no video output

[MasterFlash]

I'm not getting any signal to my monitor. Comp has a new hd added, with a fresh install of WinXP home. It booted up fine, and I updated all the Windows crap. Everything seemed fine, but then I tried turning it on the next day and everything spun up except no video signal. My mobo light is on, my hd spins up, all fans come on. I checked my monitor and vid card in my other comp, and both are good. I removed everything attached to mobo except CPU, ram, hd, & vid card. I tried reseating the vid card, and tried 2 other vid cards, and a diff monitor. The only time I got video, was after I cleared the CMOS by removing the battery. When I did that, I'd start up in BIOS, then reboot into Windows ok. The next time I reboot, though, I get no signal again. Any ideas? I'm running out of them...

<edit> System:
Asus P4T-E mobo, P4-1.8A cpu, 80 GB Seagate 7200.7+ HD, Enlight case w/300W P/S, Leadtech Winfast GeForce2 GTS 32Mb vid card, 2x 256 400Mhz Samsung Rambus RDRAM.
I removed my CDROM, CDRW & floppy drives, as well as Audigy SB card, ethernet card, and IDE PCI card.

 

[MasterFlash]

Verified that every time I remove the CMOS battery and reinstall it will boot to bios, and then run ok until shutdown. Anything else is a no go.

 

[DOSfan]

Hmmm....

When you try the restart (after you have shut down) does the computer go through the boot cycle? You said the lights are on, but that really only means it is getting power. Does the computer go all the way through the boot cycle? (That is, if you can tell.)

I have a few ideas of what might be happening, but I need a few more details.....

Also, Virus Scan and "Spy"ware removal. It sounds like your BIOS is being changed when you boot up Windows/Exit Windows.

 

[MasterFlash]

Thanks for replying DOSfan. After I've booted up (after clearing CMOS) if I Restart instead of Shutting down, it closes Windows and reboots properly. If I shutdown, and try to power back on using the power putton on the case, the hd spins up and the fans come on, but I can't tell if the hd is going through the boot cycle because I have no output to the screen. I can't even see it while it tries to post. I unhooked my hd, and powered on and I still have no video, not even post. I edited my first e-mail w/comp specs. The only thing I changed was the HD (and the CDROM & CDRW drives, which aren't hooked up).

 

[DOSfan]

Well, like I added to the end of my post: Virus scan.

If the computer does not even start to boot up, (BTW, if you pay attention to the comp when it is working normally, you can start to notice the sounds it makes when it boots up. If you do this often enough - or you trouble shoot computers enough like I have, you can tell if the computer is booting simply by sound. Just for your info. I did not expect you to know this.) then it has a problem with something.

Are there any beeps when you power up? If so, what are they? (Really simply - lots of short beeps, a long beep then a couple of short beeps, etc. No need to get real accurate with them.)

Oh. Another thing that I rarely have to deal with. Are you overclocking?

If there are no beeps, and you are not overclocking, and you have no viruses, then my next suggestion is reseat the memory.

Let me know how it goes.

 

[MasterFlash]

I didn't have time this morning before work to try anything new. I just added more info. Anyway, I uninstalled the anti-virus. Didn't have any effect. The comp doesn't go through the boot cycle when powering on, because it stops when it does a floppy boot check, which I hadn't deselected from the bios. The hd does spin up and make the fast data access noise for a few seconds. I have reseated the ram a few times. I'm gonna try replacing it with identical ram from my 3rd comp (they're just 128 mb sticks instead of 256 mb). If that doesn't work, I'm gonna go get a new CMOS battery tomorrow. Oh, and I'm not overclocking. Bios settings are default for cpu. I removed my PC speaker a long time ago, so I don't know if I'm getting "beeps"...doh.

 

[DOSfan]

Hmmmm....

No Viruses, no diagnostics beeps (as far as you can tell)....

Last idea I have (at least for now. ): Try booting up from another disk. CD, Floppy, whatever. The only other thing I can think of is that your HD isn't reading properly. There are many things that can cause this, jumper setting at the back of HD, bad EIDE cable, IRQ confilict, etc. Either that, or your Vid card.... But if I had to choose one of the two, I would bet on the HD now. (I was soooo hoping for the memory. That would have made things much simpler.)

Keep me posted. With a little luck, between your guesses and mine, we will find a solution.

 

[Rolltide54]

Originally posted by: DOSfan
Hmmmm....

Hi Dosfan: I have a Generic Computer that quit working about 3 weeks
ago. When i turned computer on it started smelling like something getting
very hot.All lights went out on computer and now nothinh will light up. Since
then i purchased a new Biostar Motherboard and a new AMD 1300 MHZ Cpu
I have installed the new components but can't get any video from Motherboard.
When i push start button all lights come on and goes through CDR and floppy
but no video to moniter.I have checked moniter and it is good,i have verified
that memory is good,also voltage from power supply is correct. As it boots up
i get 1 beep from speaker.Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. The
sound as it boots seems normal as i listened to my oldr computer boot up,
but no video of bios on monitor.Please advise to okoen@millry.net

 

[MasterFlash]

Ok. It's not RAM, cause I tried a replacement pair. It's not the vid card, cause I tried it out in my other comp and tried 2 other vid cards in this comp w/no change. It's not the monitor, cause it works fine on my other comp. I reformatted the HD, reinstalled Win XP from scratch, installed no updates or programs and it's doing the same thing...blank screen when powering on. I've tried using jumper setting of Master and Cable Select, w/no dice. I've switched IDE cable, w/no dice. When I hook up my old HD (running Win 98), it perfoms the same way (though it never did before I switched to use the new HD). I'm thinking it's the f'ing mobo. Maybe I caused some ESD... I don't use a grounding wrist strap... I've got a 3 yr warranty on my Asus mobo, so I could try to convince them to give me a replacement.

 

[DOSfan]

Okay, I will take this one at a time.

MasterFlash:

You have not done anything to rule out your power supply. I see you having two options:

1) Try and get another mobo. Worst case scenario, they tell you no way because it is not covered under waranty - but this tells you it is your mobo. Middle ground scenario, they tell you your mobo is fine, and you wasted your time and money - get a new PS.

2) Try swapping your mobo's. This assumes both mobo's are the same power type. (ie. ATX) This is time consuming, so it may not be your best choice. If you go this route, use a grounding strap! (Just in case. ) ((Alternately, if you happen to have another PS lying around, you could try that.))

Keep me updated.

Rolltide54:

You should get two, seperate, beeps. One before/during the memory test, and one after the BIOS test. My gut instinct tells me BIOS problem, but you should get video.....

Can your test your vid card in another machine? Or perhaps another vid card? From what you described in your story, your first mobo fried. It might have taken your vid card with it.

Let me know what you can find out.

((I will be emailing your part of the post as well, so expect both of them.))

 

[MasterFlash]

Yeah, it could be the power supply, it just didn't seem likely... I've e-mailed Asus w/my prob. No response yet. In the meantime I'm just leaving my comp on since the only problem is when powering on

Thanks for the advise DosFan. I'll post when I find out anything more. This is just too weird.

Er, and my mobos are both ATX, but I don't want to tear both comps down to do that. Let's see what Asus says first.

 

[MasterFlash]

OMFG, I figured it out. I'm so relieved, and at the same time angry. Mostly relieved, tho. I got a cookie cutter reply from Asus. Make sure CPU is seated (so i removed CPU, reaplied thermal paste, reinstalled) etc etc. Just on a whim, I decided I try switching from jumperless mode to jumpered mode for CPU settings. I found that the jumper had come off and was sitting in a corner of my case!!! OMFG!!! A 0.0000001 gram piece of f'ing plastic gave me an ulcer, and wasted about 40 hours of my time. Blah!

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Originally posted by: MasterFlash
OMFG, I figured it out. I'm so relieved, and at the same time angry. Mostly relieved, tho. I got a cookie cutter reply from Asus. Make sure CPU is seated (so i removed CPU, reaplied thermal paste, reinstalled) etc etc. Just on a whim, I decided I try switching from jumperless mode to jumpered mode for CPU settings. I found that the jumper had come off and was sitting in a corner of my case!!! OMFG!!! A 0.0000001 gram piece of f'ing plastic gave me an ulcer, and wasted about 40 hours of my time. Blah!

Those kind of discoveries are at once both trumphant and gut-wrenching.

 

[DOSfan]

LMFAO!!!

Forgive me, MasterFlash. I found that humorous in the "good" kind of way. (I know your asking "how can that be good?" )

But, I have gone through similar situations before.

(Imagine if you dropped the jumper into a dark brown carpet of an apartment with poor lighting. )