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Computer won't boot, no beeps
Srazek
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've come to this area for help before, and it was good, so I shall do it again \o/
So I accidentally left my computer on all night running Mount&Blade. Shouldn't be a problem but every bit of info helps. I turned my computer off, and in doing so XP installed an update. About 5 minutes later I turned it on again.
It will not boot. There is no beep. The video card driver spins at a high speed and stays there. Cpu fan works, PSU fan works, lights, other fans, temp reader are all on. I hear the HD and the DVD drive making acceptable and normal noises. It will not restart using the reset button, the only way to turn it off is the PSU switch or holding the power button.
- but the HD access light doesn't come on. This fact and the fact that windows installed an update right before the problem makes me think it might be a hard drive problem. I have no way to test that, though.
- I'm a little ignorant when it comes to PSU's, but I looked at it anyway. using a voltmeter on the Molex pins gave a reading of 6.3. I don't know which rail that was or if it is significant. The fan in the psu spins and there is no burnt smell. It and the HD are the oldest pieces of hardware in the computer.
- Tried resetting cmos
- Tried a different video card
- Ram is fine
- I don't know if it could be the motherboard or not. The symptoms fit, I guess, but I don't know of a way to test that really. all the fans and lights work, so I'm guessing it isn't? Or maybe hoping.
So, there is my problem. To me, the most likely thing is the harddrive, but all the sites i've been to don't list that as a big cause for a computer not booting. The power supply is listed as a big cause, and again the voltmeter said 6.3. Not sure if that's okay or not. Removing the video card (I understand an 8800gt is pretty power hungry) made no difference.
So, there you have it. I humbly ask for your opinions before rushing off to my local NCIX and vainly throwing money at things.
VVVV Yes, a different video card made no difference.
So I accidentally left my computer on all night running Mount&Blade. Shouldn't be a problem but every bit of info helps. I turned my computer off, and in doing so XP installed an update. About 5 minutes later I turned it on again.
It will not boot. There is no beep. The video card driver spins at a high speed and stays there. Cpu fan works, PSU fan works, lights, other fans, temp reader are all on. I hear the HD and the DVD drive making acceptable and normal noises. It will not restart using the reset button, the only way to turn it off is the PSU switch or holding the power button.
- but the HD access light doesn't come on. This fact and the fact that windows installed an update right before the problem makes me think it might be a hard drive problem. I have no way to test that, though.
- I'm a little ignorant when it comes to PSU's, but I looked at it anyway. using a voltmeter on the Molex pins gave a reading of 6.3. I don't know which rail that was or if it is significant. The fan in the psu spins and there is no burnt smell. It and the HD are the oldest pieces of hardware in the computer.
- Tried resetting cmos
- Tried a different video card
- Ram is fine
- I don't know if it could be the motherboard or not. The symptoms fit, I guess, but I don't know of a way to test that really. all the fans and lights work, so I'm guessing it isn't? Or maybe hoping.
So, there is my problem. To me, the most likely thing is the harddrive, but all the sites i've been to don't list that as a big cause for a computer not booting. The power supply is listed as a big cause, and again the voltmeter said 6.3. Not sure if that's okay or not. Removing the video card (I understand an 8800gt is pretty power hungry) made no difference.
So, there you have it. I humbly ask for your opinions before rushing off to my local NCIX and vainly throwing money at things.
VVVV Yes, a different video card made no difference.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Srazek on
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This discussion has been closed.
Posts
A hard drive failure will give you at least a black dos screen that says unmountable boot volume.
My first reaction to your post was "video card fried", but I read that you had tried a different one to no effect?
Other random thoughts: if it was ram / cpu / other issues, your motherboard would at least be giving you various beeps that you would have to lookup to find out what they mean.
Last random thought: Power supply issue due to your video card wouldnt likely to be an issue until you put your system under strain by running a 3D application. At that point, it would probably just turn off / start on fire.
On rare occasion lots of little things can stop a system from managing to POST, but as said HD's usually don't do it.
The easiest way to diagnose, however, is to disconnect everything from the machine but one stick of RAM and a video card (including HD's) and see if you can get it to post. Try different sticks in different slots (out of curiosity, how'd you test your ram, as you said it was good?)
If you know your GPU is good, and as CPUs rarely break (especially not when the fan still works,) you've narrowed it down fairly well to a PSU or motherboard problem. No chance you have a friend who'd let you try his PSU on your system? PSU's are super easy to disconnect/reconnect and you could probably do it without even taking the PSU out of his or her system. A broken mobo is also unlikely to ruin someone else's PSU. Barring a dangerous short.
Which reminds me, shorts can cause a system not to POST as well. I remember a floppy drive doing that to me years back --who expects a floppy drive to be the reason a system fails to POST? If a floppy drive can do it, a hard drive can too. Like I said, disconnect everything but the mobo/cpu/stick of ram/gpu, and give it a whirl.
I had tried removing and adding ram before, with no result, so I thought that wasn't it.
And it wasn't the ram, it was the sockets on the Motherboard. Moving both sticks over made the system finally boot. I'm glad the solution was cheap.
It just leaves me wondering how it can be absolutely fine one minute and then 5 minutes later, without any sort of jostling, just a normal restart, one or both of the ram sockets are fried. It is a mystery. Perhaps the real problem will present itself somewhere down the road, but for now thanks for your suggestions.
It still doesn't beep, though. I wonder now if it has ever beeped
Thanks for the insight. This computer is a custom build into the dash of my vehice - did not look forward to replacing.
I hate to /necro a year-old thread, but I had to post and say THANK YOU! My computer recently failed to post. I replaced the power supply to no avail, and figured the mobo was dead. In desperation I did a google search to see if there was anything else I could try, and I came across this thread. Sure enough, popping the battery in and out did the trick. I though for sure I'd have to rebuild the entire system. Thank you for saving me countless hours of frustration (not to mention the cost of a replacement board)!