Motherboard issue + unrated webpage questions

[ShunNakamura]

I got a computer together. Built it with an Epox motherboard. Worked great the week before last(or so). However, went to turn it on this weekend and the video wouldn't come on. As far as I could tell it was going through everything else(post and all that) like it was supposed to, just the video doesn't work(niether onboard or card).


One of the guys over at my house this weekend(had a geek party so to speak :P, just a bunch of computer people over) said they had a couple motherboards do the same thing, and that the only way they got it working was to replace the mobo. What I want to know is what is wrong with it.

I plan on contacting NewEgg and sending it back on the return policy(to get a replacement). But before I do that, I wanted to make sure that I can't do anything about it myself.



WEBPAGE-

Alright, I want to make a webpage so that even the most computer illiterate can go in and change the main page and add links for the individual items.

Also I would like to make it possible for users to search to see if they alread sent in the regestration for this event.

The current site is doing its job, but it is very plain and basic. And anytime even the smallest thing(a typo for example) needs fixed, I have to go in and fix it. I would much rather not have to do that.

Plus, the current way they add each person into the listing takes too long. At first I thought of writing a quick program that would access a database of all existing users(making it easy to make a list of those in the event), however, their computer dies often, meaning I would keep having to back them up(I only see them but rarely, and thier computer even less). So here I though maybe I could do it all through the site(making it easy for me to backup).

My idea so far was to use an xml database for the searching of the users(Excel is what they use to compile a listing of people currently, this way they can still manaully play with the files(they don't know how to convert)). The XML database also will have an interface somwhere on the site(a page only authorized people can get to), so that the database can be edited(sort of like a gridview option[actually I was going to give it a shot with a C#/C++ gridview, but figured I would ask first if there was a better way]).

As for editing base content... thier anyway to make a webpage work sort of like Dreamweaver's design mode. I think they could handle that much. I am tempted to see if I can just point them to the domain hosts Online HTML editor. Not as nice as dreamweaver but similar. The other issue is I don't like relying on host specific tools. I would rather be self-sufficent.

Anyways, any tips to the right direction would be nice. The biggest one being effectivly adding the database and it's functions. The others, I can probably manage, even if haphazardly

[Samuraid]

Computer:
For any computer builds, I would suggest spending a little more and getting a well-known and more reliable brand of motherboard (Asus, Gigabyte, Abit, MSI, to name a few).

I don't know what is specifically wrong with the motherboard. Returning it for a different brand would be the best solution, but it may cost extra for restocking fees and such.

Webpage:
You should consider using a CMS. It bascially is a complete website backend and interface with users and editable content and pages.

Check this out:
http://www.opensourcecms.com/
(portals(CMS) on the left menu)
You can try out a number of free open source Content Management Systems until you find one you want for your site. I personally suggest trying Drupal or Mambo.

Hope this helps.

[ShunNakamura]

Well I was actually recomended on the Epox. I haven't heard anything bad about them. And from polling those around me that use computers(in my area in other words) this issue has occured a number of times(4 or 5) all with different brands. Some name brand some not. The only thing in common(other then my area) was that a good amount of them were AMD Socket A boards(one was an intel).

We are extremely humid here... could that affect it? To tell the truth this is the first time this has happened to me, so it has completely boggled me. I am just glad Newegg is good with thier return policy.



As for the website, I'll look at those tools. A quick glance looks somewhat similar to what our host gives us(C-Panel).

[Samuraid]

Fantastico (in CPanel) often has a few of the most popular open-source CMS choices for auto install.