Computer won't boot.

[davpet]

Your assistance would be appreciated.

The Following is my hardware.
MSI Board Model No: 865GM3 LS
AGP Off Board MSI Graphics Card 5100
Intel Celeron Processor 2.4GHZ

I am having a particular problem with my PC booting. When I came to turn it on one day it just refused to boot. Red light remained constant and the monitor would not come on. There were no error beeps from the Bios either.

After removing ram and other perriphals with still no joy. I finally drained the bios by removing the battery, replaced the battery and up she fired. All worked fine for a week before once again she did not want to boot. Again no monitor coming on and no error beeps.

Again I drained the bios and again it started for another week before I once again had to drain the bios in order to start it again. This process I have now done three times with the computer running for exactly a week before I have needed to do it again.

I have the latest version of my bios already but never the less I still flashed it with the same version which appears to not have helped.

My question I guess is what could be the problem and is it possibly related to a corrupt bios or not, and does the fact that it appears to be needed to be done on a weekly basis have anyhting to do with the problem.

If anyone knows how this might be able to be resolved would help greatly, many thanks.

 

[mosox]

Maybe your BIOS battery is gone
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/PC-Wizard-Release.shtml
How much is the VBAT?
What PSU do you have?

 

[davpet]

Thank you, quite frankly I had not given that one a thought, however upon removal of the battery to get the model no, once I had replaced it the system was giving the same problem, no error beeps and also the monitor not coming on. After removing the battery again the same problem persisted.

Switching from my offboard graphics card to the onboard graphics card got the machine to boot normally so I am asking the question if it could not be the offboard graphics card even though it does not give me the normal one long and two short beeps which to my understanding normally indicates faulty graphics card, further input would be helpful though.

My PSU is a Proline ATX 350W Model No: ISO-P450LPP.

Many thanks

 

[mosox]

Could be the video card or it could be the PSU, as soon as you reduced the consumption the problem was gone. And that PSU brand is bad anyway, you need a new one busk ask in here before buying.

Can you borrow a PSU and test the PC with it?

 

[davpet]

Thank you, I replaced the PSU with another one that I found, which as far as I know was in working order, although I could not have fully vouched for it. I then placed my MSI offboard graphics card back in the slot and powered up the machine. This time I immediately received a one longish beep and two quick short beeps and then nothing else. So I removed both the card and the PSU and placed my old PSU back which is I think just over a year old and plugged my monitor back into the onboard display and once again the unit fired up.

Am I correct in saying that normally that error beep that I received is related to the graphics card.

I am thinking that I might ask a friend to place this grpahics card in his system to test it for me and see what happens.

Any other advise or input would be appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[mosox]

Yep, it's the video card, you need to test it on some other system with AGP slot. Good luck.

 

[davpet]

Yep, it's the video card, you need to test it on some other system with AGP slot. Good luck.

It does appear to be a video card that is beginning to fail, I will test it on a system with an AGP slot and keep you posted.

Many thanks for been able to assist me in the right direction, much appreciated.

 

[davpet]

Hi Mosox.

Yep, Video card it was. I have had it tested in another machine and it appeared to be very temprmental. I have run the machine for more than a week now using the onboard graphics and all seems to be running smoothly.

 

[davpet]

Best answer selected by davpet.