No Video/No Beeps

[5150]

Good Morning All,

I am experiencing a weird issue and I am hoping that someone can help. I came home yesterday and powered on my PC and it stuck at the intro screen (where it does the RAM count). I powered it back off and when it started to come up I got to the screen that asked to start Windows normally or make another selection. On that screen it stuck and that was the last video I ever got. After powering it off and back on again I can't get the system to post at all....no video...no beeps...no nothing. The DVD drive still has power and lights up but that's it. I can't even get into the BIOS. I hooked the monitor up to another PC and it works just fine. Any ideas?

All help is GREATLY appreciated!!!!!

 

[tf1]

Possibly it is a power supply failure. But do some diagnosis first. Disconnect everything so that all you have is the motherboad with processor connected to the PSU. Power up the PC and see if it starts POST and error beeps.

If it does, it means that the PSU, motherboard and processor are probably fine which is a good start.

Then add components and peripherals one at a time, starting with the memory and graphics card (if it has a separate card) until you find the bad component.


Regards: tf1

 

[5150]

I had only the MB/RAM/Processor hook up and I got the same results. I am going to look at replaceing the mobo and see if that might be the problem. Thanks for all your help!

 

[5150]

Ok now I have a problem......I just replaced the mobo and I am still getting the same thing. Anyone have any other ideas? I am going to look at the power supply tonight but it is only 6 months old.

 

[tf1]

Well you reached stage in the diagnostics where itbecomes difficult without having a pile of spare parts to substitute. Normally, I would always go for the PSU first - but I'd have to admit that I would be surprised if a 6-month old PSU was faulty. I would maybe question whether the first PSU had adequate power for the PC.

Regards: tf1

 

[garebo]

First thing to do now is to reset the bios. check your manual as it varies, although most require you to remove all sources of power to mobo, remove round coin battery from mobo, move jumper nearest coin battery from post 1 and 2 to posts 2 and 3, leave it that way for a few minutes and then reverse everything and put it back the way it was. This usually re-sets the bios and often will get you back up and running and, if not, perhapst at least able to boot to safe mode.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[paparazi]

5150
Please list your hardware specs incl PSU.

First impulse is to say the power supply has gone down on one rail and needs replacing (especially true if this is a generic cheap unit that came with the case)
Remove and refit power plugs, graphics card and ram
An overheated and damaged CPU will also give this power on state without video.

Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[garebo]

You can google "memtest" to test your ram, one stick at a time.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[5150]

OK...now I am screwed. I replaced the case, the processor, and the mobo and it still won't come up. I have unplugged everything and the results yield nothing. The ONLY thing I have not replaced was the RAM....any ideas as to what could be the problem? I am getting desperate...

 

[garebo]

You can google "memtest" to test your ram, one stick at a time.
Do you have onboard video or a pci or agp video card? If not onboard you could try a different video card, maybe borrow one.
Just because its fairly new doesnt rule out the power supply either. Would you have a way to borrow another power supply to test? If not, and if you have a digital or analog multimeter you can test the various rails (voltages) on your power supply. If one rail is bad it may appear the power supply is fine when its not. YOu can get a great tutorial at techrepublic.com. You do have to sign up but its free and they dont hound you and they have a lot of great stuff there as well. So there is one way to test your power supply.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[Prydonian]

5150;

If the case was replaced does that include the PSU? If so, make sure it's a name brand and not a $29.00 POS PSU. Cheap PSUs never come near their rated capacity.

I would next pull everything out of the case and breadboard the system (with the minimum of components) taking the appropriate antistatic cautions. You wouldn't believe how often a MB can be shorted against a case by a brass standoff in the wrong place.

Also make sure that when you disconnect devices you make sure to also remove the interface cables. I've had systems that wouldn't POST due to a shorted $7.00 IDE cable. Lots cheaper than a new MB. Even stranger... I had a old Compaq Presario that stopped POSTing. These models had a metal clamp that held down the interface cards instead of each board being screwed into place. After much pounding-head-against-the-wall, when the clamp was removed, the system booted fine. Put the clamp back on, no POST. Took it off, all is OK. Hot-glued all the boards into place and it ran fine for another year.

So, all I can suggest at this point: Breadboard it!

Mike, The IT Guy.




Life is too short to drink warm beer....

 

[garebo]

Also, you can get, if you need it, a decent (good) power supply for as low as $40 and i have seen them even lower at directron.com and at newegg.com. So you dont have to spend a lot of money to get a good power supply these days.

The problem comes when we buy a case with ps for, say, $30 to $40 US. The value of the power supplies in these deals is, perhaps, $10 or less. And thats where the problems come in. We expect this cheap things to power our P4 2.8 with 2 hard drives, a burner, cdrom, high-power vid card and so on! Kinda foolish when we know the situation but not so foolish when we dont know the facts! Of course the laws need to be stiffer but that involves all of us getting together and putting pressure in various places and we have more important things to worry about, like the poor people that got hit by Rita, for example.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[5150]

I bought a 350 watt ps that came with an Antec case. The case and the mobo was replaced along with the processor. When I power it up the fans all kick on but I get no beeps even though the DVD player does briefly light up. I have tried a different video card (there is on board video) and I still get the same result. My specs are as follows :

- Antec case that came with a 350 watt power supply
- 512 MB Kingston RAM
- AMD Sempron Processor
- Abit mobo (with onboard everything)
- LG DVD/CD ROM
- Western Digital 120 GB HD

The case, mobo, and processor have all been replaced and I get the same as mentioned above. I am starting to pull my hair out one strand at a time until I am bald ; )

 

[garebo]

Its a bit hard to follow all of this.
Does this mean you have used 2 different power supplies or just the one that came with the antec case?
Was the antec case new or used? I am trying to get an idea of how much, if any, the power supply has received.

Also, you never did mention if you have re-set the bios.
That may be all you needed to do at the start of all this.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[5150]

Good Morning,

Both power supplies were built in to the new Antec cases I bought...up to this point I have tried 2 different power supplies. I have not re-set the BIOS but I will try that now and post an update here.

Thanks

 

[garebo]

Of course, you are stilling doing the the bios reset first.

But lets see, you have tried 2 quality antec power supplies, 2 motherboards, processor.
Can you test the ram on a friends machine? You can use google to locate "memtest" to test your ram with. Actually you wouldnt even need it, it seems, as your pc wont even boot with that ram. Its not going to hurt another pc, just wont boot.
Or, you can take the ram into a shop and have them test it.
Do you have the motherboard out of the case?
What about video, is it onboard or on a card? If on a card, can you borrow one to test with or use an older one to test?




Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[5150]

First of all I really want to thank all of you who have replied to this thread....I greatly appreciate all of your help and I really hope to find the answer before I drive myself insane.

Update....

I swapped the RAM...nothing happens. I took the mobo out of the case and I have it on a desk on top of the styrafoam piece that it came on in the box. I cleared the CMOS, made sure all the jumper settings were correct, hooked up an external monitor and powered it up...nothing. I called Abit and after having me on hold for about an hour the tech picks up the phone...and we was not a very nice guy.

Basically the deal is when I power the system on all that is connected to the mobo is the RAM and the external monitor. When I power it up I don't get any beeps and the PC sounds like it's powering up but I can't get ANYTHING to show up on the monitor. I have swaped out the processor, case, and mobo and I am still in the same boat. I have NEVER seen anything like this before.

Thanks!!!!

 

[garebo]

What, of all the parts you have, have you been able to check in another machine?
Of the parts that havent been tested in another machine, are there any that you can get tested in another machine?

With what is left over, if anything, i would suggest you bring to a shop to have them tested.
Something isnt right here for sure. Thing is, the machine was all fine and working for some time. That rules out wrong placement, wrong cables, wrong ram, things like that.

What about video, have we touched on video?
Is it onboard or a vid card? Do you have another you can swap out? I know you had video to boot to bios at one time, but it could be the video was on the way out and then finally just failed.
We have touched on everything else and you have replaced so much, only item not touched is video.
Or bad keyboard or mouse. Might as well swap them, been known to happen where a bad keyboard or mouse prevented bootup or video.





Good advice + great people = tek-tips