Computer won't do anything...(moved)

elf · 03-14-2007, 10:12 AM

I've checked all the cables, everything is connected properly. When I hit the power button, I get nothing at all. No fans spin, no lights, no nothing. My first assumption was that it was the power supply. Am I right in thinking this? I made sure the power cable from the PSU to the Mobo was secure, and that the cable from the power switch to the mobo was also.

Is there anything else that could cause the computer to do absolutely nothing?

**Joefireline** · 03-14-2007, 10:34 AM

I would have thought that would be the power supply, unless it was the cable from the power button, or the switch at the back of the PSU is messed up.
Have you got another PSU that you could try out to check it?
Check the fuse.

dai · 03-14-2007, 10:47 AM

check the button,disconnect the 2 wires from the button from the pins on the m/b then touch the 2 pins with a small screwdriver for a fraction of a sec
and see if it boots
it is easy to get the wires on the wrong pins here so check you are using the right 2 and check the m/b light is glowing showing power to the m/b

elf · 03-14-2007, 11:39 AM

Joe:
Yea the computer is at the clients house, so as soon as I get a chance to head over there I'm going to try a known good PSU. I'll also open it up (I forgot my screwdriver last time I went) and see if the fuse is blown.

dai:
Yea I tried that, and had the exact same results. The thing is, there is no power to the m/b, no lights, no fans, no nothing.

I will keep you guys updated when I figure something out.

alabamaman79 · 03-14-2007, 08:33 PM

Make sure to check the power outlet that the PSU is plugged into as well. Switch the plug to another outlet that you know works just in case.

elf · 03-14-2007, 09:41 PM

Yea I didn't think to check that...the monitor was plugged into the same strip as the pc and it worked, but I didn't try the pc in it.

alabamaman79 · 03-14-2007, 09:50 PM

It could be a bad power strip. It definitely wouldn't be the first.

**Kalim** · 03-15-2007, 01:07 AM

alabamaman79 is right. It could be the same powerstrip as usually always one socket will become defective. I've just fixed a system that wasn't booting, nothing from the start for 4 months. It was the PSU.

But even after replacing that with a known good Seasonic, shorting the pins with a screwdriver on a bench without anything installed but bear minimum didn't do boot (some motherboards seem to have a safety limiter disallowing them to fire-up unless a load plus a certain high wattage is detected, so pins may not work).

Take the motherboard out on a flat benchtop (screws or extra material shorting can occur).
Make sure the standoffs on the motherboard are well placed.
Be grounded against ESD.
Make sure to connect a known good power supply, with no RAM or HDD but processor and HSF.
Use a socket that is live, by testing some other appliance in it to see its still works.
Get all the sound and LED wires correctly connected to the motherboard.
Then fire up to see if it gives flashing LEDs, beeps and sirens (no RAM, HDD). If you can get to that, you know the motherboard or processor is not dead.

Then you can install the RAM and HDD and move on further.

You can smell the PSU to see if its giving signs of blowing. Inspect the motherboard visually around the HSF to look for bulges, leaks or a chemical smell from capacitors. They should be flat with no leaks or bulges if in good condition.

elf · 03-23-2007, 11:02 AM

Well the PSU was definately bad. With a known good PSU installed the fans spun up, the LED lit up, but still no video.

Took everything out of the case, installed it on workbench with just CPU and HSF, but still no beep code or video.

I even tried installing a third party AGP card (vs the onboard graphics) to no avail. Any other ideas? or is it time for a new MoBo?

**Doby** · 03-24-2007, 09:54 PM

Yep time for a new mobo, I would inspect the cpu also for signs of burnt edges or other.

Normally when a board won't beep with the ram or video removed its bad

**Joefireline** · 03-25-2007, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elf

Well the PSU was definately bad. With a known good PSU installed the fans spun up, the LED lit up, but still no video.

Took everything out of the case, installed it on workbench with just CPU and HSF, but still no beep code or video.

I even tried installing a third party AGP card (vs the onboard graphics) to no avail. Any other ideas? or is it time for a new MoBo?

Hey, just a quick thought, the PSU may not have been working, because the fuse had blown, due to the motherboard dieing. Maybe

Tumbleweed36 · 03-25-2007, 04:29 AM

Hi,

Power supply went south and took the motherboard with it if it doesn't beep with the memory out. That would be my best shot at what you are seeing.

**Kalim** · 03-25-2007, 10:49 AM

I would have to agree with what others have said above...

If audio leads are connected properly and without RAM or HDD there are no sirens and beeps, that motherboard is most likely toasted!

BUT if the HS fan spins, it may not be the motherboard but the processor instead. Because the power has to transfer through the motherboard circuitry towards the CPU and HS fan. If it was fried, it wouldn't transfer upto the processor area at all. The fact that LEDs come on and fans spin, means there's life there - although it may be just that your Northbridge is shot.

Try another CPU or try this one in another MB, just to be sure. I've had a ton of weird problems recently and three of them were similar to this. Each time it wasn't anything but the processor.

Its nothing unusual, in fact I just had this happen to me and a work mate using a PC P&C Turbo Cool 1kW (i.e. leaf blower)

It failed to boot suddenly and took out the motherboard with it.

03-14-2007, 10:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
elf Assistant Manager, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Knoxville, TN or Austin, TX depending Posts: 6,126 OS: WinXP Pro SP2 and Slackware 10.1 My System	Computer won't do anything...(moved) I've checked all the cables, everything is connected properly. When I hit the power button, I get nothing at all. No fans spin, no lights, no nothing. My first assumption was that it was the power supply. Am I right in thinking this? I made sure the power cable from the PSU to the Mobo was secure, and that the cable from the power switch to the mobo was also. Is there anything else that could cause the computer to do absolutely nothing? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! I do not subscribe to threads, so if I stop replying, PM me with a link to your thread so I can find it again.

03-14-2007, 10:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,314 OS: XP Pro SP2(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	Re: Computer won't do anything... I would have thought that would be the power supply, unless it was the cable from the power button, or the switch at the back of the PSU is messed up. Have you got another PSU that you could try out to check it? Check the fuse. __________________ - Joseph LAPTOP: Acer Aspire 5512WMLi (Specification) OPTIMIZE XP BEFORE POSTING HJT LOG - POST HJT LOG >>HERE<< If TSF has helped you, please help TSF: Please DONATE

03-14-2007, 10:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 41,798 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: Computer won't do anything... check the button,disconnect the 2 wires from the button from the pins on the m/b then touch the 2 pins with a small screwdriver for a fraction of a sec and see if it boots it is easy to get the wires on the wrong pins here so check you are using the right 2 and check the m/b light is glowing showing power to the m/b __________________

03-14-2007, 11:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
elf Assistant Manager, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Knoxville, TN or Austin, TX depending Posts: 6,126 OS: WinXP Pro SP2 and Slackware 10.1 My System	Re: Computer won't do anything... Joe: Yea the computer is at the clients house, so as soon as I get a chance to head over there I'm going to try a known good PSU. I'll also open it up (I forgot my screwdriver last time I went) and see if the fuse is blown. dai: Yea I tried that, and had the exact same results. The thing is, there is no power to the m/b, no lights, no fans, no nothing. I will keep you guys updated when I figure something out. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! I do not subscribe to threads, so if I stop replying, PM me with a link to your thread so I can find it again.

03-14-2007, 08:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
alabamaman79 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 169 OS: WinXP My System	Re: Computer won't do anything... Make sure to check the power outlet that the PSU is plugged into as well. Switch the plug to another outlet that you know works just in case.

03-14-2007, 09:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
elf Assistant Manager, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Knoxville, TN or Austin, TX depending Posts: 6,126 OS: WinXP Pro SP2 and Slackware 10.1 My System	Re: Computer won't do anything... Yea I didn't think to check that...the monitor was plugged into the same strip as the pc and it worked, but I didn't try the pc in it. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! I do not subscribe to threads, so if I stop replying, PM me with a link to your thread so I can find it again.

03-14-2007, 09:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
alabamaman79 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 169 OS: WinXP My System	Re: Computer won't do anything... It could be a bad power strip. It definitely wouldn't be the first.

03-15-2007, 01:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
Kalim Roaming To Help Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,609 OS: Many	Re: Computer won't do anything... alabamaman79 is right. It could be the same powerstrip as usually always one socket will become defective. I've just fixed a system that wasn't booting, nothing from the start for 4 months. It was the PSU. But even after replacing that with a known good Seasonic, shorting the pins with a screwdriver on a bench without anything installed but bear minimum didn't do boot (some motherboards seem to have a safety limiter disallowing them to fire-up unless a load plus a certain high wattage is detected, so pins may not work). Take the motherboard out on a flat benchtop (screws or extra material shorting can occur). Make sure the standoffs on the motherboard are well placed. Be grounded against ESD. Make sure to connect a known good power supply, with no RAM or HDD but processor and HSF. Use a socket that is live, by testing some other appliance in it to see its still works. Get all the sound and LED wires correctly connected to the motherboard. Then fire up to see if it gives flashing LEDs, beeps and sirens (no RAM, HDD). If you can get to that, you know the motherboard or processor is not dead. Then you can install the RAM and HDD and move on further. You can smell the PSU to see if its giving signs of blowing. Inspect the motherboard visually around the HSF to look for bulges, leaks or a chemical smell from capacitors. They should be flat with no leaks or bulges if in good condition. Last edited by Kalim : 03-15-2007 at 01:08 AM.

03-23-2007, 11:02 AM	#9 (permalink)
elf Assistant Manager, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Knoxville, TN or Austin, TX depending Posts: 6,126 OS: WinXP Pro SP2 and Slackware 10.1 My System	Re: Computer won't do anything... Well the PSU was definately bad. With a known good PSU installed the fans spun up, the LED lit up, but still no video. Took everything out of the case, installed it on workbench with just CPU and HSF, but still no beep code or video. I even tried installing a third party AGP card (vs the onboard graphics) to no avail. Any other ideas? or is it time for a new MoBo? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! I do not subscribe to threads, so if I stop replying, PM me with a link to your thread so I can find it again.

03-24-2007, 09:54 PM	#10 (permalink)
Doby Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central PA (USA) Posts: 7,140 OS: XP sp2/ Vista	Re: Computer won't do anything...(moved) Yep time for a new mobo, I would inspect the cpu also for signs of burnt edges or other. Normally when a board won't beep with the ram or video removed its bad __________________ Would you like to help TSF fight cancer and other diseases??? JOIN TEAM TSF

03-25-2007, 04:29 AM	#12 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 14,094 OS: XP Professional	Re: Computer won't do anything...(moved) Hi, Power supply went south and took the motherboard with it if it doesn't beep with the memory out. That would be my best shot at what you are seeing. __________________ ----------

03-25-2007, 10:49 AM	#13 (permalink)
Kalim Roaming To Help Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,609 OS: Many	Re: Computer won't do anything...(moved) I would have to agree with what others have said above... If audio leads are connected properly and without RAM or HDD there are no sirens and beeps, that motherboard is most likely toasted! BUT if the HS fan spins, it may not be the motherboard but the processor instead. Because the power has to transfer through the motherboard circuitry towards the CPU and HS fan. If it was fried, it wouldn't transfer upto the processor area at all. The fact that LEDs come on and fans spin, means there's life there - although it may be just that your Northbridge is shot. Try another CPU or try this one in another MB, just to be sure. I've had a ton of weird problems recently and three of them were similar to this. Each time it wasn't anything but the processor. Its nothing unusual, in fact I just had this happen to me and a work mate using a PC P&C Turbo Cool 1kW (i.e. leaf blower) It failed to boot suddenly and took out the motherboard with it.