Computer is stuck on American Megatrends screen. Please help!

[ryansork]

Hello. I am in need of help very badly please! My computer has been working fine for the past 2-3 years but just a few hours ago there was a thunderstorm and i forgot to turn the computer off (yes i have a surge protector). I saw my house lights flick off and back on for a second and my computer restarted. After that, my pc will boot up but it wont go past the American Megatrends screen and my keyboard will not work so I can't start the bios or anything. Did my motherboard break or whats going on? Do i need to replace the motherboard now or is this fixable at home?

 

[XavierMace]

What does the screen say on it?

 

[ryansork]

it just comes up with the standard American Megatrend screen. It shows no errors except the only thing i noticed was that it tells me i have 2 keyboards plugged in when there is only 1. Does this have something to do with the cmos battery cause of the static by any chance?

 

[jkauff]

You didn't provide much information. Is this a desktop or a laptop? Did you buy it or build it? Is the keyboard wired or wireless, USB or PS/2 connected?

If you built it yourself and have the motherboard manual, follow the instructions for clearing the CMOS (if you have an Asus board, which it sounds like you do, you remove the battery, change the position of a jumper, wait a minute or so, change the jumper back, and put the battery back in--all with the computer unplugged, of course).

If you bought it, you'll probably have to take it to a repair shop to have a technician clear the CMOS.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Try a different kb as the bios will halt on any error including a failed kb.

 

[Deders]

Could be that memory isn't inserted properly or maybe a stick is faulty. My post screen still tells me I have 2 keyboards even though I've unplugged one of them.

 

[westom]

After that, my pc will boot up but it wont go past the American Megatrends screen and my keyboard will not work so I can't start the bios or anything.

The AM screen is part of a program called the BIOS. It verifies each hardware device, configures it, and move on to the next hardware. Eventually, when all hardware verifies OK, then it goes to the disk to load a boot program for the OS.

Normally the BIOS outputs an error message indicating where it got stuck. So that you can fix that subsystem. If you have a beeping device (ie speaker on the motherboard), it will also beep a code indicating where that failure is.

Even significant are how lights flash on the keyboard. More of a BIOS telling you what works and what does not. Facts necessary for others to provide useful answers.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

I think we get posters who come here and make the forums look busy, clearly hes not coming back..........

 

[mikeymikec]

Unplug everything that's unnecessary for it to advance beyond that screen (including fixed storage), and see if you get a different result.

 

[llllllllIIIll]

Hey my mega trends laptop won't even get to the American Megatrends boot up screen, it just stays on a black screen after I turn it on, can someone please help me