[mad_max]

Hello,

I'm having a problem with my desktop computer. After I hit the power button it tries to start up, reads from the CD drive but it stops right there and starts all over again. The screen remains black all the time. I thought it could've been a PS problem, bought a new one but the problem remains the same.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

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Hi mad_max sorry to hear you are having this issue.
You need to provide information about your computer, this includes is it
a custom build or brand name such as Dell or HP and if it is provide the
model name or series number, motherboard and any add on card details
would also help others to assist you better.

[phillpower2]

Hi mad_max sorry to hear you are having this issue.
You need to provide information about your computer, this includes is it
a custom build or brand name such as Dell or HP and if it is provide the
model name or series number, motherboard and any add on card details
would also help others to assist you better.

[mad_max]

Hello again,

Here are the specs for my custom built PC:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 6000+ 3.0 GHz
Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe
2x OCZ 2GB 800MHZ DDR2
2x XFX GeForce 8600GT XXX Edition
My PSU is a Corsair 750TX 750-W

It's running WinXP.

Thanks for your help in advance

Edited by mad_max, 01 September 2010 - 08:12 PM.

[SRX660]

If the computer is still running( fans, power supply, etc)and you have the BIOS set to boot off the CDrom drive first, more than likely your hard drive has died or the Master Boot Record has been corrupted. The easist way to tell is to insert a XP CD in the cdrom drive and see if the computer boots off it. If so, then the HD is the problem. If not then the problem is probably the motherboard. One way to check the HD to see if it is working at all is to stick it in another computer and see if you can see the files on it. If you cansee the files on a different computer it may just be a bad boot record(MBR). On SATA drive computers you may have to use a external enclosure to see the files.

http://pcsupport.abo...t/repairmbr.htm

SRX660

[mad_max]

If the computer is still running( fans, power supply, etc)and you have the BIOS set to boot off the CDrom drive first, more than likely your hard drive has died or the Master Boot Record has been corrupted. The easist way to tell is to insert a XP CD in the cdrom drive and see if the computer boots off it. If so, then the HD is the problem. If not then the problem is probably the motherboard. One way to check the HD to see if it is working at all is to stick it in another computer and see if you can see the files on it. If you cansee the files on a different computer it may just be a bad boot record(MBR). On SATA drive computers you may have to use a external enclosure to see the files.

http://pcsupport.abo...t/repairmbr.htm

SRX660

All right, let's hope it's just a bad MBR. I'll try what you suggested tonight and let you know how it went.

Thanks!

[mad_max]

Well, I just tried the WinXP boot CD and the results were the same.

It doesn't even get to the screen where the system specs are shown (CPU, RAM and so on).

Should I rule out everything else and get a new motherboard?

Any other suggestions/tests?

Thanks!

[Alzeimer]

Unplug your power cord

Reset your CMOS settings first

Just plug your video card and one stick of ram.

Plug it back and boot your system.

also make sure your screen is actually still working (just in case).

Let us know if you still cannot get it to post.

[mad_max]

Unplug your power cord

Reset your CMOS settings first

Just plug your video card and one stick of ram.

Plug it back and boot your system.

also make sure your screen is actually still working (just in case).

Let us know if you still cannot get it to post.

Can you please explain me how to reset my CMOS settings?

Thanks

[phillpower2]

The easiest way is to remove the silver CR2032 battery on the MB for a few moments and then replace it.
Make sure you remove the power cord from the wall first and take anti static precautions before touching
anything inside the case, you can do this by touching a bare metal part of the case.
When you boot up again be sure to go into the BIOS and re-set the time and date and save and exit.

[SRX660]

If the computer reads the CDrom drive then the motherboard is working. Are you getting any beep codes? Perhaps you just cant see anything because the video card is bad.

SRX660

[mad_max]

Well I tried clearing the CMOS removing the battery and I also tried changing a jumper that I found on the motherboard documentation and I got the same outcome, the PC didn't post anything.

What's your conclusion? Is it the motherboard?

Thanks

[mad_max]

Hello all,

Well, after some failed attempts I managed to plug my hard drive to a friend's computer and it did work, I was able to access the files inside it and copy some of them to a DVD. It was not the master drive, my friend's HDD was the master.

Any ideas on what could this be?

Thanks!