Computer not booting up

**Twigs** · November 2nd, 2007, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

Right, not thinking, if you have no video, how do you get into bios... duh. Sorry dropped the ball there.

OK, onboard video is exactly that, a video output directly from the motherboard and not from a separate video card. Have you tried plugging the monitor into the onboard video and see what happens?

The motherboard is about 6-7 yrs old. Would it have onboard video. If it does where is it located on the board? Will it look like a male VGA cable end?

**NooNoo** · November 2nd, 2007, 04:27 PM

It will look the same as where you plug the monitor into the ATI card, except it will be directly attached to the motherboard. If you know the model of the motherboard, I can be more specific.

**Twigs** · November 2nd, 2007, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

It will look the same as where you plug the monitor into the ATI card, except it will be directly attached to the motherboard. If you know the model of the motherboard, I can be more specific.

I believe it a SOYO SY-6BA+

**NooNoo** · November 3rd, 2007, 03:17 PM

your motherboard does not have onboard video, so you are left with changing out the video card.

**Twigs** · November 3rd, 2007, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

your motherboard does not have onboard video, so you are left with changing out the video card.

Thanks for this info.
I found a working Stealth 64 Diamond video card from a 95 computer. It fits in the PCI slot. The one I took out fits in the AGP slot. So I'm not sure if this all works or not. But what I did I took out the ATI and put in the Daimond card and hook the computer up to a working montior only. Turn it on and nothing more happen. Still got the green light on and the orange light on for a couple of seconds. I'm thinking of taking the HD out and swaping it out of the 95 computer to see if the HD is really working.
What do you think?

**NooNoo** · November 3rd, 2007, 05:30 PM

OK, just unhook the drive... in fact unhook all the drives and try and start the computer without them.

**Twigs** · November 3rd, 2007, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

OK, just unhook the drive... in fact unhook all the drives and try and start the computer without them.

With the Diamond card installed?

**NooNoo** · November 4th, 2007, 09:09 AM

yes, if you don't install a video card of some description, you will get beeps when you try to boot... which at least tells you that the motherboard is trying!

**Twigs** · November 4th, 2007, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

yes, if you don't install a video card of some description, you will get beeps when you try to boot... which at least tells you that the motherboard is trying!

Will I hear beeps if I don't have speaker hooked to the computer?
Do I need to unhook the two CD drives and the A drive?

**NooNoo** · November 4th, 2007, 01:05 PM

There should be a speaker in the case that is hooked to the motherboard - if not, you won't hear the beeps.

Yes unplug the drives from the motherboard end and remove the power cables.

**aarathi** · November 20th, 2007, 01:39 AM

This was due to BIOS problem.

**Twigs** · November 23rd, 2007, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

Let's talk about the power supply (psu) first.

Just because a psu supplies some electricity to the motherboard for it to apparently start, doesn't mean it's working properly. A psu takes in voltage from your socket in your house - 110, 220 or whatever depending on where you live... it then converts that power into 12v and 5volt outputs with a given amount of amps/watts. If the power supply is failing, it may not output the voltage and watts in a steady reliable stream but may under supply or over supply.

For a non technician, the only way to test this is to replace the psu with a similarly rated new one.

The process on how to tackle taking apart your computer is reasonably simple. You need a bench to work on with power you can turn off. You need a little pot to put the screws in or if you are worried a sheet of paper and sticky tape. You tape the screw to the paper and write next to it where it came from.

First challenge is taking the case apart. If it's a branded computer, it could be a lot of fun figuring out the release mechanisms or getting the right screwdriver end (star/torx) to fit. Standard computer cases of this age were towers, had 4 screws in the back and both sides and top of the case are pulled back slightly then lifted off. Some had the panel on the sides that could be removed separately.

So what have you got ?

Ok I'm leaning toward a new power supply. But I'm not sure what watt to get for this old machine. Will 250 watt be ok? There is no label on the old one.

To update you on what I did today with this saga:

I took out the HD from the 98 computer and put in in a working 95 computer. The computer booted up to a I/O replace disk screen error. I also could see that the name of the HD showed up on the boot up menu.
So would you feel that the Quatum HD is not dead? Also to let you know the Quatum HD had a 1999 date on it. So I'm thinking I might of replaced the HD at one time with this 1999 one.

**NooNoo** · November 23rd, 2007, 12:00 PM

OK, if the quantum hard drive came from the computer that wouldn't boot up and you put that in a working computer and the bios recognised it, then the quantum hard drive is not dead... but it might not be alive either - can you give more details about he "I/O replace disk screen error" please?

As for the psu, if you are talking about the soyo board, yes 250watt should be fine.

**Twigs** · November 23rd, 2007, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by NooNoo

OK, if the quantum hard drive came from the computer that wouldn't boot up and you put that in a working computer and the bios recognised it, then the quantum hard drive is not dead... but it might not be alive either - can you give more details about he "I/O replace disk screen error" please?

As for the psu, if you are talking about the soyo board, yes 250watt should be fine.

Sorry not sure what more detail I could tell you. It booted like a computer usually does by showing bois and checking itself then stops at the message I/O replace disk screen error. then hit any key to continue. Kind of like when you leave a floppy disk in the A drive when you try to boot up.

I was going to get a new power supply to see if that solves the problem.
Talking to other Gurus like you they all seem to think it's the power supply.

**NooNoo** · November 23rd, 2007, 12:35 PM

Right so, although it can't read the drive, it does recognise it. Now it may mean the drive is ok, but just lost the boot files or it may mean the drive is corrupt. You need to put it as a slave to a known good drive and then see if windows can see the drive.