Just been having a few problems with the desktop computer, it started a while ago when the monitor just went off while in use, then when you restart it it would last a few mins then either go off or screen all multicoloured, that monitor has gone back under warranty now, so with a new borrowed monitor now, it ocassionally wont even switch on (the pc not monitor) Had it apart today cause it didnt sound like the harddrive was starting up, and after i vac'd all the dust out i swapped the power supply to the harddrive and it all started up, but on the start up screen it showed a message in orange letters "The FSB Jumper setting on the motherboard is not matched with your cpu. You may shut down the system now to change the jumper now, or enter SETUP to change the cpu host frequency manually" Got scared by this, so shut it down, (while it was on, got a multimeter on the original supply and it was fine so plugged that back in) Switched back on, and everything started up fine. My question is, is it giving a sign its going to let us down soon, cause i havent actually changed anything now, its back as it was apart from the monitor, or is it just one to forget about? My sister did say she had seen that message once before. Can anyone advise please as shes relying on it for job hunting and e-mails at the mo. Thanks

FSB = front speed bus

It's the speed at which your CPU and memory etc runs. It's normaly something you set via the motherboard jumpers or BIOS settings.

The FSB jumper is easily dislodged. Perhaps you've hoovered it up???

Front Side Bus

Jumper

Chip speeds are typically autodetected nowadays.

Sometimes power issues can cause problems with the autodetection.

If you turn the PC on and off about half a dozen times (allowing it to boot normally and shutdown every time), does the message appear? If not, then you've probably got little to worry about.

FSB is Front Side Bus and it is the part of the motherboard that controls the speed at which the CPU talks to the memory and vice versa.

If the speed is incorrectly set then they will not beable to communicate so PC will be inoperable.

Normally this is set in the BIOS (the bit where during boot up it says 'press ..... to enter setup' but it may be set by a motherboard jumper.

Probably not going to fail anytime soon, its just electronics - all the PC's i have owned and built have done abnormal thing now and again.

Is it quite an old PC, as i havent seen a motherboard with jumpers to set the FSB in years. it tends to all controlled by the bios nowadays

I dont think ive changed the settings on anythig to cause it, im too unsure of what im doing to do technical stuff like that, it just happened one day. Cant remember how old the computer is but its got xp on it from new, so post 2000? dont know if you class that as old... Touch wood it hasnt done it again now, after probably half a dozen startups so hopefully it wont, well see Thanks