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June 19, 2005 at 8:27 pm #2174433
Internal modem stops monitor working
Lockedby lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
I built a my computer in October last year and have installed the full version of XP Home OS (Service Packs inclusive). I have not used an upgrade version and until now there have been no issues with this machine.
Three days ago I fdisked my machine to remove XP Pro (no Service Packs) and installed XP Home and I bought an external modem at this time. I used to use a SwannSmart IIx 56K V.92 internal modem but now have a Netcomm 56K V.92 USB external modem. I am able to unistall the internal modem without any problem however once I remove this internal modem from the PCI slot the monitor doesn’t work until I put the modem back in the slot.
It seems to me that the internal modem has been identified as a graphics card and I am at a loss as how to fix this issue considering that located in the AGP slot on my motherboard is a Radeon 256MB graphics card.
My computer spec’s are as follows:
2.8GHz Intel Celeron Processor
Asus motherboard with 533MHz FSB
512MB SDRam
256MB Radeon Graphics card
2 x HDD (1x40GB and 1x80GB) both IDE
2 x Burners (1xCDRW and 1xDVD Dual Layer burner)
Antec system case with front and rear fansI have checked the computer’s IRQ and BIOS configuration but nothing stands out as being wrong. No error messages are being generated and according to system information and DR Hardware 2005 v6.0 there are no conflicts to resolve.
I would really like to resolve this issue and remove the internal modem but I don’t know where to start or what to look for.
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June 20, 2005 at 9:41 am #3173246
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by willcomp · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Do you get a display during POST? If so, remove modem, enter BIOS setup, and reset ESCD.
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June 21, 2005 at 6:48 am #3175629
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
Poster rated this answer.
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June 20, 2005 at 6:19 pm #3175793
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
The only time I get the POST display is when the internal modem is in the PCI slot. Can I reset the ESCD prior to removal of the internal modem, with the same result.
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June 21, 2005 at 1:34 am #3175740
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
I tried the 1st suggestion of yours but it didn’t work so I removed the internal modem and reset the jumper on the motherboard but to no avail, when
I reconnected the computer without the internal modem after resetting the jumper the monitor still won’t work until I put the internal modem back in the PCI slot.I thought about leaving the internal modem in permanently but I don’t know if it is going to cause further hardware conflicts later with any of the current or future hardware installed.
Do you have anymore ideas that I could try.
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June 21, 2005 at 5:56 am #3175653
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by hal 9000 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Well I don’t know just how good this will be but first remove the Internal Modem and then change the jumper setting on the M’Board to clear the BIOS this generally involves moving a single jumper from pins 1 2 to pins 2 3 then after a short time reset the jumper to pins 1 2 and try rebooting. You should get a Checksum Error because you need to enter the BIOS to at the very least allow it to recognize the available RAM as well as setting the Date/Time.
That should put you back to a Factory Default situation and you should be able to at the very least get a POST screen from there.
Just a word of warning with XP and an external Modem they do really work great but you have to have the modem turned on at boot up so it can bee seen by Windows or that port will be blocked. Once it is booted you can switch off the modem and only turn it on when required. If you don’t boot up with the external modem turned on you will not have a working modem in the System items section.
Col
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June 21, 2005 at 6:48 am #3175630
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
Poster rated this answer.
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June 21, 2005 at 6:46 am #3175632
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
I have already removed the Internal Modem and then change the jumper setting on the M’Board from pins 1 2 to pins 2 3 to clear the BIOS and after 30 seconds reset the jumper to pins 1 2 and tried rebooting. The monitor still won’t work, so I can’t enter the BIOS to allow it to recognise the available RAM or set the Date/Time.
Even with resetting the jumper to go back to factory default configuration there is still no visual display from the monitor unless I put the modem back in the PCI slot.
If the modem is put back in the PCI slot I get a visual display and I can see that it has been changed back to the Factory Default situation and get the POST screen.
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June 21, 2005 at 6:47 am #3175631
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Point value changed by question poster.
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June 21, 2005 at 9:51 am #3175496
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by jessie · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Just a thought… perhaps it’s a bad PCI slot, that when you remove the card from it, it’s shorting itself out? Will it come on if you put in any OTHER PCI cards?
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June 21, 2005 at 5:30 pm #3175311
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by thechas · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Wow,
What an interesting problem.
I agree with Jessie that this is most likely some sort of hardware issue and not a BIOS or IRQ issue.
The first step is to try putting a different PCI card in the slot that the modem has been in.
Use a sound card, a USB card, or anything else.
Also, try placing the modem in different PCI slots and see if a different slot changes how the PC boots.
If you get a POST display with a different card installed, here is what to look for:
1. A short between the case and the motherboard.
This could be a long lead on the motherboard, or a raised portion of the case.2. A poorly seated AGP card.
Many a time I have fought video problem because of an AGP card that was not fully seated in the AGP slot.
The “quick” test for this is to remove the metal slot bracket from the AGP card and carefully seat the card into the AGP port.3. A poor ground connection that is completed when the modem is installed.
You don’t necessarily want insulating washers on all motherboard mounting screws.4. A motherboard manufacturing defect.
Having a PCI card installed in the slot you had the modem in may be flexing the motherboard just enough to allow an unsoldered connection to have a good physical connection.The motherboard could also have a bad voltage regulator that needs the additional load of the modem to bring the voltage into specification.
5. Case fans:
This is another problem that has caught me off guard from time to time.
Some case fans generate too much electrical noise and cause problems when plugged into the motherboard fan connectors.
Unplug the case fans and see what happens.As far as power issues are concerned, it might be worth the effort to swap in a different power supply.
All in all, the more I think about this, if I were to swap out any single part, it would be the motherboard itself.
Chas
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June 23, 2005 at 3:59 pm #3176927
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by thechas · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
For my money, the experiment points to a problem with the motherboard itself.
The only other idea I have is to use a bright light and magnification to inspect both the PCI and AGP slots.
What you are looking for is a damaged part of one of the fingers inside the connector that is bent in such a manner that it connects to the finger across from it.
If you do find one, here is what is happening:
The bent finger is shorting 2 signal lines together. This locks up the data bus and stops the PC from POSTing.Just thought of 1 final idea that I should have added to my original answer.
Boot up with a POST card in the PCI slot farthest away from the slot where you have been installing the modem.
Assuming the unit fails to POST, the POST card should tell you where in the POST sequence the system halted.
Chas
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June 23, 2005 at 5:51 pm #3176892
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by thechas · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
Depending on how old your motherboard is, I would contact ASUS and see if you can get it serviced under warranty.
If you are extremely curious as to where the POST stops and why it is stopping, a POST card is the answer.
Here is a link to a reasonably priced POST card:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SY-TECHAID&cat=CAS
One last thought:
This is again a manufacturing defect. For some reason, the BIOS is looking for an on-board modem.
Getting no response from the modem controller locks the POST.
To the BIOS, a modem and a sound card look very similar.Chas
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June 23, 2005 at 5:56 pm #3176891
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by thechas · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
Come to think of it, do you have the latest BIOS?
Check with ASUS for a BIOS update.
Set the system up to boot from a floppy, and flash the BIOS.
Then, see if you can boot without the modem.
Chas
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June 21, 2005 at 6:20 pm #3175303
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by willcomp · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Your case fans should be connected to power supply via molex plugs (I’m familiar with the case). Still won’t hurt to disconnect just in case.
Of Chas’s postulations, the one that seems most logical is modem completing ground when installed.
But don’t rule anything out, no matter how remote.
Suggestion to try another card is so good and so obvious I’m wondering where my brain was.
Dalton
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June 23, 2005 at 6:05 am #3178877
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by willcomp · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
The further this goes, the more it appears that a PCI card is completing mobo ground to case.
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June 23, 2005 at 5:36 am #3178909
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
To Jessie
I went and bought a sound card just for this excerise. I get visual dispaly with any PCI card is in any of the slots, donesn’t have to be the internal modem in that particular slot and up until now the internal modem was the only PCI card I had. So it is no restricted to just the 1 PCI slot,its all 4 of them. -
June 23, 2005 at 5:40 am #3178904
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
To Jessie
I went and bought a sound card just for this excerise. I get visual dispaly with any PCI card is in any of the slots, donesn’t have to be the internal modem in that particular slot and up until now the internal modem was the only PCI card I had. So it is no restricted to just the 1 PCI slot,its all 4 of them. -
June 23, 2005 at 6:34 am #3178834
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
TheChas
I went & bought a new sound card for the exercise. Started machine today with internal modem in & got visual from monitor, took out internal modem & low and behold I got a visual display from monitor. I thought it had corrected itself so to be sure I turned the machine off again & restarted it & suprise, surprise, no visual display from the monitor. Put the sound card into another PCI slot & restarted computer & got a visual display from monitor. Took the sound card out & no visual display from the monitor.I have checked every power lead and connector from the power supply again, checked every IDE cable again, checked every external cord and power lead again and no visible signs of damage.
Took out internal PCI card and changed AGP cards & the result was the same – no visual display from the monitor until I put a PCI card back in then I got a visual display from the monitor.
Took motherboard out of the case a & sat it on the desk, then started the machine with the same result – no visual display from the monitor unless something is in a PCI slot.
I have disconnected all internal case fans – same result. I disconnected the burners one at a time – same result. I connected the secondary HDD because until now it has been disconnected with the same result – only have visual display from monitor if something is in a PCI slot.
Power supply change gave me the same result. I have gone over the system case and can’t see any issues with the case.
I have tried 3 different monitors and use 3 different keyboards & mice – same result.
What are the chances of a computer learning to fly? I’m at the point where I could throw it out the window & then jump on it a few times just for good measure. Might not do much for the machine but it would make me feel a whole lot better.
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June 24, 2005 at 6:15 am #3176754
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by user94327 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Put the a PCI card back in, boot up, and get into the BIOS. Look under all the settings for something like ‘Init Display First’. You’ll have two options, PCI or AGP. If it already says AGP then forget it, this answer won’t help. If it doesn’t say AGP, change it to AGP and save and exit. Turn off the computer and remove the PCI card. See if you have video. I ran into the same type of problem and this worked for me. I had no display when removing a PCI card, and it wasn’t a PCI video card. I hope it works for you.
Greg
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June 25, 2005 at 12:19 am #3178506
Reply To: Internal modem stops monitor working
by lynz67 · about 18 years, 9 months ago
In reply to Internal modem stops monitor working
Thanks for the input guys and girls.
I rang Altech Pty Ltd where I bought the motherboard from and told them that they can deal with it because nothing that I have done or that you guys have suggested has corrected the issue yet, although it has ruled a few things out.
The motherboard will be sent back to Altech on Monday morning, I won’t close this question until I have a definite answer from Altech as to the reliability of the motherboard.
I’ll keep you posted as to the outcome from Altech. So when I know, you’ll know, for future reference.
Again thank you.
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