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A computer I have been working on was running fine, then all of a sudden a box apeared saying "You have perfomred an illegal operation and will be shut down". There was a picture of a ladybird on the box. The computer then turned itself off, and wont come on since. All that happens when you press the button is that the fans start up, so it has power.
My first thought was a BIOS wipe, so I bought a new BIOS chip for the motherboard. I have just installed it, and no luck at all. Fans go, nothing else. I have tried two different sticks of RAM that I know work with no luck, a different PSU and different graphics card.
I have even run it with just the motherboard, RAM and power supply (no graphics card). Not even a beep any time. What else could the virus have done to the pc? What can be done apart from getting a new motherboard? Could it be the CPU?
Sounds to me like you've narrowed it down to either the CPU or mobo. I believe a computer repair facility can check your cpu for you (someone verify that for me). But just in case, try using just 1 stick of ram and in each slot.
We can fix this, but you're gonna need a butter knife, a roll of duct tape, and a car battery
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Update - tried another pc's CPU in it and it seems even worse - holding the power button it doesn't even allow it to turn off! At least with its own CPU it did. The other CPU still works after I put it back in the other machine. I can't try this CPU in the other machine cos the back of it hits the capacitors on the board. This suggests the motherboard has been killed. But how could a virus do this?
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What badboy means (I think) is to check any can type capacitors for a bulging. If you see any, it would indicate some faulty capacitors. It does sound like you've narrowed it to the mobo, but not sure why it would just suddenly go. Do you have surge protection? I would also think about changing the PSU with the mobo.
When all else fails beat the $%!* out of it!!!
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The capacitors look fine, thing is though that virus said that I had a fatal exception error and that the pc would shut down. It then did, and hasn't come on since. So the virus must have done somthing, highly unlikely it's just a coincedence.
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Viruses don't kill mobo's. Mobo's can die on their own (heat, stress, etc.). The illegal operation probably happened due to something in the mobo failing.
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Well I've tried its CPU in another old machine I had lying around, and it didn't work in there. This pointed to it being the CPU. I then put the other machines CPU back in it (so it was in the same state as before I messed about with it), and now that one has the same problem too (ie, it does nothing)! However, I also tried the working machines CPU in the broken ones motherboard. So basically both CPU's have been in both motherborads. And now neither pc work!
Seems like its killed the test machine too :(
What could be causing all this?
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Tough call. Did your first MOBO ruin your second CPU? Did your first CPU ruin your second MOBO?
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No idea, not willing to try any parts in any other computers in case it screws them up. I think a new board and CPU is the only choice now.
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Its a virus. Why else would it have a ladybird? But a virus could not kill a motherboard. However, it could of killed the chipset if it didnt wipe the BIOS. Yes, it is possible.
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 800 mhz RAM
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Installation problem
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