Computer Won't Boot

drwho · Aug 25, 2009, 05:58 PM

Yesterday I was moving my son's computer from our family room back to his bedroom and after de-assembling I took a can of air and cleaned out all the dust that had built up inside, then I re-assembled it back in his bedroom. I could not get the computer to boot. It would power up, but would not post. I was able to get it to post two times over a period of about an hour and a half. The first time when it posted as the computer was loading everything I had to hit F1 to continue. Once in windows I was asked to reboot at a certain point and the computer would not restart again. The second time I could not get all the way into windows. This second time was after I had cleared the CMOS. The first time time it booted the computer did beep once the second it didn't. I used my daughter's old computer from when she was in college and it booted fine with no problems. That at leats told me that the monitor and the DVI connectors weren't bad. At first I thought the video card was bad so I swapped out the old card for another and still encountered the same problem. I know the second video card was good because it was in my daughter's computer. Could the CMOS battery have gone bad, as I have thought about replacing it.

The computer has a Abit AN8 Ultra NForce4 motherboard with 1 gig of ram and a Hiper 550w PSU. To be truthful, I don't remember what processor is in it right now. The computer is running XP Home Premium. Any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

niceguyrichy · Aug 25, 2009, 06:16 PM

a bad cmos battery shouldn't be that much of a problem, its not that. (although never any harm in popping a new one in)
have you tested the memory yet?
pull a stick at a time and try to boot, swap in known working if you can.
do all the simple stuff first; double check everything is plugged in properly, swap the hdd cable if you can, re-seat everything, if you get it to boot again CHKDSK etc

half the time it's something reasonably simple rather than major hardware failure

**kris23** · Aug 26, 2009, 12:05 AM

sounds like RAM or mobo..... you didnt assemble this on carpet did you?

drwho · Aug 26, 2009, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris23

sounds like RAM or mobo..... you didnt assemble this on carpet did you?

Nope, hard wood table was used.

GigaWatt · Aug 26, 2009, 01:39 AM

try disassembling everything again and putting everything back in... sounds like a bad connection of some sort... maybe the RAM, or the CPU...

you may have moved some of the dust accidently into one of the RAM slots or the CPU socket... or, the dust was acting as a conductor between some of the pins of the RAM (or the CPU) and the socket pins of the motherboard and you blew it all away...

try jiggling the DIMMs and the CPU while they are mounted... that might solve the problem...

**kris23** · Aug 26, 2009, 01:42 AM

i would just try to reseat everything...... if that doesnt work.... try new RAM.... if THAT doesnt work.... new mobo

drwho · Aug 26, 2009, 02:42 AM

Well, I got my son's computer up and running again. All I can really figure is that I must have jiggled the CMOS battery. I had something similar happen long time ago with another computer. I tried clearing the CMOS again and got the computer to boot again and found settings had changed in the Bios (date, boot order, ect). Reset them and the the computer works like it should. As usual, guys, thanks. Always appreciate your help.

Aug 25, 2009, 05:58 PM	#1
drwho HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 572 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Computer Won't Boot Yesterday I was moving my son's computer from our family room back to his bedroom and after de-assembling I took a can of air and cleaned out all the dust that had built up inside, then I re-assembled it back in his bedroom. I could not get the computer to boot. It would power up, but would not post. I was able to get it to post two times over a period of about an hour and a half. The first time when it posted as the computer was loading everything I had to hit F1 to continue. Once in windows I was asked to reboot at a certain point and the computer would not restart again. The second time I could not get all the way into windows. This second time was after I had cleared the CMOS. The first time time it booted the computer did beep once the second it didn't. I used my daughter's old computer from when she was in college and it booted fine with no problems. That at leats told me that the monitor and the DVI connectors weren't bad. At first I thought the video card was bad so I swapped out the old card for another and still encountered the same problem. I know the second video card was good because it was in my daughter's computer. Could the CMOS battery have gone bad, as I have thought about replacing it. The computer has a Abit AN8 Ultra NForce4 motherboard with 1 gig of ram and a Hiper 550w PSU. To be truthful, I don't remember what processor is in it right now. The computer is running XP Home Premium. Any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated. __________________

Aug 26, 2009, 12:05 AM	#3
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Computer Won't Boot sounds like RAM or mobo..... you didnt assemble this on carpet did you? __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Aug 26, 2009, 01:39 AM	#5
GigaWatt Now In Color :D Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Macedonia, Skopje Posts: 2,116 Rep Power: 81 System Specs	Re: Computer Won't Boot try disassembling everything again and putting everything back in... sounds like a bad connection of some sort... maybe the RAM, or the CPU... you may have moved some of the dust accidently into one of the RAM slots or the CPU socket... or, the dust was acting as a conductor between some of the pins of the RAM (or the CPU) and the socket pins of the motherboard and you blew it all away... try jiggling the DIMMs and the CPU while they are mounted... that might solve the problem... __________________ It's not schisophrenia... it's just a voice in my head...

Aug 26, 2009, 01:42 AM	#6
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Computer Won't Boot i would just try to reseat everything...... if that doesnt work.... try new RAM.... if THAT doesnt work.... new mobo __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Aug 26, 2009, 02:42 AM	Thread Starter #7
drwho HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 572 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Computer Won't Boot Well, I got my son's computer up and running again. All I can really figure is that I must have jiggled the CMOS battery. I had something similar happen long time ago with another computer. I tried clearing the CMOS again and got the computer to boot again and found settings had changed in the Bios (date, boot order, ect). Reset them and the the computer works like it should. As usual, guys, thanks. Always appreciate your help. __________________