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My mouse locked up while looking at some old emails. Pressing Cont. Alt. Delete did nothing. I turned the system off by holding in the power button. Then I started it again and no beeps at all and no monitor light. Is there anything I can do to boot this again and use it? I don't know many acronyms or computerese language.
Are there any lights on the computer at all when you power up, and can you hear any noises (such as fan running or other signs of activity)?
If so then try the monitor on another machine or someone else's on yours. If not then you have a hardware fault (power supply, motherboard, poor connection, or whatever).
We need full details of the situation.
DerekW
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Everything has been checked.Monitor "on" light is lit.
I thought significant that no beeps were heard at start up.
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But the "computer box" itself, is that stone dead, any lights or noises (as per my para 1 in #2)?
DerekW
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Apologies, the hard drive and fan both are definitly turning. Pilot lamp on tower is burning. Also another amber led on same.
Monitor works nicely on another computer. When the "reset" button is pushed, a green led lights once each on "E" and "D" CD drawers alternately.
It doesn't appear to be a bad connection. Nothing has been moved and the monitor signal quit immediatly after a re-start connected with a freeze up.
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More questions I'm afraid.
Can you just confirm that you used to get one bleep when booting, also that you see nothing whatsoever on the screen at any stage?
If you listen to the box as soon as you power on, do you hear clickety noises as if it is trying to load Windows?
Once you've done that try tapping F8 while it boots up again just to see if you get the startup menu (unlikely).
Subject to the above it sounds a certainty it is a hardware fault. Could be all manner of things but the sound card is a strong possibility.
Pop back, but if you are not happy inside the box you might have to take it to the repair shop - we'll see tho.
DerekW
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Yes, previous it did beep.
I don't mind the questions, all this HD contains is 3,000 of my old buisness emails. I need them for reference.
No clickety or wavering frequency noises as it spins up.
F8 diddling showed no screen.
I'm comfortable opening it up, I used to do automobile wiring.
Thank You for your attention!
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Well, all we know for certain is that the answer is inside the box.
The very first thing to do is reseat all connections - something might not have been pressed home too well and has lost contact.
As there seem to be no sounds of booting it is rather less likely to be the video card (although not impossible).
If it's not connections then I think the most likely possibility is RAM trouble. What you could do for starters is take out the RAM sticks (I can find a website with pictures if necessary). Clean the edge connectors with a pencil rubber, take the sticks in and out a few times to clear any socket tarnish then try booting again.
If this is no help you need to try just one stick at a time (assuming there is more than one) in first position. If it starts then you will be able to deduce which stick is faulty by substitution. The machine should boot with minimum RAM. When you get inside you will see how many slots are available/in use.
If you can find any info on the motherboard this will help. I'll hold off there and see how you get on.
DerekW
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.... here's a website about taking out and putting back RAM:
Strictly you should use a wrist band to prevent any danger of zapping due to static. It helps to not be wearing shoes and to touch the case just before pulling out the mains lead (while it's still earthed).
In essence you open the two clips then pull out the RAM. When putting it back ensure that it is nice and even and the right way round (there's a notch on the edge connectors) then push it evenly and firmly each end. The clips will close when it's inserted properly.
DerekW
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Here is a photo of my problem computer.
Are these the "sticks" with arrows pointing?
http://home.comcast.net/~tickpop/00_Old_Pentium_a.jpgIs the #1 slot the empty one I have marked or the other end?
I've just realized the fan housing DOES read Pentium.
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Yes indeed
Resist the temptation to close your request for help with semantically-null questions like “Can anyone help me?”
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I left the open slot alone.
Multi-pin contacts appeared bright and gold plated.
I swapped the two boards around whilst wearing an aggrivator clip & ground wire.
No change was noted after starting.
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If one of the sticks was faulty then swapping them around is unlikely to help. The system would still be trying to use the faulty stick (in another position).
Sure, ignore the empty slot and put one stick "on its own" in the slot at the other end (I'm assuming this is the first slot).
If that doesn't work try the other stick "on its own". No harm trying each stick in the middle slot but I doubt this would help.
I would still run a pencil eraser over the contacts. They often "look" clean yet still give problems.
It might not be RAM at all but it's worth a go because other possibilities are more tricky to sort out.
DerekW
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If it doesn't seem like the RAM is the problem, disconnect all the drives and remove all the cards except video. (If possible swap out your video card with another.)
If it boots to the posting screen then one of the devices you removed or disconnected must be the culprit.
If that's not it you may want to connect the HD (assuming it's good) to another computer to copy off the email information.
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Put in "sticks" one at a time.
Still no monitor activity.
Will these cards and sticks swap from alomost any garage sale PC computer?
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Not necessarily (but 'maybe')
As has been mentioned - it may not be a RAM issue, that is just one possibility - try what DAVE has suggested
Resist the temptation to close your request for help with semantically-null questions like “Can anyone help me?”
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No, don't assume any old RAM will do, and in any case I'm sure we've now proved it is not a RAM problem.
Run with DAVE. I've just had a similar problem on a machine (which turned out to be a one in a million possibility - a shorting USB socket).
Thx for popping in DAVE, I was about to go the same way but it got to the early hours here in the UK.
DerekW
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You're welcome. Hopefully it'll turn out to be something replaceable and not the hard drive.
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Ok first of all i would take all the cards out
the 2 ISA cards at the bottom should be taken out (the big black ones)
and the one under the graphics card (white slot)
Unplug all the big grey flat cables from the motherbord (make sure to put them back in the correct slot)
also make sure the graphics card is in the borwn AGP slot correctly
see if it boots with just the CPU RAM and GRAPICS CARD installed
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