Computer won't boot

[Pyr3]

I was hoping someone could help me with this, I was thinking of posting in the Hardware form, but it's not incompatibilities or... well, it IS a problem.


Anyway.

I took my desktop computer out of the box this afternoon. I had it in the basement for a few days, I just moved out of my apartment. It's a little old (see specs), but hasn't had any problems, aside from the bad stick of ram i bought initially.

So i brought it up, took it out, and plugged it in the wall. I only hooked the power, keyboard, mouse, and video to it. When i pressed the power button, the leds on the ram lit up, shut off, the HDD activity light came on, went off, then nothing. No video, no operating system... no activity whatsoever. I've pulled every card out, reseated them, reseated the processor, tried each stick of ram in every slot, used a very sensitive (three decimal places) to check voltages, i'm running out of ideas.

It worked fine Wednesday when i moved out of the apartment. I'm really in a pinch for money and can't affort to replace any parts - i want to, but i can't. I'm truely a poor college student.

Does anyone have any ideas? Perhaps something i overlooked that could be wrong?



Computer Specs:

480W Thermaltake Power Supply
ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe
Pentium 4 3.00 Ghz Prescott with HT
2x512MB PNY Verto
ATI AIW 9800 Pro
Creative Audigy 2 ZS Pt Pro
NEC 8x DVD+/-R/RW Dual Layer
120 GB Samsung SATA
250 GB Maxtor IDE
80 GB Maxtor IDE

[rattlerviper]

I was hoping someone could help me with this, I was thinking of posting in the Hardware form, but it's not incompatibilities or... well, it IS a problem.


Anyway.

I took my desktop computer out of the box this afternoon. I had it in the basement for a few days, I just moved out of my apartment. It's a little old (see specs), but hasn't had any problems, aside from the bad stick of ram i bought initially.

So i brought it up, took it out, and plugged it in the wall. I only hooked the power, keyboard, mouse, and video to it. When i pressed the power button, the leds on the ram lit up, shut off, the HDD activity light came on, went off, then nothing. No video, no operating system... no activity whatsoever. I've pulled every card out, reseated them, reseated the processor, tried each stick of ram in every slot, used a very sensitive (three decimal places) to check voltages, i'm running out of ideas.

It worked fine Wednesday when i moved out of the apartment. I'm really in a pinch for money and can't affort to replace any parts - i want to, but i can't. I'm truely a poor college student.

Does anyone have any ideas? Perhaps something i overlooked that could be wrong?



Computer Specs:

480W Thermaltake Power Supply
ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe
Pentium 4 3.00 Ghz Prescott with HT
2x512MB PNY Verto
ATI AIW 9800 Pro
Creative Audigy 2 ZS Pt Pro
NEC 8x DVD+/-R/RW Dual Layer
120 GB Samsung SATA
250 GB Maxtor IDE
80 GB Maxtor IDE


Doesn't look too old to me. Do the lights still come on or is it absolutely dead now?

[djsroknrol]

Sound like the PS is going south or bad power switch...

[rattlerviper]

Sound like the PS is going south or bad power switch...

That's why I was questioning. With a ATX power supply you need motherboard, memory and cpu to turn it on. Not sure about how to test the power switch.

[Stew2]

I could be wrong, but I believe the ATX power switch is an "intermittent" switch or a "soft switch" meaning that the switch makes momentary contact and then is open again. I doesn't really stay "on" or closed in operation. So if the lights are coming on at all, even just momentarily I think the switch would be alright. Are the fans running (CPU, power supply) at all? Usually a computer that stops working after being moved has had something come loose, but it sounds like you have already covered reseating everything etc. There wasn't a loose screw in the case or something that could have got behind the motherboard and shorted it out? Highly unlikely I know, just trying to think of something that could have gotten "jostled" in the move. I know its obvious, but have you tried another power outlet? If you are getting juice O.K. and everything else checks out, I would have a closer look at the power supply. The PSU fans should be running even if the computer wont boot. Pretty obvious suggestions I know but it's usually something simple that trips it up. Hopefully you get it sorted out, that is a very nice rig! :D

Regards,
Stew2

[djsroknrol]

I could be wrong, but I believe the ATX power switch is an "intermittent" switch or a "soft switch" meaning that the switch makes momentary contact and then is open again. I doesn't really stay "on" or closed in operation. So if the lights are coming on at all, even just momentarily I think the switch would be alright. Are the fans running (CPU, power supply) at all? Usually a computer that stops working after being moved has had something come loose, but it sounds like you have already covered reseating everything etc. There wasn't a loose screw in the case or something that could have got behind the motherboard and shorted it out? Highly unlikely I know, just trying to think of something that could have gotten "jostled" in the move. I know its obvious, but have you tried another power outlet? If you are getting juice O.K. and everything else checks out, I would have a closer look at the power supply. The PSU fans should be running even if the computer wont boot. Pretty obvious suggestions I know but it's usually something simple that trips it up. Hopefully you get it sorted out, that is a very nice rig! :D

Regards,
Stew2

Yes, you're right in most cases about the switch..

pyr3...check everything on the PS...even the cord...I've had instances where changing the cord made a rig fire up again...as strange as it may seem...

[bikeboy]

And if you have a 4-pin psu plug on the motherboard as well as the normal one, check it's in properly.

[Pyr3]

I could be wrong, but I believe the ATX power switch is an "intermittent" switch or a "soft switch" meaning that the switch makes momentary contact and then is open again. I doesn't really stay "on" or closed in operation. So if the lights are coming on at all, even just momentarily I think the switch would be alright. Are the fans running (CPU, power supply) at all? Usually a computer that stops working after being moved has had something come loose, but it sounds like you have already covered reseating everything etc. There wasn't a loose screw in the case or something that could have got behind the motherboard and shorted it out? Highly unlikely I know, just trying to think of something that could have gotten "jostled" in the move. I know its obvious, but have you tried another power outlet? If you are getting juice O.K. and everything else checks out, I would have a closer look at the power supply. The PSU fans should be running even if the computer wont boot. Pretty obvious suggestions I know but it's usually something simple that trips it up. Hopefully you get it sorted out, that is a very nice rig! :D

Regards,
Stew2

Gir (in his comatose state) thanks you for your compliment.

I've dis/reassembled the whole thing. fully ripped into every last piece. same thing. yest the fans spin. i'm exhausted & frustrated now.

however: ASUS has a three year warranty on the mobo. i'll be asking for a replacement, as the very first one died as well, otb.

thanks for the quick replys. i'll keep you posted on what hapens when i call them tomorrow.

[Pyr3]

So I called ASUS, and during the call totally forgot (but was reminded by the tech) that my computer has a vocal POST reporting method. Spiffy huh? The motherboard said "System failed CPU test." Upon removing the CPU, the motherboard said "No CPU installed."

After trying for a few hours to get Intel on the phone (they have the WORST support - i had to call newegg for a number for intel), I've recieved an RMA for my processor. I hope to have it by next week. I hope that's all that's wrong.

I was happy that both companies treated me as a knowledgeable customer and not with the patronizing sarcasm that I've come to expect from most computer companies. They finally get that "this guy put the computer together himself... he's not grandma." Also they gave me an RMA without unnecessary hassle.


<PLUG> I would like to say that ASUS was very helpful and has arranged an RMA preemptively if it could be the mothboard. They also agreed to cross-ship (with a deposit, of course) to me, even though I'm not a retailer.</PLUG>

The computer that I will be building next year will contain an ASUS board, no question.

Intel? Depends.

<hr>

Also, thanks to everyone that replied. I'm not a scrub when it comes to computers, but sometimes being that close to the problem makes you miss things.

[rattlerviper]

Glad to here it is taken care of. They should have overnighted you the CPU and let you send yours in after the fact though...they could always take a credit card number to bill if you didn't return the broken one. That's what AMD did for me.

[Pyr3]

Glad to here it is taken care of. They should have overnighted you the CPU and let you send yours in after the fact though...they could always take a credit card number to bill if you didn't return the broken one. That's what AMD did for me.

I asked Intel if they would do that. They said only if i was an "Authorized Reseller."

...go pound sand.


I send the CPU out today before pickup, it's two days to Louisville, KY; then two day from Intel. I'm expecting it Monday, Saturday if I'm lucky.

[Pyr3]

What's the worst type of dependency hell?

THE COMPUTER!

Intel wouldn't cross-ship the CPU so it took a little while to get here. After donning nitrile gloves, a static wristband, and a rosary, i opened the shiny NEW cpu, and put it in the motherboard.

"System failed CPU test." Over and over.

I wanted to break things.

I called ASUS and after a conversation with a less than coherent rep from the RMA department, told me that i would be recieving a p4P800-e board, not a p4C800-e. It's a downgrade. But i need it. And it's going to take a while to get here. Did I mention I can't really afford to buy a new mobo right now - nor can i find one?!

*sigh*


I'm hijacking my own thread now:

So the the question now becomes:

How do i non destructively resize my Ext3 parition on this laptop to create a 5 GB partition that i can install windows, not lose my GRUB, so i can still dual boot? I need to natively run some apps, as wine has issues with some programs.

I need to go slip stream a windows CD.

[Pyr3]

Finally got my motherboard back for all you people following this thread (it seems to be turning into more of a blog...)

It didn't work.

ASUS is now replacing the board with the P4P800-E Deluxe. Shipping is on them, etc, etc...

It only needs to work until July, It only needs to work until July, It only needs to work until July...