Alright, here goes... My computer won't boot... It won't even load up the bios... Nothing happens when I push the button to turn it on... I'm not a computer dummy, but I'm deff. no where near an expert either... I've put a couple computers together... I don't know what made me decide to try this, but I disconected my hard drive and it sounded like it was trying to boot... You know what I mean, like your computer sounds like its working harder when it boots, than at any other time, but when i reconnect it, it just sounds like its running... I tryed using a hard drive out of one of my old comps. and it still wouldn't boot... Any suggestions??????

It sounds like you 'may' be plugging the hard drive connector in upside down.
If you disconnect the hard drive, boot up and get a single beep when you power on, that means the motherboard, CPU and memory are ok.

No BIOS and no beeps usually indicates a problem with the CPU or a riser card that`s not seated properly.

When I disconnect the hard drive, the computer doesn't beep, it just sounds like its trying to boot... Also, there is only one way to plug the hard drive in... There is a little notch on the ribbon, and on the hard drive to prevent from doing so... Any other suggestions?

Possum, your suggsting that my CPU is bad?? I sure hope not?? Is there anything else that it could be?? I appreciate the info...

" it just sounds like its trying to boot"

Can you expand on that a bit?

If you have the speaker connected to the speaker pins and you do not get a beep and do not get a display the CPU is not running. the problem could be a bad motherboard or CPU. Or it could be a defective drive or card that is stopping the motherboard from operating correctly.

alright... What I mean by it sounds like its trying to boot is... When I don't have the hard drive connected, the computer sounds like it normally does when its trying to boot... If I connect it again, it just sounds like its running like when the OS is already loaded and stuff...

Ok I think I understand. It sounds like the system is working but you don't get any display, right? That means that the monitor is not working. Check to see if the monitor is plugged into the correct video card. If you have two video adapters, it is probably plugged into the wrong one.

I do have a video card, and an adapter, but they are all plugged in right... I even tried just plugging my monitor cable into my video card, and by passing the adapter... I don't think it has anything to do with the video, it just won't boot.. I don't know.. By this point, I'm pretty frustrated....

But you said it sounded like it was booting????
Have you tried plugging the monitor into the other adapter?
Are you sure that the monitor has AC power?

It's possible that one of the adapters is bad. Go into the bios and select each one for the default and connect the monitor to the one that you have selected and try booting.

If everything you have told me is correct, it's a monitor or video adapter problem.

I can't even get to my bios... I forgot to mention that it doesn't beep... Either when I have the hard drive connected, or when I dissconnect it... So I guess it's the CPU..? No display comes up at all... The monitor shows a blue rectangle with writing in it..

I am confused!
If it doesn't beep, that normally means that the CPU is not running. Bu that could mean that the speaker isn't working.

But when the hard drive is connected, it acts like it is booting. In other words, you can hear the hard drive accessing, that means it is booting.

I'm confused by what you have told me.

No, when the hard drive is disconnected it sounds like its trying to boot.... When its connected it doesn't sound like it wants to boot..

Between the last time it booted properly and the first time it didn't, did you do anything at all with it--add or remove any hardware, open the case, drop it, etc?

I think I will have to give up!

Too many confusing factors!

It is trying to boot, but no display indicates a monitor problem!

Not trying to boot when the hard drive is connected indicates a defective hard drive .

No beep indicates a possible bad motherboard or CPU problem.

I'm sorry Tyler! I'm gonna have to bow out and let a more knowledgeable person in.

The last time I booted it, it seemed like it took forever for it to boot.... I haven't done anything else besides that....

Disconnect the data and power connections from all the drives and remove all the cards except video. Keep track of which cards were in which slots. Reseat the video card, cpu and memory. Make sure their slots are clean. Make sure the cpu cooling fan is spinning.

Turn the computer on. Do you get a posting screen now? If not do you have another video card you can temporarily swap?

Tyler,
I suggest you to put your hard disk aside first. Try to isolate the problem, if you have another good PC. Try the monitor, hook it to the good PC. If it works, you can try insert your dislay adapter in the good PC and see if it works. If it does, set your PC minimally, unplug power to hard disk, CD ROM and floppy drive and also remove other cards like internal modem card etc. From my experience, if display adapter doesnt sit properly, the PC will not give single beep either. Try to push a bit the display adapter rightwise if you face the front of the PC box (of course after loosening the screw) and try again. In case of no display, remember that your indications are the speaker and the keyboard. Single beep means that your CPU pass mother board tests and detect the display adapter. Multiple beeps mean that there is error in display or memory but the CPU works. You can also see the 3 LEDs of your keyboard. First, soon after power up, the 3 LEDs light up for 0.3 second, and after 2 or 3 seconds, blinks together 2 or 3 times. If you don't hear the beep and the keyboard LEDs only light up after power-up then your CPU doesnt work and that means that you have to repair the mother board. If you can see display on the monitor, you can install the hard disk and try to boot. If not you can try to boot from Windows startup disk and try to access your hard disk by typing C: and press Enter. Good luck !
Jusman

hello tyler,

during boot the system follows a beep protocol ie.

if dosent beep processor is not seated

properly just press the processor card so

that it doesnt move, that should do it

or ur system is alive & doesnt like u

try talking to it ;)

Seems like you have a problem with your power supply. You could check the power supply wiht a multimeter. You have one of those around, don't you? Well if this is the case put the black lid on any of the black cables of the power connector (s) p1 for ATX motherboard or p8 and p9 for at. Then put the red lid on the yellow cable of the connector. A good voltage is between 11 and 13 volts. 10.5 you'll need a power supplay. Less than 10.5; you know why your computer is not booting. Also, if you have low voltage disconnect everything while keeping the testing, could be some device giving you probles and reflecting low voltage.