prolems with picture

[Paul T]

hi my pc is starting up like it should all the conectors are fine but i can't get my picture on the monitor. i used the monitor with my laptop to see if it will work with that witch it does. i also put the graphics card in my dads pc and that works to. now me and my dad (who is the one who made this for me) are completely confused

any one no what may be causing the problem?

[pentachris]

I'll assume this is an AGP card which was working fine until recently, and that you've already tried re-seating the card (because the AGP slot is so far from the edge of the motherboard, they're notorious for "torquing" out).

Perhaps the AGP slot has gone belly-up. Got a PCI video card you could try, or another AGP card?

[Sylvander]

Download a copy of my diagnostic flowcharts from here
www.erniek.eclipse.co.uk/downloads/sylvanderdiags.zip
and print them to leaf through.
Begin on the STARTUP chart.

Do you hear the single short beep that indicates successful completion of the POST?
The video card is enabled immediately after that, so if you don't hear it [you have NO POST and] there won't be any display [even with a perfectly good monitor and video card].

The NO POST chart will tell you what to do in that situation.

[Paul T]

thanks for the help Sylvander but what is the POST? as i have no idea.
it is a AGP slot but i don't see how that can be a problem as the mainboard and PSU is new

P.S. i don't here a beep but a buzz?

[Sylvander]

POST = Power-On Self-Test.
When you first switch on the PC, the BIOS "polls" all the connected hardware to see what's there and then tests it [POST] to see if it's functional.
If all's well the BIOS generates a "beep" on the internal speaker and then enables the video card.
If there's a "fatal error", the BIOS may sound a beep code to tell you the nature of the problem.
If the situation is really bad the BIOS may not run the POST at all, and nothing will be heard.

Any idea what's generating the buzz?
Is it coming from the internal speaker or from some piece of hardware?

[B]A typical and successful startup sequence
1. http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/index.htm
2. Yes: The system power supply is functioning
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/power1.htm
3. Yes: Something is being written to the screen during boot up [This may be only a flashing cursor]
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/video1.htm
4. The video BIOS message is displayed on the screen for a few seconds and then clears from the screen, or more messages display under it
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/vbios1.htm
5. Yes: The system BIOS startup screen is appearing
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/bios1.htm
6. The memory test completes successfully
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/ram1.htm
7. The BIOS accesses the floppy drives and the boot continues
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/seek1.htm
8. The system is able to autodetect IDE devices successfully
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/auto1.htm
9. The system is not Plug and Play compatible, has no Plug and Play devices, or has PnP devices but identifies them properly
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/pnp1.htm
10. Boot sequence is A: before C: (floppy disk first)
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/seqAC.htm
11. The floppy disk makes a noise and the light comes on
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/fd1.htm
12. The floppy disk light goes off and the hard disk light comes on as it starts booting
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/fd1hdd.htm
13. The hard disk boot process will continue here, if you want to follow it.
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/hd1.htm
14. The system continues booting from the hard disk and the message "Starting MS-DOS" or "Starting Windows 95" is displayed
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/hd1os.htm
15. Operating System Loaded From Hard Disk. The system has found a boot sector on the hard disk and is now starting the load of the operating system. The hard disk is working. You have successfully completed the hardware part of the boot process. Any problems encountered after this point should be diagnosed by looking for a more specific problem with a component, or under the section that contains run-time error messages.

[Paul T]

i think the buzz is coming from either and hard drive or the speaker i may find out if i knew were the speaker was.
i'm using the KV8 PRO by ABIT, do you know were to locate it?

[Sylvander]

As the Start Up chart suggests:
To hear the internal speaker working, startup the PC with no RAM in place and you should hear warning beeps. That will tell you not only that the speaker is working, but also where it's located.

You could also try using a wooden rod to conduct sound to your ear. Place one end of the rod on places where it is safe to do so, and the other end to your ear. Use this to locate the sound source.

[Paul T]

started it up with no RAM and had no beeps, the buzz is coming from the PSU when it is swiched on, is there a posibility that it may have some thing to do with the system requirements as that is the only other thing i can think of that can cause this problem

[Sylvander]

You have No Post.

1. You should really test the PSU first, but if you don't feel able to do that, you could miss it out hoping it's ok anyway, or replace it with a known good PSU where specified below.
2. Disconnect all but the power supply, MB, CPU, 1 stick of RAM, video card, monitor, case speaker, and power button, and make sure the power supply's voltage selector switch is set to the correct voltage and the PS connection to the MB is securely seated.
3. Check the CMOS battery for the correct voltage (3V).
4. If that's ok, then make sure the 'Clear CMOS' MB jumper is not in the 'Clear' position.
If the jumper is in the proper position, then turn off the power, disconnect the power cord, and clear CMOS either with the MB jumper or by removing the CMOS battery for at least 30 minutes.
5. If no luck with the above, then place the MB on a piece of cardboard. If there's now a POST/beep/display, then the MB is shorting out when installed in the case. Check for a loose screw, standoff, etc., inside the case, and also remove any standoffs that do not line up with MB holes. If none is found, then remove all MB screws and metal standoffs, and install paper washers (manila folder paper works good for this) between the MB and the screws/standoffs.
6. If there is still no POST with the MB placed on a piece of cardboard, then proceed with the following:

(A) MB Has LED's-
(1)If the MB standby LED does not light up when you turn on the power supply's switch, then check the wall outlet, surge arrestor, and power cord for the correct voltage.
(2) If the voltages are ok for the items in (1) and the MB standby LED still does not light up, then then slightly raise the PS main power connector out of the MB connector a little. If the MB LED lights up, then the connector on either the PS or the MB is bad. If the MB light still does not come on, then the PS or MB is bad. Swap these 2 items out to find which one is bad.
(3) If MB light comes on, but the PS fan, other fans, and other lights do not work when the 'Power On' button is pushed, then make sure the computer case power button's wires are securely connected to the correct MB terminal (POW-ON, Power On, etc.), and that the wires are not shorting out (bare spots). If that's ok, then remove the power button's wires from the terminal, and momentarily short out the MB terminals with a screwdriver. If the fans and lights now work, then the 'Power On' button assembly is bad.
(4) If the fans connected to the MB and all other lights do not work when either the 'Power On' button is pushed or the MB 'Power On' terminals are shorted, then the MB or PS is bad. Swap them out.
(5) If all the fans and lights work when the 'Power On' button is pushed but there's still no POST beep, then test the following PS leads on the back of its MB connector making sure the connector is installed on the MB and system is powered up with the 'Power On' button:
yellow wire and a black wire- +12V
red " " " " - +5V
orange " " " " - +3.3V
If these voltages are not up to spec, then the PS is bad.
If you do not have a voltmeter, then try a different PS.
(6) If the PS voltages are ok, or there's no POST/display with a different PS, then either the MB, CPU, memory, or video card may be bad. Make sure the correct memory type is being used, remove and reinsert the memory a few times making sure it's firmly seated, install the memory in different slots (some MB's require that their memory slots be populated starting with slot 4 and not slot 1), and make sure the video card is firmly seated (some video cards need an extra firm push to seat properly). If still no POST/display, then swap out the MB, CPU, memory, and video card to find out which one is defective.

(B) MB Has No LED's-
(1) If the PS fan, other fans, and lights do not work when the 'Power On' button is pressed, then check the wall outlet, surge arrestor, and power cord for the correct voltage.
(2) If the voltages are ok for the items in (1), then slightly raise the PS main power connector out of the MB connector a little. If fans and lights work, then the connector on either the PS or the MB is bad, or either the PS or MB is bad.
(3) If the fans and lights still do not work in (2) when the 'Power On' button is pushed, then make sure the power button's wires are securely connected to the correct MB terminal (POW-ON, Power On, etc.), and that the wires are not shorting out (bare spots). If that's ok, then remove the power button's wires from the terminal, and
momentarily short out the MB terminals with a screwdriver. If the fans and lights now work, then the 'Power On' button assembly is bad.
(4) If the fans and lights do not work when either the 'Power On' button is pushed or the MB 'Power On' terminals are shorted, then the MB or PS is bad. Swap them out.
(5) If all fans and lights work when the 'Power On' button is pushed but there's no display, then test the following PS leads on the back of its MB connector making sure the connector is installed on the MB and system is powered up with the 'Power On' button:
yellow wire and a black wire- +12V
red " " " " - +5V
orange " " " " - +3.3V
If these voltages are not up to spec, then the PS is bad.

(6) If the PS voltages are ok and there's no display, then either the MB, CPU, memory, or video card may be bad. Make sure the correct memory type is being used, remove and reinsert the memory a few times making sure it's firmly seated, install the memory in different slots (some MB's require that their memory slots be populated starting with slot 4 and not slot 1), and make sure the video card is firmly seated (some video cards need an extra firm push to seat properly). If still no display, then swap out the MB, CPU, memory, and video card to find out which one is defective.

The above is my slightly altered version of a contribution by Ski.

[Paul T]

i checked the box and instructions of both the MB and the graphics card and found myself looking at the CPU the card will work with, i then looked at my CPU of which didn't show up on the list, is it posible this can cause a problem :confused:

[Sylvander]

Not something I know anything about. :(
I'd be surprised if a perfectly good graphics card refused to work with a perfectly good CPU. Especially if both were made at about the same year.
Perhaps they need to be reasonably compatible in performance?

But I'm inclined to think that only a serious hardware fault [or a badly misconfigured BIOS] will cause a failure to POST.
I wonder...
What would happen if the BIOS was configured in such a way that there was no way the hardware you connected could work? [Just thinking out loud.]
You'd need to connect hardware that WOULD work; go into the BIOS setup; re-configure to suit your intended hardware; shut down; remove the substitute hardware; install the intended hardware; start the PC.

Is there any possibility [that you know of] that the connected hardware won't work with the BIOS settings on that board?
[Just speculation.]

A short while back I found that this PC wouldn't POST if the single RAM stick was not in the first memory slot on the board.
The same happened if I used an incompatible stick of RAM in the first slot.
[The RAM SHOULD have been compatible; don't know why it wasn't. The shop said perhaps it needed double-sided SDRAM like the existing stick.]

[Paul T]

when i go it running before i whecked it i got to the BIOS and changed it some what. i had to replace the MB, CPU and PSU is it posible that those settings are on the HD, if so how do i blank it to get it working (the graphics card had to be set to defult to get it to work on my dads pc).

is it posible that the HD is not working and that can be making probs :confused:

P.S. the window is starting to look like a good holiday for this pc

[Sylvander]

"when i go it running before i whecked it i got to the BIOS and changed it some what"
AHA! :)
A light shines in the darkness.
Did it stop working immediately after you made those changes in the BIOS Setup?

"i had to replace the MB, CPU and PSU"
Was this because after making the changes in the BIOS Setup the PC would no longer boot? And even with the new hardware it still wont boot? Did you also make changes in the BIOS Setup on the new motherboard?

"is it posible that those settings are on the HD"
No, they're held in the CMOS memory on the motherboard. There is probably a jumper on the motherboard, to reset the settings held in the CMOS back to the defaults. If there isn't [or you cannot find it, you should remove [for some hours or overnight] the small battery on the motherboard that keeps the settings "alive". This will also have the effect of resetting the BIOS's configuration defaults.

"is it posible that the HD is not working and that can be making probs"
The HDD shouldn't be considered until you have successful POST. The system attempts to boot from the HDD in step 12 above, which is late in the startup sequence. We're still trying to get to step 3!

"the window is starting to look like a good holiday for this pc"
Nil desperandum!
When things look impossible, usually a solution is just within reach but unseen. Like a blind person fumbling around looking for something that is within his grasp. The solution is there; you only need to connect with it.

[Paul T]

first, it did stop working alfter i changed the settings
second, that is the reason i replaced those parts
third, i haven even got to the BIOS as this problem has got in the way and its why i'm in a bad mood, as it was at my dads for over 4 months and it still isnt working right :mad: :mad: :mad:

AHHHHH!! i feel better now :D

P.S. thanks for trying to help with this problem :D

[Sylvander]

I hope you still have the previous hardware [MB, CPU, PSU], and that you reset the bios on that MB. You might decide to use that hardware instead of the new stuff.

Did you do anything with the new hardware that might explain this failure to POST? Or did it just happen suddenly? What were the circumstances?

Are you going to try a bare-bones boot?
First you might try connecting the new MB to the old PSU to see if that has any effect.

[Paul T]

unfortunatly i had to bin them parts as a red slidey thing was moved and sent to much power through and blew them up, will this be a problem? :(
to be clear i'm not allowed to make any changes without my dad letting me do so :mad:

P.S. what do you mean by bare-bone boot?
i do apolagize for the stupid quesions as im still learning the basics of pc building but then i am only 15 so i think i have a excuse!

[Sylvander]

A "bare-bones boot" is where you strip the connected hardware down to the minimum [PSU,MB,CPU,heatsink,fan,1 stick of RAM,video card,monitor, internal speaker, power button].
You can even remove the motherboard from the case and place it on a non-conducting surface, which eliminates any possible shorting of the MB circuitry to the case.
You should only do what you feel able and ready to do with an acceptable level of confidence [a good general rule in life].

[Paul T]

i only have 2 extra fans and external speakers and i've disconected them but it doesn't work... i'm going to phone a pc shop i know to see if they can find the problem

[Sylvander]

I wonder if you misunderstood?
Bare-bones means removing unnecessary hardware like:
unplugging PCI cards; disconnect mouse, keyboard, printer, USB peripherals.
The fans and internal speaker are necessary items.
If you have doubts, then going to someone experienced [like a shop] is wise.
Although, when I advised my son to have some work on his hardware done by a shop they made a mess of it and broke his motherboard! :(

[Paul T]

ahhhh!!! i see what you mean now!! I'll try that then
its a shame that someone broke the motherboard. but my mum knows a place that is very helpful as she had a virus on her pc and it whecked the hard drive but they replaced it for her as she don't like opening it up. i'm trying to get her to upgrade it

[Sylvander]

"she had a virus on her pc and it whecked the hard drive but they replaced it for her"
They put in a new HDD because she had a virus!? :confused:
A HDD isn't ruined if it has a virus. At worst all that needs to be done is to zero-fill it, and re-partition and re-format it. Virus gone!
Then it has to have all the software re-stored or re-installed.
Restoring a [clean] backup [if you have one] is quick and easy; re-installing takes a lot of time and effort.
I hope they didn't do some simple job, then tell her it was an expensive fix.
To avoid being ripped off, you need to know what needs done and why so you can check what they're doing is reasonable in the circumstances.

[Paul T]

i found the problem
(i know this thred is old)

the cpu socket on the mb was damaged