HP COMPAQ with no image to monitor..Help ?

Dunlaffin

Procrastastudy wrote: »

BDSM has been absent from PCs for sometime - the comment was more aimed at number66

Did you trace the cables?

I have just looked at every cable in the computer , As best I could , all seem well connected .

As I said before there are unconnected female connections number P4,P5 and P6 and a black one untitled. but there is nowhere logical to connect them that I can see. I believe they are for adding on something, dunno.

number66

Well, been quite a few years since I've been inside a PC, so not very up-to date, SATA drives are one of the pleasures I have missed out on

As for cracking the mother board, you may or may not see a issue of there is one. best way to check is place the drive in another computer and see if it works there.

cintec

You could go into the bios and reset it back to factory default settings and then try to see if it boots up.

one of the pictures you post shows an esc option to get into the boot menu press this and see if there is a hard drive option looking at the pictures your hard drive make is seagate this may come up.

If you look at the hard drive inside the pc there are two cable the skinny one is the data cable trace it to the motherboard and disconnect it look at the port it was plugged into it will have an L shape there should be 2-3 others spare plug the cable into one of them.

the cable on the right is the power for your hard drive see if there is a connector free there is usually several depending on the power supply if you find one identical disconnect the power cable going into the hard drive and put the new connector in.

Can you hear the hard drive spinning up, can you hear clicking?

Dunlaffin

Here are some menus that seem to suggest that the computer is blissfully unaware of the presence of the HDD.

Dunlaffin

cintec wrote: »

You could go into the bios and reset it back to factory default settings and then try to see if it boots up.

one of the pictures you post shows an esc option to get into the boot menu press this and see if there is a hard drive option looking at the pictures your hard drive make is seagate this may come up.

If you look at the hard drive inside the pc there are two cable the skinny one is the data cable trace it to the motherboard and disconnect it look at the port it was plugged into it will have an L shape there should be 2-3 others spare plug the cable into one of them.

the cable on the right is the power for your hard drive see if there is a connector free there is usually several depending on the power supply if you find one identical disconnect the power cable going into the hard drive and put the new connector in.

Can you hear the hard drive spinning up, can you hear clicking?

Yes I can hear is spinning, its definitely alive , to some extent. I switched the cable to,another port on the MB and it had no apparent effect. The ESC Boot Menu option only gives me two choices i have tried both of them , no difference, I have tried to find anything in the menus that gives the option to go to factory settings but cant see it anywhere.

Am i doomed , guys?

cintec

there should be a page in the bios were it says save changes or discard changes and exit, on this page there is a reset to default setting it is unlikely to work but is work a shot there is no telling how many changes have been made to your bios settings.

number66

Well, I'm running out of idea's. But I would still be surprised if that drive just happened to fail at the same time as the video card. The video card probably only has a faulty DVI socket or might just be the DVI converter cable, now that you removed it it should not matter. I'd be looking for a different computer with SATA to test the drive on. But as i said, been a while since I fixed PC's.

Dunlaffin

cintec wrote: »

there should be a page in the bios were it says save changes or discard changes and exit, on this page there is a reset to default setting it is unlikely to work but is work a shot there is no telling how many changes have been made to your bios settings.

Okay, found that , did that ... no effect apparent. yaaaarrggh !

Dunlaffin

number66 wrote: »

Well, I'm running out of idea's. But I would still be surprised if that drive just happened to fail at the same time as the video card. The video card probably only has a faulty DVI socket or might just be the DVI converter cable, now that you removed it it should not matter. I'd be looking for a different computer with SATA to test the drive on. But as i said, been a while since I fixed PC's.

Okay thanks for all the help. I think it may be time to give it a techie guy down the road, Hes retired but he might do me a favour..thanx guys , sorry I couldnt get a victory for the team..:o

It was interesting , thanks again , all of you.

Procrastastudy

If your in Dublin one of us would take a look at it for free. The issue is the HDD isnt being recognised so dont go spending a fortune it probably a very easy fix.

cintec

Dunlaffin wrote: »

number66 wrote: »

Well, I'm running out of idea's. But I would still be surprised if that drive just happened to fail at the same time as the video card. The video card probably only has a faulty DVI socket or might just be the DVI converter cable, now that you removed it it should not matter. I'd be looking for a different computer with SATA to test the drive on. But as i said, been a while since I fixed PC's.

Okay thanks for all the help. I think it may be time to give it a techie guy down the road, Hes retired but he might do me a favour..thanx guys , sorry I couldnt get a victory for the team..:o

It was interesting , thanks again , all of you.

It could be the hdd, the data cable or the motherboard if you had another hdd you could plug it in and test don't spend money on a hdd unless your sure.

Dunlaffin

I really appreciate that offer and am touched by the help you all have given me . I am 120miles away in the boonies.
The techie guy is not of the advantageous variety , he will be fair.
I will report back and give the details. Thanks again , you are all very kind.

Dunlaffin

cintec wrote: »

It could be the hdd, the data cable or the motherboard if you had another hdd you could plug it in and test don't spend money on a hdd unless your sure.

I am well equipped with info, the path is shining to victory.:cool:

Dunlaffin

The path to victory was a mirage... turns out we were flogging a dead horse. The HD is totally dead, dead dead... so says Mr Techie guy. So I let him keep the thing. Sorry for wasting your time, thanks for trying.

Procrastastudy

Put a new HDD in it and off you go so! Can be got for next to nothing.

Dunlaffin

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Put a new HDD in it and off you go so! Can be got for next to nothing.

I let techie guy keep the whole kit and kaboodle. Way I see it is, I'd rather have him owe me a fvour than have a dead computer sitting in my house for the next year. You're proabably going to tell me i'm stoopid...:o

Procrastastudy

Not at all - when you next need a PC post in the building and upgrading forum - we'll spec it then he can build it

Dunlaffin

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Put a new HDD in it and off you go so! Can be got for next to nothing.

I thought they were expensive , then Id have to get Windows and all that...pfffttt... seems like hassle. I know for guys like ye , its easy-peasy, and on another day I' might have done something different ..but What the Hey ?

Dunlaffin

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Not at all - when you next need a PC post in the building and upgrading forum - we'll spec it then he can build it

That sounds like a good idea.. I wonder , how much would it cost to build a really good home computer for doing things like surfing , skyping the usual... nothing fancy but just quality ? Bear in mind I've only got 1meg broadband here so I need optimisation more than bells and whistles.

Procrastastudy

Item|Price
4GB-Kit G-Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€19.22
Hitachi DESKSTAR 7K1000.C 500GB, 16MB, SATA II, 8,9cm (3,5")|€59.00
BitFenix Merc Beta|€33.20
Antec BasiQ VP350|€34.66
Samsung SH-222BB schwarz|€16.60
Intel Celeron G540 Box, LGA1155|€39.80
ASRock H61M-S (B3), Sockel 1155, mATX|€43.04
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€264.51

Plus €55 for Windows 7. KB and Mouse Gratis from ya man down the road and plug it into the telly. Wont play games but that can be sorted for about €50 more and a wait until October.

Dunlaffin

Its all Double Dutch to me ... except that bottom line ... that is unbelievable. I ain't never buying a PC again. Brilliant. I 'm going to treat myself next time I get a few quid.
This has all been very interesting .. thank you all agin. Hope to chat to you soon.

PS , I have to ask... why October?

Procrastastudy

Well at the risk of using more double Dutch AMD are releasing a Chip that does not only does the stuff a CPU does (like play video and solitare, Skype and surfing) but also plays games like Skyrim at reasonable fram rates (not jerky) on a TV.

Dunlaffin

I have notion in my head. A computer that I can expand , that I can put an "amp' in and get the mother of HI-FIs, remote control to get my emails on my plasma screen TV. A remote control mouse , to surf the net in a corner of the TV screen. Add a voice recognition thingy when it gets good enough. You know what I mean, Have a thousand tunes and videos lined up to come out of the telly. have XBOX linked through to the telly etc....One kickass Home computer system. Am I mad ?

Procrastastudy

Mines arriving Wednesday - that's called a HTPC (Home Theater PC)

This remote - works like a Wii: controler http://www.dealextreme.com/p/2-4ghz-portable-handheld-wireless-keyboard-with-mouse-usb-receiver-black-3xaaa-94535?item=79

Hooked up to my cheap surround sound system and 42" telly - I'm lucky I'm in a UPC area so I have 30Mb Broadband. Sky sub is canceled andwe're just going to use Netflix and 'other' sources.

Dunlaffin

2.4GHz Portable Handheld Wireless Keyboard with Mouse & USB Receiver - Black

Love it.. I knew I wasnt mad... the "USB Receiver" does that mean I could plug a camera into the keyboard remote and browse the photos on the telly ?

ED E

Dunlaffin wrote: »

2.4GHz Portable Handheld Wireless Keyboard with Mouse & USB Receiver - Black

Love it.. I knew I wasnt mad... the "USB Receiver" does that mean I could plug a camera into the keyboard remote and browse the photos on the telly ?

Noooooo. It means it has a little USB receiver to create the wireless link between the keyboard and the device.

number66

Just wondering if the USB receiver and the keyboard transmit encrypted data or in the clear?

ED E

AFAIK most of these things are unencrypted or use like 8 bit encryption, so very much not secure.

Procrastastudy

I book all my hookers on my wired connection.

Dunlaffin

ED E wrote: »

Noooooo. It means it has a little USB receiver to create the wireless link between the keyboard and the device.

Doh Sorry.. got carried away momentarily.