Re: PC Help!!!

If you own a multitester which can measure relatively small DC voltages (20Vdc), go here and see if you can find all voltages on your mainboard power connector. http://sunsite.auc.dk/hwb/co_MotherboardPower.html If you do, you can be 95% sure your supply is ok. The check is probably redundant because I've never seen a powersupply fail partially (i.e. supplying the right voltages for the drives, but not for the mainboard). When they die, they die completely and nothing happens when you press your power switch. Tough luck Peter, I'm sorry. Jan. =--- Peter Hooper wrote...

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> > Thanks Jan, > Did as you suggested and got no error beeps at all :O(( > Is it possible for the power supply to be powering the > drives but not the motherboard?? The drives all seem to > power up but both the keyboard and monitor remain dead.. > > Looks like the ol' girl has had her last beep :O(( > > Regards > > Peter

Pull out the Banshee, start it up and listen for 3 beeps (bios indicating video not present). If that happens it's probably the Banshee that's bought the farm... in rare cases it's just bad contacts, so try wiping the contacts on the Banshee with either contact cleaner or pure alcohol and reseating it afterward. If you don't get 3 beeps, try disconnecting your HDD and CDROM. If that doesn't produce an "error boot" you're looking at possible mainboard, processor or powersupply failure (from your description powersupply seems unlikely) and you will have to get it fixed. In the case of a MB replacement you will probably have to do a full Windows reinstall. I had a similar, intermittent failure last year and in the end (after 3 weeks of testing) we just ended up replacing mainboard/processor and videocard. Jan. =--- Peter Hooper wrote... > Hi all, > > <snip>

"Harjan Brand" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:hRLq5.34865$[email hidden]... > Why would you have to do a complete new Windows install if you replace the > motherboard? I don't see the reason for that. > If you replace with an identical motherboard, you are right, there is no reason. However, if you replace say an Intel chipset board with a Via one (or even a different Intel chipset one), then Windows will have to find and install a whole lot of drivers for different stuff on the motherboard. This *should* be OK, but as often as not, the resulting mess takes longer to sort out that if you had just re-installed Windows to begin with.......... Ian Ian Riches Bedford, UK

Unless you have the exact same one (unlikely in view of the relative age of Peter's system) a whole new set of drivers needs to be installed... sometimes that works and you can just delete the previous components from the Device Manager (supposing you know which ones belonged to your previous MB), but in my experience most of the time it only half works and you end up with a wildly unstable system. Jan. =--- Harjan Brand wrote... > Why would you have to do a complete new Windows install if you > replace the motherboard? I don't see the reason for that. > > <snip>

Hi all, Sorry for the off topic post but I have always got such good advice here that I tend to use it as my first port of call. Basically my older PC (a P233mmx, 64mb, 16mb Voodoo Banshee) won't start up this morning. When I turn it on it seems to be starting up OK but the keyboard lights only flash very briefly and then the boot-up process just halts with the monitor stuck in standby mode and completely blank. I have opened her up but cannot find anything that has become disconnected or loose and now just don't know what to try. I get the feeling that it could be a power supply problem but am not sure. The PC worked fine all day yesterday and I need to get it going as I have some work which I have to do with it today or else I will have to go into the office instead half-way through my holiday. Hope someone can help. Regards Peter Hooper

Why would you have to do a complete new Windows install if you replace the motherboard? I don't see the reason for that. "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Pull out the Banshee, start it up and listen for 3 beeps (bios indicating > video not present). If that happens it's probably the Banshee that'sbought > the farm... in rare cases it's just bad contacts, so try wiping thecontacts > on the Banshee with either contact cleaner or pure alcohol and reseatingit > afterward. > > If you don't get 3 beeps, try disconnecting your HDD and CDROM. If that > doesn't produce an "error boot" you're looking at possible mainboard, > processor or powersupply failure (from your description powersupply seems > unlikely) and you will have to get it fixed. In the case of a MBreplacement

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> you will probably have to do a full Windows reinstall. > > I had a similar, intermittent failure last year and in the end (after 3 > weeks of testing) we just ended up replacing mainboard/processor and > videocard. > > Jan. > =--- > > Peter Hooper wrote... > > Hi all, > > > > <snip> > >

No no beeps sounds at all.. the keyboard lights flash on for just an instant as soon as I turn the pc on and then I can hear the drives powering up but then nothing. The monitor doesn't come on at all. Regards Peter "Ed Bain" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Tue, 29 Aug 2000 09:16:56 +0100, "Peter Hooper"<[email hidden]> wrote:

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> Does it make any 'beep' sounds? If so, how many and which are > long and which are short? Like BEEEEEEP BEEP BEEP , or? > Also, if it beeps, what type of motherboard? > > One other thing. A power supply is pretty inexpensive. If you > think you have a bad one, just replace it. > >

Thanks Jan, Did as you suggested and got no error beeps at all :O(( Is it possible for the power supply to be powering the drives but not the motherboard?? The drives all seem to power up but both the keyboard and monitor remain dead.. Looks like the ol' girl has had her last beep :O(( Regards Peter "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Pull out the Banshee, start it up and listen for 3 beeps (bios indicating > video not present). If that happens it's probably the Banshee that'sbought > the farm... in rare cases it's just bad contacts, so try wiping thecontacts > on the Banshee with either contact cleaner or pure alcohol and reseatingit > afterward. > > If you don't get 3 beeps, try disconnecting your HDD and CDROM. If that > doesn't produce an "error boot" you're looking at possible mainboard, > processor or powersupply failure (from your description powersupply seems > unlikely) and you will have to get it fixed. In the case of a MBreplacement

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> you will probably have to do a full Windows reinstall. > > I had a similar, intermittent failure last year and in the end (after 3 > weeks of testing) we just ended up replacing mainboard/processor and > videocard. > > Jan. > =--- > > Peter Hooper wrote... > > Hi all, > > > > <snip> > >

Thanks Jan for that... a new motherboard and processor look to be on the cards once I have some cash free.. Problem is that now my daughters will be after using my main PC more often... even less sim time than before if I am not careful. Peter "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> If you own a multitester which can measure relatively small DC voltages > (20Vdc), go here and see if you can find all voltages on your mainboard > power connector. > > http://sunsite.auc.dk/hwb/co_MotherboardPower.html > > If you do, you can be 95% sure your supply is ok. The check is probably > redundant because I've never seen a powersupply fail partially (i.e. > supplying the right voltages for the drives, but not for the mainboard). > When they die, they die completely and nothing happens when you press your > power switch. > > Tough luck Peter, I'm sorry. > > Jan. > =--- > Peter Hooper wrote... > > > > Thanks Jan, > > Did as you suggested and got no error beeps at all :O(( > > Is it possible for the power supply to be powering the > > drives but not the motherboard?? The drives all seem to > > power up but both the keyboard and monitor remain dead.. > > > > Looks like the ol' girl has had her last beep :O(( > > > > Regards > > > > Peter > >

In article <ztQq5.8070$[email hidden]>, "Peter Hooper" <[email hidden]> writes: >No no beeps sounds at all.. the keyboard lights flash on for just an instant >as soon as I turn the pc on and then I can hear the drives powering up but >then nothing. The monitor doesn't come on at all. > >Regards Turn off the PC. Remove and re-seat your memory and video card. Then try it... Eldred -- Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPL hcp. +50.77 Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

You could also have a short in the motherboard somewhere. Did you do anything recently that might have required messing with the motherboard mounting? I know on my Abit BH6, it gets finicky at times and shorts out, giving the same type symptons you describe. I mess around with the mounting screws a little then all is fine again. -- Don Burnette Dburn in N3 and Legends ICQ# 74084566 "Peter Hooper" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1BQq5.8205$[email hidden]... > Thanks Jan, > Did as you suggested and got no error beeps at all :O(( > Is it possible for the power supply to be powering the drives but not the > motherboard?? The drives all seem to power up but both the keyboard and > monitor remain dead.. > > Looks like the ol' girl has had her last beep :O(( > > Regards > > Peter > > "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > Pull out the Banshee, start it up and listen for 3 beeps (bios indicating > > video not present). If that happens it's probably the Banshee that's > bought > > the farm... in rare cases it's just bad contacts, so try wiping the > contacts > > on the Banshee with either contact cleaner or pure alcohol and reseating > it > > afterward. > > > > If you don't get 3 beeps, try disconnecting your HDD and CDROM. If that > > doesn't produce an "error boot" you're looking at possible mainboard, > > processor or powersupply failure (from your description powersupply seems > > unlikely) and you will have to get it fixed. In the case of a MB > replacement > > you will probably have to do a full Windows reinstall. > > > > I had a similar, intermittent failure last year and in the end (after 3 > > weeks of testing) we just ended up replacing mainboard/processor and > > videocard. > > > > Jan. > > =--- > > > > Peter Hooper wrote... > > > Hi all, > > > > > > <snip> > > > > > >

Hmm.. something else I'll have a try of. I haven't done anything that I can think of that might have caused a problem but everything is worth a try. Peter "Don Burnette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:SwYq5.10583$[email hidden]... > You could also have a short in the motherboard somewhere. Did you do > anything recently that might have required messing with the motherboard > mounting? I know on my Abit BH6, it gets finicky at times and shorts out, > giving the same type symptons you describe. I mess around with themounting

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> screws a little then all is fine again. > > -- > Don Burnette > Dburn in N3 and Legends > ICQ# 74084566 > > "Peter Hooper" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:1BQq5.8205$[email hidden]... > > Thanks Jan, > > Did as you suggested and got no error beeps at all :O(( > > Is it possible for the power supply to be powering the drives but not

the

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> > motherboard?? The drives all seem to power up but both the keyboard and > > monitor remain dead.. > > > > Looks like the ol' girl has had her last beep :O(( > > > > Regards > > > > Peter > > > > "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:[email hidden]... > > > Pull out the Banshee, start it up and listen for 3 beeps (bios > indicating > > > video not present). If that happens it's probably the Banshee that's > > bought > > > the farm... in rare cases it's just bad contacts, so try wiping the > > contacts > > > on the Banshee with either contact cleaner or pure alcohol and

reseating > > it > > > afterward. > > > > > > If you don't get 3 beeps, try disconnecting your HDD and CDROM. Ifthat

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> > > doesn't produce an "error boot" you're looking at possible mainboard, > > > processor or powersupply failure (from your description powersupply > seems > > > unlikely) and you will have to get it fixed. In the case of a MB > > replacement > > > you will probably have to do a full Windows reinstall. > > > > > > I had a similar, intermittent failure last year and in the end (after

3

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> > > weeks of testing) we just ended up replacing mainboard/processor and > > > videocard. > > > > > > Jan. > > > =--- > > > > > > Peter Hooper wrote... > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > > > <snip> > > > > > > > > > > > >