Computer wont boot, monitor is blank

[Subtle]

Hey guys, ok here's the gist of things.

My girlfriend recently moved in with me, and brought along her POS hand-me-down computer. Eventually, the thing crapped out and I had to reformat it. After that, I couldn't get my router card to recognize because she had a USB adapter plugged into the mobo and I couldn't get drivers.

Soooo, I replaced her old mobo with my old one (it's a mid-line Asus 800fsb, forgot the model #) and got her a 2.6 P4 533fsb along with a new 400w PSU and 1gig of Kingston ValuRam PC3200. After finally piecing it all together, I get the fans spinning and the mobo light on, but no picture on the screen. I tried a different monitor, same thing. I tried the monitor on my computer and it worked fine. At first I thought it was her video card (an All-In-Wonder 9000) because it was DVI only and required a DVI-VGA adapter. I bought a new card (GeForce 6200) and popped it in with the same results.

I honestly don't know what could be causing this. I've taken it apart and put it back but to no avail. The CD-Rom boots, the hard drive spins, all the fans spin, and the mobo light is on. I'm worried that maybe it's a bad CPU, or would that prevent anything from working period? It's urgent that I get it working since the second computer is essential to us (basically need both for our work). If anyone needs more information let me know, I'll post what I can.

 

[frost99]

Hey guys, ok here's the gist of things.

My girlfriend recently moved in with me, and brought along her POS hand-me-down computer. Eventually, the thing crapped out and I had to reformat it. After that, I couldn't get my router card to recognize because she had a USB adapter plugged into the mobo and I couldn't get drivers.

Soooo, I replaced her old mobo with my old one (it's a mid-line Asus 800fsb, forgot the model #) and got her a 2.6 P4 533fsb along with a new 400w PSU and 1gig of Kingston ValuRam PC3200. After finally piecing it all together, I get the fans spinning and the mobo light on, but no picture on the screen. I tried a different monitor, same thing. I tried the monitor on my computer and it worked fine. At first I thought it was her video card (an All-In-Wonder 9000) because it was DVI only and required a DVI-VGA adapter. I bought a new card (GeForce 6200) and popped it in with the same results.

So you tryed 2 monitors, they didnt work, You tryed your monitor and u could see the POST and see the OS? Post the Information on all 3 monitors
And did you test the system on your monitor after the newly installed geforce card?

Try this. (im assuming the system worked on the 3rd monitor) install drivers for the card on the system she would be using, under your monitor.

 

[Subtle]

So you tryed 2 monitors, they didnt work, You tryed your monitor and u could see the POST and see the OS? Post the Information on all 3 monitors
And did you test the system on your monitor after the newly installed geforce card?

Try this. (im assuming the system worked on the 3rd monitor) install drivers for the card on the system she would be using, under your monitor.

There's 2 monitors, one is mine and one is an old one that my girlfriend is using. Neither monitor worked when hooked to her computer (tried with both the ATI and the NVIDIA) but both worked just fine on my computer, so I know it's not the monitors.

On her computer I don't see any POST or OS load screens, it's just a black screen (as if the computer was off, the power saving light goes on) which means that the monitor probably isn't getting the information from the computer. I also find it can't be the video cards because neither of them seem to make a difference when hooked to her computer and any monitor.

Hope that's enough info!

 

[frost99]

There's 2 monitors, one is mine and one is an old one that my girlfriend is using. Neither monitor worked when hooked to her computer (tried with both the ATI and the NVIDIA) but both worked just fine on my computer, so I know it's not the monitors.

On her computer I don't see any POST or OS load screens, it's just a black screen (as if the computer was off, the power saving light goes on) which means that the monitor probably isn't getting the information from the computer. I also find it can't be the video cards because neither of them seem to make a difference when hooked to her computer and any monitor.

Hope that's enough info!

Ok this is what you should do. look on your motherboard for some jumpers labeled CMOS or something, should be close to the cmos battery. You need to find out your mobo's way for clearing the cmos, its just a jumper your gonna put on a pin for a number of seconds after disconnecting the psu , then switch the jumper back on to the normal jumper setting..
make sure to find out the manufactuer's specifications on clearing your cmos.
(some require devices to be disconnected, ect.)

After you clear the cmos you should be able to load the BIOS and setup the bootup devices to install a OS (in some Operating Systems nt, xp, u cant switch the mobo and bootup normally) there is a thread on here about it somewhere, i read it today actually.

 

[Subtle]

Ok this is what you should do. look on your motherboard for some jumpers labeled CMOS or something, should be close to the cmos battery. You need to find out your mobo's way for clearing the cmos, its just a jumper your gonna put on a pin for a number of seconds after disconnecting the psu , then switch the jumper back on to the normal jumper setting..
make sure to find out the manufactuer's specifications on clearing your cmos.
(some require devices to be disconnected, ect.)

After you clear the cmos you should be able to load the BIOS and setup the bootup devices to install a OS (in some Operating Systems nt, xp, u cant switch the mobo and bootup normally) there is a thread on here about it somewhere, i read it today actually.

Thanks so much, I'll try that tonight and see where it gets me. I'll do a search for that thread too incase I don't know what I'm doing.

 

[crjdriver]

Pull the board from the case. Place it on the mb box [do not use the AS bag since the outside of some of them conduct electricity] Have just the cpu / hsf installed, one ram chip in the first ram slot, and the video card. Pull your power supply from the case and connect it. Make sure you connect the extra 4 pin P4 connector. Connect the monitor to the video card. Now take a small screwdriver and jump the pw_switch pins on the mb. If it posts now, you have a mounting problem.

If it does not post, you will have to swap parts with known good units ie power supply, ram, cpu, mb.

 

[Subtle]

Ok, here's an update.

I bought a new motherboard and case, plugged it all up. I've gotten a little farther now but...still no picture. I notice that when I boot with the PSU set at 115v, everything turns on (hard drive, lights, fans, etc) except the monitor still says there isn't a signal and leaves power saver on.

Now, when I switch the PSU to 230v the fans and lights turn on, and now on the monitor both the power saver AND the on light go on, but the hard drive doesn't spin.

What's goin on? I'm almost positive I have everything plugged in right...help =(

 

[Subtle]

I've also discovered something new: the fan on the GeForce 6200 is not spinning. Could it be insufficient power from the PSU, or maybe a bad video card? However the 9000 AIW spun but still no POST on the screen.