CPU ISSUES

[Davyie]

I own a HP Compaq pentium 4 CPU. I have been having quite an issue with it. The problem being that it wont boot.It has two lights on its casing one lights up in green while the other lights up in orange. It also has a network card connected to its expansion slots. This network card used to previously light up in green but it does not light up anymore! The fan rotates okay and hence I have presumed that the PSU has no problem. Power on the CPU it starts up for about 2 seconds then goes off it then lights up after about 5 seconds. During all this the entire system never boots.. How do I rectify this problem?

 

[mike99]

Check/refit CPU coller, it may have come loose, would cause thermal shutdown, as you describe. Could still be PSU! Quick test, borrow a known good PSU and connect it from outside case to test. If no change, disconnect all cables and adapteercards, remove all memory. Power on and it should give continuous series of beeps for no memory. If not, is motherboard or CPU)if known good PSU). More likely to bge motherboard than CPU.

Mike.

 

[tobensg]

Have you made any changes to your PC, added or changed any components? The problem realy could be any of the above.

 

[slopez]

To be honest, this doesn't sound like much of a CPU issue... unless you tried to OC it and fried the thing! More like motherboard or PSU failure! Are there any burst capacitors on your motherboard or some such?

 

[Davyie]

Have you made any changes to your PC, added or changed any components? The problem realy could be any of the above.

I haven't made any changes to the system of late I have only replaced the processor with one that is known to be working yet I get no change to the problem! Got more ideas?

 

[Davyie]

Check/refit CPU coller, it may have come loose, would cause thermal shutdown, as you describe. Could still be PSU! Quick test, borrow a known good PSU and connect it from outside case to test. If no change, disconnect all cables and adapteercards, remove all memory. Power on and it should give continuous series of beeps for no memory. If not, is motherboard or CPU)if known good PSU). More likely to bge motherboard than CPU.

Mike.

I have tested the power supply unit and removal of the memory yet my problem is still persistent......Do you think removal then return of the CMOS baterry would change the situation??????

 

[jsc]

How have yu tested the PSU?

My basic troubleshooting procedure:

First, the new build checklist:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-build-post-checklist

Yes, I know it is not a new build, but you never know. This is an application of my DSSF (Do Simple Sh!t First) principle.

Remove the CMOS battery and wait, oh, 15 minutes. This works just often enough to be worth doing.

Next steps require a system speaker. That's the little thingie that gives a short beep when your system boots.

Disconnect everything from the motherboard except the CPU and HSF, the two power cables going to the motherboard, and case power switch. Boot. You should hear a series of long single beeps indicating missing memory. Silence here indicates, in probable order, a bad PSU, motherboard, or CPU - or a bad installation where something is shorting and shutting down the PSU.

If you get the long beeps, add a stick of RAM. Boot. The beep pattern should change to one long and two or three short beeps. Silence indicates that the RAM is shorting out the PSU (very rare). Long single beeps indicates that the BIOS does not recognize the presence of the RAM.

If you get the one long and two or three short beeps, test the rest of the RAM. If good, install the video card and any needed power cables and plug in the monitor. If the video card is good, the system should successfully POST (one short beep, usually) and you will see the boot screen and messages.

Note - an inadequate PSU will cause a failure here or any step later.
Note - you do not need drives or a keyboard to successfully POST (generally a single short beep).

If you successfully POST, start plugging in the rest of the components, one at a time.

 

[mike99]

If you removed all the memory and it didn't beep, is motherboard, CPU or PSU! Have you cleaned and re-fitted the CPU cooler? If, as you say, it shuts off after a few seconds, sounds like loose cooler or faulty PSU.

Mike