computer won't boot

[format c:]

OK this is an email from a friend, I had just upgraded their computer Last Feb with a switch to an ATX power supply last fall, I have replaced one power supply on warranty already
Heres the specs
Gigabyte g5a-aa super 7 baby AT board
64 megs pc 100 sdram ( Micron )
AMD K6-2 450 mhz CPU
300 watt powerman power supply (ATX with ATX power switch )
Sound blaster 16
USR isa 33.6 modem ( Real modem )
Voodoo 3 3000 16 meg AGP
Asus 40 x cd rom secondary slave
Fujitsu 4 gig drive primary master
Seagate 2 gig Secondary master
The drives have to be separate since they are not compatible on the same controller ( I tried it )

From the souds of it she gets the case lights coming on but no video or boot sequence until they play with the power switch or pray ( Plug n pray )
I know this post is long but I would appreciate any input into this one before I tear this system apart

I have been having problems with my computer for the past two days. Yesterday and today, the system didn't even want to boot up. The lights were on but nobody was home. There has to be a loose connection somewhere. Yesterday it happened twice. Each time we tried playing around with the on/off switch and hitting reset..oh yeah..the kids prayed too. (That was the most help) and eventually the thing got the message to it's brain...Hey, I guess we should turn on..duhhhhhh. And today, none of that worked. I got so furious at the computer today I felt like giving it a real good noncomputer-boot in the butt!!!! Today, after about a half hour of staring at the non functioning computer and trying the on/off switch and the reboot button, it turned on when I switched the power bar on and off and then tried to turn it on again. Voila!!


Please, please, please help me. I am at my wit's end with all that is happening with this silly computer. It's Friday morning now. I am tempted to leave the computer on all day just so it will actually work.

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Format c I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )

[Komok]

Power cable, yeh the one you stick into the wall
AT power cable
ON/OFF button power cable

check them with a multimeter

Or kill the damn bastard

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A person who argues must be completely sure in himself. A thinking person would never be completely sure in anything. That's why two thinking persons would never argue; share their points of view they will

[This message has been edited by Komok (edited January 28, 2001).]

[STiNGRAY]

Make shore ur memory is pushed in fully, sometimes when it is not in propely it goofez and if u dont have the PC speaker in or not plugged in properly it has no sign of being goofed

[x_789]

Thats my question are they getting a beep code when the lights are on, on the base? Also is there a setting on the mobo for standby mode and on/off? if so have them set it to on off. Many people have a problem holding in the power button for 5 seconds to get it to power on and off. When she said she flipped the power strip that makes me think it was in standby to begin with. X

[format c:]

I have the ailing computer here and if it works fine I am going to have her try a new power cord
The computer shuts down automaticaly and just a push of the power button should fire it up ( I built it )
I will post anything more once I try it out, I also plan on using my muiltimeter to see if she has stand by voltage ( Very carefully zaaappp booommm !!!! )
" Hello Gigabyte I need to RMA this medium rare mother board "

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Format c I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )

[format c:]

Well I tore into the computer after trying to power up The case lights come one but it won't post, no beeps no video
I pulled all the cards except the video, still no post,I tried another video card, no go, I disocnnected the drives, no go, I did notice that her primay master came to life after disconneting the drives , even when all the drives are connected except the primary master , it spun up, reconnect the primary master and it is dead ( spun up but no usual intializing sound )
I tried the following cpu,memory, isa video card All cards out but video no drives
I figure the board is shot since the primay master cannot communicate with the system,this board also was a bsod maker
Or the bios is toast and all my bios are award bios this is an AMI , I hope it is not the CIH virus
I may toss the drives into my working system and scan them, Then try to save the data
All the test parts are from my working "spare" computer so I know they are good
thanks all for the suggestions


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Format c I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )

[sync]

I have had this happen have you checked the board for shorts,My Mobo was shorting out on the case when I took the board out of the case it worked, just a suggestion! Also had it where one of the anti vibration clips that hold the cover tight had fallen into the case and had shorted the board, More recently I had a Board with an onboard NIC it would not boot or post eventually I got round to disableing it and its worked ever since.HAve you tried resetting the CMOS?
Hope some of this helps

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You can run, but you will only die tired!

[NPaladin]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by sync:
I have had this happen have you checked the board for shorts,My Mobo was shorting out on the case when I took the board out of the case it worked, just a suggestion! Also had it where one of the anti vibration clips that hold the cover tight had fallen into the case and had shorted the board, More recently I had a Board with an onboard NIC it would not boot or post eventually I got round to disableing it and its worked ever since.HAve you tried resetting the CMOS?
Hope some of this helps

</font>

It could also be the power supply is going, you know...you might want to test for that first.


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Bryan Pizzuti
CompTIA A+, CNAP
[email protected]
ICQ # 8525092
Yahoo Messenger: npaladin_2000

[jbar1]

Check the CPU settings ie;voltage, multiplier and frquency. I have found some MBs and cpu combinations that have acted the same way. Found that either voltage or Freq was not right.

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If life is a bitch then what is death? I believe I will take the bitch!

[format c:]

Well the board is going back a year to the day it was purchased
I tested the board outside the case and even with an AT power supply I have laying around
All these attempts gave me the same result, a dead screen
The board is still under warranty, I may pull the battery and see what happens but I think it is fried just by the way it is trying to find the drives ( Bad bios chip ?? )
Well thanks all for the help, I will keep you posted

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Format c I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )

[kingsizer]

Same thing happened to me today and a very similar scenario, but a much older system. Power light would come on and that was it. No video/bios/beeps. Happened after a re-boot.

I took the lid off and re-checked the cables. The printer was rammed in hard, so I undid the screws (taking the bolt housing with them because they were rammed in way too tight) and put them back more gently. Yeah, I thought it could have been a PSU/CPU/MB problem. but just doing that did the trick (fingers crossed).

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--(=):&gt;

[format c:]

Well I lugged the system into my local computer shop and they confirmed my finding
The mother board is dead, Good thing it failed now, almost a year to the day it was purchased and it has a years warranty, I removed the old board and gave it to the shop so they could rma it and they gave me a new fresh board
The system is going through a virus scan as I type this, Once that is done I am reinstalling Windows
I want to thank you all for your help and input, I just hope none of you guys experience this with your computers

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Format c I'm givin er all she's got cap'in !!! )