Continuous Loop Problem At First, Now Nothing?

DumNDuMMer

I recently got an HP Pavilion P8626A Desktop Computer with Windows XP on it, but it's in non-working condition. At first I would get a blue screen with a repetitive loop that would go on forever until I held the power button down to make the computer turn off. I guess a friend of mine "heard" that by removing the CMOS battery, for a certain amount of time and then putting it back in, would solve the problem but things just seem to have gotten worse. I put the battery back in and now I don't get no blue screen or nothing no image at all. I turn the computer on and it seems to start but then again the Tower light just stays orange, and so does the light for the screen and nothing happens beyond this point, not even the blue screen I would get at the beginning. I would like to see if I can save this PC or if it's too late for that?

Armo

thats interesting, but it seems as though your video adapter might have gone to the grave. do you by chance have a spare PCI video card that you can test in it?

when you power on the machine does it seem "on" other than the lights, by which i mean fans spinnning and CD-ROM drives eject and such?

DumNDuMMer

I turn the machine on and the fans turn on along with the light of the cd drive, and everything seems to be running fine except that I don't get no image, and about the PCI Video card? Unfortunately I don't have one. All the stuff inside seems to be integrated on to the motherboard so I'm left wondering if by getting a video card, if I would be able to get an image? Or then again since everything inside is integrated, I can't?

profdlp

Just removing the CMOS battery will probably not be enough to reset the BIOS. There should be a jumper you need to move (with the battery and power cord both removed). See if your manual tells you which jumper it is (usually it is near the battery itself). Wait ten minutes, move the jumper back to its original position, then reinstall the battery, plug it in, and cross your fingers.

DumNDuMMer

Unfortunately, nothing happened, still in the same spot... I turn the computer on, fan starts running, the same usual noises & sounds but no image yet. Am I able to say now "it's too late to save this PC" or is there any hope?

Slick

Make sure your voltage selector, the little red switch burried on the back of the powersupply is set to 115V or 110V and not any other voltage. Setting it to any other can cause damage to your hardware. I have had it on the other setting and my computer did similar things as yours (long story), but just dont do it!

DumNDuMMer

Slick wrote:

Make sure your voltage selector, the little red switch burried on the back of the powersupply is set to 115V or 110V and not any other voltage. Setting it to any other can cause damage to your hardware. I have had it on the other setting and my computer did similar things as yours (long story), but just dont do it!

Thanks.. but the voltage selector was already taken cared of, set on 115V, turned the machine on like always, and again, no image

Donut

I'm running on the assumption that this is a known working monitor and the cable is good. An old pci video card would go a long way troubleshooting "no display". How clean is the inside of the case? A few dust bunnies can ruin a good day. Is the cpu fan spinning? Are there any "beeps" when it tries to boot?

"Am I able to say now "it's too late to save this PC""?
Alot of this depends on how much you are willing to do to get it running. Mostly what it will take to find the problem is patience, fixing the problem might take a little more.

DumNDuMMer

Donut wrote:

I'm running on the assumption that this is a known working monitor and the cable is good. An old pci video card would go a long way troubleshooting "no display". How clean is the inside of the case? A few dust bunnies can ruin a good day. Is the cpu fan spinning? Are there any "beeps" when it tries to boot?

"Am I able to say now "it's too late to save this PC""?
Alot of this depends on how much you are willing to do to get it running. Mostly what it will take to find the problem is patience, fixing the problem might take a little more.

The monitor I'm using is a Compaq FS740 monitor, from the computer which I am currently using, so obviously the monitor and cables do work. The inside is pretty much clean. The cpu fan spins when I turn the machine on, there are beeps of course when it tries to boot, so for now I'll be patient. What I'm wondering is that since everything inside is integrated onto the motherboard, if I would could buy a video card to use and see if I can get an image?

Donut

Cool, wasn't sure of the monitor/cable situation. As far as the "beeps" different beeps mean different things and are also used for troubleshooting. I'm sorry if i'm making this a little simplistic (sp?) but we also don't know your level of knowledge.

As far as a vid card, It would help. I would try to borrow a pci vid card from somebody, or your working machine if possible. No point in laying out the cash if you don't have to.:)

DumNDuMMer

I already tried and saw that the video card from my working machine wasn't going to fit onto the HP tower, the parts are different. My working machine is a Compaq 5321SR running on XP Home Edition and unlike HP, the Compaq parts are not integrated onto the motherboard which is why it's been good to me so far. And most of the parts that I'm finding don't seem they would fit the HP machine but who knows, I think I'll end up looking for a card to buy if I don't have any other choice.

profdlp

I would imagine that your working video card is AGP and the computer with the problem only has PCI slots (not to be confused with PCI Express).

Are the blank slots in the troublesome machine white in color?

airbornflght

you said beeps.

is it one beep or a sequence of beeps?

if it is a sequence of beeps please write them as they are beeped denoted in long an short beep.

for instance, one beep code might be long, long, short, long.

if im not mistaken long beeps are usually 1/2 to 1 second long and the short beeps are, well, short. they should be easy to distinguishe from one another.

DumNDuMMer

There are 2 white empty slots and 1 black slot in the troublesome machine.

airbornflght

the black one is probably an agp slot if it is an oem proprietary board. but if it is an old board it could be a riser slot.

is the black slot really long or just a little bit longer than the whit slots?

and with the top of the board being closest to the power supply, where is the black slot, closer to the top, or the bottom? (is it on top of the white slots or below them?)

DumNDuMMer

The slots are not aligned but the black slot seems about the same size as the white ones, if not a bit bigger... and about writing down the beep sequence... that would take me a bit since I have to turn this machine off to use this monitor, but I'll be back and check... oh and the black slot is closer to the power supply... on top of the white slots.

DumNDuMMer

Update on the beep things, there are no beeps, the machine just turns on, the fans start spinning like always but other than that... no image, no beeps, no nothing. I'm starting to think I'm gonna end up having to buy a video card, if I can find one, for hp.

Donut

Any pci video card should work, it doesn't have to be HP, or for HP.
All your really looking to do it to try to get some kind of display. You might have luck calling your local computer shops, they might have a working "pull" out of an old machine. Or maybe something like a pc "junkyard" that specializes in used parts. It might be a little low tech. but your local phone book might help you out a bunch.

airbornflght

yeh. i was just trying to determin if the slot was agp, or an old riser slot, i could tell pretty easily if he would tell me if the slot is on the top or bottom of the board, but yeh. if i still had my old card i would just ship it to ya. they are small cheap and light. check your computer shops though, chances are they have quite a few of them and they might even give it to ya and $10 at the most.

DumNDuMMer

Donut wrote:

Any pci video card should work, it doesn't have to be HP, or for HP.
All your really looking to do it to try to get some kind of display. You might have luck calling your local computer shops, they might have a working "pull" out of an old machine. Or maybe something like a pc "junkyard" that specializes in used parts. It might be a little low tech. but your local phone book might help you out a bunch.

I tried the video card from my working machine, I put it in the agp slot and hoped to get an image but I still keep getting the same results, no image. Would another card help or no?

DumNDuMMer

DumNDuMMer wrote:

I tried the video card from my working machine, I put it in the agp slot and hoped to get an image but I still keep getting the same results, no image. Would another card help or no?

Well I went out and bought a new video card, but I STILL didn't get no image. So I don't think it's the video I'm having problems with but more like something bigger (like the motherboard, but that's just me).

sdgcan

DumNDuMMer wrote:

At first I would get a blue screen with a repetitive loop that would go on forever until I held the power button down to make the computer turn off.

Okay so it was at one point booting...although it was in the loop so to speak.

I guess a friend of mine "heard" that by removing the CMOS battery, for a certain amount of time and then putting it back in, would solve the problem but things just seem to have gotten worse. I put the battery back in and now I don't get no blue screen or nothing no image at all. I turn the computer on and it seems to start but then again the Tower light just stays orange, and so does the light for the screen and nothing happens beyond this point, not even the blue screen I would get at the beginning.

You did put the battery back in correctly...ie: + sign facing up ? What else did you do inside the case ? How about static electricity, did you notice any finger tip sparks when you took out the battery ? If all the above checks out I'm thinking maybe the bios has died...I say that because going by what you say your not even getting bios beep codes.

DumNDuMMer

If the BIOS has died, how can "I" replace it?

airbornflght

ok, thats all and well. but i want you to try a pci video card, because i think the agp slot may be burned out.

profdlp

DumNDuMMer wrote:

If the BIOS has died, how can "I" replace it?

A local computer shop may be able to do it for you. Don't let them charge you anywhere near their normal repair rate, though.

Then there's Bad Flash.

sdgcan

DumNDuMMer wrote:

If the BIOS has died, how can "I" replace it?

Looks to me as if that board has a bios chip that can be replaced...but ya know if the bios is dead or maybe even the AGP bus has gone south although I would think that if the AGP is pooched you'd still get a beep code indicating the failure. If it was me I would just toss it in the trash...you can get a comparable or better socket A mother board for like 50-100 bucks...you'd pay 30+ with shipping for a new bios.


In response to the above about the pci vid card...I tend to really think he's had a fatal failure...no bios beep codes of any kind usually spells DEAD something. The Award bios beep code for a video error on that motherboard should be 1 long and 2 short.


edit: You never mentioned if the battery was reinstalled correctly so I take that it is ?

sdgcan

I just checked a machine here with an AWARD bios...no cpu = no beeps

If your CPU was dying that could explain the original loop situation...

Your situation now of no post AND no bios beep code could mean the cpu has totally died...

DumNDuMMer

sdgcan wrote:

You never mentioned if the battery was reinstalled correctly so I take that it is ?

The battery was reinstalled correctly, since it only fits in one way of course so that of course has been taken cared of. Just seems like I got a busted motherboard, with what seems a dead bios, burned agp slot and who knows what else. I think I'll just get a new motherboard; I've been searching around on the HP site and I was wondering if based on the information within this link,
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&lang=en&cc=us&product=83478&dlc=en&docname=bph07585
If any of you could help me find a motherboard for my machine? Again, if you COULD, I would greatly appreciate it, then again it's no obligation as I already have one working machine, so far.. thanks for everything to all.

sdgcan

The battery was reinstalled correctly, since it only fits in one way of course

lol...trust me I've seen a couple come in installed bacwards


If your 100% sure the cpu is good then anything socket A\micro ATX should do the trick, something like this MSI would get you going cheaply.

Click Me

Also one of my kids computers uses an ECS 741GX-M, it's socket A and micro ATX and so far it's been flawless.

Cheers

DumNDuMMer

Thanks for the help!:type: I'm going to go buy the motherboard and then come back right here when it all fails because of the cpu that I don't know if works or not:confused2 I'm sure it does so I'm taking my chances anyhow.

DumNDuMMer

No but wait, will my ram work for this new motherboard? It's that I've been doing some research and I've noticed some people say that most motherboards will only work on parts exclusively for that motherboard, if that's true, wouldn't I have to replace everything else? or can I just go along and buy the motherboard?