PC died. Please help...

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TheYak

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Hi guys,

I need some help, please.

I was busy in Photoshop last night, editing some shots I took over the weekend when my machine froze.

I restarted it, and it didn't want to boot up at all. So I thought it might be the screencard giving me problems again. I swapped it with an old card, but it still did the same - nothing.

I ended up ripping (almost literally) all the cables and just keeping the bare minimum in the machine, but it still won't boot up. The power switch also doesn't work 100% - it switches the machine on, but holding it in doesn't switch the machine off.

I haven't changed anything on the machine in yonks. It's been running fine, until last night.

What I did notice, and I don't know whether it is of any relevance, is a red LED shining right next to the memory slots. It's on whether there is memory in the machine or not. Although the machine didn't sound any beeps to indicate that there is something wrong with the memory. There is another light like this to the left of the last PCI slot.

You can see the light here

Does anyone have a clue what could be wrong here?

I have a Thermaltake LANFire box and the motherboard is a LANParty PRO875B Rev B1

Please help... :(

Thanks,
A very very sad and frustrated Yak.
 
Hey Yak, hows it my frothing-at-the-mouth-beast friend?

A lot of motherbaords have a LED that glows to show when the power is connected, have you reset the BIOS?
 
LOL! It was only a slight drool, not frothing! :D

I have not reset the BIOS, no. I have no idea how to do that. I feel so stupid - I used to be able to do this ****, now I just stare at all the wires and go "d'urrrrr"

Guess that's what happens when you lose track of what's happening in the hardware industry, eh?
 
Reseting the BIOS is easy.

Easiest is to unplug the PC from the power mains, then take out the little battery thats on the motherboard, wait a minute and then put it back in, and thats it...
 
That'll be the first thing that I try tonight, fer sure.

How will that help though? If you don't mind me asking? Or is that like Step 1 of "What to do when your computer dies"? :)
 
yep. step 1. It puts all the BIOS settings to their default, most stable (normally slowest) option to ensure that a BIOS setting is not out of whack and preventing startup...
 
m'kay, I shall do that.

According to the manual (here), the LED I'm referring to is the DIMM Standby LED. Should the Standby LEDs be lit when the machine is ON?

Ugh, I hope my motherboard didn't see it's backside :(
 
Since the little red light glows i beleive your PSU is ok, wouldnt hurt to try another PSU just to rule it out.

A few questions:
1) Do you see anything on your monitor?
a) Yes = Bios or CPU Overheating
b) No = Hardware

2) When you press the power button does the CPU and PSU Fan spin? - No = Mother Board. You can mypass your Power Switch by using a screw driver to short the pins.

3) Are there any beeps?
a) 0 = Motherboard
b) 1 (Short) = hardware OK
c) >1 = Hardware

http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml

4) Have a look at your CPU - Any visible burn marks?
a) Yes = CPU Busted, replace Fan and CPU.

5) Try booting with no ram, see if you get warning beeps beeps.
a) Yes = RAM

6) Did you have any lighting activity in the area?
a) Yes = Maybe fried MB

You can PM me if you have any more questions or need any more assistance.

Sincerely,

ZA_Medic
 
Just one general question I have to anyone who can answer...can lightning still damage a motherboard or a PCI card when the computer is off and the mains are off as well?
 
Hi ZA_medic

1) Do you see anything on your monitor?
Nope. Nothing.

2) When you press the power button does the CPU and PSU Fan spin?
Yep. The whole machine comes on, the power LED doesn't come on and the HDD LED is on permanently. Both the CPU and the PSU fans do spin.

3) Are there any beeps?
Nope. Nothing.

4) Have a look at your CPU - Any visible burn marks?
I did check, and didn't see anything.

5) Try booting with no ram, see if you get warning beeps beeps.
Nothing.

6) Did you have any lighting activity in the area?
Nope, not that I know of. We weren't at home this weekend, but the machine did work last night
 
Mainboard or CPU may be fried. You say it powers on when you push the button...
This means that some sort of instruction is getting to the CPU. If you can get a spare CPU to troubleshoot, that would be great. Be careful to do the whole cooling unit thing when connecting up the new CPU tho - don't risk leaving it off for a second. The LED's indicate that there is power to the various busses - PCI/Memory. Just a warning not to touch and a sign that power is OK. Unplug all but the PSU, CPU, RAM when testing. Remove all drive IDE / SATA connectors as well as any stiffy drive data connectors. Make sure your secondary power connectors are in properly (you have the bigger one from the PSU to motherboard and a smaller one to the motherboard - reseat both).
 
Yep, it does power up - CPU fan and PSU fans both turn. The BIOS text doesn't come up at all and, as mentioned, pressing the power button again doesn't switch the machine off, I have to switch it off at the back.

I have a PIV Celeron machine... really stupid question: Could I test that CPU on this board?
 
feo said:
Just one general question I have to anyone who can answer...can lightning still damage a motherboard or a PCI card when the computer is off and the mains are off as well?
Click to expand...


I theory yes. I have a friend who suffered a dirrect strike to his saterlite dish, and it blew everything in his house.

The funniest was the Alarm sensors on the windows which flew accross the room.

In order for the power to jump a plug that is turned off you basicly need a direct strike.
 
I highly doubt that it was a lightning strike though. Like I mentioned, it was working and I was busy on it when it died - there was no heavy weather.
 
TheYak said:
I highly doubt that it was a lightning strike though. Like I mentioned, it was working and I was busy on it when it died - there was no heavy weather.
Click to expand...

My Money would be on your mother board that is kaput.

Hopefully its still under warrenty, is so give it in. BEWARE - I once took a mother board into Rectron who took 4 weeks to repare (No swapout or replacement) just to give me back a faulty motherboard, then they swapped it out. Insist on a swap out!!!

If you would like to buy a new one I get all my hardware through Digital Planet (I do not work or have any financial interest in them, promise).
 
LOL @ SSB... I wish... Anyone have a clue who the distributors for LANParty motherboards are in SA?

What I can't understand is how the motherboard just... died... One moment I was still working, and the next moment it's just dead... ftw?! :(
 
feo said:
Just one general question I have to anyone who can answer...can lightning still damage a motherboard or a PCI card when the computer is off and the mains are off as well?
Click to expand...
Yes, infact anything that is connected to a power source, even electronics

PS> TheYak where are you posting from if your pc is ded? ;)

PPS> Didn't happen to buy it from any Person, heh? :rolleyes: ;) :p
 
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