Computer froze, now won't boot... no POST, nothing
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Computer froze, now won't boot... no POST, nothing
Was shutting down my Linux system yesterday and it froze. Not a huge problem as I was powering down anyway, so I pressed the off button. The one on the front of the case didn't work so I used the master power switch on the PSU.
Turning the computer on again everything sounds normal. PSU and CPU fans start OK. Motherboard has 2 LEDs that both come on (one when there is power, the other when the on switch is pressed). Hard disks etc. spin up.
However, I get no signal to the monitor and the PS/2 keyboard doesn't seem to be responding. I get no BIOS beeps to tell me anything at all.
Anything else I could try?
Computer is an Athlon 3200 with 1Gb of RAM and an unbranded motherboard.
Turning the computer on again everything sounds normal. PSU and CPU fans start OK. Motherboard has 2 LEDs that both come on (one when there is power, the other when the on switch is pressed). Hard disks etc. spin up.
However, I get no signal to the monitor and the PS/2 keyboard doesn't seem to be responding. I get no BIOS beeps to tell me anything at all.
Anything else I could try?
Computer is an Athlon 3200 with 1Gb of RAM and an unbranded motherboard.
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If I couldn't even get to the Post screen, and much less the os, then I would probably try resetting the motherboard jumpers or taking out & putting back in the battery to try and reset the bios/cmos. Then at least I would be able to get to the Bios screen & go from there. Dunno too much about Linux though
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I don't think it a Linux problem as I've tried changing the HDD for one with XP loaded on it. I'll try removing the battery/resetting the jumpers etc.
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Make sure the motherboard is free of any debris, and that everything is seated properly. If they are, and you need to be sure about that, and it still doesn't BEEP then replace the PSU and see what happens. If that doesn't work then the smart money would be on a fried CPU.
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If you've swapped out the HDD then it must be either mobo or cpu problem. If it fires up so that you can hear the fans going then I doubt it's a psu issue. If you've made any recent hardware changes, then undo them.
Also, it may pay you to strip the mobo of it's add in cards one at a time - for example, faulty ram will prevent a boot up, but I'm thinking graphics/sound/tv/modem cards etc. Removing them one by one and trying to boot the system may indicate a fault in the card, although in all honesty that is unlikely to be your trouble. Still, doesn't hurt to try these things.
Also, it may pay you to strip the mobo of it's add in cards one at a time - for example, faulty ram will prevent a boot up, but I'm thinking graphics/sound/tv/modem cards etc. Removing them one by one and trying to boot the system may indicate a fault in the card, although in all honesty that is unlikely to be your trouble. Still, doesn't hurt to try these things.
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Had a similar problem not too long ago - fans on PSU came up to cruise speed - disk activity light blinked a few times ... But no video or keyboard!
Turned out that the small fan mouted over the video chip and the Northbridge chipset on the mobo had quit - followed shortly after by the chips it was supposed to be cooling ... Had to scrap entire system as replacement mobo no longer available for that particular Athlon chip ...
Check whether you have such a fan (mounted more or less in middle of mobo) - and then check whether it is actually spinning.
Turned out that the small fan mouted over the video chip and the Northbridge chipset on the mobo had quit - followed shortly after by the chips it was supposed to be cooling ... Had to scrap entire system as replacement mobo no longer available for that particular Athlon chip ...
Check whether you have such a fan (mounted more or less in middle of mobo) - and then check whether it is actually spinning.
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I've had a few systems where the mobo was smart enough to kill the system if one or more fans weren't spinning - found that out by forgetting to plug a fan in after an upgrade. Worth a check.
Check your Motherboard for any capacitors that are bulged, burst or leaking liquids. I had the same thing happen to me, and it was just one tiny capacitor called it quits.
The only solution then is a new motherboard.
By the sounds of your machine it is a few years old, and from reading an article, which I can't find at the moment, there was a problem with Motherboard capacitors between 2000 and 2004, where capacitors were made cheap without the correct recipe for the goo inside of them, and after a number of start ups and shut downs they would burst or bulge, effectively killing the computer...
The only solution then is a new motherboard.
By the sounds of your machine it is a few years old, and from reading an article, which I can't find at the moment, there was a problem with Motherboard capacitors between 2000 and 2004, where capacitors were made cheap without the correct recipe for the goo inside of them, and after a number of start ups and shut downs they would burst or bulge, effectively killing the computer...
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Even if there aren't any burst capacitors, my money's on a knackered motherboard. Had a similar problem myself fairly recently - nothing on the screen, not POSTing or anything and it was the motherboard. Annoyingly, the only way you can check is by eliminating everything else first by taking it all out, and then when it still doesn't work by buying a new motherboard.
More bang for your buck
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This is going to sound stupid but I had the same thing after my wife brought an all in one printer for her (very old) beast. plugged it into the usb port, loaded the drivers, everything fine, next morning switched on, fans ran nothing else, not even a bleeb, after checking every thing unpluged the printer and up comes the computer, plug the printer in it works fine, but it won't boot with the printer plugged in. 
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I'd plug the USB cable in with no printer at the other end and see what happens. Then I'd replace the USB cable and see what happens. Essentiall try and see if the cable is faulty.
PSU's are funny things. They can suddenly pump out enough power at the right voltage to turn a fan, but not enough to make the electronics work. They have more than one output. The worst thing that can happen is the fan not get power to turn and you fry your CPU.
Usually when a PC suddenly fails to boot something inside has become not connected properly. Components need to be pushed into place, then replaced one by one to see what is disconnected. Usually that is.
PSU's are funny things. They can suddenly pump out enough power at the right voltage to turn a fan, but not enough to make the electronics work. They have more than one output. The worst thing that can happen is the fan not get power to turn and you fry your CPU.
Usually when a PC suddenly fails to boot something inside has become not connected properly. Components need to be pushed into place, then replaced one by one to see what is disconnected. Usually that is.
