This problem has been haunting me for awhile. This computer has been down for about 4 months now and I've done everything that I could think of so far. One day while the computer was idling it had just turned off. I was not in the room when it happened so I did not hear/smell something. My first response was the power supply. transfered one that was working on another box, didn't work. I sent the mother board back to the manufacturer, they sent it back saying it booted up fine with no problems and checked all the slots. I then sent back the chip to see if it burnt out. Same response, works fine booted into os fine. I've tried using other switches, other power supplies, ram. I know all of these work because I used them in another similar x86 computer. The specs on the computer in question is: AMD Athlon k7 1ghz, soyo k7 via mobo, 46.1gb ibm hdd, 3.5" floppy, 16x dvd, 8x4x32x cdrw, 32mb diamond viper z200d vid card, turtle beach santa cruz sound card, generic 56k, linksys 10/100, 128 mb pc133 sd ram. This computer HAD worked perfectly for 8 months prior to this one fateful day. Now when I hit the power button, I get no response, no fans turning, no hdd spinning, nothing at all. It is as if the powersupply is dead, but this is not the case. I'm almost ready to take it to compusa and pay the 75 bucks to have a diagnostic of it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, I've used other power cords and ide cables. Thank you.
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Unresponsive computer.
- Thread starter Theed
- Start date
I guess the first thing I would do..and you may have already...is remove everything except mobo & pw supply.....just to see if the fan and or any lights come on.
If not, check out the power switch and or cable from pw supply to switch. You may need to go as far as trying to power the mobo up outside of the case...rule out any crowbar.
Doug
dxd_2000@yahoo.com
If not, check out the power switch and or cable from pw supply to switch. You may need to go as far as trying to power the mobo up outside of the case...rule out any crowbar.
Doug
dxd_2000@yahoo.com
This can sometimes be caused by faulty peripherals such as cards or drives. Remove everythin attached to your motherboard except RAM, CPU and video card and try it then. If it still does not boot remove the video card. Of course you will not get anything on screen but you should get beeps from the system speaker and led activity.
Another possibility is the motherboard shorting out to the chassis. To check this remove the motherboard, place it on a flat insulating surface such as a foam sheet, connect a power supply and switch and a video card and try it there.
Another possibility is the motherboard shorting out to the chassis. To check this remove the motherboard, place it on a flat insulating surface such as a foam sheet, connect a power supply and switch and a video card and try it there.
Are you sure the power outlet is ok?
If you are using a surge protector, power strip, or UPS are you sure it is ok?
These things may be obvious, but sometimes the most obvious things are the easiest to overlook.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
John
If you are using a surge protector, power strip, or UPS are you sure it is ok?
These things may be obvious, but sometimes the most obvious things are the easiest to overlook.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
John
What else is on the power circuit? Switching power supplies tend to clip the AC and multiples on one circuit can cause one to fail.
How about powering from another circuit?
And do you have a VOM? Some power should come up to a measurable amount. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.
Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.
How about powering from another circuit?
And do you have a VOM? Some power should come up to a measurable amount. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.
Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.
Jakespeare
Vendor
* FIRST: DO NOT use Compusa. They have kids there who
were working at McD's yesterday. You think those foo's can fix it when you couldn't ? (Not without charging you a fortune to swap everything).
Tech opinion:
POWERS SUPPLY: You HAVE to have a P/S that is specifically
for the AMD Chipset / CPU. Sure, that P/S works.... (in an older, probably Intel system), but that doesn't mean it will boot an Athlon / Via setup.
Get a NEW CASE..... with AMD CERTIFIED P/S -***300 WATT****
I personally use INWIN A500 OR S500 but just MAKE SURE
the Power Supply in the case you buy IS ON THE AMD certified list.
You have to go to the AMD site to see the list.
> hey, if I'm wrong,,,, send me a bill for the new case.
I'll put a check in the mail, immediately
were working at McD's yesterday. You think those foo's can fix it when you couldn't ? (Not without charging you a fortune to swap everything).
Tech opinion:
POWERS SUPPLY: You HAVE to have a P/S that is specifically
for the AMD Chipset / CPU. Sure, that P/S works.... (in an older, probably Intel system), but that doesn't mean it will boot an Athlon / Via setup.
Get a NEW CASE..... with AMD CERTIFIED P/S -***300 WATT****
I personally use INWIN A500 OR S500 but just MAKE SURE
the Power Supply in the case you buy IS ON THE AMD certified list.
You have to go to the AMD site to see the list.
> hey, if I'm wrong,,,, send me a bill for the new case.
I'll put a check in the mail, immediately
- Thread starter
- #7
I have tried other working power supplies, taking the mother board out with no peripherials on it and trying to get some response. Also, this computer WAS running since I first built it last january with out any problems. And I was only to bring it to compusa for one of their diagnostic read outs (they have those right?). I want to have the mother board and chip tested to see if they work or not just incase the companies are trying to screw me over. Any other suggestions?
JimEkleberry
Programmer
Make sure that the motherboard is properly and securely attached to the support pins and that there isn't any chance of a ground out there.
Also, make sure that the motherboard is getting a signal from the power switch to turn on. It may be that the power switch is bad and never sending a signal to your pc, or it has an intermittent connection and when it loses "touch" the motherboard receives the signal to turn off.
As said above, don't use CompUSA. For what they will charge you for incompetent work you can buy a new motherboard from someone else.
Also, make sure that the motherboard is getting a signal from the power switch to turn on. It may be that the power switch is bad and never sending a signal to your pc, or it has an intermittent connection and when it loses "touch" the motherboard receives the signal to turn off.
As said above, don't use CompUSA. For what they will charge you for incompetent work you can buy a new motherboard from someone else.
- Thread starter
- #9
tlcscousin
Technical User
Take the computer to one of you friends houses and see if it will run there. If so I would suspect bad wiring in the residence.
Take all cards exceptthe video out of the pc and unhook the hard drive.Boot with a startup disk.If it then boots,shut down and hook up the hard drive and boot up if it starts add one card in at a time booting after each one.The one that causes the no start would be the cause of the problem.
Take all cards exceptthe video out of the pc and unhook the hard drive.Boot with a startup disk.If it then boots,shut down and hook up the hard drive and boot up if it starts add one card in at a time booting after each one.The one that causes the no start would be the cause of the problem.
- Thread starter
- #11
- Thread starter
- #13
Well I'm having my father take it to his office and have the tech people there take a peek at it for they have more resources then I can access. I hope they can test those two pieces for me..... If I find out that it's one of the two the better business bureau will be getting a call.
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- #15
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