PC Boot up problem

[Joruus]

Hiya guys.

Right, I read through the rest of the board first to try to establish what I could do. Here's the deal.

System spec:

Intel P200MMX
bog standard m/noard with the TXpro chipset
32megs of RAM
Diamond Stealth 64 video card
hardd rive

Up until 6 months ago it worked fine, which is when i boxed it up due to an upgrade. Go it back out last week, turned it on and nothing. Here are the is what happens

Keyboard lights flash briefly
CPU and PSU fans come on
HDD ticks over
CD-ROM light comes on.

after a while, the HDD go silent and nothing happens. No video, no proper beep. What i do get though, immediately upon switching on, is a very quiet 'beep'. not the usual start up, just very quiet.

So, i assumed the PC was knackered. Read through here though, and tried some of the tests. Here's what i've tried.

- reduced the components to bare minimum, didnt help
- have felt the CPU, it gets hot
- have tried a different video card, nothing
- have cleaned all connection things and checked all jumpers, all ok
- have removed cmos battery for a few minutes and replaced - no change

anyone got any ideas on what it could be, and how i could test for it please?

cheers in advance

J

[bassvax]

What did they upgrade? What operating system? If that CPU is too hot to touch make arrangements for better cooling. Who did the upgrade? I would have them help you...they should warranty their work. Before you climbed into that case did you discharge yourself of static electricity? Get a hold of a boot disk for your OS and try to boot from it. Does your monitor ever show anything? If so, try booting and then press F8 after the post is done, but priot to Windows Starting message then try to enter Safe Mode. Also, if you cleared the CMOS settings you will have to enter BIOS and check and/or re-enter the proper settings for your HD and other things. If you can get into BIOS check boot sequence to make sure floppy and c: drive are on the list.

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Jerry

[Joruus]

sorry, i updraded to a complete new system, nothing to do with this one.

CPU isnt too hot to touch (it normally has a fan on it - i just took it off to see if power was getting to it)

I did discharge myself

I can't get anythig to boot at all, from floppy, just to the bios or anything. I get a blank screen (white on mine - which I onlyg get if no signal comes though).

am beginning to think its my cpu.

[mjc]

Check and make sure that everything is seated properly, especially the memory. Also the battery may be completely dead, so try replacing it with a fresh one, after six months with no power it may very easily gone. Also does the CPU fan spin (when attached)?

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mjc
To ME or NOT to ME....

[Joruus]

yeah the cpu fan goes.

have also checked everything is seated properly (i've completely rebuilt it now)

im gonna try to get a new battery, but it doesnt take the standard round ones, it's ome kind of block (looks kinda like a lego brick.

i'm gonna have to take it down to my local shop.

cheers guys, will be back if it doesnt work

[Paleo Pete]

That sounds like a Dallas chip. Make sure you get a replacement with the same number. I'm betting it's bad. After replacing it you'll have to reset your BIOS configurations. It won't know what hard drive, floppies, etc are installed any more.

Check the chipset on the motherboard, or in the manual. If it's the Intel 430TX it won't cache more than 64MB memory, so if you decide to upgrade the RAM, don't put in more than 64MB, it will actually slow the machine down. Just ask BB66 http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

White screen on the monitor usually means no signal, either bad video card, bad video card to motherboard connection, or the cable is bad. Try another video card if you can, after you get the battery taken care of.

Don't run it long without a CPU fan. The 200MMX can stand it for a minute or two, but not long.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[Joruus]

cheers mate.

have tried a video card from my new PC in it as well and it doesnt work (although i didnt try the old card in the new pc....why not? DOH!!).

THe monitor works fine with my new PC, with the same cable, so if it is something it would be bad connection like you say.

I'll try this BIOS battery first.

*shakes head in disbelief at how goddamn awkward PC's can be*

I mean, they even go wrong when you dont touch the buggers

[macellarius]

Could they have set the CPU speed wrong in BIOS during the upgrade. Happened to a friend recently. Check your mobo manual to see if there's a way to reset the jumpers manually, this worked for my buddy.

[Randy_tx]

You dont think the "upgrade shop" would have changed out your RAM on you, do you? The things that prevent initial post up are usually: 1. Bad Ram 2. Bad Video card 3. bad cpu 4. bad motherboard 5. Power supply failure.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Randy_tx]

I keep forgetting that the "upgrade" has nothing to do with THIS system http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
Forget previous post!!!

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Joruus]

cheers guys. still not going. I've been looking all over where i live (UK) today, and cannot find a battery anywhere.

Well annoyed, cause if i can get it working for Friday, I can get £200 for it http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

oh well, trying my last contact now.......

[Randy_tx]

Even with a bad battery you should be able to "Post" the system up...you just wont be able to "save" the bios settings....so it's MORE than just a battery problem for sure.......I would start with the video card - can you get your hands on a cheap working vid card? Same with the RAM....?? That would bring you down to cpu or motherboard being the culprit if changing the other two doesnt work and let you know if it's worth fixing or not.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Joruus]

found another system with similar setup

put my cpu in it, worked fine
put my videocard in it, worked fine
put my ram in it, worked fine.

so that leaves me with what i can only determine as a broken motherboard. am trying to see if i can get new one cheap from somewhere. will post here if it solves it, so that anyone else know what to do.

[bassman]

I am having similare problem with an older machine. Lights on keyboard flick, Cdrom light comes on orange then green and nothing else happens. No light on 5 1/4, no light on 3 1/2, no beeps, digital counter on front panel does not move. This system was working fine just slow when it was taken down. It wont boot from a floppy and none of the F keys work.
Anybody have any recomendations/ prefferences on an inexpensive board and chip? It's a toy for my 16 year old so I'm not to worried about the other older parts.
Thanks

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If a book about Failures doesn't sell, is it a success?