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Should I hit next

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9 replies

by defragme

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I'm hoping there's some kind souls out there on a Friday night with nothing better to do but help a new guy trying to learn the trade. I'm working on a friends PC for experience and bragging rights and it's morethan I can handle, so I'm tirning to my favorite site the TechRepublic. The owner thinks the PC might have been struck by lightning and won't boot up, I first checked the power supply and there's 13.8 volts going through the harness to all hardware, I checked my old desktop and got 14.4 don't know if that little difference makes a difference. The monitor won't turn on and the keyboard and start button on the PC are blinking like nut's, almost in rythm. I took the hard drive out and put it in my old desktop and it trys to boot, monitor turns on, show the splash screen but then goes to a black screen with the cursor, If I hit a key stroke it will take me to "Invaild Boot Diskette, Insert BOOT diskette in A: I tried booting in safe mode, no good, the only function that will boot is f10 and I go to the Hp pc system recovery, should I hit next to start the process? Should I try my hard drive that works in his PC? I would apreciate any insite on this.

9 replies

by older mycroft

Let's start with the basics ...

Make and model of the problem computer?
Operating System?

Have you tried accessing this problem hard drive just to see what is actually on it - NOT booting from it (which won't work anyway because it's in a different computer)?

by defragme

Hi my printer friend,

It's a Hp Pavillion a305w Desk Top, I have no idea if it's XP home or what Service Pack, or anything, the thing won't boot. Please tell this newby where to go from here.

How do you access the HD? Sorry if my ignorance will get you frusterated.

by older mycroft

Trying to 'boot' from the hard drive of the damaged computer, simply won't work. Any hope of getting the drive to boot is a waste of time. - Better to examine the hard drive and find if it is still readable (as a slave within your desktop computer).

If you can't 'see' the contents of the hard drive then there's no way that it'll ever boot inside the problem computer.

The monitor is a different problem. Are you saying that it has NO POWER at all, or that it HAS power but no image?

by defragme

The monitor is fine, just saying that the problem computer won't even post the monitor. So, I connect the problem PC HD to my Desktop as a slave, it's a ATA HD if I'm correct and has a white plastic piece that I should move to the slave position and put it on the the inside part of the ribbon, then reboot my desktop? Sorry, I'm trying and really appreciate your help.

by older mycroft

Then you've got to start checking the motherboard, removing the RAM and trying to boot, replacing RAM sticks one at a time and trying again.

A bare motherboard with just a CPU should produce a result when power is applied to it. From that point on you can add components one at a time.

If it turns out that you get no response, and your potential problem seems to have been reported as lightning strike, the mobo may have died. As for the voltage - the acceptable fluctuation is around 0.5%+/- so the figures your posted with are fine.

by defragme

I do apologise for my ignorance, but I've only been doing this for 6 mos and I'm trying. I read everything I can and like tonight experiment all I can. But I just don't know. And to boot the guy I work with that is suppose to have all this experience won't show me anything, I get the feeling that he's worried that a somewhat intellegent, white, Scotch/Irish/polish guy might take his job, but I would never do that, I just want to learn. Thank you so much for helping me.

by rob miners

Remove the Power cord from the PSU to discharge the Capacitors in the Power Supply. Then press the Power button for 10 seconds to discharge the Capacitors on the Motherboard. See if it will start. If it does start you can replace the (PSU) Power Supply Unit as it is faulty.

Remove the Power cord from the PSU to discharge the Capacitors in the Power Supply. Then press the Power button for 10 seconds to discharge the Capacitors on the Motherboard. Remove the Power lead from the PSU, disconnect the 20-24 pin power connector from the motherboard. Reinsert the 20-24 pin power connector to the motherboard.

Swap the Power Supply unit for a known working unit if one is accessable.

Check the Capacitors around the CPU for swelling or bulging. They should have a flat head with a cross indent.

Clean the golden edge of each memory stick with a soft rubber/eraser, remembering not to touch the golden edge of the memory stick. Check with one stick at a time, remembering to disconnect the power from the PC.

Remove and clean the Video card with a soft rubber/eraser and then reseat it.

Remove all Add on Cards and see if it will start. Clean the add on cards before reinserting them one at a time and testing.

Faulty Fans, Dust and Grime build up on the Heatsink restricting air flow. I would give the inside of the case a blowout with compressed air. When blowing air through the fans make sure that you physically stop them from spinning, as they may generate power and blow something up. Remembering to ground yourself by placing the back of your hand on the Power Supply Unit and not moving your feet. By not taking this precaution it is possible that you could inadvertantly cause damage to the PC from an electrostatic discharge. Then remove the Heatsink, giving it a thorough clean and reseat the CPU applying new CPU grease. If the Fans spin freely when you give them a spin they are probably OK. If there is resistance replace them.

by defragme

Thanks again for your help. I did take the system completely down to nothing, cleaned it up, did a dry boot and nothing seems to work, power comes on and the PSU and keyboard just start blinking like crazy and the monitor won't come on, the video is onboard. the monitor is known working. I'm down to where it must be the Mobo. I did install the HD as a slave on another system and was able to get it open. I guess the best I can do right now is to get the data off the drive for now and then when the user gets another system install the HD as a slave in his new system. Thanks again for the help.

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