Korean Job Discussion Forums

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003

Thought I would post this here since we're all in Korea and if there could possibly be an electrical voltage factor (i.e. 220 vs 110)...

My computer powers on, but it won't start up or "fire up."

My computer is set up only at a "minimum." Just the power supply, which is hooked up to the motherboard, of course the CPU and RAM modules are in place properly, video card is in, and the "on/off" switch is connected to the proper MOBO pins. (I had both my MOBO as well as video card tested at a repair shop in Yongsan a few weeks ago, they both tested perfectly fine).

Push on/off button, ram_led turns on, CPU and power supply fans spin, so it's turned on alright, however there is NO output to the monitor. The monitor is apprently still in "sleep" mode even though the comp is "on." Furthermore if I connect both the 3.5 floppy as well as the Hard drive up with proper IDE cables, the HD does NOT start spinning.

So it's like the comp powers on, but doesn't actually "fire up" and the monitor doesn't detect it.

I know the vid card is connected correct because if or when I disconnect the monitor cable from vid card, the monitor then flashes warning signal "no connection to computer."

Shincheon_Blues · Joined: 16 Dec 2003

If the hard drive isn't spinning up, I'll be willing to bet it is your power supply.
Don't skimp on the power supply. Get an Enermax or other name brand with redundant fans. It'll cost more, but will last. 350W should do the trick. W85,000 at the electronics mart.

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003

Interesting. Somebody else also guessed Power supply. He said something like even though the "fan lights" came on for his PS, his PS unit was fried or something.

Actually, I have 2 different power supplies at my disposal. One is an Allied 400watt dual fan. The other, almost brand new and I bought it at Yongsan for 37,000w, is a basic 350watt dual fan. Both of them sound as though they are fired up completely at turn on because the fans inside the PS spin and the RAM_LED light turns on.

But NO, when I do hook up the Hard Drive to the power supply as well as the IDE cables, it seems as though there is no activity with the HD (no spin). However even when I attempt to turn on the computer ONLY with MOBO hooked up (meaning it should at least access the BIOS chip and then say "hard drive not detected"), there is no output to the monitor. Even though the PS and CPU fans all spin and the RAM_led light turns on and it sounds like it is on, the HD won't spin and the computer monitor apparently doesn't detect there is any signal from the computer. (however, when I disconnect the monitor from the video card, the monitor lights up and says "connection bad, please reconnect," which is normal.)

But anyways this happens with BOTH power supply units. I guess there's a cold chance that both power supplies could be fried, but why I don't know unless I must have screwed up both of them.

But still, if the power supply was fried, do you think it would still spin all of the fans and the LED lights would come on still?

Shincheon_Blues · Joined: 16 Dec 2003

If the fans are spinning up, it is putting out 12V. Hmmm. Have you tried the HD in another sys? You may have a bad MB. I'd let a computer shop do the swapping on their equipment myself. If the is a major issue, let them fry their equip testing yours. Either way, you need a known working system to swap parts with...

I trashed my spare system testing a peripheral for a buddy last year. Should have had him take his system to the store. 20/20 hindsight.

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

I would wager that you a shiny doughnut that you forgot to hook up the CPU power line. It's a four-prong square jack that plugs into a slot near the CPU. It's a new power line introduced when the Pentium 4s came out (I don't recall seeing it previously)

At the very least, the symptoms match.

jaebea · Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Location: SYD

I don't think it's that simple, but I guess it's worth checking.

The machine doesn't seem to be POSTing. Are there any audible beeps?

The symptoms you've listed suggest perhaps reseating the RAM, making sure they're in the right slots. It can be easy to place your DIMMS in the wrong order as slot0 would need to be banked before slot1 or slot2 etc etc.

Underpowered PS could be another issue, as was mentioned by SincheonBlues. Looks pretty suspect, well worth checking out.

Even if the HD wasn't plugged in, or unpowered, it should still POST and list an error when scanning for IDE devices (Primary Master/Slave and Secondary Master/Slave).

I recommend unplugging and reseating everything, from the videocard to the CPU and the RAM.

Only plug in the pins for the power and reset buttons. Don't worry about the LEDS.

jae.

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

jaebea · Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Location: SYD

Fair point, but there's no guarantee that coffeecup is on a P4 platform.

I know that Athlon platforms based on the nForce2 chipset are picky when it comes to using 2 DIMMS, but you're right. It should at least POST, even if the 2 DIMMS are in any configuration (if my memory serves me correctly), if not optimally.

However, if you're playing with one DIMM, I'm sure that there are going to be errors if there are absent slots. I can't confirm this in any case.

Coffeecup, please get back to us when you've identified and fixed the problem. Thanks.. :)

jae.

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003

Yah actually Jeabea is right, I'm running AMD Athlon XP-2000, a Gigabyte mobo (ga-7vaxp), and Corsair 256m pc-3200 ram Cas2 (1 stick)... Video card MSI gf3 ti-200 ... Don't have nForce2 chip.

Well here's another thing I tried.

Completely took the mobo out of the case and placed in on a flat surface. Hooked up to a 400w power supply also out of case. Switched on. Still no output to monitor (monitor stays in sleep mode). However the interesting thing, on this out-of-case trial run, this time the MOBO (and system speaker) made the usual and "healthy" clicking sounds, you know that "click... click click" light sound as any computer fires up? Got it this time out of case, however not last time. But no, at turn on there are no other audible beeps or signs of life of a fully normal computer. The "click" sounds are the really light ones, however that "BEEP" type sound we're all familiar with is no where to be heard.

But still when I hooked up to Hard Drive, no spin no life.

About Gord's point, yah that's the same thing I keep thinking, "there's just some power plug I've forgot to hook up somewhere." But don't know of any right now.

For now, got power supply main plug going into mobo 12v slot. That distributes to everything else, supposedly (?).

Only using one stick of ram, in the slot closest to CPU (first slot). Never had previous problems with only one stick in this machine.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Check the battery on the board.

Find the jumper on your board that will reset the cmos to factory defaults.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

So? Time for an update- Is it working yet or what?

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003

Oh, just as I'm going offline (at the pc bang) hehe. Well still not good.

Next stop is take the power supplies (or perhaps the whole damn box if I wanna carry it) to Yongsan see if I can get someone to test out the PS unit voltage and make sure it's putting out proper electricity.

I mean it fires up the MOBO fine, all fans spin regular, RAM_LED lights on, but the HD makes no noise and the monitor doesn't read any activity. Man aren't PCs strange... So no HD spin and no output to monitor. (And again MOBO and vid card test few weeks ago were perfect). For now I am assuming battery on board is good (mobo only a year old) and as for CMOS reset didn't see any jumper for that yet. BTW when you say CMOS reset do you mean it also resets the AWARD BIOS back to the original?

Oh yah, I tried the above mini list (3) options but nothing. So should try to post again here late tonight (Tues)...

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Coffeecup · Joined: 30 Jun 2003

Darn I wasn't able to make it there today. Definately planning either tomorrow after work or latest is Thursday for sure.

Yah, I think safe bets are on the power supply, even though one would imagine that with a weak PS the HD would still kick a little life or something... It's like some parts work perfectly, some no life...

This one is indeed a brain teaser. Will post again in the next couple of days for sure. I just hope the guys at Yongsan know what they heck they're doing and don't try to just get money out of me. Write again.

sadsac · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Gwangwang

Reading through all that has been advised and it's all practicle and factual, check the jumpers on your HDD and make sure it is set to master. Also the advice on the J5 jumper to reset your CMOS is very good advice. Also check your power supply and ensure that it is set to 110 not 220, if it has that function. Not hearing the POST beep is interesting, is the CPU fan spinning up?