Help? PC can't boot up

[piggy2151]

I have a P3 system that was working fine, until my brother swap over the CD-ROM from one system to another system.
Now when I try to boot up, there will be a tik sound and both my seconday hard-disk and zip drive will having blinking lights.. And I won't be abled to see anything on my computer screen. I have try to remove the power from the zip disk and the hard-disk but the problem still persists. Any idea what is the problem? My friend have told me the RAM might have been spolit.

 

[KimberTech]

Almost impossible to help based on what you have provided.
The fast way to find out if anything is damaged is to put the CDrom back in.

Check to make sure the video card didnt come loose, and check that the ram is snugly in place.

Are you getting any beeps or just ticking?
Can you boot to a boot disk? Kimber

The more I learn,I realize how much more there is to know!

 

[piggy2151]

I only get the ticking sound. I did plug back the CD-ROM, but nothing works. I can't boot up using the boot disk, because when power on, I see nothing on the screen, just the ticking sound.

 

[KimberTech]

Using a boot disk, unplug the cables to the drives and see if the computer will turn on , or give you post beeps.
Make sure the video card has been pulled out, and then pushed back in tight.
Kimber

The more I learn,I realize how much more there is to know!

 

[John11v35]

You might also try unplugging the data cable that connects to the CD-ROM drive, then boot the machine. It could be a bad cable, incorrectly installed cable, or even a bad controller.

 

[BuckeyeComputers]

exactly what device is ticking? the cdrom? hardrive? a fan?

 

[Cindy1]

There are a lot of sounds that are in a computer.
1)Tick = cpu fan, put your finger on it to stop it and see if the noise stops.
2)Tick = hard drive, you put a good test drive on the cable.
3)Tick = Power Supply Fan, there is a fan inside the power supply and that will go also and have that sound.

Please strip the system down to the power, cpu, video, memory and motherboard and tell us what happens. I'm intrested to know if you get any beeps,ticks, burps or anything of that nature. Keep us posted. Good luck.
Cindy

 

[piggy2151]

I have try as what Cindy has said, I am still having the same problem, but I notice an orange light on my motherboard. My friend suggest that i plug out one of my RAM (I have 2 of 256MB RAM) and test. Still the same problem. I switch on the other RAM and test, still the same. Maybe both my RAM had spolit. I am now looking for another to test, before that, any advise? Could it be really the RAM problem?

 

[BuckeyeComputers]

still havent heard where the ticking is coming from

 

[KimberTech]

Try taking out the ram and turning it on.
If you get no beeps/beep post codes, and you have only CPU mainboard power supply and video attached, it will provide valuable information. Kimber

The more I learn,I realize how much more there is to know!

 

[Cindy1]

When you striped the system did you make sure that the power cables were not going to the drives just the board? You could rule out the power supply by taking a paperclip and puting it in the black and green connector. The large connector from the motherboard. When you plug it in it should bypass everything and automaticly turn on. Check and see if you hear the noise then. That should be the only thing running.
Cindy