So my computer won't even output a video signal on bootup. I hear no beeps indicating a good startup and all i hear is the fans spinning. Anyone have any experience with this? It just randomly started a few days ago. I can provide more information when I get home if needed?

9/2/2005 4:55:33 PM

Perhaps the processor is dead. Do you happen to have a spare one?

9/2/2005 4:58:20 PM

unfortunately no. I may just try to find a new cheap dell.

9/2/2005 4:59:02 PM

ok,

there are small led's on the mb, open the case and see if any are lit. they will be lit if it is just plugged in, does not have to be on(you know what i mean). if they are not, try to find a psu to borrow to try that, it is prolly that.

if they are lit, it is prolly your mb.

depending on the age of your computer, it will prolly be cheaper to replace than to repair.

9/2/2005 9:57:00 PM

Sounds like a video card problem to me. I have had this happen before, and sometimes all I had to do was reseat the video card and the computer worked fine.

9/2/2005 11:03:10 PM

^not video. it would post.

9/2/2005 11:06:43 PM

it is definitely a video problem if you have a PCI video card.

9/2/2005 11:19:41 PM

no beeps, but I'm not totally sure that it has beeped before on startup. I will attempt to reseat the video card. Also the CPU fan is running so I'm pretty sure that the MB is getting power. It's an AGP video card btw.

[Edited on September 3, 2005 at 1:00 AM. Reason : btw]

9/3/2005 1:00:08 AM

MB.

9/3/2005 11:30:27 AM

hahahaha, so apparantly there is an issue with my case. when i try to boot it up with the side door on the case the computer doesn't boot, when I take the side door off it boots fine. any ideas.

9/16/2005 4:33:49 PM

thats strange. i had a no-post problem with my computer once, but it turned out the "reset" button on the front was jammed in. oops

9/16/2005 6:46:45 PM

If it doesn't work when completely enclosed in case then the case could possibly be shorting it out somewhere...but since you said this just started then that doesn't seem to be the case.

I recently just purchased a new Motherboard and when I reinstalled everything I had the exact same problem. Mine turned out to the a bad processor.

You could also check your memory. Pull all your RAM out but one chip and put it in each slot and then try the other sticks of RAM, one at a time in each slot. See if it will post each time you move the RAM. Also, disconnect everything but the CPU, heat sink, power supply, and connection to speaker and boot it up and see if it beeps. If you have a video card in an AGP slot and that was the issue then more than likely you would get a POST beep error.

My guess is either bad MB or bad processor.

9/17/2005 1:44:29 AM

COuld be a couple things

Have you been messing with the internal components at all? Some dells won't let you start if the case isn't all the way together. Maybe you put reattached a cable backwards (though usually it's just a circuit check so shouldn't matter).

It could also be a grounding issue. If you aren't under DELL's warranty i know a guy who can check it out for you.

Mitsuba Intl (829-1804). He's been around for 15+ years and is in the office centers right aroud blue ridge cinema. Doesn't charge much either and actually knows what he's talking about when it comes to Dells. He's a 5'2" chinese man that grunts when you bring him a dell. It's worth the grunt.

9/17/2005 6:59:29 AM

a) its not a dell, its a home built pc of random odds and ends.

b) i know have no idea what the deal is. I'm gonna try pulling individual components and see if that narrows it down. could a bad power supply do this? it seems like if i turn off the PS then turn it back on it boots normally. the case thing might be coincidence

9/17/2005 11:41:58 AM

that last bit about turning the PSU off makes me think CMOS battery, but the other symptoms don't. I think your best bet is to just unplug shit until it works... if you get down to no memory, no peripherals, only CPU and motherboard with no beep code, then it's gotta be (at least) the CPU or motherboard. Or, I guess, the PSU, but I've never known a PSU to fail like that. It's usually more like pop goes the capacitor.

[Edited on September 17, 2005 at 1:52 PM. Reason : *]

9/17/2005 1:51:20 PM

yup, strip it to mobo, memory, processor, listen for the beep(assuming it beeps once for a good POST)

borrow and replace shit until you hear said beep or diagnose it as the mobo.

9/17/2005 3:30:15 PM

I'm not sure what may have caused it still but now when i boot i get a "cmos checksum error -defaults loaded". It asks me to push F1 to continue but of course in a drunken stupor i spilled water on my keyboard on Friday night and so I can't continue. grrrrrr. guess I'll go buy a cheap keyboard then return it.

[Edited on September 18, 2005 at 9:23 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on September 18, 2005 at 9:24 AM. Reason : btw: i'm in SC so I can't just borrow one]

9/18/2005 9:23:00 AM

that's sounding more like the CMOS battery

9/18/2005 9:28:11 AM

ok, sounds like i'll be getting a new one then

9/18/2005 9:52:31 AM

so today I broke the battery holder off the motherboard. I believe that was the issue though. Without the holder attached i can't boot up. If i hold the holder upto its connection point it boots up. any suggestions. is this something that could be manually reattached or is it new MB time?

9/18/2005 6:38:31 PM