Dante46

Alright, my computer (formerly an AMD athlon 700, GEforce2 MX, blah blah blah system...) started having random problems with video - no video signal would get to the monitor from time to time. After awhile, the problem started getting worse...my computer would do this more frequently and eventually didn't show an image on the screen at all. I decided that now would be a good time to re-vamp my system because I had been planning to anyway. So I bought a new Mobo, a Duron 800, a new video card, and a new power supply. After all of thse changes, the friggin thing won't give me anything other than the monitor's test screen. I thought perhaps it was the monitor, so I tried using a different monitor - same result. Any ideas?

Grimm

What are you using for memory? I always consider it to be the first suspect.
1) It's the easiest thing to replace.
2) It's always the last thing everybody checks.
3) There are so many things it can mess up.

Dante46

Just a couple 64 meg sticks of SDRAM (PC100), I took both of em out and tried throwing in a 64 meg stick from another computer (one that I know is good) and it didn't change anything...same problem. Anyway, maybe this'll help - I've got an 800 Duron, a Radion VE, an Abit KT7A Mobo, a couple hard drives (both Western Digital), a DVD player and a CDR...as of now, I've taken out my sound card, ethernet card, etc. Anything that you can think of would be very appreciated...

LPMiller

I'd be curious as to how well the vid cards are seating in the slot. Sometimes they are a real bitch. Either too tight or too loose, and those connections have to be pretty damn near perfect.

I'd disconnect the drives and boot. You aren't even getting a video card boot screen, so I doubt it's memory, but I'd try new PC133 RAM.

I'd double check that the new power supply isn't in fact, bad, or not fully plugged in. I've bought more bad power supplies.

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Dante46

Hmm, I'll check it out, although the drives spin up and the fans go on and everything - so it seems as though the power supply is doing it's job...as for the card, I'll take it out and put it back in to see if that helps - though it didn't work in the old mobo, there are only a few things that could possibly cause this problem - so I'll double check it...hopefully it works, this has been frustrating..

Dante46

hmm, still no luck...I have no idea what this could be...does anyone have any other ideas?

tastyapple

maybe check your cpu's heatsink/fan? when the cpu overheats the system won't power up. as time went by, your fan could have slowly died..

Dante46

Afraid not, it's a new processor and it came with a new fan and heat-sync....plus I added a case fan just to be sure...

I'm trying to think of all of the possible causes of there being no video signal - this is what I've come up with

1) Video Card (been replaced)
2) Monitor (checked using another monitor - it didn't work either)
3) Processor (been replaced)
4) Motherboard (been replaced)

Am I missing something? Could anything else cause this problem?

Grimm

When all else fail, you could have it profesionaly diagnosed. Just don't tell anyone.

Are you getting any POST beep codes? I had that problem last night when fixing a friend's wife's friend's computer (I'm going to have to kick his butt for that).

I would strip the computer down to Mobo, known good ram, video card and a floppy drive. Boot from the floppy and see if you can get a signal. If not replace the video card. Try again. If that doesn't work, try a PCI video card. You can problably borrow one or find one cheap online. If it still doesn't work try a different stick of ram (actualy trying a different stick would be good with each video card before you replace it).
If that doesn't work it is the monitor, power supply, or your new motherboard.
Check your monitor with a different computer. If you have a friend with a laptop, they can bring it by for a quick test.

At this point it should be the power supply or motherboard. Send both back for replacement. It's not worth it any more.

Dante46

hmm, nothing seems to be working...are there potential issues with pc100 ram in the KT7A mobo? I only ask because I've been shopping around looking at ram, and a lot of sticks say taht they don't work with certain motherboards...maybe all I've got is ram that doesn't work with my new motherboard?

ricerx

You might want to check if your mobo is seated correctly in the case. I've fixed about 3 comps that had their mobos grounding (touching) the case. If you bought a flimsy case, you might have this problem. The metal flexes and touches the mobo.

You can try this but be careful. You can remove the mobo from the case with just the power connectors connected. Leave only the memory and vid card plugged in with the monitor. You don't need to plug in any drives. Now plug in and power it up. If it starts ok, then your board is in contact with the case.

Again, BE CAREFUL with running mobo out of case. Make sure the mobo's not touching anything that would short it, like the case.

good luck

yippiekiyeh

Okay, I recently had a similar problem. I have to ask do you have any other pci cards installed? I had some PCI cards installed for this computer and the computer would not light up the monitor. Yanked the cards out and it posted fine. Switched the order of the PCI cards and then everything was fine.

Hope this suggestion helps

matyee

I had this problem with my computer before. The problem was with the connection between the processor and the motherboard. I had a card adapter for my processor so that it would fit into the slot. I ended up buying a new motherboard so that the processor was directly on the motherboard (panel).

Hope this helps

StonedWheat

I've seen this problem on a lot of computers. One solution is the processor connection, as stated before. Another solution could be changing the I/O voltage using the motherboard jumpers. Try boosting the I/O voltage up a notch or two above the default setting manually. It worked for me one time on an athlon 1.33 system. One problem with that is that the cpu might not detect right. Some mobos don't allow you to do that though.

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joe52985

dude this just happened to me, i fried my hard drive, id get no video signal...dif moniotr, same, diff graphics card same...diff mem, same, it was all the hard drive, i switched them out and boom i booted!

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xsiled

since no one has mentioned it have u gotten a new power supply you never know this mite be your problem

Luxykin007

Your MB may be all-together good, but have a bad AGP slot like some of the guys were eluding too. The RAM slots may also be bad. One thing we just went through here was upgrading from 4 simms of Ram equalling 64 MB in my dad's pc to 1 128 MB dimm of pc100 RAM. It had the same type of problem, machine wouldn't post etc... but when he put the old RAM in, it whirred right up. It turned out being the voltage settings for the jumpers we were using for both the pc 100 ram and the cpu had to be set to something different on the MB than the manual said they should be set at. So if you can, try emailing the MB manufacturer with the brief version of the problem focusing on their board, your ram and your cpu. Ask them what voltage setting's they'd recommend. Good luck

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attgig

and it's kinda funny how 8 people in a row said they had the same problem...=)

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joe52985

its making me think about quality control nowadays. Abit has gone down hill. Even Dell has lost some quality. And about how companies can bring out products with so many bugs, this sounds like complaining but we are paying for products with so many shipping bugs! and then they come out with second revisions so we go and spend 150 more and get the better one with new and improved bugs, it just makes me think.

puppie

Are you sure the CPU fan is plugged into the correct header because it DOES matter. The computer wont start unless it senses a fan in the particular fan header. I noticed this when my roomate got an Abit mobo and we had the hardest time figuring out this simple problem.