My PC will not boot up!

[SaltyDuke]

Hello everyone!

i'm having a spot of trouble with my computer: IT won't boot up and i cannot figure out why!! :-(

It is an American Megatrends PC with a Pentium processor (Intel i430TX PCI chipset) and it seems to 'freeze' after checking the NV RAM

Here's what the bootup sequence displays onscreen:


AMI BIOS (c) 1996
Release 12/6/1997

Main Processor : 6x86 mx - PR200
Processor Clock : PR200
Power Supply : AT

Checking NVRAM...
32768Kb OK

WAIT....

and it's at this "wait" bit that the computer freezes; it wont even try checking for a boot disk!!

i tried going into the bootup menu (when you press F1 on bootup), but that was no use...

if anyone can help me on this i'd appreciate it as PC hardwarew iis not exactly my speciality.

thanx in advance
TheSaltyDuke

 

[franklin97355]

Disconnect the hard drives/CDs and try again. I think the next thing it's checking for are the IDE interfaces.

 

[shakenama]

What about the beep codes ? Any beeping from the bios ?

 

[G0AOZ]

Failing the good advice above, with the PC switched off, clear the CMOS settings. There's usually a "CLR CMOS" jumper on the motherboard, or remove the battery. This should bring all BIOS settings to default. Note: Clearing CMOS will lose any settings previously entered.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[SaltyDuke]

First of all thanks for your quick and informed replies to this thread. i really appreciate your help

but... it's still not working! :-(

1) here's the lowdown. I tried removing the hard drive and CD drive but that had no effect.

2) When I reset the BIOS settings and reboot the PC, it doesn't recognise the processor (must've been changed in the past with my knowledge), and i have to go into the BIOS menu and set it to the correct model (i.e. the one that matches what's physically written on the chip itself), it only gets as far as i explained in my original post.

As far as beep codes are concerned, i only hear one "beep", which occurs before any writing appears on the screen. I assume this beep is the computer testing the power supply.

i've also tried using a different graphics card, but to no avail. i reckon it's a case of finding out what's happening when the "WAIT...." dialogue appears

Again, thanx
TheSaltyDuke

 

[Enkrypted]

Double check you jumpers on the IDE drivers to ensure they are set to the proper Master/Slave sequence. Also I would swap out the IDE cable/Power supply connectors and see what happens.

Enkrypted
A+

 

[edemiere]

Disable the CPU cache and the L2 cache on the motherboard to see if it lets you continue, there maybe a glitch in one of them.

I have seen this before and I have to take the case apart and push ALL the cache chips back down firmly on the board and then it'll work fine for a few months after that until I have to wash, rinse, and repeat.

Good luck!

 

[shmoes]

1) try replacing your IDE cables with new ones

2)go back into the cmos and set your hard drive manually

~Shmoes

I lay claim to nothing and everything. My words may be wisdom or disaster. In the end you make a choice. Noone is perfect.

 

[BuckeyeComputers]

apparently it is not a cable or a harddrive cdrom drive problem if it continues with them remove...remove any extra cards that you can (modem,network,soundcard..etc)sounds like you have the possibility of a controller chip not initiating. also disconnect your floppy drive and remove it from the bios...then if it gets to operating system not found or something like that start putting everything back 1 at a time to see if you can isolate the defective part