Help please major PC problem

[Topher]

Hi folks,

I have a strange problem that I have never seen before. My friends PC doesn't boot. It turns on, lights come on etc but it does nothing after this. No BIOS screen even. Then it just sits in this state.

I have checked all normal connections etc but it doesn't help.

Specs: Athlon XP2600+, 256Mb DDR 333Mhz, MSI KT4V, Seagate barracuda 120GB HDD.

Thanks

Topher. :sunshine:

[Valkyrie]

Check the jumpers on the hard drive especially if it's got 2 drives.
If its a 1 drive system with a western digital drive, the jumper can be removed completely. Also check the cable. If it can be used to connect 2 hard drives, make sure it's correct. I can't seem to remember the proper configutration but will look it up if you want me to.
Val

[^7_of_9]

Could also indicate a problem with the CPU. Also check the power supply to see if it has gone bad, I had a Power supply go bad before and it would still do the same things as you said but didn't have enough voltage to boot the board completley, it had also killed the motherboard as far as being able to boot up. I RMA'd the board and got a new power supply and things are ok now with it.

[Topher]

It was working half an hour ago too... ????

Topher.

[Fireblade]

Hmmmnn... not good :( Sounds like it'll be a very fast and powerful system tho' - if/when he/she can get it up and running ;)

Do you/he/she have a spare HDD lying around with an OS on it that you could try? This sounds exactly like the problem I had with a brand new 120GB WD JB SE - e.g. everything lit up, but nothing loaded/the system just stalled. Turned out the HDD woz totally kaput :rolleyes: RMA'd, tested, proved faulty, and replaced within two weeks tho', and... luckily... I had another new HDD I could use until the faulty one was replaced :thumbsup:

But it could also be faulty memory? Is the 256MB DDR on one stick, or 2x 128MB? If possible, try some different DDR if you can, coz that'd be a quicker and easier first-check option than removing/re-installing the HDD

You might also wanna try removing all the hardware, and then re-installing it one bit at a time. This should help narrow the field down regarding finding the source ;)

BTW: what graphics card is he/she using (it ain't mentioned in your first post)?

Good luck... and keep us up-to-date ;)

[malcolm]

Try disconnecting everything that isn't needed to get to the bios screen to start with, so disconnect the Hard Disc(s) CDRom etc and remove any cards except for the GFX.

If you still don't get a bios screen are the fans running?

[Topher]

Thanks folks,

I unpluuged the CD and DVD, then it booted but stalled, but I got the chance to choose last known good config, rebooted, plugged in cd & DVD and it's all good again.

It is very fast BTW!!!! I want one!!!

[USS Final Frontier]

A non responding system after power up! No gfx action at all.... No HD spin up or floppy drive activity? I've had this - and its possibly a new CPU :(

Firstly if it can't see ram you'd normally get a beep code from the mobo. IF it was working fine 1/2 hour ago... then stopped with no hardware changes taking place - was it OC'ed?????

IF the HSF was not mounted - spot on - then its a burn out.... Had a 1.2 athlon do EXACTLY that to me.... I rebuilt the dam thing bit by bit, HD, CD etc... just to see nothing make a difference.

^7 was also spot on... if the PSU was under rated for the system or just decided to pop say the 5v line... then it would start up part way and just sit there! :( Gather you were not in and out of the bios with custom configs that could lock it.... have you tried resetting the bios, whilst trying to get it to post?

[USS Final Frontier]

Glad its sorted..... ;) without spending $$'s :D