Boots but no display

[Athlongamer]

Hey guys just need a little help.....I'm completely stumped........I have a few ideas of what this prob might be but i need the help of the Experienced

PC:

AMD XP-M 3000 @ 2.2
DFI Lanparty NFII Ultra B
1gig of Corsair PC3200
MSI Radeon 9800Pro
Maxtor 250gig Ultra ATA


I just recently reloaded windows with the "quick" reinstall....All was good.

A few days later i had down clocked my CPU just for the heck of it cuz i don't like to run it OC all the time....Probably doesn't have anything to do with my prob but i thought i'd let u know that the CPU isn't OC right now

2 days later....I'm trying to setup another rig and i took my computer across the room so i could use the boot up cables from my case to the new mobo laying on my bed (ya know what i'm saying?) anyway....that rig wouldn't boot up i think that mobo is messed up....but.....i simply just took the boot cables and plugged them back up to my good mobo in my current computer using the manual so i wouldn't get them mixed up. Then I boot up my computer thinking it's prefectly fine and as soon as the bios screen shows up it restarts....

I was like hmm...that was weird....so i just started it back up then it did the same thing. At that moment i was thinking maybe it wasn't getting enough power cuz it seemed like it was just weak or something....

So i ended up trying to start it like 4 times....then i was like well maybe something is wrong so i took out one of my sticks of RAM cuz i know RAM is finicky sometimes.....then it boots up and actually stays on but my bios screen never shows......So i was like "uh oh"...

I cleared CMOS, Checked all my IDE cables, Fan plug ins, Power plug ins for the MOBO, everything that i could think of......and it just boots up but bios never shows.... So i switch out my 9800pro thinking it was fried or some odd reason....and come to find out it works just fine....Then I take my HSF off and look at the CPU but it looks to be fine....I could switch it out with an AMD 2500....

I also checked my HDD but it is fine of course.....I just don't know why BIOS won't load....

Should i switch out the CPU or try to load new BIOS.....i don't think it will boot from floppy.....but what should i do?

Sorry for the long post....

-Jordan

 

[daniel49]

maybe its just me but could you define what your bootup cables are please?
Are you talking about the small power button wires , data cables, power cord?
or something entirely different?

 

[TheGuru3k]

So you can't actually access the BIOS at all? Have you tried just waiting for a while? If there is a problem detecting a hard drive or whatever, usually the system will just sit there for a while appearing to do nothing.

If that doesn't help, you should try unplugging anything unnecessary, and bring the system right down to the essentials, so much that you could unplug almost everything so all you have left is the cpu, ram, and video. Then try gradually adding everything back one by one until the problem comes back, and you will know if it's a problem with a peripheral card or not. You could also try testing some of the components, such as the ram in another system you know works, just to be certain.

Other than that, there is really not much you could do. It's not possible to re-flash the bios unless you can get past POST, or if the main BIOS fails, and only the boot block remains (meaning the system won't boot, but will just beep and constantly try and read the floppy drive).

 

[Athlongamer]

Daniel49: I'm refering to strickly the cables that come with a store bought case. They are the cables that you have to put on the pins usually located at the bottom right corner of ur mobo. The cables that run from ur case power switch and reset button to ur mobo to start ur computer.

TheGuru3k.....I can NOT access BIOS at all....I've waited 2 days now and still nothing.....I do not think it is a problem detecting the HDD but i will for sure check that again.....I have also gone down to the bare necessities and it still does the same. I will try everything that you have said and maybe a few more things and post back later today....

 

[daniel49]

I see thats what it sounded like just have never heard them referred to as the bootup cables.

You need to go down to bare roots nothing but memory. graphics card, and cpu like other person said.
Most likely one of them is bad, dirty,bent,insecurely plugged in. Make sure that stick of ram is ok. Do you have the 4 pin plugin?

So your only contact with the other machine was your power button and your posative it set up right?All led's are working, reset works.

 

[Athlongamer]

Yeah i've gone all the way down to the bare roots and it's still doing the same thing........

 

[daniel49]

do you have an extra stick of ram or another machine to test that ram in?

 

[petz]

DId you try removing and reseating your video card? Or is there a chance you hooked up your monitor to the wrong output? Are you getting a bootup beep, because then your BIOS is fine and you should see something.

 

[Athlongamer]

Daniel49: I have tested my RAM and my 3dcard all is fine. I've checked to see if i was pluggin it up wrong lol but hey you never know....

Petz: Yes i've reseated my 3d card and taken everything a part and rebuilt it out side of the case on a card board box under an anti static bag.....although i do not ever get a bootup beep....even when my system was working great i never got a bootup beep so the answer to the question is No....I do have diagnostic LED's on my MOBO and from what the manual tells me as long as all 4 are lit up then it is starting bios......and all 4 of them are lit up sooo.....idk what to think really. I just don't feel like it's fried for some reason......but if it is i'll just buy a new one lol

Anymore ideas would be great

Thanks, Jordan

 

[daniel49]

tried a different monitor? longshot but it could happen.

in the past I have personally experienced this happening with a bad stick of memory, a bad memory slot, and a motherboard on the way out.if your sure all componants are good and you went down to bare minimim and reset cmos and monitor is ok, then I am starting to lean towards a bad board?

 

[Athlongamer]

yeah i've also tried another monitor.....

 

[daniel49]

hmm this is a little odd. Lets look closer at what happened.
lets assume your card is good.

you said:
2 sticks ram in = no boot
1 stick ram = boot but no vid
#1 can you place each stick by itself in a second machine and get it to work? I suspect the first stick you pulled out is bad but lets prove it.

#2 assuming we can prove 1 or 2 sticks are good, take a known good stick of ram and try each slot on your dfi to see if it matters.

 

[Athlongamer]

okay...

I don't remember saying that it wouldn't boot with 2 sticks of ram in....but i've retried all of it again and it does boot with both sticks of ram in but it will not display anything....

I've taken out both sticks of ram and tried them in another machine and they seemed to register under windows and work fine....