Machine Wont Post

C

Carlosinfl

Loves the juice
Joined
Sep 25, 2002
Messages
6,633
Ok,

A customer gave me a machine (custom built system) and said that they don't see anything when they power the machine on. I assume it's a failed video card so I take the machine home and plug it to my monitor (analog connection) and power the box on. I see everything on the machine boot up and light up but my monitor light stays amber. The monitor is never awakened to show POST.

I replaced the video card twice and still no luck.
I replaced the CPU and and added new thermal paste (socket 462)
I flashed the CMOS with jumper and removing the battery

I honestly don't know what else I could swap except for the motherboard.

Anyone have any suggestions and or more troubleshooting steps I can try?
 
pstang said:
it could be a bad mobo
Click to expand...

That is what I am leaning towards. I don't know what else to try.

Can I take the AMD duron and try that in my AMD athlon XP motherboard? They are both socket 462.
 
carloswill said:
That is what I am leaning towards. I don't know what else to try.

Can I take the AMD duron and try that in my AMD athlon XP motherboard? They are both socket 462.
Click to expand...

yeah, you can put a duron in an xp board
 
C'mon now, you have 2/5 part needed to boot already tested, that leaves power supply, mobo, and RAM. ;)

Are you getting any lights on the mobo? Swap the RAM, then PS, then mobo. No need in making the order any harder than necessary, so do the simple stuff first.
 
I see the power light and the amber (activity) light on the tower when I boot and I see the CPU fan blowing away so I assume the PS is fine. The RAM is 2 sticks of PC 133 SD RAM and I booted with either one in and no luck.

Think it's just the board.
 
carloswill said:
I see the power light and the amber (activity) light on the tower when I boot and I see the CPU fan blowing away so I assume the PS is fine. The RAM is 2 sticks of PC 133 SD RAM and I booted with either one in and no luck.

Think it's just the board.
Click to expand...
:eek: Don't assume anything. :eek:

Try swapping sticks, it's not likely they are both bad, but you may have just pulled the good one and left the bad. Try another PSU. If not you are looking at a bad board. Checking the caps is a good ideas as well. Good luck.
 
Have you tried:

  1. Replacing the memory?
  2. Removing all cards but the memory cards?
  3. Only have essnetial componentry plugged into the mobo (HDD, video, memory)?
 
Does anyone know who still sells mobo's that use a 462 socket & PC 133 SD RAM? Newegg seems to only have 184 Pin DDR boards.
 
As working as tech for some time now, and in sales, I have many a times seen people jump to the conclusion of a bad board, when in reality it's a setup issue. (I'm not saying that the board isn't bad, but there is more to check) Some of these may be considered common knowledge, but you would be amazed at how many people that "know what they're doing," fall into these problems. Maybe a sticky should be made with these issues ;p
1. Socket A sockets have a lipped edge, and the HS has a beveled edge, these must be together. It is possible to clip it on backwards, allowing air between the die and the sink, which causes it to overheat instantly.
2. Make sure the clips on the HSF are providing enough pressure, or the above can happen.
3. As said by previous posts, bad parts, RAM etc.
4. Some boards will not post if you have IDE drives or floppies hooked up to mobo, but don't have the power connected.
5. Don't go overboard with thermal compound, it should be on the die only, nowhere else.
6. Make sure the board and chip are compatible. For example later durons, 1600 and 1800 i believe, have a different core than the previous ones (maybe they changed at the 1400, can't remember), so some chipsets will not work with them. Even if the board supports the proper fsb, the chip will not post. I think the newer durons will work with kt/km400 or later chipsets (which that board is not if you are using pc133)
7. If the board has jumpers for setting FSB, make sure they are set properly. Higher than rated spec can cause no post also.

I know I am forgetting a couple other things, but this should get you in the right direction. And if the board does turn out to be bad, hopefully this wasn't a total waste and will help someone else :)

oh yeah, I knew I forgot something. Pull all of the PCI cards (a bad NIC or modem or anything can cause that also)
 
dlion said:
As working as tech for some time now, and in sales, I have many a times seen people jump to the conclusion of a bad board, when in reality it's a setup issue. (I'm not saying that the board isn't bad, but there is more to check) Some of these may be considered common knowledge, but you would be amazed at how many people that "know what they're doing," fall into these problems. Maybe a sticky should be made with these issues ;p
1. Socket A sockets have a lipped edge, and the HS has a beveled edge, these must be together. It is possible to clip it on backwards, allowing air between the die and the sink, which causes it to overheat instantly.
2. Make sure the clips on the HSF are providing enough pressure, or the above can happen.
3. As said by previous posts, bad parts, RAM etc.
4. Some boards will not post if you have IDE drives or floppies hooked up to mobo, but don't have the power connected.
5. Don't go overboard with thermal compound, it should be on the die only, nowhere else.
6. Make sure the board and chip are compatible. For example later durons, 1600 and 1800 i believe, have a different core than the previous ones (maybe they changed at the 1400, can't remember), so some chipsets will not work with them. Even if the board supports the proper fsb, the chip will not post. I think the newer durons will work with kt/km400 or later chipsets (which that board is not if you are using pc133)
7. If the board has jumpers for setting FSB, make sure they are set properly. Higher than rated spec can cause no post also.

I know I am forgetting a couple other things, but this should get you in the right direction. And if the board does turn out to be bad, hopefully this wasn't a total waste and will help someone else :)

oh yeah, I knew I forgot something. Pull all of the PCI cards (a bad NIC or modem or anything can cause that also)
Click to expand...

some good suggestions.. but in this particular case, we're dealing with a comp that used to work just fine - so the incompatibility is rather out of the question..
 
I would go with everyone elses suggestions and say it's either bad mobo or RAM. To me, it sounds like RAM...but that's IMHO. If it is either, good luck on finding parts and getting that squared away. :D
 
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