So a buddy of mine asked me to troubleshoot his computer and see why it wasn't turning on. My first thoughts were - power supply, the first thing to check is always the power supply. I hooked the machine up and pushed the power button. Nothing happened. I got one of my old power supplies and hooked it up. Pushed the power button, the fans kicked over for a second and then nothing. I jumped the PS to make sure it would turn on, and it did. Thinking maybe my PS was still bad (low current/voltage etc.) I got my BRAND NEW OCZ 1kW PS out of its box, hooked it up and the same thing happened. So my next thought was motherboard. Just to reinforce this thought I tried both sticks of memory one at a time, in all four slots. Nothing.
So I went online and found a motherboard. This was a Socket AM2 CPU, so my options were limited. I found a cheap used one from Ascendtech. The motherboard arrived, I built the system, powered it on and it did the same exact thing. So I thought, well, so much for that idea. I got a CPU from my brother, and two more sticks of DDR2 memory from my dad and tried those in the new Foxconn (used but verified working motherboard). Same situation, except now the board would power on for 5 seconds and then turn off. I assumed the new motherboard was bad since it is rare to have two bad CPUs and four bad sticks of memory. So I sent the motherboard back to Ascendtech. They tested it and said it was good. I had them send it back and built the system again. Same result (definition of insanity anyone?). So I went to Newegg and found an ASRock motherboard that is backwards compatible with the AM2 socket, as well as DDR2 memory, thinking that if all else failed we could always buy an AM3+ CPU and some DDR3 memory and have an entirely new system.
I built the system and now it is behaving strangely. One - no video output from the onboard video or a card. Two - the system powers on when the switch on the power supply is turned on, regardless of whether the case power button is connected to the MB. Three - The system does not beep any error codes if I do not have memory in, and yes, I hooked up the piezo speaker. Four - the system is obviously not reaching POST. I tried both CPUs again, and all four sticks of memory, two graphics cards, three power supplies, and the only theory I have is the case is being haunted by a spirit and once the hardware comes near the case it is forever cursed!
Please help, I am starting to think I don't know anything about computers and should swear off technology completely because it obviously is too complex for my feeble mind to comprehend.
BTW, I have built 24 PCs to date, and diagnosed and fixed more than 50 at least. This isn't my first time at the dance, but it is the first time I have apparently spilled punch all over the front of my collared shirt, and pissed myself while everyone was laughing at me . . .
So I went online and found a motherboard. This was a Socket AM2 CPU, so my options were limited. I found a cheap used one from Ascendtech. The motherboard arrived, I built the system, powered it on and it did the same exact thing. So I thought, well, so much for that idea. I got a CPU from my brother, and two more sticks of DDR2 memory from my dad and tried those in the new Foxconn (used but verified working motherboard). Same situation, except now the board would power on for 5 seconds and then turn off. I assumed the new motherboard was bad since it is rare to have two bad CPUs and four bad sticks of memory. So I sent the motherboard back to Ascendtech. They tested it and said it was good. I had them send it back and built the system again. Same result (definition of insanity anyone?). So I went to Newegg and found an ASRock motherboard that is backwards compatible with the AM2 socket, as well as DDR2 memory, thinking that if all else failed we could always buy an AM3+ CPU and some DDR3 memory and have an entirely new system.
I built the system and now it is behaving strangely. One - no video output from the onboard video or a card. Two - the system powers on when the switch on the power supply is turned on, regardless of whether the case power button is connected to the MB. Three - The system does not beep any error codes if I do not have memory in, and yes, I hooked up the piezo speaker. Four - the system is obviously not reaching POST. I tried both CPUs again, and all four sticks of memory, two graphics cards, three power supplies, and the only theory I have is the case is being haunted by a spirit and once the hardware comes near the case it is forever cursed!
Please help, I am starting to think I don't know anything about computers and should swear off technology completely because it obviously is too complex for my feeble mind to comprehend.
BTW, I have built 24 PCs to date, and diagnosed and fixed more than 50 at least. This isn't my first time at the dance, but it is the first time I have apparently spilled punch all over the front of my collared shirt, and pissed myself while everyone was laughing at me . . .