What's most likely wrong with this computer?

Question

I'm trying to help a neighboor fix her computer. Here's the scoop: After she removed a RAM module that she was returning to a friend it stopped working. Here's what I observed: When I power on, there's no signal going to the monitor (checked monitor cable, and yellow standby light on monitor - these were fine, also monitor works fine on another PC). There is power going to the board (green light, fan and HD motor working) but no BIOS beeps to signal any possible failure. There are two RAM slots with a 256Mb SDRAM DIMM remaining which I tried in both slots just to be sure. I was thinking possible video card failure, however assume that BIOS would signal this. Maybe possible BIOS failure? Any suggestions or feedback?

Answer 1

It's most likely that, in removing the RAM card, she dislodged something on the motherboard. Verify that all socketed devices are, indeed, still socketed, check all the cable connections to and from the motherboard and in the surrounding area...

If possible, check the documentation to see which of the RAM slots should be populated first... or, perhaps this is one of those machines that need their RAM in pairs...

Worst case is that she gave the board a static shock while handling the RAM rmoval, and fried some or all of the components

No beeps at all suggest that either the baord is failing to boot (there should be at least one), or the speaker is disconnected... :-)

Answer 2

Try with just one RAM chip. Perhaps one of them is bad and it's preventing anything from working. Also, the slots on the board are numbered. Make sure that you're in slot 1 & 2 and not 2 & 3. Try one dimm see if it works, then try another. Hopefully that'll show you something.

If still nothing, then I always disconnect everything that isn't mandatory for the machine to start up. So just try CPU, RAM, video card. If you still have nothing and you cycled both RAMs, then try a video card. If nothing then, it's probably the RAM that's bad.

Hopefuly you'll start getting some life, then add each thing piece by piece and find where it breaks.

Answer 3

One BIOS beep will also signal that the startup has begun. It is likely if you are hearing no beeps, that one of the power cables is loose from the motherboard. If - after you check them, you still cant get anything from BIOS, the mother board is probably hosed.

Answer 4

I am by no means and expert on this, but I had a similar problem with my HP a few months ago and ended up buying a whole new computer. And then finally found out that it was just a fault video card. Hope this helps some.

Answer 5

If this computer has an integrated video card, you may be able to un-install it in the device manager and then reboot the computer to see if that works. If it's a AGP or PCI video card then you might have a problem with the card itself or you may have to re-load the drivers for the video card.

Answer 6

MAKE SURE THE REMAINING RAM IS IN THE FIRST SLOTS THEN CLEAR THE BIOS USEING THE JUMPER PIN. IF NOTHING ELSE TRY JUST ONE RAM CHIP AT A TIME.

Answer 7

i feel that your BIOS is not initiating the POST( power on self test). try reseting the bios settings manually by reseating the jumper on the motherboard that says bios. reseat the internal cables to the motherboard.remove all external cards like video and sound cards and then try. isolate each one of them by trying them one by one. this should get it working.

Answer 8

Check around the CPU to see if she disconnected a wire or jumper and also check if the CPU isn't seated properly. Sounds like the processor isn't running,

Answer 9

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