Can TIR break my PC?

[fipeso]

Had horible luck with my old PC. One morning PSU and mobo died.

Installed new PSU and MOBO and it died the same day also.

Then got a third mobo, and it worked for a week or so. I was waiting for a beter PSU before installing the MOBO into the box. I did not install all external stuff at that point.

Well when the new PSU came, I installed the mobo into the old box, and at that point I also attached TIR and joysticks and stuff.

At this moment the thrid MOBO was dead

Ok, got a bit paranoid, and decided to buy all new PC, and not to use ANY stuff that was connected to the old PC.

Now I miss my TIR3. I am tempted to connect it to the new PC, but if my new PC happens to die after that, I go crazy

I dont think its likely that TIR is the guilty component, but after killing 3 mother boards, I dont want to kill one again.

Somthing broke the ole PC 3 times, but it could have been anythin....

Is it even possible that TIR could break a PC?
Has it ever happend to anyone?

Im no engener so I dont know how USB stuff work.

Any comments appriciated.

[ July 21, 2006, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: fipeso ]

[VincentG]

Actually, I've never heard of a USB device actually taking out a motherboard completly. In general it is possible for a USb device to short out, and possibly take out the USB hub, but not the motherboard. I would tend to blame something in the Power Supply, and or electrical outlet. I probably would recommend a power strip (w/ break) as well as a battery backup as this can act as a conditioner to even out any spikes in the electrical supply from the power company.

[fipeso]

Well I install it then, hope you are right.

I do not understand electronics, but if this has never ever happend before, I also think it is some other component that did the breaking.

I have since bought an UPS for the PC, it has surge protection also.

[VF19_Wolf_Rider]

Interesting that I read this, it sort of might explain why my PC all of a sudden, with TIR3 enaged, will not boot past the Windows loading screen.
Disconnect TIR from the system and she boots ok
Reconnect TIR and no boot past loading screen, at which point the system just self reboots and continues in this loop. My system runs through a UPS.

On disconnecting TIR (run through Dcom 4 port USB 2.0 Hub)
and rebooting the system and all is running fune, I reconnect the TIR into the Dcom hub (either powered or unpowered) and my machines reboots.
The Hub is plastic edged and there is nothing to shortout on.

Thinking my 2 yr old D875PBZ is on her way to mobo heaven, I manage to find another in brand new condition (which wasn't easy...total system upgrade is not an option for me for a while) and after 1 week of running (system completely wiped, zeroed and reinstalled) the same thing is happening again. CPU went belly up and finding another S478pin 3.0 P4 800 FSB, in Australia, has been an absolute nightmare, except I found a 3.4

The only items that are consistent from the earlier board are VGA, X-Fi, LAN nic. I even replaced the Dcom hub.

This is after almost 2 years of smooth running.



*Update

without the software installed..sytem will boot properly but on running the "Found New hardware Device" routine, the system reboots when the "Unsigned Driver - Do you Want To Continue?" screen is clicked OK.

Source: System Error
Category: (102)
Event ID: 1003
Error Code: 1000007e
Parameter1: c0000005
Parameter2: ed121534
Parameter3: f78eaab4
Parameter4: 4f78ea7b0

(The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck)

and a copy of the Dump File Folder if you need it.

[VincentG]

Generally, I've read that this issue is generally related to Ram memory issues. First off I would try a memory diagnostics tool, such as the following.

http://www.memtest86.com/

[VF19_Wolf_Rider]

I thought RAM as well but I've done Memtest, Everest, Intel DCC diagnostics and stress testings. It has handled everything that has been thrown at her (for several passes)and with a smile.
A thing I just remembered was in my previous rig and in my current rig, the problems started just after installing the 'nVidia Orb' (Anark) screensaver, from the nVidia site.
With this pig installed I get ntdll.dll errors, uxtheme errors, Dr Watson hangs and the random no boot pre-post (which seems to hang when the LAN link lights on my router should kick on) Desktop settings that change by themselves, I can attribute directly to the screensaver and when the screensaver has been uninstalled my random non boot goes away and everything boots up normally.
Through the USB ports anything detects, even TIR3....it's only when I hit the OK button on the unsigned driver warning screen when I have the unit attached and try to install the software, anything else installs as it should.

This is consistent over two (the previous died) rigs.

Norton's and Prevx (PrevX not installed on second rig) detect nothing.



*Install log file reads:

Install USB Drivers for 2K/XP
ReInstallUSBDevices loaded setuphlp.DLL :
Error = 0
RegisterDriverINF UpdateDriver4PnP Failed! :
USB\VID_131D&PID_0155 AND C:\Program Files\NaturalPoint\TrackIR4\Drivers\NPUSB3.inf
Error = 183
SetupCopyOEMInfA Called
ReInstallUSBDevices loaded setuphlp.DLL :
Error = 0
RegisterDriverINF UpdateDriver4PnP Failed! :
USB\VID_131D&PID_0156 AND C:\Program Files\NaturalPoint\TrackIR4\Drivers\NPUSB3.inf
Error = 183
SetupCopyOEMInfA Called

[VincentG]

I would try it on a completely different system, and see if it the TrackIR unit, or other system hardware.

[VF19_Wolf_Rider]

Ok...
I installed my replacement processor and performed a clean install of my system.
TrackIR (4.29Alpha4) installed ok with no glitches.

A major problem developed in that this version won't shutdown...can't close the program...have to CTRL ALT DEL and go with that to shut it down.

Also after having to go to work for a while (trackIR being the last item installed)... when I returned, I fired up my system to find the LAN/ Internet no access, had gone wonky and would only come good after uninstalling the latest version of TrackIR.
IP address had also changed itself and Norton's showed another location as default.

Also, the four red leds were glowing at a low level, without the software being active.

The new goodies in the software are pretty cool but.......

[VincentG]

OK, not sure what is going on at the system level....

The TrackIR hardware and software are incapable of changing the network setting, or IP address.

Is the red led on when the software isn't running as well as the intermittent flashing of the blue led?

You said you are running the "alpha" software, have you downloaded and installed the latest "beta" software?

[VF19_Wolf_Rider]

sorry my bad...it is the latest Beta4 release, I meant.

and no, no flashing blue led - intermittent or otherwise.
The red leds are on when the software is not running.

The previous system install woes, I can only put down to a screensaver The Orb (from nVidia site made by Anark)). Tech support were helpful but in the same sense not helpful at all.

Uninstalled Beta4
Installed alpha3 and found that everything worked but it got very laggy after a while, then got extremely laggy after I ticked the invert box for Head Roll.
(the heads stopped showing up in their window.