How to ask for troubleshooting help V2

The idea here is to help you organize your thoughts and communicate effectively. Remember, the more work you put into your post asking for help, the more likely we are to want to help you. 200 word paragraphs with no punctuation will not help your cause.

Even though I made this all look very regimented, we could care less if you follow this exact format. This is just to help you figure out what you need to say.
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Step one: Title
Don't title your post "Help!" or "I'm Stuck!" because we already guessed that. Try to make your title attract the right person that will know how to help.
Examples:
No lights, no fans!
P5Q and Q6600 locks on post
Hard drive squeaks


Step two: The Opening
Make your first sentence or two a BRIEF STATEMENT of the problem. "My computer stopped working" is not helpful. "I can no longer see anything on my screen or hear any noises from my computer" is better.

Step three: History
When was the last time the computer worked right?
Was there something that happened right before things got bad?
Did you install some hardware?
Did you install some software?

Step four: The Full Story:
Tell us exactly what is happening.
This might include the sequence of sounds or lights when you press the power button. Careful observation on your part might well make the difference when old hands are figuring your problem out.
Write down error messages as they happen then include those. If the problem is a lock up, say what kind of lock up.
Is it just the program that locks?
Does the operating system lock up?

Step five: The specs
List each one of the parts in your computer. This must be a full list. If some parts are from an older build, this might be important.
CPU
Motherboard (model number)
RAM (Model number, speed, timings, voltage)
CPU cooler (stock or not, model if applicable)
Video Card (model number)
Power Supply (model number, or company and wattage at least)
Hard drive(s)
Operating System
Case (for cooling issues)
ANY other parts. If you have an ipod plugged in, we want to know.

Step six:
List all the steps you have taken to resolve this yourself. Number them. Why? Because we are probably going to dig back through your post looking for what you tried already... and if the thread goes on for a week that might be a lot of looking by a lot of people.
1.
2.
3.

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Resources:

TH: READ before posting about boot problems!

Maximum PC on BSODs

Ultimate BIOS Guide: Every Setting Decrypted and Explained! -Maximum PC
This is a printable version.

Poor or No Electrical Ground - What to Do About It

HardwareLogic: My Computer Won't Start (DEAD)

CPU-Z Vital for overclocking, but also for detecting RAM settings.
Real Temp Just measures CPU core temps. Does it well.
HWMonitor Tracks many temps and a few other useful things.

Memtest86+ Useful for detecting faulty RAM, not so much incorrectly configured RAM.

Troubleshooting sleep mode issues in Vista
Where to buy a small motherboard speaker.

The Ultimate Boot CD When you need to boot from a CD to sort things out.

Aford10's guide to removing malware

This may not be a sticky, but it might be a useful tool. I would link an example of the unorganized and useless pleas for help we get every day, but that would be unkind and they are easy enough to find

I think this probably fits under Step Four: Full Story

If your PC will not boot into Windows: Give a full play by play of what happens when you hit the power button. Do you get any lights? Fans spin? Video signal? Smoke and the smell of burning plastic (hopefully not!)? Beep error codes (this requires you to have a case speaker hooked up, which is a good idea regardless of whether you have issues with your PC or not)? Does the PC cycle the boot up process over and over, automatically shut itself down, just sit with fans spinning but nothing else, require you to shut down in an unconventional way (other than just holding down the power switch like having to switch off the PSU)? Make sure you give as many clues as you can so we can help you out. Don't leave out any details!

[that is pretty long and wordy, feel free to paraphrase ]

I would change step one from "Try to make your title attract a certain audience." to something more like "A brief description of the problem" or something along those lines

A good title can help attract the people with the knowledge to fix your problem.

Oh i completely agree, i just think the wording about attracting a certian audiance is bound to throw a few noobs off. I'm just suggesting something that would be easier for them to follow.

Is it better now? and thanks for the help.

Yeah "cranky old man" fits too.

...

Any other utilities anyone wants here?

Start your own thread and you'll get more help.

Similar issue as vdmerwe:

The build:
i7 920
asus p6t deluxe v2
902 antec case
OCZ 6GB ram
4870 vapor x 1gb
prolimatech megahelems
corsair 850HX psu
WD 1TB black

My computer was working great, had to install backplate for new CPU cooler. Plugged everything in correctly, now it won't start up...

The problem:

all the LED lights and all the fans turn on. But my computer fails to boot: the monitor doesn't turn on, nor does my mouse's red lazer light turn on.

I can use both the power button on the case and on the mobo "on" button to turn on the computer.

I haven't had a chance to play with the BIOS or overclock, so the computer is running on stock settings.

There is no beeping coming from the system.

I believe that its not a matter of the power, but since none of the output device's work... I think its the mobo. Why? i'm not sure but I would like to fix it regardless...

I'm afraid of the worst... any feedback would be really appreciated!!!

Rebuilding an old PC.
Purchased a used Intel D845GBV Motherboard on ebay.
CPU=Intel P4, 2.4Ghz
Added two 512Gb DDR SDRAM NoN ECC, Un-Registered, 184pins of Memory
as Instructed by Intel MoBo Documentation.
Total RAM=1Ghz.
Installed 60Ghz IDE Maxtor HDD from Previous PC >>>
Jumpered as the "PRIMARY MASTER"
( HDD already has OS (Win XP Home Ed ) & Various other Apps
installed on it.
Triple checked all front panel and PS connections . All appear correct.
Do not have MoBo CD Rom disk!!!!
Floppy Drive from Previous build IS Connected.
Newly Purchased CDRW Burner Drive IS connected.

Here is what happens when it is turned ON.

1) Power Button turned - ON.
2) RED then GREEN front Panel Lights comes on, both stay SOLID.
3) All Fans come on as they should.
4) RED LED goes OFF. Causing Video
monitor to make a "video coming on" noise.
5) HDD makes wiring noises like its working.
6) Video Monitor shows "Intel Slash Screen" for about 3 secs.
7) Monitor then goes black with a flashing cursor at top left corner.
and remains this way for approx 30 secs.
8) Video Monitor then shows black screen with "Windows failed to Start correctly" Msg.
and begins a 13sec countdown to "Start Windows Normally" > only to try again but
keeps coming back to this message over and over again.
9) it will go into the Bios using the F2 keep.
10) It does appear to see the HDD as the Master & 1st boot device BUT will not ever start windows.

11) No additional MoBo drivers have been installed as we do not have the CD-ROM disk for it.
DO WE NEED TO DO THIS??? How if we do not have the CD-ROM Disk???
12) Have tried connecting 4 different HDDs one at a time all the same result.

Can someone help me figure this out???

Thanks, you too!

This might be a good place to put this tip since people with problems seem to read this topic. You might want to make sure your PSU has the right plugs. My current PC is my very first build and while I didn't think anything of it at the time, it was a 20-pin instead of a 20+4 pin PSU. All I paid attention to was the fact it was 600w which was more than powerful enough. I somehow managed to get it to start booting after fighting with it for almost a week but it doesn't actually feed enough power to your PC and causes data corruption. I don't know if anyone else had this sort of stupid but I hope this might help someone.

Hi there!

Any help would be appreciated so much! I made my second computer a year ago, and it's been working beautifully. This morning, I came home from work to find that the computer had frozen. I powered it off, turned it back on and nothing happened--no beeps, no POST, just a blank screen.

I have removed all the computer's components, one-by-one, and now have the mother board on a piece of cardboard, with just the PSU plugged in and the front panel plugs in, so I can power it on, and I get the beep pattern indicating that there is no RAM installed.

If I install either sticks of DDR3 RAM (or both), though, I don't get any beeps, just silence and a blank screen.

Do you think my RAM modules just up and died today? Should I fill out a RMA for them (they have a limited lifetime warranty, and I do still have the receipts and packaging, hah)?

I've also already tried resetting the CMOS via the jumper on the motherboard and via removing the battery for several minutes.

A few small updates.

Try here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ubject.htm