PC won't post?

[jiffz]

Hi guys, :wavey:

I've been having issues with my PC for a while now and if I had some spare cash I'd jack it all in and get new gear but unfortunately I don't have the funds to burn :flames:

Here's my rig specs:

CPU - Opteron 146 @ 2.6GHZ atm

Motherboard - Abit AT8 32x Mobo (provided for free by OC3D )

Memory - G.Skill 2GB DDR HZ PC4000 (2x1GB)

Cooling - Silverstone NT06 CPU cooler. 2 x Coolermaster 80mm fans.

Power Supply - Tagan 530W PSU (XMS' leftovers)

The problem I have been having is this - My PC never starts up first time. My usual bootup consists of this (takes a deep breath):

• Press power button - Fans start and then PC goes straight off.
  
• Press power button - Fans run, no post.
  
• Press reset button - Fans start and then goes straight off.
  
• Press power button - Fans run, no post.
  
• Power off, back on - fans run and it posts. But it is in fail safe mode and has unclocked itself.
  
• Reclock and requires another set of reboots to get going
  

This has been the case for some time. I've changed ram, left it all at stock, cleared CMOS, rebuilt the PC and tried a different bios battery. Problem still occurs.

I RMA'd my ram due to memory errors and I got a nice new kit last night . Tired after work I went to fiddle with my pc, my side case fan was in a link to the HS fan and as I disconnected this I disconnected the HS fan . I didn't notice this right away and the PC beeped at me, but I thought it was due to the ram and tried 3 different combinations, PC not being left on for longer than 5 seconds at a time.

I realised it was the fan and I reconnected it all but it wouldnt post no matter what . I reseated the CPU and HS last night but it still won't post. Has my CPU been fried after this short a time? I thought the HS could cool it passively for this short period anyway?

Is there anything you guys can suggest to get it to post? I'm quite prepared to buy a new motherboard as I've never got on with this one tbh, but I'm wondering if I should buy a new CPU at the same time? I'm also wondering about the PSU, but I'm hoping it's not this as it's a decent little Tagan.

Thanks in advance for your help :beerchug:

 

[Ham]

Get a new mobo, ram & cpu. As ive been telling you for the last like 2 months.

Hit me up over the weekend, ive got some spare parts that may come in handy.

In the meanwhile see if you can test your opty in your bros or waynes pc or something.

 

[PV5150]

Pity you don't have an Intel socket 775 CPU, I have a spare brand spankers P5B Deluxe sitting here.

 

[jiffz]

Get a new mobo, ram & cpu. As ive been telling you for the last like 2 months.

Was considering buying a new mobo and cpu now, just wondered how the CPU died so fast. Well the RAM is brand new and are different to the kit I sent off. Still PC4000 but they got this shiny lookin HS :yumyum:

Hit me up over the weekend, ive got some spare parts that may come in handy.

Watcha got???? :yumyum:

In the meanwhile see if you can test your opty in your bros or waynes pc or something.

Was considering this, but may not have the time and rather not fiddle with other peoples PCs cuz I don't trust myself with them anymore...

 

[Ham]

If it is dead...

I suspect your mobo tbh. Always been abit sketchy (bu-dum-tiss).

Ive nearly got enough spare parts too build an entire new c2d PC .

 

[FarFarAway]

The mobo was stable when I tested it last btw Ham.

A few seconds of no fan wont do any hard.

Try a long CMOS clear, 1 stick of RAM and go back to basics in everything. Try taking it out the case and standing on something non-static and experimenting. Worth a go - something may be shorted out

 

[jiffz]

Try a long CMOS clear, 1 stick of RAM and go back to basics in everything. Try taking it out the case and standing on something non-static and experimenting. Worth a go - something may be shorted out

I have tried unplugging everything and running with one stick of RAM that I know that works. How do I perform this long cmos clear?

 

[FarFarAway]

Overnight usually does the trick, although I've found disconnecting all power from the mobo and leaving CMOS on clear for an hour works.

 

[jiffz]

I'll give it a shot when I go home at 12.

Cheers for the help guys. And Ham - if someone were to offer me say ~£100 for this brand new G.skill PC4000 2GB kit I would probably go for dual core...

 

[Ham]

The mobo i got supports DDR and DDR2, so you wouldn't have too sell it or buy more.

Just dosn't overclock well afaik. Havn't tested it yet. as im saving for another c2d chip for it...

 

[equk]

I would try:

unplugging everything appart from the bare minimum (unplug all drives etc) see if it posts

if it doesn't, try removing the Graphics card and see if it beeps

if it doesn't, try removing the RAM and see if it beeps

if all that fails, it's pos the mobo or even the cpu. (or psu)

last thing to try could be re-seating the cpu

also you could try taking the mobo out and powering it up on a box or something as I've known cases stand-offs to short things on mobo's and cause wierd stuff to happen.

there's another thing that used to happen years ago, where the reset button was faulty and shorted so the stuff would power but would be in a reset state, so the screen would stay black and there were no beeps.

 

[!TIMMY!]

If it is dead...

I suspect your mobo tbh. Always been abit sketchy (bu-dum-tiss).

Ive nearly got enough spare parts too build an entire new c2d PC .

Ohhhh god

Well Jiffz I have no idea what you should do, but good luck! I hope to see you on the reality battlefield next week.

 

[darkorb]

try with another PSU? since it turns on and off, maybe its not getting good clean power?

 

[jiffz]

Unplugging everything appart from the bare minimum (unplug all drives etc) see if it posts

Nope

if it doesn't, try removing the Graphics card and see if it beeps

Nope

if it doesn't, try removing the RAM and see if it beeps

Nope

last thing to try could be re-seating the cpu

As I mentioned - already tried and nope.

also you could try taking the mobo out and powering it up on a box or something as I've known cases stand-offs to short things on mobo's and cause wierd stuff to happen.

Kemp already mentioned this. Not tried that yet

there's another thing that used to happen years ago, where the reset button was faulty and shorted so the stuff would power but would be in a reset state, so the screen would stay black and there were no beeps.

This has been the same in 2 cases.

I'm going to borrow a motherboard and PSU over the weekend so I hope to find the source of the problem ASAP!!! I was just hoping there'd be a quick trick to get it to boot

Cheers for all the suggestions guys.

 

[jiffz]

Soooo..... I'm back

Opty was tested and was fine . Got a new MSI mobo and installed it all in a nice new case! I got it all up and running to backup a few things before I formatted, then my PC decided to format drive E: instead of C:??

So all my videos, music and pictures have been formatted and windows got installed on it . I dunno how this happened exactly, but I am gettin crappy luck with PCs these days...

Does anyone know of a good free recovery type program? I've heard of them and would appreciate it if someone has the right program for the job

 

[!TIMMY!]

Im not going to lie, that happened to me before and in the middle of a piece of coursework (had to format). I managed to get back about 80% of my stuff with GetDataBack For NTFS. Thats the only program I know of.

 

[mrbeef]

it sounds alot like what my computer was doing when i first got it a while ago, when the cpu was dodgy. i had the same powerup with fans with no life, but pedge had the same problems when his mobo fried itself