starts, but doesn't even reach the beep!!

theeloved1theeloved1
edited April 2005 in Hardware
My grandma's cpu/mobo fried so I got her a new one. When I got it all hooked up, I ran into a problem with a conflict with the USB that would randomly make the computer shutdown. I couldn't get it figured out after too many hours so I brought the pc home with me.

Now here's the real problem....

Brought the pc home and didn't touch it for a couple days because I was busy. Today, I push the button to fire it up and work on it, and it doesn't load up. When I push the power button...everything fires right up like it normally would and you can hear the HD get the original "power surge" sound and all the fans kick in, but thats all the farther it gets. After the initial "surge" sound that the HD makes, it never makes that next "clicking and loading" sound in the HD and it doesn't get far enough to beep. The monitor doesn't get a signal from the pc...it just flashes green/amber light back and forth.

I've swapped piece by piece, everything that I can from my computer to hers and her computer to mine. This includes everything except CPU and RAM as we have different types of these 2 components. At first I thought for some reason the power supply went bad, but it fires my computer right up. Put my PS on her computer and hers still won't load. Etc, etc, etc...I've done that with Vid cards, hard drives, everything except CPU and RAM. And each time, her pieces work in my computer, and my pieces don't work in her computer.

All these components did work together after I got the new mobo/cpu, it was just an IRQ conflict with usb that I was having problems with before...

Anyone ever have this problem before? The cpu is brand new so I doubt thats the problem, and I don't know what could have happened to effect the RAM...

All I know is this is seriously pissing me off and I've spent 3 hours swapping parts and getting irritated just trying to fix this problem so I can get back to working on the original problem at hand.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

Comments

  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited April 2005
    I hate problems like that, always frustrating :shakehead

    I would start with a cmos clear. You can accomplish this by either removing the cmos battery from the motherboard for a few moments, or by shorting the 'clear RTC/clear cmos jumper' on the mainboard. Your mainboard's owners manual should have detailed steps.

    Since there is no post code, I would believe the problem lies in the mainboard, not the CPU.

    Good luck! :thumbsup: Let us know if that solves the problem..
  • theeloved1theeloved1
    edited April 2005
    Didn't work...next?

    :(
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited April 2005
    Try a diffrent psu, then cpu, then motherboard board then ram
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited April 2005
    If everything works in yours and nothing works in her's then the issue is the MOBO. It may have started with a USB issue but that seems to have grown into another problem. RMA that MOBO and try another one. If everything works on yours, chances are that it will work on a new one.

    Or of course, you can keep running in circles getting more and more frustrated, the choice is yours.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2005
    Before you give up completely, try taking everything out of the case, set the MB on a non-conductive surface, then try it with Ram, (one stick only) CPU (& Heatsink), and the Video Card. Make sure the Heatsink is seated properly and that the HSF is plugged into the proper port.

    If that gets you as far as the bios, shutdown, attached the floppy drive, then run MemTest86 for at least one full pass. If the memory passes, shutdown and add the other components in one at a time.

    If you can get the whole rig going outside the case, check all the standoffs for the MB. Once you're sure they're in the right place, try putting everything back in and cross your fingers. :)
  • theeloved1theeloved1
    edited April 2005
    Justin wrote:
    If everything works in yours and nothing works in her's then the issue is the MOBO. It may have started with a USB issue but that seems to have grown into another problem. RMA that MOBO and try another one. If everything works on yours, chances are that it will work on a new one.

    Or of course, you can keep running in circles getting more and more frustrated, the choice is yours.

    Everything that I can switch works...I can't switch the cpu or the ram as I have different styles in my pc...thats why I didn't just assume it was the motherboard.
  • CammanCamman NEW! England Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    profdlp wrote:
    If you can get the whole rig going outside the case, check all the standoffs for the MB. Once you're sure they're in the right place, try putting everything back in and cross your fingers. :)

    It may sound funny, but I've solved lots of problems this way. When there is something that I just couldn't figure out what was going wrong and I've exhausted the most 'reasonable' reaons, I'll tear down the machine, clean out all the dust from the case and motherboard with some compressed air, clean off and re-paste the heatsink and rebuild the machine again and so far this method has worked several times.

    May sound a bit simple, but, it ensures any loose cables, pieces of dirt or dust that might be causing a weird problem or improperly seated HSF issues are taken care of and gives your comp a good cleaning in the process.
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