Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Getback on June 09, 2010, 09:24:35 PM
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Now she won't boot. Not even sure where to start. It starts but there is no video and no sound. The monitor is good because I started the other computer and they share the same monitor.
Any advice?
No error messages are anything.
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Sounds like you need to replace a fried motherboard. Do you have a DELL?
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Sounds like you need to replace a fried motherboard. Do you have a DELL?
No it was home grown.
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Have you checked the video and sound cards? If those are the only problems then I would suggest replacing them. It could be possible you just need to reattach them, or replace the heat sink. I also think you may need to check some of your wires to see if they still function. Also, get a surge protector.
EDIT: Reason I asked if it was a DELL is they have EVERYTHING on the motherboard, and if it fries, you might as well throw out the board and start from scratch
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Have you checked the video and sound cards? If those are the only problems then I would suggest replacing them. It could be possible you just need to reattach them, or replace the heat sink. I also think you may need to check some of your wires to see if they still function. Also, get a surge protector.
EDIT: Reason I asked if it was a DELL is they have EVERYTHING on the motherboard, and if it fries, you might as well throw out the board and start from scratch
Have a surge protector. Sound is onboard video card is separate.
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I would replace both, I'm no computer whiz but it seems to me from what I know about computers, you should replace both cards and wires. You should also probably take a look at your heat sink.
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If your memory is defective it will act like that.
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If your memory is defective it will act like that.
Sadly, I haven't even reached old age :(
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Reason I asked if it was a DELL is they have EVERYTHING on the motherboard, and if it fries, you might as well throw out the board and start from scratch
Not to be rude, but that is FLAT OUT NOT TRUE. While many computers come equipped with onboard video AND audio, this is done quite often regardless of manufacturer. Likewise, there ARE some Dells that have separate sound cards and/or separate video cards. While I'm not necessarily defending the engineering or fabrication practices of Dell, I believe that you should do some research before making a broad statement like that.
Getback, most likely you have a bad power supply. It may have taken the motherboard with it, but you really need to plug in a known-good power supply and see if it boots up... or purchase a power supply tester. And yes a power supply can be bad and still supply power to the fans, etc... but not the motherboard itself.
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Not to be rude, but that is FLAT OUT NOT TRUE. While many computers come equipped with onboard video AND audio, this is done quite often regardless of manufacturer. Likewise, there ARE some Dells that have separate sound cards and/or separate video cards. While I'm not necessarily defending the engineering or fabrication practices of Dell, I believe that you should do some research before making a broad statement like that.
Getback, most likely you have a bad power supply. It may have taken the motherboard with it, but you really need to plug in a known-good power supply and see if it boots up... or purchase a power supply tester. And yes a power supply can be bad and still supply power to the fans, etc... but not the motherboard itself.
Actually I've been questioning that power supply for quite some time. I have a new one on order. I'll install that first. Thank you for the advice. Sure didn't know that.
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(http://www.gasstationnearme.com/images/Effects-Of-Nuclear-Explosion.jpg)
:noid
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.
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(http://www.gasstationnearme.com/images/Effects-Of-Nuclear-Explosion.jpg)
:noid
Not from Overclocking this time though. hehe
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Not to be rude, but that is FLAT OUT NOT TRUE. While many computers come equipped with onboard video AND audio, this is done quite often regardless of manufacturer. Likewise, there ARE some Dells that have separate sound cards and/or separate video cards. While I'm not necessarily defending the engineering or fabrication practices of Dell, I believe that you should do some research before making a broad statement like that.
Getback, most likely you have a bad power supply. It may have taken the motherboard with it, but you really need to plug in a known-good power supply and see if it boots up... or purchase a power supply tester. And yes a power supply can be bad and still supply power to the fans, etc... but not the motherboard itself.
He said it starts but without video or audio. If the memory is not registering (defective) the system will start but it will possible beep a few times (if it has a MB speaker) and then stop without booting video. In other words the bootstrap process is only partly executed.
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He said it starts but without video or audio. If the memory is not registering (defective) the system will start but it will possible beep a few times (if it has a MB speaker) and then stop without booting video. In other words the bootstrap process is only partly executed.
Prior to this incident the computer was really slow to boot. Seemed like several minutes. This occurred around the same time I plugged in the DVD drive. The PS is of modular design. I have never been happy with it.
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Every PSU I have is modular and I would not have it any other way. That aside...
Have you ever added or pulled memory without unplugging the PSU from the wall? Are you sure the 20/24 pin plug is snug in the socket?
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Every PSU I have is modular and I would not have it any other way. That aside...
Have you ever added or pulled memory without unplugging the PSU from the wall? Are you sure the 20/24 pin plug is snug in the socket?
Haven't touched it since I built it.
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Well... the bad news is that the PSU could have taken the MB and RAM with it. I wouldnt do any more until you have the new PSU handy. Then I would start testing everything from ground level just to make sure. Even if the system boots with the new PSU you should test your RAM out at least using Memtest86. It could also be that the GPU was hit and it is preventing your system from starting but usually if you have a MB mounted speaker even if the GPU is bad you will get system beeps telling you the video isnt found. You havent described any beeps so either you dont have a MB mounted speaker or... like I said MB and RAM.
Lets hope its just the PSU. :)
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Just FYI, on surge protectors; Surge protectors take X number of hits before they stop functioning and allow all surges to merrily pass on through. It is the nature of the consumer beast. Replacing surge protectors once a year is the only sure way to protect your gear.
Some consumer surge protectors will have a warning light on them, that will tell you they are no longer surge protecting. The even better ones have an audible alarm with a warning light. For home use, those are the only ones I use as I cannot see my surge protectors once they are installed.
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Just a heads up Getback, damages like this are covered on your homeowners (Insurance) Policy. If you had a storm go thru, more than likely you had a lightning strike. That is covered on most policys. Just weigh the costs of the computer against your deductible. (remember all the little things you have in it software,upgrades etc as this will increase the cost of the machine)
More than likely you can explain to the adjuster that the computer is fried, he will price it (with your help) and cut you a check less your deductible.With that being said,if it is as easy as replacing a couple of parts,the cost after your deductible should cover that. ie computer is valuated at $1000.00 less your deductible (Hypothetically)$500.00 you get a check for $500.00. Also one thing to keep in mind, its not like car insurance you get in an accident and your rates go thru the roof, with a house they may surcharge you a bit (5% or 10%) but most HO policys have a first time forgiveness and you will see no rise in rates.
Just a thought,unfortunatly most persons dont know what their HO policy covers. Im a Property Insurance adjuster (i like to think one of the good ones ),so if anyone ever has any questions let me know.
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Not to be rude, but that is FLAT OUT NOT TRUE. While many computers come equipped with onboard video AND audio, this is done quite often regardless of manufacturer. Likewise, there ARE some Dells that have separate sound cards and/or separate video cards. While I'm not necessarily defending the engineering or fabrication practices of Dell, I believe that you should do some research before making a broad statement like that.
I'm not bashing DELL, I think they're a great brand, I had two over the course of 7 years, suited me well. Its just that a lot of them had everything strapped to the motherboard. I understand what you're saying though :rock
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I have a 2003 Dell that is still going strong.Not the best gamer by a long shot,but a great and reliable PC.
Question is would i buy another one, probably not, after reading these boards,my thoughts are to build one.(and my computer savy is limited to being able to turn one on )
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Both my DELLs were 2003 models, ran XP like a charm. Loved those old things. Just too hard to replace parts on the older models.
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Just FYI, on surge protectors; Surge protectors take X number of hits before they stop functioning and allow all surges to merrily pass on through. It is the nature of the consumer beast. Replacing surge protectors once a year is the only sure way to protect your gear.
Some consumer surge protectors will have a warning light on them, that will tell you they are no longer surge protecting. The even better ones have an audible alarm with a warning light. For home use, those are the only ones I use as I cannot see my surge protectors once they are installed.
Good advice there. Will be grabbing a new surge protector.
I had been been working on my computer studying. I got up to get a drink. Wham the power goes out in the house and comes right back on. I see the computer rebooting, but before the full reboot, another surge and she's dead. There were no storms. It was a clear beautiful day.
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Shouldnt matter, damages as the result of a "power surge" are usually covered, I just used the lightning as an example. I have a situation now where an insd had a car hit a pole,and the pole was repaired by the electric company (incorrectly) resulting in a surge at her house,damaged computers,low volt systems (phones,security systems etc) and it was covered. Its called Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current. Might be worth a call if your deductible is low enough. Good luck!!
<S>
Mbailey
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Just FYI, on surge protectors; Surge protectors take X number of hits before they stop functioning and allow all surges to merrily pass on through. It is the nature of the consumer beast. Replacing surge protectors once a year is the only sure way to protect your gear.
Some consumer surge protectors will have a warning light on them, that will tell you they are no longer surge protecting. The even better ones have an audible alarm with a warning light. For home use, those are the only ones I use as I cannot see my surge protectors once they are installed.
Not all surge protectors are created equal that's for sure, I deal with surge protectors and line conditioners at work frequently, I've always liked and used Panamax on my equipment here.
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You should get a surge suppressor on your breaker panel and surge protectors and uninterruptable power supplies at your PC.
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I have a 2003 Dell that is still going strong.Not the best gamer by a long shot,but a great and reliable PC.
Question is would i buy another one, probably not, after reading these boards,my thoughts are to build one.(and my computer savy is limited to being able to turn one on )
Find a savvy friend or a local small store to custom build you a box. Stay away from branded boxes, seriously. They cut corners and purposedly make upgrades either costly or impossible.
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I have a 2003 Dell that is still going strong.Not the best gamer by a long shot,but a great and reliable PC.
Question is would i buy another one, probably not, after reading these boards,my thoughts are to build one.(and my computer savy is limited to being able to turn one on )
mbailey, it's the easiest thing in the world.. once you do it, you'll wonder why you've been afraid to all of this time.
It's nearly impossible to plug the wrong thing into the wrong place. It's simply.. you pop in the motherboard panel and screw the motherboard in place. You mount the processor, and then it's heatsink/fan. You install the memory, vid card, sound card (if applicable), and any other add on cards. You install the power supply (4 screws). You then install the CD/DVD/BR, and hard drive(s), (and floppy if you must). You plug in the wires from the power supply. Put the side covers on. Plug in keyboard, mouse, monitor. Turn it on.. install windows disk.. reboot and done!
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mbailey, it's the easiest thing in the world.. once you do it, you'll wonder why you've been afraid to all of this time.
It's nearly impossible to plug the wrong thing into the wrong place. It's simply.. you pop in the motherboard panel and screw the motherboard in place. You mount the processor, and then it's heatsink/fan. You install the memory, vid card, sound card (if applicable), and any other add on cards. You install the power supply (4 screws). You then install the CD/DVD/BR, and hard drive(s), (and floppy if you must). You plug in the wires from the power supply. Put the side covers on. Plug in keyboard, mouse, monitor. Turn it on.. install windows disk.. reboot and done!
Don't forget to plug the wires from the front panel of PC case to the motherboard, otherwise when you press the power switch nothing will happen. :)
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mbailey, it's the easiest thing in the world.. once you do it, you'll wonder why you've been afraid to all of this time.
It's nearly impossible to plug the wrong thing into the wrong place. It's simply.. you pop in the motherboard panel and screw the motherboard in place. You mount the processor, and then it's heatsink/fan. You install the memory, vid card, sound card (if applicable), and any other add on cards. You install the power supply (4 screws). You then install the CD/DVD/BR, and hard drive(s), (and floppy if you must). You plug in the wires from the power supply. Put the side covers on. Plug in keyboard, mouse, monitor. Turn it on.. install windows disk.. reboot and done!
And fun!
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Well im gonna give it a shot!! Ill start ordering componants on Monday. I have nothing to reuse accept the incedentals monitor keyboard etc. My old puter is gonna go to the kids.
( I almost fear to ask this :D ) Any suggestions? Im looking at about $1000.00 and really only use the puter for AH and surfing the net. Although i would like it to be upgradable in the future.
I dont want to hijack your thread Getback, my appologies. I Could start another one if you want
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My preference for a motherboard is gigabyte or asus. For your intent of use of your computer a newer dual core Intel, like the I-5 series. Skuzzy recommends the seasonic brand for power supply. Video card would be a nvidia 260 or better model or a ATI 5770 or better model. You'll need a case, people here will tell you to get the Tempest.
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Well im gonna give it a shot!! Ill start ordering componants on Monday. I have nothing to reuse accept the incedentals monitor keyboard etc. My old puter is gonna go to the kids.
( I almost fear to ask this :D ) Any suggestions? Im looking at about $1000.00 and really only use the puter for AH and surfing the net. Although i would like it to be upgradable in the future.
I dont want to hijack your thread Getback, my appologies. I Could start another one if you want
Welp, starting a new thread is not up to me. However, if you want the best advice from seasoned builders that would be the way to go. Most of us love this kind of stuff.
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Okay, decided not to rebuild the crashed machine. What I am wanting to do is take the data from the old machine and put it on my gaming rig. I've loaded all the programs. So this is my question, Can I do a back up of the hard drive from the old machine and then restore it to the gaming rig with out causing any problems. The hard drive from the crashed machine is good. I'm using it as an external drive currently.
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Using Acronis True Image I have in the past installed the OS fresh and then restored all the files (Program Files and other files outside of C:\Windows and subfolders) and it was just like the previous installation when finished.
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Using Acronis True Image I have in the past installed the OS fresh and then restored all the files (Program Files and other files outside of C:\Windows and subfolders) and it was just like the previous installation when finished.
Because of how deeply embedded some of the subsystems are in the OS, restoring "Program Files" can sometimes reintroduce corruption that makes Windows non-startable. It's one of those sometimes you can get away with it, some times you can't.
Just in case ...
<S>
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Yes.. what Ghastly said. There's about a 15-20% chance that it will even boot properly moving one hard drive to a different computer, and of those that do.. maybe a 10% chance of it working without problems. However, you can do a repair install of windows that will usually get it working... but I would only use it long enough to back up whatever you want to keep, and then wipe and reformat because it seems that once you do this sort of thing, things are never right from then on out. Kind of like repairing a flooded car... it's just going to be problems no matter what you do aside from a frame-up restoration.
If your drive is a Western Digital, you can get a free version of Acronis HERE (http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en). It's not supposed to work with other brands, but I haven't yet tried. It's good software.
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I put a new PSU in and it booted. However the CPU fan didn't work. Going to try another stock fan I have. I just don't like the looks of this.
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Not to be rude, but that is FLAT OUT NOT TRUE. While many computers come equipped with onboard video AND audio, this is done quite often regardless of manufacturer. Likewise, there ARE some Dells that have separate sound cards and/or separate video cards. While I'm not necessarily defending the engineering or fabrication practices of Dell, I believe that you should do some research before making a broad statement like that.
Getback, most likely you have a bad power supply. It may have taken the motherboard with it, but you really need to plug in a known-good power supply and see if it boots up... or purchase a power supply tester. And yes a power supply can be bad and still supply power to the fans, etc... but not the motherboard itself.
Welp, it was the Power Supply only. Put in a new power supply and the rascal booted up very fast. It had been booting really slow. It also called my attention to another issue. The CPU fan wasn't working. I put a spare in I had from building my gaming rig.
I honestly almost skipped testing the PSU and went straight to replacing the Motherboard. Then I thought hey why not just give a new PS a shot with the old mainboard. That turned out to be a good thing.
Solid advice there. Thanks!
Addendum: Almost forgot to mention the new surge protector.
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Good to hear it Getback. Glad your up and running again.
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The problem with electrical surge damage is how much non-fatal damage it tends to do. A surge powerful enough to knock out the PSU will generally have a cascading effect on the other components. They still work initially, but have been heavily damaged. It's common for zapped computers to have components continue to fail one after another until the whole system ends up replaced.
To whoever was planning on building a new computer:
One easy mistake to make is not installing the motherboard spacers. It's one of those things everyone thinks is so obvious that nobody (including a lot of manuals) mentions it. Some cases come with spacers already incorporated into the motherboard tray. Others require (generally brass-colored) pegs to be screwed into the tray. They look like the screw holders on each side of a video card output, but longer. They keep the soldered connections on the back of the motherboard from grounding on the case and tray.
I remember back when I built my first in Middle School and didn't realize what they were...poke it too hard and the sound card PCI slot shorted. But, she's still running BOINC in the other room to this day. :D
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The problem with electrical surge damage is how much non-fatal damage it tends to do. A surge powerful enough to knock out the PSU will generally have a cascading effect on the other components. They still work initially, but have been heavily damaged. It's common for zapped computers to have components continue to fail one after another until the whole system ends up replaced.
To whoever was planning on building a new computer:
One easy mistake to make is not installing the motherboard spacers. It's one of those things everyone thinks is so obvious that nobody (including a lot of manuals) mentions it. Some cases come with spacers already incorporated into the motherboard tray. Others require (generally brass-colored) pegs to be screwed into the tray. They look like the screw holders on each side of a video card output, but longer. They keep the soldered connections on the back of the motherboard from grounding on the case and tray.
I remember back when I built my first in Middle School and didn't realize what they were...poke it too hard and the sound card PCI slot shorted. But, she's still running BOINC in the other room to this day. :D
So true! Seems my joy was short lived. Rascal died on me by the end of the day. And I was so very happy until..........
Welp, throwing in a new MB today.
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I took a big chance. I used my old hard drive just the way it was for the new motherboard. The new MB was the same brand so I thought it might work. So far so good. I am getting an unknown device though. Also, I'm not sure how to disable onboard video.
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I took a big chance. I used my old hard drive just the way it was for the new motherboard. The new MB was the same brand so I thought it might work. So far so good. I am getting an unknown device though. Also, I'm not sure how to disable onboard video.
If you can't disable onboard video from BIOS, then really the only thing you can do is right click on it in the device manager, and select DISABLE DEVICE. You might also look in the M/B manual to see if there is a jumper for it, but I doubt it.