MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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My desktop computer has let me down after many years of good service - I put it together in 2006!
It will no longer get through the POST.
Wondering if you guys can see if I've missed anything before I have to start looking for replacement parts.
One day, on startup it flashed up some kind of error message about CMOS - but it was gone so quickly I couldn't read it. The computer then shut down.
I restarted the PC and the BIOS settings had all reverted to their defaults. The computer booted into Windows.
Next time I started it up the machine powered up but never displayed anything on the monitor.
I replaced the CMOS battery. This didn't fix the issue.
The motherboard (An Asus P5Q Deluxe) had a backup BIOS chip on it, so I swapped them over. This still didn't fix the issue.
I have taken all the expansion cards out other than the graphics board, disconnected all the HDDs and DVD drive and removed the RAM. I even disconnected the connections to the case power buttons. It still doesn't start up and doesn't make any beeps either.
My conclusion is that the motherboard has failed. It could be the graphics board I guess, but I don't know anyone with a spare one I could try instead and the computer doesn't have integrated graphics.
Have I missed anything before I see if can get another motherboard?
I put it together in 2006
Just replace the whole thing. Not worth wasting time and money on something that old.
Could be PSU also. Depending on the mainboard I'm #fairly# sure it should post even with no GPU and beep a report, but I've been out of the PC building loop for a while now so can't be sure.
As above, without acess to some spare parts to swap out to narrow down the issue, you're probably better off just replacing.
Should post and report via beeps with absolutely nothing attached assuming the is an onboard speaker (or one connected).
If your near Southampton I've some parts you could have. Old shuttle (2011ish) mini pc with CPU, GPU and ram.
Bin it. Its too old.
I'd rather not bin it - when it's working it runs pretty well - easily handles everything I do - browsing, office stuff, audio recording. I also don't have a job any more, so money counts. If I get a newer motherboard I'd end up needing a new CPU and RAM and who knows what else...
Nixie - thanks for the offer but I am in Scotland.
I’d rather not bin it – when it’s working it runs pretty well
It's not working now and it will cost money to fix. Just not worth it to spend money fixing something that old.
I might have something suitable to help ygh, I've pm'd you.
It’s not working now and it will cost money to fix. Just not worth it to spend money fixing something that old.
I'd disagree. A new motherboard from that era would be what, £20 on ebay? if the OP finds the performance passable, then spending a tenner rather than £300 on a new PC is a sensible move.
OP - try it without the GPU in - it should beep or something I think.. Also try it with one stick of ram (if it has multiple) then the other one. You might find that some combination gets it going.
Do the fans kick over a little bit then stop? if not it might be the PSU but an error prior to failing would point to the motherboard for me
I've replaced 20 odd PSU's on mine, freinds, and family machines. All post problems I have ever had on new and really old machines have been down to a) CMOS battery which you have done, OR b) PSU issues.
I'm not saying yours defo is psu, but my experience is that it always is.
Also I found fans worked lights came on but still no post so the diagnostics advice above may not work. The PSU fails by not delivering enough power for the board/chip and it senses it so refuses to start.
Get one of these https://www.wish.com/product/587f1ccec86bf146f85b1faf?
+1 for getting new psu, maybe see what's on ebay and get one regardless. Much dust build up?
Moving parts will most likely fail first. I have always left my PC on 24/7, so fans have gone, but also had PSU go too (there's a fan in there too).
Edit. HDD have moving parts of course, but being completely sealed to elements, they tend to last longer
Next time I started it up the machine powered up but never displayed anything on the monitor.
Whilst everyone is having fun making wild guesses we need a bit more information here. Define exactly what you mean by "powered up," lots of things happen when a PC powers up.
Is the PSU fan turning? The CPU fan? Do you get a POST beep? Lock lights flash on the keyboard? Hard disk thrashing like it's booting (assuming mechanical HDD)? Any other observations?
Good tip on PSU, hadn't thought of that.
It has isolated outputs, so can try swapping some over.
"Powering up" means that some lights on the motherboard come on (a power and reset switch). Case, CPU and graphics board fans come on. No beeps, but as far as I can tell there is no speaker. Maybe attaching one might give me some more info...
For the guys that PM'd me - let me try some of these things before I get back to your kind and generous offers.
Just to say I'm still using a 2007 PC with the same motherboard, and I say good luck and go down the PSU route. I might replace it soon though as I fancy Microsoft FS2020. No spare parts coming up - I need to retain it for legacy Autocad on XP.
Don't know how you've lasted so long using Windows alone. My machine still works because I hoover the dust out of it frequently, and dualboot it with an occasionally renewed Linux OS.
Good luck.
I built the machine to last - huge big antec case with loads of fans and filters, huge CPU cooler, massively over specced PSU and never overclocked. I don't game either.
If I can get it running again I'll be a happy boy, it does everything I want.
Apart from boot lol
And disk activity? Keyboard lights?
No disk activity as far as I can tell, though main drive is an SSD.
Will check keyboard lights later - not at home just now
On my new PC build the ram was faulty from new preventing boot. Only worked out what it was from the post beeps using a speaker scavenged from my work PC. Even then though the number of beeps meant either ram or CPU 😐. An old little speaker should work. I suspect you could even bodge half a set of headphones if you have a broken set laying around.
My last PC was an ASUS P5 series motherboard, it did the same thing.
Fortunately I had access to a bunch of old hardware at work to test it with, the upshot of that was that the mobo GPU and PSU were all toast, so something had failed catastrophically.
I replaced the mobo for £45 and put in a new GPU/PSU which got it working again, but it was really unstable so I replaced with new. My guess on it would be that the 10year old PSU let go and nuked more or less everything in some way.
Not sure what I'm saying except don't get your hopes up, and that over 10 years from a PC is not a bad lifespan
Has the winding spring slackened off ? 😕
One of the hamsters might have got loose!
Ok, back home today so will see what the multimeter shows on the PSU.
will see what the multimeter shows on the PSU.
I suspect you enjoy these things going wrong so you can identify the problem then fix it 😆
Even then though the number of beeps meant either ram or CPU
POST beeps other than the single 'system is normal' is either RAM or video. If it's a CPU fault you won't get any beeps at all.
25 years ago you'd have various manufacturer-specific beep codes that meant an array of different things. Today if means one thing, "there is a problem preventing me from telling you what it is on the screen so I'm beeping instead."
25 years ago...... Today if means
Given the mobo in question is 15+ years old it's likely to be closer to the first than second of those. My skt775 MB certainly gave indicative bleeps.