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v2rahn
07-01-2002, 06:33 AM
Hello,

Short version: My PC doesn't move, but he still breathes.

Long version: The monitor gets no signal, never. At startup all fans start turning, MB has voltage, both CD drives light shortly up after a few moments, HDD start spinning and doing some initial moves. But the floppy drive never shows a sign of live, I hear no entended HDD search activity, no beeps either. Don't hear a momory counting either, but I think I turned that sound of in BIOS a long time ago. And as said the screen gets no signal.

What I checked without succes: Monitor and cable are o.k.(checked on notebook), reset useless, replaced HDD by another one with a booting OS, removed RAM modules in various combinations, replaced graphic card by two different older PCI cards, neither revived my screen, reset CMOS on MB, verified floppy is o.k. in another computer, bought replacement MB on Ebay (same model but newer (PCB Rev.E), should be compatible, seller guaranteed it's o.k.) but still no succes.
The sad thing: Even a naked system (only MB, CPU, FDD, RAM) does not work.
The astonishing thing: Even without any RAM I do not get a beep alarm, as it should, still I know the PC speaker is o.k.
I could not find a PC yet to independently test my CPU.

Sidenote: The problem started slowly. For 2-3 weeks the PC did not start right away, but only after several resets/off-on. This got harder and harder, until where it is now. At last startup before the final exitus I got an error message that the floppy is not a system disk, I should change it an press space, despite there was no disk in the drive at all!!

My guess now is the CPU is dead, but buying a replacement is neither cheap nor easy nor quick. So please judge yourself without prejudice and tell me:
What could this behaviour tell? Can I really rule out the graphic card and the memory as problem? Would one in general see something (startup screen) without the CPU working? Could there be more complicated interactions between the components? Anything I can test?

System: MB SY-6BA+IV, PIII-500MHZ-100FSB-2V, never overclocked, SDRAM PC100 1x128MB+2x256MB, Matrox 450TV in AGP, FD, 2HDD on UMDA66, CD, CDRW, Zoom 56k PCI Modem, Network 10/100 card, SB AWE64 PCI, Win98SE

You guess the rest: All hints are highly appreciated !!

Stephen

Lycia
07-01-2002, 01:02 PM
I had almost the same thing on a newly built Asus a7v266 VM, nforce board, everything lit up cept the video..Dead CPU was the culprit..luckily the store replaced and upgraded the cpu from an AthlonXP 1700 to an 1800!

kazuza
07-01-2002, 03:18 PM
Wait just a minute!
RESET button no action?
Either some connections to your mobo got loose, or you need a replacement one! Reset button cutts the power to some IC's on the mobo and sends a reset signal to whatever is not powered off!
I would first check your connections, then follow Lycia's advice.
Check for BIOS burst also! Reset your BIOS and see what goes from there!

v2rahn
07-02-2002, 05:06 AM
Kazuza,
by "reset useless" I mean it did not fix the problem, but indeed it did restart the whole procedure, so the CD drives lighted up again etc., as things should be.

To all,
in the meantime I have been able to test by video card and my RAM in another PC, which worked fine with it. This leaves the CPU or some obscure interactions as causes. I put the P3-500MHz in another PC which had a P2-233MHz without knowing what FSB etc this system runs at. With my CPU, it did not move, had just the same dead symptoms as my PC, I have no prfound knowledge if my CPU should work at all in that setup, but if yes then I know it's broken. Let's hope ebay gets me a replacement CPU.

Thanks for your help !