Yrag.....IPlural...... Anyone!!! I need computer help
Sunday, February 15, 2004 by BoXXi | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
HI Guys...... here's the story..... I just got my spare computer back from a friends house....I loaned it to him for a while.... It's apparently been working o.k., but when I got it home this is what happened: connected everything up ....no problems.... but when I turn it on, there is a little bit of disk activity, but then nothing....the monitor doesn't even come out of standby and NOTHING appears on the screen. Anybody have any idea why it isn't even attempting to boot? its a PII 233Mhz with 320mb ram matrox video card and a 3.2GB hard drive.
If any one has any ideas I would be grateful......Thank you. 
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Jafo
Reply #82 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:44 PM
Reply #82 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:44 PM
Yes....very likely....and Bryan ain't too young neiva.....so perchance a trip to the Eye and Ear Hospital is in order...
yrag
Reply #83 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:46 PM
Reply #83 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:46 PM
...I'm older then either of you....I'll meet you guys there 
The DJ
Reply #84 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:50 PM
Reply #84 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:50 PM
You can take off the heat sink and look on the bottom of it to see if you fried the CPU. If the fan stalled thus causing the CPU to burn up, there will be evidence of it.
Sput
Reply #85 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:51 PM
Reply #85 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:51 PM
*thinking...I'm much more used to trying to give support like this over the phone, and being able to go and visit the darn thing if it gets to this stage*
Ahhh, I know...make sure you're holding a big hammer and look mean...it'll keep misbehaving until it knows you're serious, or until it thinks you've given up...
Ahhh, I know...make sure you're holding a big hammer and look mean...it'll keep misbehaving until it knows you're serious, or until it thinks you've given up...
BoXXi
Reply #86 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:57 PM
Reply #86 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:57 PM
BoXXi goes off to find "The Bigger Hammer"
No evidence of burning anywhere on the cpu......
yrag
Reply #87 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:05 PM
Reply #87 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:05 PM
Bryan..I'm sure you did this already, but you did check the power connector from the PSU to the Mobo and make sure both sides are firmly in place...right?
Sput
Reply #88 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:06 PM
Reply #88 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:06 PM
I'm assuming all the instructions above have been tried now, including disconnecting all the turbo/reset switch connections - the reason I ask is that many moons ago, when making a batch of machines for a client, one was dead as a dohdo...and I tried 1001 things before I found out that it was the CASE which was the problem - the reset switch was being constantly pressed, which prevented ANYTHING starting....symptoms which fit yours, and a reset switch could easily have been dislodged or damaged in transit.
Of course, if you've disconnected all the case switches from the MB then this is eleminated...in which case, my next step would be to establish a static free zone, strip the MB and PSU out of the case and set them up on the bench on some insulation. The shorting problems that were already suggested are sometimes only spotted once the MB has been removed.
Of course, if you've disconnected all the case switches from the MB then this is eleminated...in which case, my next step would be to establish a static free zone, strip the MB and PSU out of the case and set them up on the bench on some insulation. The shorting problems that were already suggested are sometimes only spotted once the MB has been removed.
BoXXi
Reply #90 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:19 PM
Reply #90 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:19 PM
Gary..... yes I checked that.... have tried just about everything listed above....no joy. i AM concerned that the cpu fan won't work, no matter how much I coax it, that can't have been good for the health of the CPU, must have been running way hot for ages.
BoXXi
Reply #91 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:22 PM
Reply #91 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:22 PM
Actually, I have a brand new case sitting here, I will swap everything to that tomorrow and see if it cures anything. Can't hurt to try. Have to go to bed now...... 2:30am here....have to be up EARLY!!! thanks for the help guys.....I AM listening and trying everything you suggest.
yrag
Reply #92 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:22 PM
Reply #92 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:22 PM
Heat over time could have crapped it out...do you have somewhere around you can bench it and see if it's alive or dead?
yrag
Reply #93 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:27 PM
Reply #93 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:27 PM
OK Bryan...when you do it just start with the minimum...CPU, one stick of memory and the HD...I wouldn't even put the graphics card in unless you get a beep. If you do, shut it down and slap it in.
....night
....night
Sput
Reply #94 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:30 PM
Reply #94 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:30 PM
2:30? You wooss It's the same time for me, and you have a point...Zzzzzzz
Best of luck with it tomorrow...though, it is sounding like a poached CPU...it was much easier diagnosing things like this when I had a workshop full of spares to swap in...this all becomes glorified mechano then...just swap bits till it works then charge the customer for the bit you swapped last
It's the same time for me, and you have a point...ZzzzzzzBest of luck with it tomorrow...though, it is sounding like a poached CPU...it was much easier diagnosing things like this when I had a workshop full of spares to swap in...this all becomes glorified mechano then...just swap bits till it works then charge the customer for the bit you swapped last
Sput
Reply #95 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:32 PM
Reply #95 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:32 PM
yrag - don't even connect the HDD to start with...there's no need for that to get the MB/BIOS starting up.
yrag
Reply #96 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:51 PM
Reply #96 Monday, February 16, 2004 9:51 PM
Actually...I'm not connecting anything and I think Bryan is suave enough to know if he can't move forward to go back wards
Jafo
Reply #97 Monday, February 16, 2004 10:39 PM
Reply #97 Monday, February 16, 2004 10:39 PM
Aargh....'Meccano' [ 
] is less of a pain than Computers....[had the former for about 45 years]...
The CPU may not show frying signs.....that's not always the case, either...
If the fan refuses to spin then it's not looking good for your MoBo....[or the fan itself or the PSU supply to the MoBo]....then there was the dope with the 110/230 volt switchable PSU......who thought it'd be 'interesting' to switch to 110 [while it was running]......just managed to salvage the case.....everything in it was nouveau-junk...
kona0197
Reply #98 Monday, February 16, 2004 10:42 PM
Reply #98 Monday, February 16, 2004 10:42 PM
Jafo, you run 230 down there? My systems runs on 110.
yrag
Reply #99 Monday, February 16, 2004 10:54 PM
Reply #99 Monday, February 16, 2004 10:54 PM
My memory isn't what it use to be, but I seem to remember some boards (the better ones, which Abit would certainly be one) would not boot or beep if the CPU fan was plugged into the three pin connector on the Mobo and was not running...not sure what it would do if you just pulled the plug....a short boot test won't hurt the CPU, but it might still detect it as a bad fan until a new one is thrown in....
...I don't know....relying on my memory is not a save bet
...wouldn't it be a chuckle if all this is over a dead fan
...I don't know....relying on my memory is not a save bet
...wouldn't it be a chuckle if all this is over a dead fan
Aleatoric
Reply #100 Tuesday, February 17, 2004 12:02 AM
Reply #100 Tuesday, February 17, 2004 12:02 AM
Just a note, don't necessarily rule out the Power Supply being bad. I had a system that did pretty much what you describe (brief bit of lights, etc., from the drives, no post, no boot), hooked up another PS, and all was working again.
Another thing to try that I've seen work for a similar problem is to completely clear the CMOS memory associated with the BIOS (remove the battery and temporarily short the battery connections, replace battery; additionally, quite a few motherboards have a cmos clear jumper position, which you'll see somewhere near the battery, jumper that for a minute and undo).
I consider these low probability solutions, especially considering what has already been suggested (and you have tried), but I have seen both of these methods fix a couple of my PCs that were exhibiting symptoms similar to yours.
Good Luck!
Another thing to try that I've seen work for a similar problem is to completely clear the CMOS memory associated with the BIOS (remove the battery and temporarily short the battery connections, replace battery; additionally, quite a few motherboards have a cmos clear jumper position, which you'll see somewhere near the battery, jumper that for a minute and undo).
I consider these low probability solutions, especially considering what has already been suggested (and you have tried), but I have seen both of these methods fix a couple of my PCs that were exhibiting symptoms similar to yours.
Good Luck!
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Reply #81 Monday, February 16, 2004 8:42 PM