Can reset button fry a motherboard?!?

[Revolutionary]

1. Installed some new RAM
2. Have a a wireless mouse and keyboard that often stop working after a system-unplug.
3. Booted fine, but mouse wouldn't work.
4. Rebooted using keyboard
5. Booted to login, but now keyboard wouldn't work either...
6. Hit RESET button.
7. Didn't reset. Hard-drive indicator light stayed lit, but no HDD activity
8. Power down, turn off PSU. Turn back on.
9. Power on.
10. Does not post. Brief HDD activity. HDD light comes on solid, but after about 1 min. turns off. Nothing.

Never posts, never get MOBO splash screen. Does get brief HDD activity, but nothing ever happens.

So what did I fry? Mobo, RAM, HDD, VGA, or PSU?

BTW: was only upgrading the RAM to add more. Everything was working fine.

Thanks for any help!

Rev

 

[RebateMonger]

In twenty years, I've NEVER heard of a reset button on a PC causing any damage. All it does is change the voltage on a pin on the CPU to reset the processor. If that wrecked something, there's something wrong....and it's not the reset button.

The basic troubleshooting step for something like this is to remove the motherboard from the case (if possible) and remove all accessories, including drives, keyboard, and mouse. Leave the CPU, a video card of some sort, and one memory module. Then momentarily connect the two Power pins on the motherboard so that the board starts up (hopefully).

If it powers up, then turn it off and start adding components one at a time until something breaks. If everything works, then re-install the motherboard into the case and see if it still works.

If you can't get ANYTHING to work, then you have a motherboard, CPU, memory, video card, or power supply problem. If you have any other PCs or spare components, you can usually start swapping known-good components for the existing ones.

Be sure to doublecheck that the CPU, heatsink, memory, and video card are correctly inserted and locked. Also, verify that the power supply is properly connected, including the 4-pin 12V connector if used. All of these items are prone to bad connections and have been known to come loose while you are working on something else on the PC.

 

[dfuze]

I would first take out the memory you just added and see if it goes back to normal. If it does, then you know you have a bad RAM module.

 

[Revolutionary]

First, let me clarify the problem: everything powers on (HDD spins up, but doesn't seek--though it did but confirmed I was wrong by listening close with the case open--its a really quiet Sammy drive), fans, PSU fan, etc. The USB bus does NOT get powered on, and the video card does not POST either (screen stays in stand-by).

Here's what I've done so far:
1. I swapped the RAM out for the old stuff. No change. I thought maybe I damaged a DIMM slot, so I tried 1 DIMM in only 1 of each of the four slots, one at a time. No change.
2. I swapped out the hard-drive for a new drive with no OS. No change.
3. Even though I'm sure its not the video card (the mobo doesn't so much as beep once, let alone the usual 4 times), I swapped that out. No change.
4. I did double-check the PSU mains, but I forgot about the 4-pin plug. I'll check that out this afternoon. That would actually make sense...

As for the CPU, I can't see how I could have even budged it. Its a P4-C 3.2Ghz. Its locked in under a thermalright XP-120. I would crack the motherboard before the CPU underneath would budge. And I didn't crack the motherboard... All I did was pop out RAM, then pop more in. Didn't go near the CPU.

 

[QueBert]

a few months ago, I rebooted my PC and it wouldn't POST, PSU would power on, saw lights blinking, but it wouldn't do anything else. Had been running fine for awhile, I had popped in a new HD. That's when the problems started, so I took the HD out, still no post. Checked the IDE ports, looked good. Hooked up the old HD, no POST. I was confused. It turns out the CPU was bad. I doubt this is your problem. But, my CPU was only about 1 year old, and I had a TT Beetle on it, temps were always 34c or below. The CPU showed no signs of bent pins or any issues. And I hadn't touched the CPU or heatsink in months.

To answer your question I agree with the other guy, I've never heard of a reset button frying a MB, but when it's an electronic components time to go, it goes. With my problem I can't imagine how pluggin in a new HD could have lead to frying a CPU, so I chalk it up to "it was time"
I hope you figure it out, troubleshooting can be a big pain in the a$$.

 

[Revolutionary]

Update:

I hooked up another power supply from my HTPC to the 4-plug, mains, VGA, and HDD (but not case fans or DVD drives). No change.

By process of elimination, then, it has to be either the CPU or the MB, in which case, its a lost cause. This is a P4P800 (first gen, not -E or -SE) with a P4C 3.2Ghz. If I replace the mobo, and its the CPU, then I'm screwed (because my chances of finding a 3.2C cheap and preferably new are slim-to-none), and I'm stuck with a mobo I can't use. Plus, what's the point with staying in S.478?

SO, I got wife-permission to just build a new box. Sprang for a Core 2 E6400, Gigabyte board, and 2 gigs of RAM.

I had always planned to recycle this CPU into my HTPC when I upgraded the desktop, so I may still try to pick up an MATX S.478 board on the cheap, just to see if the chip is still good. I'll let you guys know what happens.

Thanks for the help!

 

[nova2]

try this (i must do this for an asus a7n8x deluxe mobo pc or else it won't post most of the time)

power on
wait 15 seconds (to be 'extra safe')
press reboot button
see if it posts after around 10 seconds.

 

[jscarrozzo]

well on sort of a side note. are you sure that the mouse/keyboard did not work? sometimes at work here, we switch keyboards/mouses(usb) and it takes a minute or 2 for them to recognize. I once blew a mobo when taking out a ps/2 keyboard plug when it was powered up. It was fried right by the keyboard port.