help! pc is dead

[mark]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

The computer was given to me as is.I will tell you what I can,thre power
light comes on and the
fans turn the CD and DVD trays operate I get a black screen and no sound as
if it is trying to load up.It is a Compaq Presario 6000 AMD Athalon
Processer Model 1900.

What could be the cause of this? Could it be the CPU, video card, or
motherboard?
thanks for any help

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

mark wrote:
>
> The computer was given to me as is.I will tell you what I can,thre power
> light comes on and the
> fans turn the CD and DVD trays operate I get a black screen and no sound as
> if it is trying to load up.It is a Compaq Presario 6000 AMD Athalon
> Processer Model 1900.
>
> What could be the cause of this?

What all do you know about the machine? Why was it given to you?
Details, please. Has it ever been opened and worked on by the previous
owner? Anything they told you (about it) you should tell to us.

It's a fairly new, nice machine that obviously has a failed component.
Fix that one component, and you have a nice PC. Hope it's a RAM stick,
since that's cheap and easy to replace. You can try reseating the RAM
and the VID card, for starters. Maybe something is loose. I suspect
the vid card.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

>
> What all do you know about the machine? Why was it given to you?
> Details, please. Has it ever been opened and worked on by the previous
> owner? Anything they told you (about it) you should tell to us.
>
> It's a fairly new, nice machine that obviously has a failed component.
> Fix that one component, and you have a nice PC. Hope it's a RAM stick,
> since that's cheap and easy to replace. You can try reseating the RAM
> and the VID card, for starters. Maybe something is loose. I suspect
> the vid card.

It could be a loose or bad video card. That would be too easy, though.

As a computer is booting, the video card isn't initialized until late (in
computer terms anyway) in the boot process. Basically, the power supply,
CPU and mainboard have to all be working great or you might not get video
regardless of whether the video card is good or not. As the OP didn't
mention any beeps, I'm guessing the system isn't running POST. IF the
computer isn't running POST, then something very basic is wrong. Try
unplugging the computer and clearing the CMOS first. In fact, try that a
few times. If still no video and no error beeps from the mainboard, inspect
the mainboard capacitors closely, look for leaks, bulging and tilting
(bulged on the bottom). If none of the caps look bad, you might try
reseating the CPU. Just be sure to get the HSF fan properly reinstalled
afterward. It could also be a bad power supply. Yes, the power light could
come on and the optical drive trays could operate even if the power supply
is bad. -Dave

 

[mark]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

ToolPackinMama and Dave C. :

THANKS SO MUCH guys! I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this.
The PC is fixed, and I'd like to tell you the story (and also have it in the
google archives in case anyone else comes across this in the future):

I saw a classified ad online from someone local to me who stated the
following:

begin ad:

Title: proview 15 LCD monitor

Will trade monitor towards bill for anyone willing to repair my compaq
presario 6000.
It will not power up.

:end ad

So that was it. I emailed him, since he was so nearby, saying that I would
trade fixing the PC straight up for the LCD monitor. I am not a tech. That
said, I've fixed a number of PCs in my day, have done many upgrades, etc.
After looking at the specs of the machine online and seeing that it is still
a good (speed/spec-wise) PC, I immediately figured, based on the limited
info in the ad above, that it was probably just the power supply. Since I
had a spare one around I took a shot and emailed him asking if he could tell
me more about the PC.

Here's what I got back in the reply:

>Hi Mark.
>
>The computer was given to me as is.I will tell you what I can,thre power
>light comes on and the
>fans turn the CD and DVD trays operate I get a black screen and no sound
as
>
>if it is trying to
>load up.It is a Compaq Presario 6000 AMD Athalon Processer Model 1900.
>I already have a flat screen monitor so I have no need for the Proview, I
>hooked it up and it
>works fine you can check it out if you want,If you are still intrested
let
>
>me know and I will
>contact you after work to drop it off the tower.

After seeing this, I figure I might have gotten myself in too deep, because
based on this info it could have been the following (please let me know if I
am wrong on any of these assumptions):

CPU, power supply, memory, motherboard, and video card (I had a feeling it
would be the video card, but I was really worried that it had integrated
video card - my guess is, and please tell me if I'm wrong, that if the
integrated video chip goes then the mainboard should just be replaced since
the rest is suspect?).

While the power supply and memory would have been fairly easy for me to
check, the CPU and mainboard would have been risky because I would have had
to buy one each to know for sure. I told him I'd give it a shot. He brought
it over this afternoon. Here's what I did:

I set up the PC to operate so I could see what the issue was. I turn it on,
and as he stated, the thing powers up and the drive lights spin for a second
but then it just sits there. No beeps, no output to the monitor. I restart
it and it does the same thing.

So I pop the cover and immediately notice that there sure is a lot of dust
in this thing. I look and sure enough, unfortunately it had the integrated
video onboard (fairly nice too - nvidia gforce2 mx 400).

The only other quick and easy thing to do, and the first thing to do, was to
reseat the ram. It had a single PC2100 DIMM in one of the two slots. I pull
it out and immediately notice that one side is COVERED in dust. I also
notice that the memory slot side is LINED with a thick coat of dust! I start
to get excited, saying to myself, "this ain't gonna be this easy....you know
that...."

So I take my time, go upstairs and get the vacuum (my can of compressed air
not to be found...), and blow the thing out and vacuum out the memory slot
using of course the plastic vacuum extension.

I pop the DIMM back in and IT WORKED! Thing booted right up! And the best
part - I'm now watching the screensaver bouncing across my new Proview 15"
LCD monitor! It does have one stuck pixel (red too, yuck), but I need to buy
a new PC for my wife who wants one upstairs in our living room so while she
is home all day with our newborn and toddler she can check email. Money is
tight. This really helps me out becauee I knew I didn't want a big fat CRT
in my living room, and these LCD's are expensive.

So everything is great, I am going to go the extra mile and buy a couple of
cans of compressed air and use one to blow out the rest of his PC and also
give him a can as a gift : )

Thanks again guys - I'll soon be posting a question regarding which small
form factor/barebones PC to buy so I can hook my wife up finally. I'm
thrilled!

--
mark
___________________
www.sixstringtheory.com


"mark" <Ih8SpamminScum@especiallyyours.net> wrote in message
news:n875d.242$va.155@trndny03...
> The computer was given to me as is.I will tell you what I can,thre power
> light comes on and the
> fans turn the CD and DVD trays operate I get a black screen and no sound
> as
> if it is trying to load up.It is a Compaq Presario 6000 AMD Athalon
> Processer Model 1900.
>
> What could be the cause of this? Could it be the CPU, video card, or
> motherboard?
> thanks for any help
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

>
> So I take my time, go upstairs and get the vacuum (my can of compressed
air
> not to be found...), and blow the thing out and vacuum out the memory slot
> using of course the plastic vacuum extension.
>
> I pop the DIMM back in and IT WORKED! Thing booted right up! And the best
> part - I'm now watching the screensaver bouncing across my new Proview 15"
> LCD monitor! It does have one stuck pixel (red too, yuck), but I need to
buy
> a new PC for my wife who wants one upstairs in our living room so while
she
> is home all day with our newborn and toddler she can check email. Money is
> tight. This really helps me out becauee I knew I didn't want a big fat CRT
> in my living room, and these LCD's are expensive.
>
> So everything is great, I am going to go the extra mile and buy a couple
of
> cans of compressed air and use one to blow out the rest of his PC and also
> give him a can as a gift : )
>
> Thanks again guys - I'll soon be posting a question regarding which small
> form factor/barebones PC to buy so I can hook my wife up finally. I'm
> thrilled!
>
> --
> mark
> ___________________


Wow. Yup, dust is a killer. For future reference, don't use a vacuum
cleaner anywhere near a computer. A vacuum cleaner is an extremely
efficient static electricity generator, especially if you use plastic
attachments with it. But it sounds like everything turned out OK. I would
have thought a dusty dimm slot would have generated error message/beeps
during POST. But good work. Enjoy your new monitor. -Dave