can't get even bios to boot

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:04 pm

After a hard drive failure. I installed another blank drive ready to do a re-install (my backup was corrupt!!). But I can't get the system to even start the bios. I then removed all hardware that is not required to install Windows but I can't get any response from the damned thing. Usually you get the graphics card bios boot message followed by the system bios boot. But when I turn the unit on all I get is a dead screen not even a signal to the monitor. I have tried alternate graphics cards both agp and older types. All to no avail.
I am flummoxed! any clues? Or is this old faithful cruncher beyond hope?

Post by **UBT - Mikee** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:41 pm

Sounds dead!

The only thing I can think of is that the BIOS has got totally corrupted.

You should be able to reset the BIOS. Some boards have a shorting link but you'll have to look at the manual to see which it is. Otherwise, you could try taking out the battery for a few minutes and see if that resets the BIOS assuming it's the BIOS that's at fault.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:55 pm

Already tried that! to no avail!

Ah well thats me down 1 pc!

Temujin · Post by **Temujin** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:14 pm

do you get any beeps?
is there any HD or FD activity?
are you sure the monitor is ok?
do the fans spin?

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:41 pm

fans spin, hd lights go on then off, monitor working when connected to laptop. Its wierd! and off topic but I can't recover my spinhenge account (passwords stored on dead pc.) They won't send my account key to my gmail address!!!

Post by **UBT - Mikee** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:49 pm

Don't know what the HD failure was but could that be the prob? Do you have a spare HD just to see? What about the PSU? Could the U/S HD have caused one of the line voltages to drop and blown 1 line? Got a spare PSU just in case it is?

No beeps I think = PSU

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:06 pm

yeah have spare psu might try changing that. Its a replacement drive. I can connect it to the laptop through a usb enclosure and it runs fine. It partitions/formats/read write test ok.

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:25 pm

Vic wrote:After a hard drive failure. I installed another blank drive ready to do a reinstall (my backup was corupt!!). But I can't get the system to even start the bios. I then removed all hardware that is not required to install Windows but I can't get any response from the damd thing. Usually you get the graphics card bios boot message followed by the system bios boot. But when I turn the unit on all I get is a dead screen not even a signal to the monitor. I have tried alternate graphics cards both agp and older types. All to no avail.
I am flumoxed! any clues? Or is this old faithful cruncher beyond hope?

Hi Vic,

Sounds just like how two of my PC's failed this year.

Turned out to be a naff PSU in both cases - no surprise since both PC's were running BOINC 24/7....so PSU's being stressed to the max.

So, if you can swop the PSU for a known working on (of sufficient POWER rating !!), you may find you've been lucky.

Depending on the original PSU power rating, you can easily find that extra memory, a new graphics card, a few HDD's and a CD/DVD burner, etc can really "push" the PSU hard. And if the fan in the PSU fails, it can get very hot in there....

In both my cases, they were burnt out....

Got a couple of X-Power ATX-400's from Maplins in the summer (buy one, get one free, believe it or not !!) for the two "simple crunchers) and then moved a 500W PSU from one of these into my main PC.....all sorted now.

regards

Tim

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:31 pm

Vic wrote:fans spin, hd lights go on then off, monitor working when connected to laptop. Its wierd! and off topic but I can't recover my spinhenge account (passwords stored on dead pc.) They won't send my account key to my gmail address!!!

Hi Vic,

Why not look at this and get a UKBOINCTEAM email address...!

http://forum.ukboincteam.com/viewtopic. ... 0202#10202

regards

Tim

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:02 pm

Thanks for all the help and advice.
I have not totally given up on resurecting this machine yet, but on a side note I was generously donated a complete tower unit. so with a bit of canabalising for drives I am now back crunching with 2 machines again. And its a little faster than the old one. I will let everyone know if I do get the old faithful running again. But its not a priority at the mo, more of a playfull project. Thanks again all.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:11 pm

Update!!
Kindly donated pc died today. Same problem. It won't boot bios.
Makes me wonder if I have a brownout situation in my house. Three pc`s in total have died with same results. In the space of 3 weeks! Only my laptop left. It has me completely beat. And it wasnt the same drive in all three.

Temujin · Post by **Temujin** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:42 pm

We have a steel works near by where we live and I've always thought electrical gear fails earlier because of it.
Light bulbs last only a matter of weeks and the number of short duration power cuts we have is rediculous.
So you could well be right if you've got any big industrial areas near you.
What about your neighbours/friends, do they have the same trouble?

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:57 am

Vic wrote:Update!!
Kindly donated pc died today. Same problem. It won't boot bios.
Makes me wonder if I have a brownout situation in my house. Three pc`s in total have died with same results. In the space of 3 weeks! Only my laptop left. It has me completely beat. And it wasnt the same drive in all three.

So, is it a question that all three PC's were running BOINC 24/7 and getting very warm - hot even? This might cause an issue.

Do you not have any surge suppressors - I think Belkin do a rather nice 6 way anti-surge distribution unit that might help here.

Are all the mains connections "good" - I once had issues with a hi-fi amp, and found that inside the UK 13 Amp mains plug, the brown (live) wire screw had worked loose (over time), leading to a intermiittent connection...

Lastly, if the three PC's were all of a certain age, it might just be down to coincidence....

Either way, trying to find a common "reason" might help to narrow down the options. As John said, if other "things" are happening, in the house or to neighbours, then you might be bale to track it down.

regards

Tim

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:30 pm

One of them was an old unit that I received as a freebie from an office after an upgrade. That one didn`t even manage long enough to complete windows updates. Even though it had never had any problems at the office. Failed at 0500 in the morning. (I keep wierd hours!)

Second was the one that had the hard drive fail. That one had been a faithful home pc that has given me no trouble for about 3 to 4 years. It had a 400w psu and was surge protected.

The last one was given to me by a friend who had had enough of computer viri (Makes me wonder what sites he browsed!

) It was 3 years old and I just wiped the drive and did a full instal. It lasted through win update and I had installed Boinc at 10pm. Sometime between 11.30pm and 8am next day it was dead. Also surge protected. All processors were well within heat limits and psu didnt seem to be running hot. Looks like age is the deciding factor here. But 1 failing after the other after the other is disconcerting. don't know if I would like to risk a new pc until I can chect out the power. Unfortunately our neighbours are all elderly so the most advanced electrical equipment most have is a telly. So no one else has noticed any trouble.

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