The U.S. government actually has to make more tech support incidents per Gateway computer than any other brand.

if you've formatted the harddrive to put mandrake on then the HD isn't the problem. CMOS and MOBO settings may be to blame, or it could just be a fault with the MOBO. Try to figure out what your MOBO is....what brand...model.... and let us know

Mobo, PS or, possibly the CPU. You said it was a P4, this was prolly one of the early models. It might not hurt to get it checked.

If it's still under warranty, get it replaced!

quote:

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Originally posted by Geek247:
Does anybody else have a problem with a gateway computer.I got a gateway computer in August of 2001, I swear its a piece of crap,no joke LOL. I also have a computer running WINDOWS 95 from 1994,that runs faster then the 2001 gateway running WINDOWS ME. The 2001 PC has got 312 RAM, 80 GB hard drive, DVD/CDRW (that runs right)running Pentium 4 ,,I basically was on the phone for about 4 hours talking to some idiot at gateway,but he seemed to be blaming everything on me. He told me it was because WINDOWS ME is so big ,it wasscrewing it up, So i installed WINDOWS 2000,which was actually what the sticker on the computer said it was made for. Anyway, that didn't work either. It kept doing the same thing which I'll get to in a minute. So I basically was about to throw it out the window, and decided to try to put Mandrake Linux on it.same results.
What it does is it shuts itself off. I goes to a standby light. But I thought it was because of a certan windows setting but after installing another windows and a completly different OP on it, I am now baffled.LOL ,,,, can someone please help me,i have put alot of money into this,almot 3 grand and it is just going to waist,if someone could help me out I would praise u till the day I die ,, LOL thanks!!!

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./Thom stop

As for getting into the BIOS: your manual should cover that. If you didn't get one, you got ripped off. With most BIOSes, you press DEL or F1 or F2 or F10 while it's doing the memory test (or right after the memory test), and it will take you into the BIOS (or "Setup" or whatever they choose to call it). If a vigorous pressing of the top row keys doesn't help, then you'll have to dig up documentation.

The're threatening legal action??? It's YOU who should be doing that! Contact the Better Business Bureau.

Hope this helps,

-ert

The bios has some setting for the meaning of "sleep" and "hibernate" to look at them, on start up press ESC ot F1 (if it is an older system Ctr+ALT+ENTER should work).

If the Fan on the power supply makes any odd noises, or isn't running, while the computer is on immedaitly call Gateway, and raise hell. After looking at the software settings, you may want to consider looking at the power suply, but don't open the case if it will void the warenty, instead call gateway, and ask them where you should take it (this wy they will be obligated to buy the new one).

As for speed, I noticed that you mention it has 312 RAM, which seems like an odd number to me. Granted that is a possibly number, but to run with 312, you'd have to have compatible chips that add to 312. a lot of the time mixing 128's or 256's with older 8's and 16's you run into conflicts that cause the computer to not read certian memory. Also, the order and position are important (or used to be) and may cause the chips not to read, and thus you'd have memory that wasn't being used. You may also want to check what windows says your memory equals. Windows ME nad 2K are both bloated memory hogs, and if you let windows manage your virtual memory, and don't empty your "internet temparay files" and netsacpe's cashe (and perform the other wipe to make sure the IE backups didn't remain) you'll be running a bit more sluggish. I am sure you've played with those tips already. You may also want to try a defrag (after everything is working again) and clean out the things in the registry you don't use. MSCONFIG, REGEDIT and the norton tools are quite handy to these ends.

I hope this solves at least one of the problems. The fact that the standby light comes on makes me think it is just software, Greycat, as the motherboard shouldn't let any power through if the power suply is acting up. Besides, there should be more tell-tale signs of a problem if that were the case.

Good luck.

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