PC will not boot

absthechatter · 02-11-2006, 21:00

Have a bit of a problem with PC and cannot get it to boot, not even in to BIOS. Thought it was motherboard problem, changed that and still did not work. So went on to replace processor, power supply, RAM and IDE cables. Still no luck. I think the problem has something to do with IDE connections, if I leave them disconnected, the hard drive spins as do the DVD drives. As soon as I connect them, I get nothing.

There is power coming in, the fans and lights all work. I have tried hard drive in daughters computer and it works fine. Have also tried clearing CMOS and re-seating RAM as well as tring two video cards and on-board graphics - always the same.

I have now run out of ideas so any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.....

Many thanks

Abs

02-11-2006, 21:12

when you say it will not boot do you mean it wont load windows ? does it post? when you say the drive is fine in daughters machine does it boot windows or as a slave?
Could boot from xp cd and goto os recovery and try fixmbr command

Edit if you cant do this in main machine do it in daughters it should find the boot record. Also run scan disk on daughters machine if you can or chkdsk in recovery

absthechatter · 02-11-2006, 21:17

Sorry, in my frustration I rushed the post!

It will not even boot to BIOS, it does nothing when IDE ribbons connected. The hard drive or DVD drives do not even spin. When I disconnect ribbons, they spin as they should.

Hard drive works fine as master and using its own OS in daughters PC. I have also tried connecting new hard drive to my PC and exactly the same happens, have even tried new IDE ribbons. In fact I appear to have replaced just about everything!!

02-11-2006, 21:19

but this happens with 2 motherboards? and you have swapped everything lol you can get into bios when theres no ribbon?

You could try booting the machine out of the case,I dunno this is gonna be hard to fathom from a distance

absthechatter · 02-11-2006, 21:28

No, can't get into BIOS without ribbon.

I ordered a bundled motherboard, processor and RAM for a friend from Novotech, he has not picked it up yet, so I rather cheekily just fitted that and it does exactly the same.... I am confused, I think the only thing I have not changed is the case!!

I can't imagine all three motherboards would have problems with IDE connections, and both IDE connections at that.

02-11-2006, 21:31

boot it out the case could be an earth to the case or a switch problem If you boot it safely using something to jump the pins ( a screw driver)

Mr Clean · 02-11-2006, 21:37

Sounds like power supply to me. Been working on an eMachines PC all day with exactly the same problem. Nothing on boot up except the fans working. Try limit the power usage inside the tower. Try booting with just the HDD connected up and no CD/DVD/Floppy drives and see if it will kick in then.

If this machine you have be an eMachines model also, I'm told that the PS with them go capput all too often.

If I'm wrong, sorry. But I'd say thats all thats left to check.

Good luck

02-11-2006, 21:40

but in post 1 he said he has tried a different psu

Mr Clean · 02-11-2006, 21:44

So he did, must of missed that.

marky · 02-11-2006, 21:44

Sounds more like a drive conflict to me, master/slave ect, it would just give a black screen.
I'm sure Zing can explane

absthechatter · 02-11-2006, 21:46

Thankf for the all the replies. I have tried new power and exactly the same. Just tried to boot out of the case and sitting on a static bag - still no luck.

No posting at all and no beeps!!

nffc · 02-11-2006, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamgood

Sounds like power supply to me. Been working on an eMachines PC all day with exactly the same problem. Nothing on boot up except the fans working. Try limit the power usage inside the tower. Try booting with just the HDD connected up and no CD/DVD/Floppy drives and see if it will kick in then.

If this machine you have be an eMachines model also, I'm told that the PS with them go capput all too often.

If I'm wrong, sorry. But I'd say thats all thats left to check.

Good luck

An Emachines doing that needs a new PSU and MB. I used to work for PC ServiceCall (support line for DSG) and that happened quite a lot

mmm · 02-11-2006, 23:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by absthechatter

Thankf for the all the replies. I have tried new power and exactly the same. Just tried to boot out of the case and sitting on a static bag - still no luck.

No posting at all and no beeps!!

out of the case and on an insulating sheet of cardboard I hope, not an anti-static bag.

What ratings the PSUs? They are ATX 2.x with all the extra connectors aren't they?

02-11-2006, 23:26

one thing you dont say you have changed is the gfx try booting without one see if it beeps then

Edit see you have. Did you build this? when it spins all fans are working? heat sink definately correctly seated?paste not to think? gotta ask these questions cuz basically u could tr to have 2 machines build here. You try building your mates system and see if that works on its own board chip ram and one of the gfx you have tried see if this gets to post something smells of kippers here lol lol

greencreeper · 02-11-2006, 23:51

The hard drives do nothing with the cables attached, but without the cables attached, the drives spin up

Ok - I might be missing something but could it not be the cables