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Jul 6th, 2008
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PC Won't POST, Boot

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I have a 4-year-old PC that all of a sudden froze during some routine tasks. It hasn't really done that before. I did a re-boot and got nothing.

SYMPTOMS
- PC turns on with all fans and LEDs (including RAM LED)
- No image at any point on monitor (have tried multiple monitors and graphics cards)
- No POST beeps
- Did get brief green on CD/DVD drive LEDs when turning on

WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR
- Disconnected all cards, peripherals to MoBo
- Pulled RAM and reseated (with RAM out an alarm does sound)
- Tried different monitor and graphics card

SYSTEM
- GigaByte GA8KNXP MoBo
- Intel Prescott P4 2.8 800 Socket 478
- 2 Corsair 512 DDR400 PC3200

There's no reason to believe CPU is toast. It's never been overclocked and has super good heat sink and fan. No other abuse to MoBo.

Appreciate any ideas. I would like to keep this one alive.
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Tumbleweed is offline Offline
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Jul 6th, 2008
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

If it's not posting, and nothing is loading I'd say it's a bad Motherboard. Only good way to test that without equipments (aside from eliminating other likely components) is to try everything on a different board.

Generally any bad component will cause an error beep at post (even a CPU) and most systems beep once just to let you know their turning on. If you're not hearing anything it's almost definately a bad mobo.
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OlyComputers is offline Offline
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

Thanks for the quick response. I'm kind of coming to grips that it probably IS the MoBo. Since my original post, I've found a few other examples of this board dying the same way. It's served me well for four years. I actually have access to another similar board and will go ahead and make the swap and let you know how it works out.

Thanks.
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Jul 8th, 2008
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

also pentium fours are built in to completely wipe out there wattage going to it if it finds an error
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

Click to Expand / Collapse  Quote originally posted by acejames1 ...
also pentium fours are built in to completely wipe out there wattage going to it if it finds an error
Can you tell me more about what this means?

FYI, I've tried different PSU's with same problem. Also swapped out MoBo's and had same problem. Then, all of a sudden, I determined with the alternative MoBo that one of the two sticks of RAM was problematic. With just one stick installed, I had no problem getting it to POST with the alternative MoBo. With both sticks, it returned error beeps.

That led me to think that the CPU and PSU were OK and that the RAM was the problem. But when I went back to the original MoBo, I couldn't get the single stick of RAM to work
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

I'd guess a bad mobo that damaged a stick of ram or bad ram that damaged the mobo. It would explain why you apparently have a defective ram chip and mobo.
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

Click to Expand / Collapse  Quote originally posted by OlyComputers ...
I'd guess a bad mobo that damaged a stick of ram or bad ram that damaged the mobo. It would explain why you apparently have a defective ram chip and mobo.
I was kind of afraid of that possibility. So it would be possible, then, for both the MoBo and RAM chip to go or to kill each other.

It's a bummer to lose this board. While I do have a replacement, it only has two SATAs on it and I have four SATA drives.

Thanks.
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Jul 11th, 2008
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

have you played around with your hardware yet ie RAM,external cards etc.It might be that some hardware had failed during your usual operation and Im sure you know if a defective card is attached to motherboard this behaviour is acceptable. Lets try to rule out all other posibilities before you install a new mobo
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

Click to Expand / Collapse  Quote originally posted by sittas87 ...
have you played around with your hardware yet ie RAM,external cards etc.It might be that some hardware had failed during your usual operation and Im sure you know if a defective card is attached to motherboard this behaviour is acceptable. Lets try to rule out all other posibilities before you install a new mobo
I ran through every conceivable combination of hardware so I'm pretty sure of the outcome, as much as I don't want to admit it. I'm picking up some new RAM today and will give the old MoBo one more try with that. But the one working stick is working just fine on the new MoBo, as is everything else.
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Re: PC Won't POST, Boot

ohk fair enough.if youre happy than thats it
any other q's you know where to ask though
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This thread is more than three months old

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