Micron PC will not boot past POST -- cannot enter setup even 3

[shpydah]

I have a Micron PC running windows 95 that i installed the Win95 version of McAfee's Virus Scan onto. the installation went fine, then i reboot as the installer requires, upon reboot however the system would go no further than the point at which you can select F2 to enter setup in the POST. I cannot enter setup as the system hangs....<br>
<br>
i have tried booting off of several different Boot disks, including the NT Setup disks, just SOMETHING to let me in so i can at least retrieve the data. Nothing is working.....does anyone know of the next step i can take? or how to force the system to boot beyond that portion of the POST?<br>
<br>
any help is appreciated.<br>
<br>
cheers,<br>
peter chow.

 

[david902]

Sounds like a bad connection somewhere. The only suggestion I can make it opener up and remove all the cards, reseat the memory, board connectors, processor, check if it boots, and start adding cards one at a time, and try rebooting until the problem is found. If you reseat the memory, CPU, & board connectors, without any cards in it, and it doesn't boot, then you've got a problem that I can't help you with.<br>

 

[bdux]

also check that the metal contacts on the underside of the motherboard where the metal mounting studs are screwed into are not shorting out the motherboard . Also check the orange power wire in the power connecter is supplying 5v . This is the power good wire . If the power good is not seen by your motherboard you will have a fault like you describe .

 

[Alt255]

David902 and bdux speak truly. Note bdux's comment about the underside of the motherboard. Motherboards can be tricky and can cause no end to the grief, even without a short. A slightly bent or improperly mounted motherboard can be just as bad. <br>
Using the usual precautions, remove the motherboard (disconnecting and removing <b>everything</b>, especially the nylon stand-offs), lay it on a non-conducting/anti-static surface, reattach the wires from the power supply, insert the display adapter, attach the keyboard and hit the power switch. (I know, it sounds bad, but I've done it dozens of times without a problem.)<br>
If you don't make it into setup, there may be a deeper problem. <p> <br><a href=mailto: > </a><br><a href=

http://vorpalware.homestead.com/VorpalHome.html>temporary

Vorpalcom home page</a><br>Send me suggestions or comments on my current software project.

 

[Brianc2k]

I have in the past taken the verticle hard drive out of the Micron PC tower and laid it flat.&nbsp;&nbsp;Especially if the hard drive is a Western Digital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Once I laid the hard drive flat the system booted fine.&nbsp;&nbsp;When I called Micron to set up an RMA they shipped out a Quantium hard drive as the replacement.&nbsp;&nbsp;Set the hard drive flat and see if that helps

 

[Ianco]

I had a similar problem last night with a PC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Did some changes, rebooted, <b>BANG</b>, no video and speaker just a whining and I could not even get into the bios.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ripped everything apart, had the motherboard bare on my workbench but still the same problem.&nbsp;&nbsp;I then found the jumper to clear the CMOS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pulled it from the NORMAL pins and plugged it on the RESET pins and fired it up.&nbsp;&nbsp;Presto, video okay, no whining from the speaker and I was able to get into the BIOS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Exited by saving changes and then shutdown, switched the jumper back to NORMAL pins and everthing is now hunky dorky.<br>Good Luck! <p>Ian Cowie<br><a href=mailto:ianco@email.com>ianco@email.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>"If you see something THIS big, with eight legs, coming your way, let me know. I have to kill it before it develops language skills." - Londo, Babylon 5 <br>
Anyhow, how can I help you, eh?

 

[tschuy]

I have seen this before with Anti-Virus programs. I'm my cases it was the Anti-virus programs modification of the MBR (Master Boot Record) of the hard disk which rendered the system in-accesable to the Root files which tell where the boot information is at. The fix? In my case I had to boot the system with a DOS boot disk and fdisk'ed the hard drive and start all over. The anti-vurus program that did this to me was Norton Anti-virus but I'm pretty sure McAfee does the same. A note if this were a hardware related problem....Watch the screen during power up of the BIOS and see if your system even see's the hard disk. If not then proceed to the internals of your machine and start playing around with things. But if you haven't been inside to move anything around, (IE power wires and cabling) then the likelyhood of this being related to your problem is minimal. One should stay out of his/her computer case as much as possible, so as not to create more problems.

 

[Alt255]

Good post, tschuy. Though I'm leaning toward a hardware issue, since shpydah couldn't boot from a floppy, you are <b>very</b> correct. End users and management should stay out of the cases under penalty of torture.<br><br>There are employees who can do that without creating additional problems.<br>&nbsp; <p> <br><a href=mailto: > </a><br><a href=

http://vorpalcom.netfirms.com>another

temporary Vorpalcom home page</a><br>Send me suggestions or comments on my current software project.

 

[FASchw]

If you have tried all of the above fixes and have eliminated bad cards make sure you fan is running and is connected to the processor.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the processor fan is not connectd to the processor and the processor heats up, and I have seen this happen with in this time frame, it will lock up or shut the system down.&nbsp;&nbsp;Usually if it memory the system wil beep at you, any bad card other that the video usually lets you boot through, with an error message.<br><br>GOOD LUCK