Me vs RMOD (Red message of death)

In the epic saga that has started today when my desktop (hpe-230f) started giving me the BIOS message "the CPU fan has failed" in red text (hence the term I have come up with "red message of death") and then shuts down, the thing is though that both CPU and case fans power up like normal.

This occurs when:

After I shutdown the computer, with the UPS floor device on and then try to power on again I get the CPU fan has failed message. I then have to turn off my floor UPS device or unplug the computer then plug back in and everything boots up.

Right now I trying the computer with it plugged directly into the wall and see how that goes. Any ideas on what the problem might be? I'm guessing that it's the motherboard.

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TheSuperRuski

exampasser wrote: »

In the epic saga that has started today when my desktop (hpe-230f) started giving me the BIOS message "the CPU fan has failed" in red text (hence the term I have come up with "red message of death") and then shuts down, the thing is though that both CPU and case fans power up like normal.

This occurs when:

After I shutdown the computer, with the UPS floor device on and then try to power on again I get the CPU fan has failed message. I then have to turn off my floor UPS device or unplug the computer then plug back in and everything boots up.

Right now I trying the computer with it plugged directly into the wall and see how that goes. Any ideas on what the problem might be? I'm guessing that it's the motherboard.

I wouldn't jump to a motherboard issue. You did get an error message stating it was the cpu fan. I do a lot of warranty work for HP and i had a user with your same issue. She had that error and the computer would shut off. She waited a few hours and the comp operated as if nothing happened. Eventually( a day or so later) the fan started making a grinding noise(I wasn't there to actually hear it) then failed completely.

I 'd buy a cpu fan. I can't imagine they cost more than a motherboard. The only reason i say start with the fan is the users that have motherboard issues are usually the ones that don't boot at all. No error message, no beep codes, no nothing.

How long have you had your computer? The jobs i have done were all warranty so relatively new computers. I'm not sure if the no beep/no error codes applies to older desktops. I have just started doing HP specific jobs.

exampasser

It's still under warranty, would you happen to know how to get HP to send a replacement CPU fan instead of having to send it in?

TheSuperRuski

exampasser wrote: »

It's still under warranty, would you happen to know how to get HP to send a replacement CPU fan instead of having to send it in?

All of the jobs i have done were for HP but through AT&T ConnecTech. They will make you diagnose your own pc before they send you anything. In your case, depending on where you bought it from, you can call HP. There should be a number in your documentation from when you bought the desktop.

Here is a link that i hope proves useful to you. http://h20141.www2.hp.com/hpparts/part_resellers.aspx?geo_code=NA

exampasser

Thanks, I might send the computer back to them and have them fix the issue and two other issues (the CPU climbs within 4 degrees of the max safe operating temperature at 100% load and I get audio from only the left channel of the front audio jack)

exampasser

The HP support war has began. I asked if I could send the computer without the hard drive (as I don't want them to wipe the hard drive and loose my activated MS products) and they said no, so they are now escalating the issue to a manager.

TheSuperRuski

exampasser wrote: »

The HP support war has began. I asked if I could send the computer without the hard drive (as I don't want them to wipe the hard drive and loose my activated MS products) and they said no, so they are now escalating the issue to a manager.

lol, thankfully I have never had to deal with them on that aspect. But the feedback I have gotten is people hate calling because of all the things they have you do. They had a old lady(Had to be older than my grandma) troubleshoot her own computer. I mean, on the floor pulling out ram and disconnecting things. She was really peeved at that.

I think they want to make sure that everything is still as it was when you bought it. Don't hold me to that though. I haven't been on that side of the support service. I am just the tech that comes out to replace the parts and/or diagnose sometimes.

exampasser

Customer service is indeed a pain to deal with.Well I'm getting a case manager, someone that is actually in America.

Qord

I had a similar problem with a few of our Dell machines. Turns out there's a log in the BIOS that had to be reset to clear the error out.

exampasser

After giving the case manager heck he agreed to sending me another drive to put into the computer so I could keep the original drive.

TheSuperRuski

exampasser wrote: »

After giving the case manager heck he agreed to sending me another drive to put into the computer so I could keep the original drive.

Lol...Nice one.

exampasser

Well this is odd, after I put the original PSU and graphics card back in, no CPU fan errors at all.

gosh1976

exampasser wrote: »

Well this is odd, after I put the original PSU and graphics card back in, no CPU fan errors at all.

I was working on a computer a few weeks ago with similar issues. I had the case open looking at the fans when I picked it up to look at the fan in the back-- I dropped it from about a foot off the ground. From then on it booted normally with no errors!! So, if the problem comes back try picking it up and dropping it!!

Plantwiz

exampasser wrote: »

Well this is odd, after I put the original PSU and graphics card back in, no CPU fan errors at all.

No odd at all, really.

I've seen plenty of things over the years. The safest thing to do (even when it seems lame) is to completely unplug all cables internall and all periphal cards...reseat them, replug the cables and than see how things work. And when doing this it is bare minimums first, than painstakenly add another, reboot, add, reboot etc..

Simply pushing or wiggling the cable without physically unattaching it and reattaching it doesn't work...it has to be unplugged and replugged (both ends where you have two detachable ends like a SATA cable, IDE, EIDE, etc..)

So without 'knowing' exactly what happened in your case, it is possible with all the moving around removing the HDD, you 'bumped' the board enough that the voltage read for the CPU FAN made a better connection? Or maybe the thermal sensor for the CPU has better contact to get a truer reading...not certain, but it could be what the system needed.

As far as being worried about being 4degrees away from 'maximum' temp at max load... I'd be surprised if they'll do anything about this...that is very common.

You may have to create two additional cases to have all 3 problems looked at, but at least you have communication and are on your way to being back-to-normal.

What type of UPS do you have?

exampasser

All three issues are being handled at once. I have an APC UPS. I'll play it safe and RMA the Thermaltake PSU to get a new one as the computer will be out for two weeks.

exampasser

Well I already got it back, they serviced it and sent it out the same day. They fixed the front audio jack and replaced the heat sink/fan assembly.