So you've seen it all??? Check this PC problem out...............

[Dooin' it]

Athlon XP2000 system using ECS K7VTA3 mobo.

System runs fine for one year. Guy tells me (I built this for him a year ago) it quit working. Well, it powers up, but nothing on the screen.

I take this thing today & try all of these..................

Swap video card.........nope
Pull all cables & reboot.......nope

Swap mobo........nope
Swap PSU.........nope
Swap RAM.......nope
Swap CPU...........nope

Using new mobo, PSU, RAM and CPU and pulling all cables to just trying to POST w/ CPU, RAM and video...............same EXACT problem. Fans spin, but nothin' else.

I've checked all the mobo header plugs. ATX mobo plug. (old & new PSU & mobo) and still nothin'.

I've cleared CMOS. I've pulled battery. I've changed bus speeds. But NOTHIN'!!!!

I'm....COMPLETELY stumped on this one!!!!

Any guesses??

[sr71000]

check for something that may be making it short?

[The_Shooter]

It may be possible that the computer suffered a Surge? Have you tested each piece into a good working system? I would take the CPU, put it into a working computer, if it works, great. Then the RAM, then PSU, and mobo. There may be an issue with the PSU and mobo, or CPU and mobo, etc. Also, check the video card.
Do you hear any beeps when you turn it on?
My guess is the computer had a surge.

[RobRich]

I am with sr71000 on this one. Since you tried all new components, it sounds like you have a short somewhere. Make sure the motherboard is not grounding to the case.

[Dooin' it]

Keep guessin'...............


This one's gonna piss you off & I can only say by trial/error that this must've been the problem.

(Yes, I got it booted up about 5 minutes ago on the new mobo (I'm thinking now, that the old mobo might still be good too) & am slowly putting back all of the old components.)

What was it???????????


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............(I'm still no less pissed & concerned than I was at the beginning if that's a hint at all)

[Dooin' it]

Well, hold up.....................

To be honest.........I thought I had it, but now I'm 2nd guessing............

You see, the guy lives in AZ so his case has ALWAYS been dusty!!! And I meean DUSTY!!!!

Now, I've seen plenty dustier that work just fine, but it's the only thing I could think of. But here's the prob.

I was thinking there was dust down in the sockets & slots but then I got to thinking............."Wait, I put a new mobo in there.......clean as a whistle!"

So, maybe it was strictly about reseating the CPU????

Why were the symptoms EXACTLY the same w/ both mobos & both CPUs??????????????


I've literally got everything back in except the old mobo & my gut tells me the old mobo's just fine. So what the heck was it????????????????

[RamonGTP]

When you swapped out all those parts, did you do one at a time, then swap the old piece in and replace another? Or did you leave the new part in, and start swapping out other parts? I'm asking becuase I had a PC, and although it would power on, it started rebooting itself. I changed out the ram, same thing, so I put my old ram back in. Eventually I upgrade everything, but reused my ram, got the same problem. Ended that I actually had TWO bad components. My old CPU as well as the RAM had gone bad at the same time (presumably due to a power surge) So it is possible you might be dealing with more than one bad component.

[Dooin' it]

Well, and I would've thought the same thing.

After my drag racing days, I've learned............CHANGE O-N-E THING AT A TIME ONLY!!!!!!!!

So I did that.

The only thing that changed at the end of my endeavor (& admittedly was 2 things at once) was that I swapped the video card into another system to make sure the video card worked.....(& it did).

Then I put the video card back in the faulty system and then I reseated the CPU (2nd CPU 'cuz the original was sitting on my desk at the time) and the only reason I did that was 'cuz I couldn't think of anything else to do anymore.

Went over & the sucker booted. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Now, keep in mind, that since then, I put the old RAM back in. Old CPU back in. Old PSU back in.........(all one at a time).........and EACH time, it booted no problem.

So the only thing that's not how it originally was, is the mobo. And I'm bettin' good money that the old mobo will boot just fine now.


What in the world was it???????????

[sr71000]

i've seen that before as well...dead computer....put cpu from dead computer in moms and moms wont' boot...put it back in dead computer and it boots perfect

[Dooin' it]

Ya, it's just bizarre.

I wish I could say I knew what the faulty component was, but I have no idea.

My inclination........(since mobo & CPU were both known good replacements and working fine now)..............would be that it had something to do with the contacts on the video card.

I first considered either the Socket 462, but the pins on the old CPU looks great & old mobo may have been dusty, but then when I switched to the new mobo, any Socket 462 prob should have been eliminated due to both being clean, new surfaces........(considering I was using a new CPU now, too).

Then, I thought AGP slot, but again.........new mobo=clean slots. So the only variable leftover that I didn't slap something new in, would've been the video card..............but.................how in the heck would/could you get AGP contacts on the CARD (i.e. external) so dirty that it wouldn't POST???

I've never even tried it, but can a mobo POST if you have no video card at all???

I misseated the video card I tested last night on the other mobo & the PC flashed its MSG (green) LED at me 'til I seated it & rebooted so I thought I deducted that maybe *ultimately* it was video card after all, but I had already tried a video card swap here at work, so card issue should've been eliminated.

I'm just so freakin' lost on this one. I think it's.............GHOST IN THE MACHINE!!!!!!