 

!thermal_debris_cpu_socket.thumb.jpg.8700419d0ec2765f1586a45b08479505.jpg

and this is what the person at the repair shop replied back with to my e-mail "Check the 2 areas I circled. They are damage to the socket (not covered by thermal grease). You should consider changing the board, I'm sure the CPU is ok and the mobo is the culprit."

I`d personally hold off on getting a new board just yet, you haven`t a clue yet if it`s the motherboard, CPU or even the GPU!

Try and get the area as clean as possible, tip it upside down if possible so bits can just fall off, just watch the pins.

When your friend comes over and helps put it back together try starting the system with the graphics card removed and the HDMI cable plugged into the socket on the motherboard. That at least takes the GPU out of the equation, move on from there.

If you try with just one stick of memory, that would go in slot DIMMA2 (second slot from the CPU), the second stick should go in DIMMB2 (furthest slot away from the CPU)

Good luck buddy, hopefully you`ll get there in the end...

 

slot.png

The MB's diagnostic lights usually don't lie. If your MB manual says red is a CPU problem then it's more than very likely a cpu problem. If the MB's diagnostic reports a problem then the MB is likely fine a dead MB usually do nothing outside of proviging current to fans and leds. So it's likely either the socket or cpu itself.

Edited by LaP

Unfortunately, I do see at least 2 bent pins in the new photo. The one closer to the center is important. The other appears to be for hardware debugging and is not used in normal operation, though it is important that it doesn't touch any neighboring pins.

This must be damage that just happened. I don't think it explains the earlier booting problem because then it should have acted the same way since it was first assembled. The CPU is still the likely culprit for that.

Do you need a new motherboard? That's highly likely. You should make peace with buying one before going any further. But...

If I were working on this board, I would remove the debris with some micro tweezers, and I'd bend the pins back with some dental picks or other appropriate tools. All the while I'd be inspecting everything with a loupe magnifier. It's an art.

Unless you've done stuff like that before, failure is pretty likely. That's why I don't normally recommend inexperienced users to stick tools anywhere near those pins. Since there's nothing to lose at this point, though, why not learn? I mentioned some tools you may not have, but I'm sure you could come up with something. But I'll leave it to you to decide how adventurous you want to be.

Either way, don't install a CPU and apply power until you have a good socket.

  On 10/01/2025 at 00:18, ShadeOfBlue said:

Unfortunately, I do see at least 2 bent pins in the new photo. The one closer to the center is important. The other appears to be for hardware debugging and is not used in normal operation, though it is important that it doesn't touch any neighboring pins.

This must be damage that just happened. I don't think it explains the earlier booting problem because then it should have acted the same way since it was first assembled. The CPU is still the likely culprit for that.

Do you need a new motherboard? That's highly likely. You should make peace with buying one before going any further. But...

If I were working on this board, I would remove the debris with some micro tweezers, and I'd bend the pins back with some dental picks or other appropriate tools. All the while I'd be inspecting everything with a loupe magnifier. It's an art.

Unless you've done stuff like that before, failure is pretty likely. That's why I don't normally recommend inexperienced users to stick tools anywhere near those pins. Since there's nothing to lose at this point, though, why not learn? I mentioned some tools you may not have, but I'm sure you could come up with something. But I'll leave it to you to decide how adventurous you want to be.

Either way, don't install a CPU and apply power until you have a good socket.

Expand  

I see. And I suspect the damage to those motherboard happened recently when I took off the aio cooler block, I knew I shouldn't have done it myself!. I will eventually buy a new motherboard and replace the one with the bent pins, but...should I still continue with the RMA for my processor with intel? or should I hold off on that for now.

I am going to put together a new pc part list, not intel time and just go with a new system, and eventually down the line after I get the motherboard replaced on the intel system, either keep that for backup use or try and sell it and recoup my losses

  On 10/01/2025 at 14:07, Sharpstick68 said:

...should I still continue with the RMA for my processor with intel? or should I hold off on that for now.

Expand  

Unless you plan on having access to other parts to check the CPU with any time soon, you're just going to have to go with the information you have right now.

It's one of the CPUs affected by the bug, I assume it had been running on the older BIOS version for a good while before you recently updated it, and it became unstable until it no longer booted at all. So, it's not 100% for certain that the CPU is bad, but it's more likely than not. I'd RMA it.

I thought about something that I forgot/failed to mention when I originally made this thread. I think a day before, or on the day of the crash..my corsair cooler did start blinking red when running fortnite, and checing in iCUE that indicates the cooler is running in fail safe mode, and also the processor temp was up around lik 95C I believe while I had fortnite open. So I closed the game, restarted my computer because the cooler usually resets when I do that, but it was still blinking red, so then I just shut the computer down all the way and gave it like 5 mins for the heat to dissipitate and after I turned it back on again it was normal, and I didn't smell like a burning smell near the computer. I did notice though when I originally bought all the parts from micro center, one of the fins on the radiator is bent, I don't know if that had anything to do with it functioning correctly. But should I switch to a regular cooler? aio coolers I just never want to trust them again after all this that's happened..

 

20250111_091944.thumb.jpg.693771d780be0e1f41d2ab7a47058d1d.jpg

  On 11/01/2025 at 14:26, Sharpstick68 said:

I thought about something that I forgot/failed to mention when I originally made this thread. I think a day before, or on the day of the crash..my corsair cooler did start blinking red when running fortnite, and checing in iCUE that indicates the cooler is running in fail safe mode, and also the processor temp was up around lik 95C I believe while I had fortnite open. So I closed the game, restarted my computer because the cooler usually resets when I do that, but it was still blinking red, so then I just shut the computer down all the way and gave it like 5 mins for the heat to dissipitate and after I turned it back on again it was normal, and I didn't smell like a burning smell near the computer. I did notice though when I originally bought all the parts from micro center, one of the fins on the radiator is bent, I don't know if that had anything to do with it functioning correctly. But should I switch to a regular cooler? aio coolers I just never want to trust them again after all this that's happened..

 

20250111_091944.thumb.jpg.693771d780be0e1f41d2ab7a47058d1d.jpg

Expand  

It's fine, you only need to worry if the radiator starts leaking 😂 A little dent here and there is really nothing to worry about. I have them too.

  • Like 2

Also I did contact MSI and let them know what was going on, and they told me I can send it in to them, and it would cost $45 dollars to replace the cpu socket, which I think is amazing. All of this though just makes me never want to ever build a computer myself after what all has happened. Yea I know how to install RAM, a video card, some hard drives..but obviously, I do not know how to remove a aio water cooler block.

  On 12/01/2025 at 14:06, Sharpstick68 said:

Also I did contact MSI and let them know what was going on, and they told me I can send it in to them, and it would cost $45 dollars to replace the cpu socket, which I think is amazing. All of this though just makes me never want to ever build a computer myself after what all has happened. Yea I know how to install RAM, a video card, some hard drives..but obviously, I do not know how to remove a aio water cooler block.

Expand  

As long as you learn from it :)

Just wanted to give an update on what's going on

I started my RMA with Intel on Jan 08, 2025..took them 3 days to get my CPU, validated it same day they received it, and also sent out my replacement that day which is arriving today (Jan 17, 2025) so cudos to Intel. MSI should be receiving my motherboard today and hopefully I get that back soon after they inspect and hopefully repair the 2 bent pins that I told them about, which they said would cost me $45 dollars to replace the cpu socket. I thought about starting to look for a DDR5 motherboard since I'm finding alot of places don't have them any more and people that do are third-party/scalpers over-pricing them due to availability or being phased out, who knows.

One last thing I forgot, when I was disconnecting my aio cooler, a cable accidentally snapped off, it was like so light-weight and snapped so easy, it said TKG 2510 on it and it was like a 3-hole cable..I don't know if that is necessary for the AIO to work, do I need to get a whole new cooler?

  • Like 2
  On 17/01/2025 at 14:56, Sharpstick68 said:

One last thing I forgot, when I was disconnecting my aio cooler, a cable accidentally snapped off, it was like so light-weight and snapped so easy, it said TKG 2510 on it and it was like a 3-hole cable..I don't know if that is necessary for the AIO to work, do I need to get a whole new cooler?

Expand  

That might be power for the pump..

  On 09/01/2025 at 06:42, Sharpstick68 said:

Ok, I have already removed the cpu which it was my first time ever doing so in my entire life, I've always been nervous about damaging the cpu in the proccess

Expand  

On newer CPUs, where the pins have been relocated from the processor to the motherboard, you have to be more cautious of the socket on the motherboard than the processor. The processor will be fine.

Obviously, in the reverse, where the processor has the pins, you have to be more cautious of the processor.

  On 17/01/2025 at 16:38, Sharpstick68 said:

yea that is what I am trying to figure out, if it's for the pump, the case fans or what..and if I need a new cooler or not

Expand  

Well, where does this cable come from? That normally tells you what it is for. If it connected up to the AIO header, then it probably is the pump. But if it goes to a fan, that's your answer.

The radiator/pump unit is connected via a 24-pin cable to the control unit ("Commander CORE").

The control unit gets power via a SATA power connector.

The fans all plug into the control unit via standard 4-pin fan connectors.

To keep the motherboard from complaining about a lack of CPU fan, the control unit has a 3-pin connector that goes to the motherboard with a single tachometer (fan RPM) wire. This is the most delicate cable since it is just one wire. You can see it in the installation video here.

If it's the tach wire that broke, then the motherboard may beep angrily at you, thinking there is no CPU fan. There might be an option to disable this in the BIOS/UEFI, or you could connect a different fan to the CPU fan header on the motherboard (like one of the chassis fans) to keep it happy. However, if the Corsair cooler ever fails or becomes disconnected, then you won't get a warning beep to let you know. That's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either. Modern CPUs do have internal thermal protection, and will power off if they overheat.

Alternatively, someone with the proper skills may be able to repair the wire.

  On 17/01/2025 at 23:26, ShadeOfBlue said:

The radiator/pump unit is connected via a 24-pin cable to the control unit ("Commander CORE").

The control unit gets power via a SATA power connector.

The fans all plug into the control unit via standard 4-pin fan connectors.

To keep the motherboard from complaining about a lack of CPU fan, the control unit has a 3-pin connector that goes to the motherboard with a single tachometer (fan RPM) wire. This is the most delicate cable since it is just one wire. You can see it in the installation video here.

If it's the tach wire that broke, then the motherboard may beep angrily at you, thinking there is no CPU fan. There might be an option to disable this in the BIOS/UEFI, or you could connect a different fan to the CPU fan header on the motherboard (like one of the chassis fans) to keep it happy. However, if the Corsair cooler ever fails or becomes disconnected, then you won't get a warning beep to let you know. That's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either. Modern CPUs do have internal thermal protection, and will power off if they overheat.

Alternatively, someone with the proper skills may be able to repair the wire.

Expand  

 

So is it necessary to RMA the cooler to Corsair then or no? I honestly don't even like the RGB now that I've experienced it and I honestly would rather have good quality Notuca case fans instead

I don't know what RMA options you have for physical damage with Corsair. But assuming it is the tach wire that is broken, it should not affect the performance of the cooler. It only provides fan speed sensing to the motherboard.

Easiest thing is to plug one of the case fans (not one of the Corsair cooler fans) into the CPU fan connector on the motherboard. You can also go into the BIOS/UEFI and change the fan speed setting (otherwise it will be regulating the fan speed based on the CPU temperature).

If you really want to, you can replace any of the fans with suitable Noctua ones.

  On 17/01/2025 at 23:26, ShadeOfBlue said:

The control unit gets power via a SATA power connector.

Expand  

Actually, that's not true anymore. ?In the old days, yes, they did use that. Nowadays not so much.

  On 18/01/2025 at 04:04, Mindovermaster said:

Actually, that's not true anymore. ?In the old days, yes, they did use that. Nowadays not so much.

Expand  

This is a description of this user's specific hardware.

Small units can get away with being powered from a typical fan or pump header. Larger units such as OP's, running a pump and up to 6 fans plus LEDs, require a little more oomph.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • They're not lying in this case, violating your privacy and safety is certainly of utmost importance to Zuck and his creeps...
    • Microsoft employee behind AnduinOS releases more updates, here's how to upgrade by Paul Hill A small Linux distribution created by a Microsoft employee drew quite a bit of attention in recent months with its attempts to ease users into Linux by looking just like Windows. This week, AnduinOS was upgraded to a new batch of point releases, including 1.3.3, 1.2.6, and 1.1.6. These point releases do not bring too many changes, and all the changes that are introduced are identical across all three versions. Here are the release notes this time: Fixed an accessibility issue that caused the screen reader unable to read the text. Added librime-plugin-lua for ibus-rime users to support Lua scripts. This only affects zh_CN by default. Added policykit-desktop-privileges to the default app list to allow no-password prompts for mount, simple updates, etc. As a new Linux distribution on the scene, updating it is not as straightforward as opening a software store and tapping the upgrade button. For now, upgrades rely on a script. To update your computer using this script, open up a terminal window and type do_anduinos_upgrade. Running this command will bring you up to the latest point release for your respective major version, even if you’re not on the latest point release right now. In the future, Anduin Xue, the Microsoft employee who develops AnduinOS, wants to allow you to grab new versions via sudo apt upgrade. For the time being, users will need to stick to running the script to ensure their device is up to date. Last month, it was announced that AnduinOS 1.4 will be based on Ubuntu 25.10 and will drop in late October, while Anduin OS 1.5 will be based on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and arrive in late April 2026. Hopefully, we will see more maturation with those updates, such as upgrading the system with an apt command instead of a script.
    • I know companies like to assume first party ads are okay, and I often don't have a huge problem with things like extra iCloud space offers showing up in relevant places. Relevant being the keyword. There is literally nowhere on a phone where a movie ad would ever be in context.
    • CapCut 6.5.0 (offline installer) by Razvan Serea CapCut is a versatile video editing app that offers a range of features such as multi-layer editing, keyframe animations, special effects, and more, to create professional-quality videos. With CapCut, users can edit and enhance their videos with a variety of tools such as filters, transitions, effects, and text overlays. CapCut's extensive library of pre-designed templates and visual effects also allows users to create unique and eye-catching videos in just a few clicks. Users can also adjust video speed, crop, and merge multiple clips, among other features. CapCut is available for both mobile devices and Windows, making it accessible for everyone. CapCut key features: User-friendly interface for easy video editing A wide range of editing tools, including trim, split, cut, and merge Music library with a wide range of tracks to choose from Customizable text and fonts to add captions and titles Multi-layer timeline for seamless editing and layering Filters and effects to enhance video quality and style A variety of transitions to choose from Multiple aspect ratio options for different platforms Green screen/chroma key for adding custom backgrounds Overlays and stickers to add to your videos Easy exporting to different video formats and resolutions Large library of pre-designed templates and visual effects Customizable video thumbnails for branding Keyframe animation to add movement to your video Speed adjustment for slow motion or time-lapse effects Customizable transitions between clips Reverse video playback for creative effects Voiceover recording and editing for narrating your video Color grading tools and much more... Download: CapCut 6.5.0 | 701.0 MB (Freeware) Links: CapCut Website | CapCut Screenshot | CapCut Online Editor Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Total Commander 11.55 by Razvan Serea Total Commander is a great two-pane file manager replacement for Windows, a program like Windows Explorer to copy, move, or delete files. It includes extra integrated applications like a built-in FTP client with FXP, a renaming tool, a disk space analyzer, a file synchronizer, can pack and unpack files, compare files by content, a quick view panel with bitmap display, HTTP proxy support and more. Total Commander 11 is compatible with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11. Total Commander is distributed as shareware with a trial period of 30 days, but will continue to function, with a subscription reminder, after that. Total Commander features include: Two file windows side by side Multiple language and Unicode support Enhanced search function Compare files (now with editor) / synchronize directories Quick View panel with bitmap display ZIP, ARJ, LZH, RAR, UC2, TAR, GZ, CAB, ACE archive handling + plugins Built-in FTP client with FXP (server to server) and HTTP proxy support Parallel port link, multi-rename tool Tabbed interface, regular expressions, history+favorites buttons Thumbnails view, custom columns, enhanced search Compare editor, cursor in lister, separate trees, logging, enhanced overwrite dialog etc. Unicode names almost everywhere, long names (>259 characters), password manager for ftp and plugins, synchronize empty dirs, 64 bit context menu, quick file filter (Ctrl+S) USB port connection via special direct transfer cable, partial branch view (Ctrl+Shift+B), and many improvements to ftp, synchronizing and other functions And many more! Total Commander 11.55 release notes: This version mainly fixes bugs. Complete list of changes. New functions in Total Commander 11.55: Copying When "Copy to all selected folders/links..." is enabled, the "Keep relative paths" option is also respected Supports copying directories anywhere in subdirectories. For example, if "Only files of this type:" is set to "test\", the "test" folder will be found anywhere in the selected folders An overlay icon is displayed in the system tray when an overwrite confirmation dialog is open while Total Commander is not in the foreground When copying sparse files, only the parts containing non-zero data are copied. This option needs to be enabled via wincmd.ini [Configuration] CopySparseFiles=1 General Multi-rename tool: New placeholder [v] for inserting milliseconds, e.g. [hms].[v] Create/Verify Checksums: Use multiple threads for Blake3 checksums (64-bit only, on Windows 7 and newer) Use tc7z.dll as a fallback for unrar.dll if unrar.dll fails to load Rename directories in 7z archives when using the internal 7z packer New parameter for the internal MULTIRENAME command opens the tool and offers the user to undo the last operation Use external DLL tcsha64.dll to create/verify SHA3 checksums faster Download: Total Commander 11.55 | 10.6 MB (Shareware) View: Total Commander Website | Android | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      solidox earned a badge
      First Post
    • First Post
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Year In
      blissa jayden earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      blissa jayden earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      blissa jayden earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      562
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      213
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      171
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      152
    5. 5
      Som
      151
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!