[Aeiri]

Strange problem, not booting

Right after I built my computer, I got a BIOS screen and everything looked fine. I went to bed and got up the next morning, put the Sound Card in, and got a Biostar logo and it froze there... I restarted, and ever since I haven't been able to boot, at all. No display, no boot beep. The fans spin, the CDRW ejects, but it doesn't boot. I brought it over to a friend's house, and then, during the trip, the Power Supply blew, because it was hissing and fans didn't spin. I bought a new one, and the power is working fine now, but it STILL doesn't boot...

I tried 2 different monitors, and 2 different graphics cards, nothing.

Specs:
Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton"
Biostar M7NCD PRO - nforce2
350W Antec SmartPower Power Supply
512 DDR RAM (1x512)
GeForce2 MX 440 (I know it sucks...)
80 Gig Maxtor HD
52X CDRW
Floppy

PLEASE HELP!!

Edit: Well... I unplugged the monitor from my new computer, and plugged back into my brother's computer, and his now has the exact same problems as mine does. I tried readjusting the graphics card, but it's still not working.

I think I'm cursed... This is the last computer in the house and if I magically disappear, you'll know why, it's because I touched it.

 

[Aeiri]

*Bump*

I need help...

 

[Guest]

and then, during the trip, the Power Supply blew

Can you explain this further?

Have you tried another monitor on your brothers computer to see if it works.

When the power supply went kaput it could have done some damage to the motherboard which in turn could have damaged your monitor.

And welcome to TSF Aeiri...............

 

[Aeiri]

Can you explain this further?

Have you tried another monitor on your brothers computer to see if it works.

His computer isn't even BOOTING... so that wouldn't be it, I'm desperate for answers so I tried anyway and it didn't work...

When the power supply went kaput it could have done some damage to the motherboard which in turn could have damaged your monitor.

My computer wasn't working... so I was just sitting there trying to figure it out, and then went over to my friend's house (which is 3 blocks away) via car, and when I arrived, we plugged it in, plugged a monitor in, and keyboard, and turn it on. The processor fan wasn't spinning and the Power Supply was making a really high pitched hissing sound. I went and got a new one, and put it in. Afterwards, it was exactly the same as it was BEFORE the Power Supply blew, so, I don't think it was that the Power Supply damaged the mobo, but something else, like something that could have been damaged during building, or some cord that I didn't think to plug in.

The weird thing is that my brother's computer was working 100% perfectly beforehand, I took his monitor plug out of the back, put it in mine, and turned on the computer, unplugged it, and put it back in my brother's computer (I had been doing this like 20 times earlier, and it was still working fine afterwards, because I was listening to music and trying to figure out the problem online at the time...). Now, my brother's computer doesn't have screws on AGP/PCI slots... he lost them a long time ago and never bothered buying new ones. I kinda jiggled the graphics card out of the AGP slot after plugging it in, because this happens ALL the time, just doesn't give any display after jigging it out then back in, resetting has always fixed the problem, until now. I reset the computer, and it hasn't booted since.

And welcome to TSF Aeiri...............

I have noticed, when searching, that you use the exact same thing to greet people EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! You should bind that to a hotkey or something...


I hope this information helps, after looking it over, I realized I typed a LOT.... oops...

 

[Guest]

I have noticed, when searching, that you use the exact same thing to greet people EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! You should bind that to a hotkey or something...

No actually I do change it on occasion. But look at it this way! At least I do greet people..............:winkgrin:

 

[clintfan]

The processor fan wasn't spinning and the Power Supply was making a really high pitched hissing sound. I went and got a new one, and put it in. Afterwards, it was exactly the same as it was BEFORE the Power Supply blew, so, I don't think it was that the Power Supply damaged the mobo...

I agree with Speedo that your "hissing" power supply could have damaged your mobo, at least maybe blow a fuse on the mobo. Not being sarcastic here, but the sequence he's probably thinking is...

1. Attach bad supply to good mobo, turn on.
2. ZZZZZAAAPP!! Bad supply damages mobo.
3. Repeat the zapping 20 times while trying to debug.
3. Replace bad supply with good supply, turn on.
4. The earlier damage prevents mobo from working.

Just yesterday I learned my own mobo has at least some fuses, but I don't know how many or which circuits are typically protected. Their primary purpose is to protect the $500+ mobo/CPU from the damage a bad $50 switching power supply can cause. Not being user-replaceable, they're not something the mfg. typically points out on the diagrams, so you'd need to poke around to find them to test them, if they're there.

...and ever since I haven't been able to boot, at all. No display, no boot beep. The fans spin, the CDRW ejects, but it doesn't boot.

Sounds like your supply is OK now, at least the non-ATX- connector part of it, since fans turn and the other devices light up. No beeps is common, a lot of mobos don't beep anymore, at least not audibly. I'm thinking your monitor is probably OK too, because they are pretty indestructible unless you drop them.

You mentioned maybe forgetting to hook something up. I doubt this next idea is it, since you earlier got a Biostar logo onscreen, but some mobo's do watch for your fans to be turning: if they dont see rotation signals coming from the fan, they won't turn on. So you have to actually connect fans to the fan connectors on the mobo, otherwise you won't have the signals. I'm not talking about fans that have the same kind of connector as you plug into --or between-- a HDD or CD; those won't supply any rotation signals to your mobo. No, the fans must be 3-wire fans, with a rotation signal wire on the end opposite the end with the black ground wire, power on the center wire, of a little 3-pin connector. Or maybe you could have a bad fan that's not putting out its rotation signal. As I said, this idea is pretty far-fetched.

my brother's computer doesn't have screws on AGP/PCI slots... he lost them a long time ago and never bothered buying new ones. I kinda jiggled the graphics card out of the AGP slot after plugging it in, because this happens ALL the time, just doesn't give any display after jigging it out then back in, resetting has always fixed the problem, until now. I reset the computer, and it hasn't booted since.

Well I think if your brother's AGP card was partway un-inserted when the power was applied, your brother's own PC could have damaged his video card, or perhaps the Northbridge-equivalent chip on his mobo if his AGP runs through that chip. He might just have been lucky it didn't blow the other times the card popped out, it depends on which pins are uninserted. Always screw down the add-on boards.



Just so you don't feel too bad, this screw thing in your brother's PC, was avoidable. That his PC broke while you were debugging yours, is just a coincidence, one that could have even happened any time he reconnected his monitor himself.

Try giving your video card to your brother as a peace offering and maybe it will get him going again, or at least will help narrow his problem down. Or if his Northbridge AGP is blown, a PCI-based video card might still work in his PC. Compared to the cost of a few screws, even both solutions are painful, even if they work.

The bad power supply in your PC was not avoidable, not something you could have predicted before turning it on. Other than checking fuses for continuity, I'd either send the mobo back for repair or take the whole rig into a shop.

-clintfan

 

[clintfan]

One other idea for your mobo, I got this quote from the back of your manual. If maybe your BIOS thinks it's not in-spec, the INSERT key thing might be something else to try...

"Any over-clocking that reaches the threshold settings, the Watchdog Technology will disable your system from rebooting in the BIOS setting. Under this circumstance, please power off your PC. After that, press <Insert> and power on your system simultaneously to restart your system. This user-friendly design can save you from squandering your time on opening the case just to clear the CMOS."

-clintfan

 

[Aeiri]

THANKS MUCH!

I tried the graphics card in my brother's computer and it worked fine, and it's HIS now... lol.

I'm just going to return the motherboard and get a replacement (same mobo though), and just save my money up, since I'm officially broke after this, for a decent graphics card... I'm thinking GFFX5200 (well, I said DECENT, not top of the line, I would get a GF4TI, since those are really better than the first GFFX's, but they are DOUBLE the price :/).

THANK YOU TSF, YOU GUYS RULE.

The next time I have another problem, I'm coming here. Expect to see me here tomorrow at noon

 

[clintfan]

Thanks for the update, that is really good news about bro's PC! Now you can stop worrying and get on with saving for that new Antec True480 supply. Later....

-clintfan