On my way to work the other day, I found a Dell Dimension 2400 computer that somebody was throwing away. Since it was in really good shape and hasn't rained in about three weeks, I figured "what the hell" and took it. After I got home, checked out the insides and plugged it up, the motherboard power LED came right on, but upon pressing the power button the machine refused to so much as power on. So far, I've tried two different and working PSU's, I've tried hooking up a new power button, and I've tried unplugging everything but the power connectors on the motherboard itself, then booting. My question to you is what component has failed here? I've never encountered a motherboard that actively receives power, but yet refuses to boot in all my 10+ years of computer experience.
Either way, I scored a good CD burner, 80GB HDD, 512MB DDR RAM, and a valid Windows XP COA so it doesn't honestly matter if I can fix it or not... but if it's something simple I can do, It'd sure be nice to fix up
2007-12-03 17:41:08 · 9 answers · asked by Lacclolith 3 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
Oooh. There's a real detailed answer.
Care to elaborate which part of the board is possibly bad, friend? Power connectors? Capacitors?
2007-12-03 17:50:49 · update #1
Strangely, the board doesn't do anything at all when the power switch is pressed. I was expecting it to at least POST, but I don't even get that much. No activity on any of the peripherals either, so no fans, HDD's, or optical drives seem to react. The only indication that I have that the system's even receiving power is the little green pilot light that indicates power flow.
2007-12-03 17:53:00 · update #2
One thing I always check before going to the fried motherboard syndrome like everyone else is to completely remove your dial up modem card and try starting your computer with it out completely. Modem cards can cause what is known as a ghost dead motherboard by limiting power for start up. It's to hard to explain in detail here, but many times I have found simply doing this step saves a lot of headache. It may not solve your problem, but its fast and easy to do. If it solves your problem leave the card out and go with high speed Internet. If you replace the bad modem with a new one be sure no power is on the machine when you do.
2007-12-03 18:33:26 · answer #1 · answered by aswkingfish 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the power supply is good and its still not powering up I would guess the motherboard is fried somewhere. and well there are no serviceable parts on the motherboard, and I'm not talking about the ram or harddrive. I mean a resister or a capacitor is fried. Since nothing happens when you press the power button. That means power is not reaching the bios. So its not going to do anything. If it did then just went to a blank screen. Then I would say not enough power, but nothing means no power.
Maybe if your real lucky the process is fine along with everything else. and all you have to get is a new motherboard and just replace it. You seem to have enough knowledge to do that.
Awesome find btw
upon reading your extra comments comments on how nothing works not even the opical drives which are directly connected to the power supply. my guess would now be that you don't have enough power try unpluging the extra stuff (CD drives etc... ) then try to power up. if it starts then you need a bigger power supply. if not then try unpluging everything but a cd drive. even the IDE cables. and see if you could make the tray eject. if not then I would say bad power supply.
other than that I would have to personally look at it.
2007-12-04 02:10:46 · answer #2 · answered by dreadfulgravy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a Dell. That's why someone threw it away.
They probably made the mistake of calling their customer service and threw the lot out due to total frustration. They are notorious for motherboard failures.
2007-12-04 02:25:56 · answer #3 · answered by oldersox 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know, I've had similar problems in the pass while powering up. And to my surprise, it was the actual hardrive that failed, and cause the computer not to power up! Try putting the hardrive into another system and see if it works. That's how I discovered it was the hardive.
2007-12-04 12:44:55 · answer #4 · answered by Derek N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes you just need to remove the battery from the motherboard for 30 secs when that happens and reconnect eveything again incase.
2007-12-04 02:30:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, this is fun. I was going to say power switch, but nope..
so it's the board.
HDD doesn't spin up. or does?
If the CPU fan spins up but you get no action you have a fried board. Chip might still be good.
If the cpu fan does not spin up you still probably have a fried board. Chip might even be okay...
You could replace it. or like you said.
You can cut your.. um.. gains, and just beef up some box you already have, and it sounds like you already have ....
2007-12-04 01:49:13 · answer #6 · answered by Liz 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bad motherboard
2007-12-04 01:47:39 · answer #7 · answered by whizinthevalley 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Check the cpu heat sink. If loose the cpu will heat and shut down before booting.
2007-12-04 01:55:26 · answer #8 · answered by Jeff G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a screwing Dell thats whats wrong with it. Someone else through it out, You grab and expect it to work?.....through it out before it drives you to suicide.
2007-12-04 01:59:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋