All fans seem to be on, no visual on monitor, no POST beeps, workedB4

hwing91

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Dec 8, 2007
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My friend, who lives in California (I live in Georgia so theres nothing I can do besides what i've told him), recently decided to upgrade his new computer. I am a computer technician at a local computer store and for the life of me, I cannot figure out what is wrong anymore. If anyone could offer assistance and read through this LONG, horrible post (sorry, just wanted to encompass every small detail), and give me your 2 cents, I would be indebted to you for life...

The beginning of this horror.
My friend wanted to upgrade his computer so he could play more intensive games. Long story short, he bought new parts that I told him to...He has had no experience in computer building except installing video cards, power supplies, and ram.


He had a motherboard with an AMD dual core and 2gb of DDR1 RAM installed (This isn't too important, read on.).

These are the new parts he purchased:
New Antec Case
EVGA 9800GTX 512MB GDDR3
OCZ 550w (I would say true 600w, Dual Railing 12v1@25a 12v2@25a)

He moved his motherboard and everything into the new case, installed, nothing booted(Well, all the fans turned on, but nothing showed on his screen). He reseeded everything, by everything, I mean CPU, HSF, RAM, ALL peripherals. It started working. This was a month ago. After that, each OTHER time he had to start up his computer, he had to reseed everything, and it WOULD start on the screen...but after each time he did that, it was harder and harder to get his computer to work.

Eventually it stopped working all together...and thats when I told him to test out his PSU in another computer...it worked.

I next told him to test out his 9800GTX in a friend's computer...it worked..

I told him to uninstall everything new, use his old powersupply, and put it back in his old case.

Same problem with onboard video, and the original PSU, (I don't know if he disabled his onboard video in BIOs before, but the way I see it, it worked for a while so it should be fine).

So I had the conclusion that he damaged his mobo or processor while installing for the first time...since I was picking at straws (I suppose I still am). I told him to purchase a new processor, motherboard, and obviously new ram since his old sticks were DDR1.


Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale

I gave him a new list to buy (I recommended each part he got last time.
Asus LGA775 Intel P45 Mobo
2x2GB DDR2 800 GSkill RAM

He got the package today and after putting everything in, to my surprise, same problem...

I am totally lost, and I have no clue what the problem is...would anyone be of assistance?

Random Notes that Might Help??!:
1. He uses an 27" (HDTV?? Or some sort of TV as a monitor)
2. He already tried booting from a regular VGA monitor (with a DVI adapter)
3. He has a motherboard speaker from his old case and (not sure if he installed it correctly), but doesn't beep at all...(I do not know if it beeped before when it worked, I forgot to ask lol)
4. I swore there were more random things...
 

Griffolion

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May 28, 2009
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Well unless your friend has gotten really unlucky with the new parts he has got, check the existing hardware that hasn't been upgraded since the problem may lie there if it's not budging with the new parts.

Other than that, get brand new cables for just about everything. And if he can get his machine up, update the BIOS to the latest version. Asus has a brilliant BIOS updating program that makes it quick and easy.
 

Griffolion

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May 28, 2009
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Well unless your friend has gotten really unlucky with the new parts he has got, check the existing hardware that hasn't been upgraded since the problem may lie there if it's not budging with the new parts.

Other than that, get brand new cables for just about everything. And if he can get his machine up, update the BIOS to the latest version. Asus has a brilliant BIOS updating program that makes it quick and easy.
 
It isn't clear, but I think I'm seeing that all his fans are running, there's just no boot. Correct? Did he mount the mobo on standoffs, and not use any extra ones? Has he cleared the CMOS?
If, OTOH, the fans just twitch, a short is very likely.
Have him disconnect anything not needed to POST, including all drives.
Are all cables properly in place, including the CPU power cable? Make sure he didn't separate the "+4" part of his "20+4" main power cable and use that.
No sounds at all? He's probably got his PCIE power cable in place then, else his GPU would be screaming at him. Still, I see that PSU has both 4- and 8-pin CPU power cables. Make sure he didn't plug the 4-pin one into his mobo and the 8-pin one into his GPU.
In the past, I have solved short/grounding issues by running electrical tape along the back edge of the mobo, where the PCI slot covers are. Breadboarding outside the case as HundredIslandsBoy suggests may help determine if this is necessary.
Did a loose screw get on or under the mobo? If under, it may no longer be "loose," if it is trapped.
 

hwing91

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Thank you all for your responses...I think he actually just repressed the power button again the next morning after hoping and it works and worked ever since...I have NO idea still what the hell was wrong.

I don't know...it confuses me to this very day, I think I had the same problem after installing my first PSU. Exact same symptoms, didn't start no matter how many times i pushed the button, slept, next morning worked like a charm ever since.