Computer doesn't boot up


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Old 04-04-15, 10:36 AM
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Computer doesn't boot up

I acquired an older model Dell desktop pc (Optiplex GX280) that I was hoping I might be able to use. But when I power it up all I get is a black screen on the monitor with text along the top of the screen "X300 SE 64MB BIOS P/N 113-126005-100". Nothing else happens; however the fans run and I checked inside and the hard drive is hooked up fine and no unconnected wires or anything like that. I googled that text and apparently all it is is the graphics card that it is apparently being detected but like I said there's no indication otherwise of the computer booting up, no splash screen, no other messages or anything other than what I just described. Any thoughts on what the problem might be, how I can further investigate what might be wrong? Thanks
 
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Old 04-04-15, 10:43 AM
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Start Up

If you can find a bootable cd, set the bios to make the cd drive the boot device and see if you can boot from cd.

Keep in mind that the hard drive may have been formatted and not contain an operating system.
 

Last edited by Wirepuller38; 04-04-15 at 11:09 AM.
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Old 04-04-15, 11:19 AM
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That I would try if I could even access the bios to set it. With the only thing showing on screen as I described when I power up, I don't know how to get to the bios to set it.
 
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Old 04-04-15, 12:19 PM
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You should be hearing beeps coming from the power-on self test. If no POST is occurring, that can only mean that something so major has failed that it prevents the boot process ever reaching that stage. You've got a spinning fan so the power supply isn't completely dead, and in my experience PSUs are more likely to fail altogether than piecemeal, so I doubt it's a power supply problem.

The usual suspects (hard drive, video card or stick of RAM) generally won't cause a complete POST failure, so if it were any of them, there should be some warning. There's usually a POST code for RAM or GPU failure, and probably an on-screen message that there's no bootable OS if the HDD has puked.

My hunch is it's a motherboard failure. MoBo failures definitely can be consequential enough to prevent the POST ever initiating, so that would account for the lack of beeps. And they can be tricky to diagnose because the most sure-fire way to troubleshoot a hardware problem is to swap the suspect component for a known good one and see if the problem goes away. Easy enough in the case of a hard drive or a stick or RAM, but not so easy when it's the motherboard. But if you can't find any other component to lay the blame on, that's still more indications it's the MoBo.

The only other thing I would recommend is you change the CMOS battery. That's the wristwatch sized battery that snaps into the MoBo. I can't say I've ever seen a bad CMOS battery cause a POST failure, but that isn't necessarily exculpatory because the most bizarre PC problems I ever have witnessed were caused by them, so I wouldn't put anything past them (sneaky little devils!).
 
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Old 04-04-15, 12:52 PM
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I did already consider a dead/low CMOS battery and so took it out and tested it on a multimeter. It is a 3V battery and read out to 2.62 or something like that. I didn't know if that would be considered too low but anyway changed out that battery for another identical (but used) CMOS battery which I tested somewhat higher at 2.76V. After changing out the battery I still got the same result, with no POST or beeps. I have another identical machine for parting out (same model Dell desktop) from which I could maybe try swapping the MoBo and see what happens. I'm not sure exactly what POST actually means, but I'm fairly certain there is no POST initiating, as I don't see anything "initiating" upon power up other than what I described. any further comment appreciated and thanks.
 
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Old 04-05-15, 01:54 AM
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Post means you see something more than just the video card showing up and on a Dell and most other computers it might say additionally press F2 for Bios press F12 for temporary boot up. I have to agree with Fred I do believe the motherboard is fried however I would like you to check one thing. Check to see whether the memory is fully seated because if it isn't that can cause a post failure and prevent the computer from fully starting.
 
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Old 04-05-15, 03:21 AM
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As soon as you turn on the machine, tab F8 a few times. Don't wait until you see something on the screen. Just start to tapp F8 & don't stop. It should bring you to a menu. Choose safe mode. If that doesn't work, restart, follow the same procedure & choose VGR mode. That will bypass the video card. I think that the PC is booting but you just can't see it.
 
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Old 04-05-15, 06:38 AM
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I'm not sure exactly what POST actually means, but I'm fairly certain there is no POST initiating, as I don't see anything "initiating" upon power up other than what I described. any further comment appreciated and thanks.
When you first turn on a computer it opens and runs BIOS (basic input output system). This takes place even before windows starts booting up and is a basic structure held within an electronic read only memory, and it tells the computer how to do basic things like how to access a hard drive, how to display video on a screen... etc.

Needless to say, if your not seeing a bios post, then you're dead in the water and something major has failed on the computer. Attempting safe mode won't work because that only takes place AFTER a successful bios post. The cmos battery only keeps time when the machine is off. If you remove the battery altogether you will still get a post but the machine will simply ask for the time/date at every start up.

Hate to say it, but if you're not seeing a post then it is bricked and may as well be spare parts. They are usually not worth repairing at this stage.
 
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Old 04-05-15, 07:49 AM
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Thanks for those further replies. I'm happy to report now that I got it to work. I did a little googling last night (prior to latest posts/replies here) and decided to try the #4 suggestion shown at this web page I came across:
How To Fix a Computer That Turns On But Displays Nothing
about reseating connections. I disconnected then reconnected the data and power cable connections for the hard drive, then I removed then reinstalled each of the four RAM sticks or ("memory modules") in their slots. None of these connections either looked or felt loose before I did this so I figured it would make no difference as they seemed already "seated" just fine. But lo and behold when I powered up the pc again, POST initiated and completed and it booted up into the operating system and now here I sit, happy as a clam, typing this "post" using the pc that wouldn't POST before.
 
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Old 04-05-15, 11:29 AM
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Post

POST means Power On Self Test.
 
  #11  
Old 04-06-15, 08:38 AM
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the most sure-fire way to troubleshoot a hardware problem is to swap the suspect component for a known good one and see if the problem goes away.
I definitely agree with that. We built many fault-tolerant mission-critical systems which included an Active system and an identical hot(but sometimes only warm) Backup system, the Backup system continually monitoring the Active system. If the Active system failed an automatic switchover to the Backup system occurred, which now became the Active system, and the system would keep right on trucking. The user would only see a minor hiccup.

The field engineer would then dive into his box of spare boards and start swapping boards one at a time in the failed system until the bad board was identified. So the now fixed previous Active system, would now be brought online as the new Backup system – and the entire cycle continued.

The identified bad board would be sent back home to the depot for repair if possible and a new replacement board was sent to the field engineer. (There were some cases where it was something other than a bad board, but usually board swapping was the right approach.)
 
 

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