PC wont POST - Help please!

[Cache-man]

The other night, while doing some uni work on my PC, and listening to some MP3's, the computer just went off all of a sudden, and now it will not start at all. The CPU cooling fan starts, and the PSU, but thats it. It doesn't even POST, so there are no beeps to indicate the source of the problem.

Let me give you a run down of the specs.
Gigabyte 8IK1100 rev2 motherboard
Intel P4 Prescott 3GHz s478 CPU
Enermax Liberty 500w PSU
2x 512MB Crucial memory DDR400
Seagate Barracuda 80GB HDD
Vapochill Micro CPU cooler
NEC DVD writer
Lite-On CD writer
nVidia FX5200 AGP8 graphics

The system has been running overclocked - at 3.15GHz CPU.

I have tried Clearing CMOS, still wont even get to POST.
I have tried swapping PSU, and memory with ones I know to be working, so i'm pretty sure they're not to blame.
I have tried disconnecting everything other than the HDD, so I'm quite sure the optical drives arent the problem.

So, I'm guessing that it has to be one of 4 things causing the problem. Either mobo, cpu, hdd or graphics. Unfortunately, I dont have any spares of these to test with.
Now the hard drive and graphics card are only a year old, and I presume that if one of them had gone, then the computer would still POST, but give appropriate warning beeps. So really, it either has to be the CPU or motherboard, right?

I ordered a cheap motherboard off ebay last night, just so i can eliminate that from the problem, as I really am hoping that it is'nt the CPU, as my student funds just wont stretch to a new one of those at the moment.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to anything else I could try to get my pc going again? Maybe I've missed something!
Thakns in advance to anyone who can help.

 

[Ian]

I'd have guessed PSU at first, but as that has been swapped I can only assume the motherboard or CPU. If the CPU went I would have expected some beeps from the motherboard, so I think you'll need to swap the mobo with your ebay purchase to confirm

Very strange it just went like that though!

 

[muckshifter]

Very strange it just went like that though!

Not really ...

The system has been running overclocked - at 3.15GHz CPU

Then it is one of two problems ... CPU or MB

No beeps usually indicates a dead MB.

 

[Cache-man]

I should get the mobo tomorrow, or maybe thursday. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for confirming my suspitions guys.

 

[Me__2001]

im thinking a dead motherboard for the same reason as mucks

 

[psd99]

umm I have had problems like this before
so annoying

im sure u have done this
but reseat everything
cpu, memory, vga card
just take em all out and put em back in

if this fails its got to be another motherboard job then

 

[Cache-man]

well, the new board arrived today, and I've installed it, and the computer will now post, but shortly after the windows xp loading screen displays, the pc flashes to a BSOD then restarts.The BSOD doesnt display long enough for me to read anything, so i cant tell you any of the error message displayed.

I have set all the new BIOS up properly.

I thought this might be something to do with the drivers for the old motherboard confusing windows, so I thought I know I'll repair Windows. So i got out my windows install disk, and went to install windows>repair installation, and this starts fine but when the windows setup gets to 34 minutes left, it just doesnt go any further just sticks at 34 mins left.

I dont really want to do a fresh install just yet, as I havent backed up for a few weeks, and I still need some of the filwes that i havent backed up yet.

The new board just in case anyone needs to know is a ASRock P4VM800.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to anything I could try?

 

[mudfrog]

It still could be the board. Especially if it's from fleebay.
Any chance of getting your hands on a known working board?

Cheers,

Rich

 

[Ian]

I think a fresh install might be the only way to go - perhaps try to boot from Knoppix and run some diagnostics in there?

You often get problems like that if the chipset on the motherboard changes

 

[Cache-man]

Ahhh, Ian you've just inspired an idea.
Throw in a linux live CD (I have some ubuntu ones somewhere), back up my files to a DVD, then do the fresh install.

Only thing though, can I back up windows files using live linux cd, so that i can still read them with the fresh install of windows - ie is a data CD/DVD created under linux, the same as a data CD/DVD created under Windows?

 

[muckshifter]

sorry to say also ... but you will have to clean-install XP if you changed the MB ... there is too much difference in the Gigabyte & ASRock MBs to get XP to behave.

Lunix is a good way to back-up your data ...

 

[psd99]

well good news that u get post now!

congratulations

 

[muckshifter]

Ahhh, Ian you've just inspired an idea.
Throw in a linux live CD (I have some ubuntu ones somewhere), back up my files to a DVD, then do the fresh install.

Only thing though, can I back up windows files using live linux cd, so that i can still read them with the fresh install of windows - ie is a data CD/DVD created under linux, the same as a data CD/DVD created under Windows?

Yes ... use K3b and just use Data ... K3b is better than Nero.

 

[Cache-man]

ok, I'm back for help again.
I'm using knoppix live cd linux, but cant find my windows files anywhere.
The windows files are on a SATA HDD.

How do i access the windows files from within knoppix? Can I do this with a live version of linux.

I also have live versions of Ubuntu, and Suse9.2 if these are any better/worse to use.

 

[muckshifter]

ok, I'm back for help again.
I'm using knoppix live cd linux, but cant find my windows files anywhere.
The windows files are on a SATA HDD.

How do i access the windows files from within knoppix? Can I do this with a live version of linux.

I also have live versions of Ubuntu, and Suse9.2 if these are any better/worse to use.

I'm afraid you is gonna have to try 'em ... and tell us.

I don't have a SATA drive to access on my Windows box ... but all my Live CDs work fine for an IDE drive.

 

[Cache-man]

Cheers Mucks, i restarted knoppix in expert mode, and my SATA HDD partition appeared on the desktop.

K3b worked great for backing up the files i needed, really easy to use too.
Nice to know I've found a use for linux!

Now on with the format and fresh XP install.

 

[mudfrog]

Cool

It's all coming together nicely

Cheers,

Rich

 

[muckshifter]

jobs a good 'un

Cheers Mucks, i restarted knoppix in expert mode, and my SATA HDD partition appeared on the desktop.

K3b worked great for backing up the files i needed, really easy to use too.
Nice to know I've found a use for linux! .

Doh!

... is that all you're gonna do with Linux ... oh well, can't win 'em all.

 

[Cache-man]

Doh!

... is that all you're gonna do with Linux ... oh well, can't win 'em all.

Afraid so, i've gotten too used to windows, and use too many windows programs to make the full switch to linux, although I do keep playing with various distros in dual-boot, i just cant convince myself enough to ditch windows altogether.

The knoppix live distro i've just used though is pretty cool, it seems to be designed with windows users in mind with the layout and some of the methodology, might try a install of that on the next dual boot install.

Anyway, getting off topic a bit, lets get back to the thread.

I backed up my files i needed, and tried a fresh xp install, and it has worked perfectly. Now I just need to get everything installed the way i like it again which i hate doing as it just takes too much time).

Thanks for everyone who has helped me out here. Luckily it was only the mobo that died and not anything else yet. Gonna lay off the overclocking for a while now though.

 

[Cache-man]

OK, APPOLOGIES FOR RESURECTING A OLD THREAD AGAIN.

but my Gigabyte board I got to solve the original problem in this thread, has now died again.
This is the exact samne scenario as before which quite upsets me, as I've always trusted GB boards, and now this is the second one to die on me within 6 months which is giving me great disbelief in a brand i used to trust (co-incidence or not).

Which has led me to thinking if it is the board or maybe even the CPU causing the board to short or something.

I have swithched out everything in my PC this time to a spare PC and everything works apart from the board, so it's definately that that's gone, but when I tried to pick the CPU out of the PC after about 5 mins it was red hot, whereas the one i took out of the spare PC, which was admitedly only a 1.8GHz Northwood, was stone cold by then, which is what has made me think that maybe the current 3GHz precott 478 may be the trouble, as it was litterally too hot to handle.

I know 478's are pretty outdated now, but to upgrade to 775 will be quite a expensive move as it means upgrading from AGP-PCI-X graphics, 478-775 CPU, DDR-DDR2 mem, and a new mobo to boot due to mine being dead, which as most of you know is no cheap scenario. It's pretyy much a whole new PC, rather than a upgrade/repair.

I'm now very upset now with my computer dyuing toay, which happened all of a sudden. The very strange thing is, that at the time it died, I had just finished (that very second) a spare computer for a friend atr work, and had just got windows XP installed for him, then at that moment my PC died. And he picks this spare Pc up tomorrow, so i cant even use it while I fix mione. What should I do?
Should I just get a spare 478n mobo, or evena new CPU too, as I fear that must be something to do with it, or should I just gop the whole hog, and take out a second mortgage, and upgrade the whole PC for new technology?

GRRR, Oh, and I'm really not having a good day. After my PC broke, I thought IO'd go to the pub for a pint on my motorbike, so off I went, and parked my bike in front of the pub, and laid my helmet on the seat (stupidly). And when I came out of the pub, some ****er had stole my bike helmet forom off my my bike, in full view of all the people I'd left watching it. And, surprise, surprise, nobody saw who did it. ****ers! They say bad luck happens in 3's though, so I'm now just worried what is gonna happen next