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Posted: 4/2/2006 10:05:35 AM EDT
I came home last night and my clocks were flashing, indicating a power surge/outtage.

My pc is plugged into an uniterrupted power supply/battery backup/surge protector (UPS). The UPS includes software that shuts the pc down 5 minutes after the power goes out. This software has worked great in previous times that the power has gone out.

When I go to turn my pc back on, it has power but won't boot. I can hear the harddrives start spinning. There is no sign that the pc even begins to boot. No beep, no nothing.

Did the motherboard get fried? If so, how would that happen with the UPS?

Any ideas?

Thanks a lot.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:41:36 AM EDT
[#1]
Bump. Need some help with this guys...
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:43:10 AM EDT
[#2]
Have you checked the UPS to make sure it is still working properly?
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:43:42 AM EDT
[#3]
no beeps at all, but everything kicks on?

probably mainboard, but hard to tell.  beeps = mb, cpu, ram, or vid... no beeps (usually)= mb
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:44:17 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
Have you checked the UPS to make sure it is still working properly?



I will do that, but the machine has power so I don't think that is the problem.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:45:30 AM EDT
[#5]

Quoted:
no beeps at all, but everything kicks on?

probably mainboard, but hard to tell.  beeps = mb, cpu, ram, or vid... no beeps (usually)= mb



That's what I am afraid of. Replacing the motherboard is gonna be a pain in the ass.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:49:49 AM EDT
[#6]
If your not getting any beeps chances are its your motherboard.  The first thing I do is start pulling stuff, unplug everything from the mother board except your video card 1 and 1 stick of memory and try it again, if you get a beep then its something you unpluged, just a process of elimation.  If no beep, swap out the memory, and if you've got an extra video card handy swap that out too.  Still no POST then its the board.

ETA Or the CPU
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 10:51:45 AM EDT
[#7]
I'm gonna have to concur with Iroc. During the boot up process the Motherboard gose through some self testing and then beeps a serise of beeps if there is a problem.  Generaly one beep means all is OK  and any more than that means that something is wrong. Having no beeps means that the Main board is not even able to run the tests.  Perhaps its time for a warrenty replacement?

-JIM-
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 11:02:24 AM EDT
[#8]
Try bypassing the UPS and plug it straight into the wall.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 11:06:45 AM EDT
[#9]
Does your UPS have a replacement policy for your equipment that it failed to protect?
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 11:21:38 AM EDT
[#10]

Quoted:
Does your UPS have a replacement policy for your equipment that it failed to protect?


They are usually very limited, but it's worth a shot.
I also believe your motherboard is shot.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 11:35:27 AM EDT
[#11]
No disagreement with the above posters, but I like to try the simple stuff first.

Unplug the PC from the UPS or where it is plugged in now.  Wait five minutes.  Plug it in the wall outlet and try again.

Have any friends (in your area...not cyber) that are into pc's or gamers?   They may have a spare power supply like yours that could be tried.

Many UPS units do not have good surge protection.  In addition, the cable that is used to do the auto shut down (RS232 or USB) gives another path of destruction to the PC if there is a good hit on the power line.

ETA: Didn't your area have some severe storms?
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 11:39:25 AM EDT
[#12]
Before you start doing a take apart, unplug the UPS and plug the computer directly into an ac outlet and retry.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 12:41:08 PM EDT
[#13]

Quoted:
If your not getting any beeps chances are its your motherboard.  The first thing I do is start pulling stuff, unplug everything from the mother board except your video card 1 and 1 stick of memory and try it again, if you get a beep then its something you unpluged, just a process of elimation.  If no beep, swap out the memory, and if you've got an extra video card handy swap that out too.  Still no POST then its the board.

ETA Or the CPU



Ugh. That sounds fun.

It is probably the best method for isolating the problem though. And since if it is the motherboard, all that stuff has to come off anyway.

Guess I will get started on that.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 12:42:59 PM EDT
[#14]
thelastgunslinger: Please post for us what you did to fix the problem.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 12:46:46 PM EDT
[#15]
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 12:47:18 PM EDT
[#16]

Quoted:
Many UPS units do not have good surge protection.  In addition, the cable that is used to do the auto shut down (RS232 or USB) gives another path of destruction to the PC if there is a good hit on the power line.



Quite true, there are vectors other than the power.  Do you have an unprotected phone line into it?

Motherboard sound like the problem part here.  A bad power supply would cause different problems most likely and the drives would not spin up.  I assume the fans are spinning as well (especially look at the CPU fan)?  CMOS battery reset could possibly yield some results as well.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 12:49:18 PM EDT
[#17]
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 2:15:13 PM EDT
[#18]

Quoted:
thelastgunslinger: Please post for us what you did to fix the problem.



I tried pulling out all of the components down to just the video card and one stick of RAM. It still did not run. So far my solution has been to order a new motherboard, but after reading TBS's posts about pulling the BIOS battery, I am wondering if that might have been a rash decision.

I am going to try to pull the BIOS battery, put the machine back together, and see if that works. Guess I will have to do that tonight so that I can cancel the order for the new motherboard just in case it works.

I will keep you guys updated if you want.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 2:18:50 PM EDT
[#19]

If your computer died, how are you posting?
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 2:22:02 PM EDT
[#20]
How are you posting if your computers dead?? Are you psychic? Pull the plug, battery and short the jummper.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 4:15:19 PM EDT
[#21]

Quoted:

If your computer died, how are you posting?



I am using my laptop.  
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 4:19:05 PM EDT
[#22]

Quoted:
Unplug the ac cord

pull bios battery from board and wait 5-10 min.

reinstall bios battery

plug in AC and see if it boots.


i have had MANY pc's that scrambled their brains when power drops. Depending on the type of power hit your UPS may or may not have kicked in and kept it up. Manytimes you may get low voltage condition below the pc's threshhold but above the UPS threshold in time or voltage. when this occurs you usually get a spike followed by an immediate low voltage and back to normal voltage in a split second. the UPS does not react fast enough and it scrambles the pc logic until ALL voltage is reset.

mike



I took the battery out for a while, then hooked the board back up to the power supply. Only the processor is installed.

No beeps when powered on.

I am going to out some memory in it and put the harddrives in as well to see if it will boot, but I am not optimistic at this point.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 4:26:56 PM EDT
[#23]
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 4:39:29 PM EDT
[#24]
The new PC's have 2 on off switches, 1 that you can see and touch, and 1 that is command driven.

In cases like this, resetting the command driven switch is simply opening the PC, pulling the power supply connector from the main board, plugging it back in, and your done.

I hope you haven't disected your entire PC before this.  It's a common problem.


ETA: I now see your way past this - but for others out there this is how to fix most of the "won't start after a power event" issues.

Good luck.
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 4:47:37 PM EDT
[#25]
Link Posted: 4/2/2006 4:53:45 PM EDT
[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Unplug the ac cord

pull bios battery from board and wait 5-10 min.

reinstall bios battery

plug in AC and see if it boots.


i have had MANY pc's that scrambled their brains when power drops. Depending on the type of power hit your UPS may or may not have kicked in and kept it up. Manytimes you may get low voltage condition below the pc's threshhold but above the UPS threshold in time or voltage. when this occurs you usually get a spike followed by an immediate low voltage and back to normal voltage in a split second. the UPS does not react fast enough and it scrambles the pc logic until ALL voltage is reset.

mike



I took the battery out for a while, then hooked the board back up to the power supply. Only the processor is installed.

No beeps when powered on.

I am going to out some memory in it and put the harddrives in as well to see if it will boot, but I am not optimistic at this point.



My gut tells me it's probably not the battery, but besides just pulling the battery out there is usually a jumper you have to move to short a circuit and clear the BIOS information.  That's done when the battery is in.  You can find out which jumper it is in the manual for the motherboard if you have it.
Link Posted: 4/3/2006 3:24:45 AM EDT
[#27]
Link Posted: 4/3/2006 8:45:32 AM EDT
[#28]
Beer Slayer-

I pulled out the battery, let it sit, then reinstalled the battery and it worked!!!

My pc is alive again! You just saved me almost $200 on a new motherboard.

I owe you a beer.

Link Posted: 4/3/2006 8:55:11 AM EDT
[#29]
Link Posted: 4/3/2006 8:56:31 AM EDT
[#30]
my computer died yesterday too, but i think i might have had something to do with it.


Link Posted: 4/3/2006 9:00:45 AM EDT
[#31]

Quoted:
my computer died yesterday too, but i think i might have had something to do with it.


i37.photobucket.com/albums/e86/ibdmentd/miami%20shoot2/PICT3599.jpg



Did you shoot it? Some computers don't work well if they get shot.

ETA:  Just saw the text and no picture before I replied.
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