StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Wake up this morning, PC dead.

Situation seems to be power related as initially, starting up the PC would get fans spinning then shut down.
I tried disconnecting all the IDE drives, this brought me once all the way to windows, where it got stuck loading my user and shut down. Now it just hangs around trying to boot, getting stuck and no error messages.


Help?

Check and make sure that both the 12v power rail and the power main are firmly into the mobo.

Both firm.

It boots, display CPU name, does the mem test(which it gives OK) and then...nothing.

I had a similar problem that turned out to be the PSU, but if it's actually getting to the memtest... I'd still check the power supply first.

Ace Pace wrote:Wake up this morning, PC dead.

Situation seems to be power related as initially, starting up the PC would get fans spinning then shut down.
I tried disconnecting all the IDE drives, this brought me once all the way to windows, where it got stuck loading my user and shut down. Now it just hangs around trying to boot, getting stuck and no error messages.


Help?

By "trying to boot, getting stuck" I'm assuming that you mean its trying to load Windows and failing, correct?

If so try to run some form of bootable CD and see what happens.

Also try the usual like looking for leaking capacitors, etc.

atg wrote:
By "trying to boot, getting stuck" I'm assuming that you mean its trying to load Windows and failing, correct?

If so try to run some form of bootable CD and see what happens.

Also try the usual like looking for leaking capacitors, etc.

No, trying to pass all the POST tests, read my second post.

It boots, display CPU name, does the mem test(which it gives OK) and then...nothing.

My machine did the same around the end of October ... Given some previous incidents I assumed that the boot sector of the hard drive got whacked somehow ... A new drive solved that. I can still use the old one as storing disk, but there's no way the computer would boot from it.

The symptoms you described were exactly the same as I experienced.

Comosicus wrote:My machine did the same around the end of October ... Given some previous incidents I assumed that the boot sector of the hard drive got whacked somehow ... A new drive solved that. I can still use the old one as storing disk, but there's no way the computer would boot from it.

The symptoms you described were exactly the same as I experienced.

I'm going to say no, since I'm not even reaching a boot from HD phase. Atleast it dosn't seem likely. I'm going to try taking out both HDs and seeing what happens.

EDIT: Nope, not it.

Perhaps your BIOS is corrupt somehow? Tried plugging the hdd into another machine to boot from that?

General Zod wrote:Perhaps your BIOS is corrupt somehow? Tried plugging the hdd into another machine to boot from that?

CMOS reset, no help. Thanks for idea. Of course, these are the new machines. Meaning I now stare into a 'nice boot image' instead of seeing crap.

This sound like a dead motherboard. Do you see any damaged caps? If not, pull the mobo out, check the back for any kind of residue, such as something from a short or blown/damaged sodder point.

Ace Pace wrote:

General Zod wrote:Perhaps your BIOS is corrupt somehow? Tried plugging the hdd into another machine to boot from that?

CMOS reset, no help. Thanks for idea. Of course, these are the new machines. Meaning I now stare into a 'nice boot image' instead of seeing crap.

Don't suppose you've tried switching out the fans? Maybe it's something as simple as the pc detecting they're not working properly and shutting down so that it doesn't overheat?

Arrow wrote:This sound like a dead motherboard. Do you see any damaged caps? If not, pull the mobo out, check the back for any kind of residue, such as something from a short or blown/damaged sodder point.

Alright, I'll do that tommorow when I get home, the rate this day is going not a day for trying stuff.

Assumming dead mobo, is it also likely PSU got hit?

Ace Pace wrote:

Arrow wrote:This sound like a dead motherboard. Do you see any damaged caps? If not, pull the mobo out, check the back for any kind of residue, such as something from a short or blown/damaged sodder point.

Alright, I'll do that tommorow when I get home, the rate this day is going not a day for trying stuff.

Assumming dead mobo, is it also likely PSU got hit?

Unless there was a power surge last night, I'd say your PSU is probably still good. When my DFI blew a sodder point, my PSU was fine, and only the board was dead.

Edit: Just to eliminate the PSU, have you tried your old PSU with the new board? Even if the old machine's PSU is 20 pin and your new machine's mobo is 24 pin, it should still get you through POST.

Arrow wrote:
Unless there was a power surge last night, I'd say your PSU is probably still good. When my DFI blew a sodder point, my PSU was fine, and only the board was dead.

Edit: Just to eliminate the PSU, have you tried your old PSU with the new board? Even if the old machine's PSU is 20 pin and your new machine's mobo is 24 pin, it should still get you through POST.

I'll try that. Of course, I'd prefer not losing acess to the internet meanwhile(I am posting from the old PSU ).
All tommorow, this day isn't good.

On that note, how the hell would the mobo die from that? I'm not to clear on mobo capaciator death.

Ace Pace wrote:

Arrow wrote:
Unless there was a power surge last night, I'd say your PSU is probably still good. When my DFI blew a sodder point, my PSU was fine, and only the board was dead.

Edit: Just to eliminate the PSU, have you tried your old PSU with the new board? Even if the old machine's PSU is 20 pin and your new machine's mobo is 24 pin, it should still get you through POST.

I'll try that. Of course, I'd prefer not losing acess to the internet meanwhile(I am posting from the old PSU ).
All tommorow, this day isn't good.

On that note, how the hell would the mobo die from that? I'm not to clear on mobo capaciator death.

If a capacitor gets blown, it means the traces on the board are going to be broken and not functioning properly, so the data won't get to where it needs to. I had something similar happen to an old Compaq laptop I used to own. It wouldn't boot up unless I fiddled with the capacitor, which wasn't seated properly and suffering from a bad solder.

General Zod wrote:If a capacitor gets blown, it means the traces on the board are going to be broken and not functioning properly, so the data won't get to where it needs to. I had something similar happen to an old Compaq laptop I used to own. It wouldn't boot up unless I fiddled with the capacitor, which wasn't seated properly and suffering from a bad solder.

Usually its not so much that traces are damaged (aside from the capacitor's, depending on how it blows), but rather the lack of power causes chips to not function properly. Same result as Zod's more specific case, though: You're fucked.