PC

bernard0368

Anyone know their way around a pc. Mine has died strangely too. It turns on I cant get Bios safe mode and the monitors are black. Checked the video card its fine. While I have 99% backed up I am at a loss as to what the hell this can be. there are some images that are not backed up and a couple I would really like to keep.

Prenderb

When you say you've checked the video card, what do you mean? Might be worth checking another monitor in it, if there's one spare or borrowable?

bernard0368

Yeah I changed the card for one I know works and I used a different monitor. I am stumped on this.

If worst comes to worst, download Ubuntu on to a cd and use the live disk to transfer your stuff off the machine.

This will work if the disk is still (mostly) ok

nilhg

If the POST screen is not coming up it looks as if the motherboard or power supply is dead, but hard to know without seeing it, does it make any beeping sounds? When you say it switches on what do you mean? Is it that the fans power up? If so which ones or all of them?

It doesn't seem that the problem is with your hard drive so you should be able to take it out and either put it in another machine or a drive enclosure and access all the files.

SinisterDexter

No sign of the bios is bad and good - means the problem is on the board somewhere (good). Bios is on the boards and tells the board to access the hard drive - therefore you haven't even got as far as the hard-drive.
The problem has to be on the baord and the cards attached to it(bad).
So what DOES happen when you turn on the machine? Fan on the back come on? Any beeps? Lights on the front blink - say if 'power', 'hard drive thinking' etc.

- and finally if you leave it turning on for 2 minutes and then hold in the power button at the front....
How long does it take to turn off? 2 seconds or 6?

Where are you based, if you need more help?

bernard0368

Sinster, all the fans come on there is a beep the light on board comes on must check the leds on the front.
I have thought of taking the hd out and checking it in another machine but this is sata and all the others available to me typically are not.

SinisterDexter

Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on?:p..... Why didn't I think of that earlier.


The longer it takes to turn off when you hold in the power button the better. 2 seconds means it hasn't actually got to the login on the hard-drive (even if you can't see it) So if it turns off quickly then it is still stuck with the bios, or beforehand.

Just make sure the cables are all plugged in (to the hard drive, motherboard) fully - I know it seems like a stupid statement but you never know.

bernard0368

sinster tried all this any help would be appreciated I am at a loss.

SinisterDexter

And what is the answer to the 2second/6second question?

bernard0368

about 2 seconds

SinisterDexter

Well I am at a loss aswell - I know you are either not getting as far as the hard-drive or not far into it.

For your photos - find another SATA m/c
For your comp - I dunno. I am based in Dublin if you are near and want me to have a look, but can't say I'd get much more out of it..... might notice something not right, but low chance. You need to know if it is your RAM, motherboard, cables... and I can't say. Sorry.

Chorcai

How handy are you with PC's ? Like would taking out dimms of RAM feak you out ?

If not, this is what I would try:

Take all extra items out, ie HDD/USB/Network cards.

Then insure all cables are fully in place. Check the CPU fan cable (it always gets me !)

And try the basic start up, if it does start up well and good. Now shut down and add one part reboot see if said part works, shutdown, add another part etc.

bernard0368

Thanks lads I will strip it back to basics and see how I get on. It is a build so I am fairly handy.

stick-dan

Sounds to me like a problem with your ram. Happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Someone just barely edged their foot of my PC tower and it unseated the ram. As previously stated if you are ok and know what you are doing to a sufficient knowledge base then take out the ram and re-sit it back in. If not you should note that if you touch the ram chips or indeed any of the other chips you run the chance of burning the chips out by touching them without grounding yourself to something metal. Just beware of that. Really does sound like a ram problem to me.Hope it turns out ok