Power Lite flashes fan starts then nothing

[jscorpio]

I have been working with a friends computer. It is an IBM pc350 model 6587-9at. She took the tower into one of those franchise chains to have more memory installed. They removed her original single stick of dimm and replaced it with two banks of simm (4 sticks). Of course when she picked it up from the shop it was "working fine". When she got it home and plugged it in, the power lite blinked a couple of times and the fan started and then nothing. I have been able to duplicate this problem and the only way I can Get the system to boot to windows 98se is to jump the cmos and restart. The only way I can restart the system is to unplug it from the wall, wait a few seconds and then plug it back in. The power button does not work. When I shut the system down from the start menu and then try to fire it back up, i'm back to square one and i have to reset the cmos and start all over. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[jrbarnett]

Did she actually see it working in the shop? If so, could any internal connectors possibly have got loose on the way home?

John

 

[jscorpio]

Yes, she saw it working. I have tried reseating everything to make sure connections are all good. I can even make the system boot into windows so that it looks like it is working fine. It's when I shut down that the problem starts.

 

[jrbarnett]

Was the only thing that was changed the memory?

If so, try starting with only on set (SIMMs have to be installed in pairs but DIMMs can be installed singly).

John

 

[jscorpio]

jrbarnett, yes, the only thing that was changed was the memory. I have tried starting with one bank. I have replaced the old memory. All will work when i jump the cmos. But all have the same problem as described????

 

[jrbarnett]

If the original memory is restored and new memory removed, does the problem go away?

Also have you checked to make sure that there is nothing on the motherboard that may be causing a short circuit? (eg has the board moved slightly when the techs installed/removed the memory, which lets metal touch metal rather than rubber bungs or other mounting plates?

John

 

[jscorpio]

I will try this again and inspect the MOBO again and I will post the results.

 

[jscorpio]

Well the results are in. I replaced the old memory. Same problem occurs. MOBO seems is seated firmly and I don't see anything underneath it. No obvious problems.

 

[jscorpio]

Also, when I restart from the start menu, I get a single beep and windows loads up like norm, but when I choose to shut down from the start menu and then try to turn the system on. It will not boot.

 

[jscorpio]

I have also run several diagnostics utilities. With the exception of a bios upgrade reccommendation, all test seem to pass o.k. I am looking for a bios upgrade now.

 

[wunkunn]

jscoripo,
I wouldn't try upgrading the BIOS. If the machine worked before, it should work again using the old memory. I would suspect a corrupted operating system. Try reloading the OS, preferably a fresh load.
Good Luck

 

[jscorpio]

wunkunn,

This computer is a win95 with an 98se upgrade. Can you define "fresh load" for me?
Thanks

 

[garebo]

I would first check and double check all my internal and external connections and also go into the bios and see if there is any setting you could change, before i did a complete re-install.
I had that happen to me before and it was a bios setting but i cant remember which setting and they vary anyway from bios to bios and version to version.

 

[battmain]

I agree with agrebo. If your bio has a setting for memory speed, may want to fiddle with that and see if one of the settings works better.

 

[garebo]

If i recall correctly, it is said to never try and flash the bios if you cant get the computer to boot.

Plus, given the info supplied, it appears that some hardware has become loose, maybe an agp video card or some pci card, or some connector, failing which, possibly even a change in bios, still, i would suspect a loose piece of hardware or loose connections, or something shorting out as it was working before transport home i believe you said.

 

[jscorpio]

Thanks all for your help. i will hold off on the bios flash. I will attempt to find a cmos setting that works (process of elimination). I have seated and reseated all connections cards etc... I will try again. Will post results. thanks again.

 

[garebo]

Obviously you can get into the bios so can you find the section of the bios that shows the boot sequence, which is to boot first, ide0 (c:\drive), floppy (sometimes called removable drive or removable), cdrom. What are the setting for this?
Does your hard drive show up in the list of drives?
How about your cdrom or burner, are they listed there?

You could try the setting for plug and play os, if it says yes change to no, if it says no change to yes.

When you make changes, you have to save and exit, sorry, but i have to say that!

 

[jscorpio]

O.K. boot sequence is a: then c: hard drive shows up. Cdrom drive is proprietary.

have tried to change memory speed from 60ns to 70ns (only choices). Also changed pnp bios to disable.

Save and exit = yes

So far nothing has worked.

John

 

[garebo]

ok, at this point, the secret solution may likely have something to do with the fact that a bios re-set will change the situation and let you boot up okay.

So, the solution is to find out what is changing when you re-set the bios!!!
The answer prolly lies there!
So, maybe you could jot down some settings you see when you re-set the bios and compare them to bios settings when you just try and boot up?

That may tell us something.
To me, its starting to sound like a mobo/power issue.
What about the restart button? Have you tried booting or starting from the reset button?
Also, change boot sequence to ide0 or hard drive, but not hard drive1 first, then floppy as second, or just hard drive0 and the rest to nothing.

 

[garebo]

also, double check the start wire from the front of the box to where it goes on the mobo, same with the re-set button and wire to mobo.
If they are good, then unhook the floppy drive and take out pci cards except if a pci is a vid card.
Do you have inegrated video?
If you have integrated video and a separate pci vid card, that could be why a bios re-set gets you going?