Catastrophie - System won't even post- Update

[moonboy403]

same thing happened to me yesterday while i was installing my new cpu cooler
the computer wouldn't start at all....first, i thought it was the processor that i broke
after checking the processor out, i figured it couldn't be the cpu since nothing was bent
after a while....i found out that my problem was my video card...it wasn't plugged in all the way
i didn't even know that a computer wouldn't start if it wasn't plugged in

 

[CraigRT]

Hey man, I was going to offer advice, but it looks like everyone has you covered. I think it looks like the board has somehow died.... I don't know what else you could possibly do since you hvae A tried everything and B tested other parts to be working.

It has to be the mobo. I had the same thing happen with an EPoX board, just shut off, and never ever came back on. I had to RMA it, it was lifeless.

 

[imported_RobJ]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Hey man, I was going to offer advice, but it looks like everyone has you covered. I think it looks like the board has somehow died.... I don't know what else you could possibly do since you hvae A tried everything and B tested other parts to be working.

It has to be the mobo. I had the same thing happen with an EPoX board, just shut off, and never ever came back on. I had to RMA it, it was lifeless.

Well, every time someone adds a post to this thread, it gets me thinking. First there's moonboy403's comment about the videocard. It's funny you mention this, because I put my GeForce3 through a lot of stress when I removed it from my old computer -- at first, i didn't see the little tab that you have to push to remove the card (it was a dell). The card has been through a hell of a lot, and i fear that it may have died or it might not be inserting completely into the mobo because the tab is prolly shot. And if what you say is true, then my computer would have never started no matter what test I ran because the vid card was always shot, and i never tried another one.

But then CraigRT's post suggests that it could very well be the mobo because his died just like mine, and the replacement fixed it. Now that I've got the mobo packed up and the CPU and HSF are all clean, I'm not going to go through all of that hassle just to test with a different VidCard and then clean it all up again (thermal grease, wires) if it doesn't solve the problem.

So .... this is what I'm going to do. Tomorrow, I'll try my videocard on another computer and see if the computer will start. If it starts, I'll go ahead and RMA the mobo and between now and then, i'll try my powerbutton on someone else's mobo to make sure that it wasn't the button all this time. And then when i get the mobo back from NewEgg, if it still doesn't work, I'll try a different videocard in there. And that better work, otherwise I'll probably start screaming and throw my HSF into the wall. J/K :/

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: RobJ

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Hey man, I was going to offer advice, but it looks like everyone has you covered. I think it looks like the board has somehow died.... I don't know what else you could possibly do since you hvae A tried everything and B tested other parts to be working.

It has to be the mobo. I had the same thing happen with an EPoX board, just shut off, and never ever came back on. I had to RMA it, it was lifeless.

Well, every time someone adds a post to this thread, it gets me thinking. First there's moonboy403's comment about the videocard. It's funny you mention this, because I put my GeForce3 through a lot of stress when I removed it from my old computer -- at first, i didn't see the little tab that you have to push to remove the card (it was a dell). The card has been through a hell of a lot, and i fear that it may have died or it might not be inserting completely into the mobo because the tab is prolly shot. And if what you say is true, then my computer would have never started no matter what test I ran because the vid card was always shot, and i never tried another one.

But then CraigRT's post suggests that it could very well be the mobo because his died just like mine, and the replacement fixed it. Now that I've got the mobo packed up and the CPU and HSF are all clean, I'm not going to go through all of that hassle just to test with a different VidCard and then clean it all up again (thermal grease, wires) if it doesn't solve the problem.

So .... this is what I'm going to do. Tomorrow, I'll try my videocard on another computer and see if the computer will start. If it starts, I'll go ahead and RMA the mobo and between now and then, i'll try my powerbutton on someone else's mobo to make sure that it wasn't the button all this time. And then when i get the mobo back from NewEgg, if it still doesn't work, I'll try a different videocard in there. And that better work, otherwise I'll probably start screaming and throw my HSF into the wall. J/K :/

GOod luck, and update us on your progress.

BTW, throwing the HSF against the wall wont really damage the wall. Throwing teh HS will probably break a hole through your wall assuming its drywall

 

[imported_RobJ]

Update:

It's not the videocard - I tested it on another computer, and the computer started up. I sent the mobo back to NewEgg today. It should get there in a day because I live in LA and NewEgg is right near by (I think La Puente).

The only thing I still haven't tested is the power button on my case. I don't think this is the problem though, because my computer randomly shut off during use. The only reason that it's hard to test my power button is that the computer I have been testing my other stuff on has a different type of header for the case-front buttons and lights -- my case has separate little headers for each button or light, while this other computer has one large connector. So i'm going to get my friend that just built an A64 system to let me try my powerbutton on her computer.

So ... I should have the resolution to this whole fiasco once my new motherboard comes back. I hope NewEgg is swift!

Robert

 

[imported_RobJ]

Today, the new motherboard from NewEgg arrived, and I rebuilt my entire system. It was indeed the motherboard that was preventing my system from starting up. Now, I am in the clear as long as there is not something else in my system that caused my original motherboard to break. Like, if my power supply is not supplying enough juice or something.

But right now, I'm happy to be on my computer again, and let my powerbook have a rest. It sucks having a 12" screen as your only display!

 

[Tiamat]

Congrats on resolution! :thumbsup: