[Solved] Multiple problems, PC won't boot and more.

[PCDan]

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[TD=class: alt1, bgcolor: #F4F4F4]Not sure whether one of the problems is the PSU but i am totally lost on what is faulty!

 

Okay so a week or so ago I got my friend to deliver my PC back down to me.

He assured me it booted up before he sent it, and that it worked fine; though it didn't have an OS on it, it just went though post and asked where to boot from.

 

When receiving it, I switched it on to find it did not post. All the fans and lights turn on but no post beep.

Tried it a few times and it eventually went through the post, so I then decided to install an OS on it. Half way through the installation the screen flickered and went green, to blue and then black.

The monitor is fine and works on my other computer.

 

I decided to take the computer apart and put it back together, which made no difference; it posts sometimes but not that often. I'm not moving the tower about either.

I have ruled out lose connections.

 

I decided to test it without the RAM and Graphics cards, where the mono complained and made the appropriate beeps telling me they were missing.

 

Tried the RAM in different slots etc.

 

Eventually i hooked it all up outside of the case and it still didn't make a difference.

 

I did manage to install Windows on it though and quickly installed the correct drivers for everything hopefully it would help the problem.

 

I'm thinking it was perhaps dropped in transit and has fractured the mobo or damaged the PSU, though I can not see any signs of damage.

 

So the startup is intermittent, when it is on it says the system is healthy but has moments where the screen flickers and usually turns blue or green or black.

 

Ideas? I don't have any spares to swap or test with.

 

Thank you in advance.

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[KenB]

Hi and welcome to ExTS

 

Does this system have a video card and on-board video ?

If so - can you take the video card out and try it on the on-board ?

[PCDan]

Hi and welcome to ExTS

 

Does this system have a video card and on-board video ?

If so - can you take the video card out and try it on the on-board ?

 

I have an AMD ATI Radeon 5850 1GB Graphics card, it doesn't have onboard graphics/video card.

The card has two DVI connections and a HDMI connection. I have tried all of them and they all work; when the actual computer decides to POST.

 

I have seated it numerous amounts of times and worked fine before being delivered. I am thinking the delivery company must have dropped it faulting some components.

 

I don't have any other video cards to swap and try either.

 

Thank you for your reply though :)

[KenB]

Can you try the video card in another system - ( friends ) ?

 

There is no real test for a video card but to swap it.

[PCDan]

Can you try the video card in another system - ( friends ) ?

 

There is no real test for a video card but to swap it.

 

Ah well I can try to get hold of one, but I don't think it will solve the problem of the computer not booting, just the screen flicker etc. As my card does work fine when the system boots, but after a random amount of time it starts to act up.

 

Whilst I try and get hold of one, do you think it could be anything else? Or is swapping the components really the only way to find out what has become faulty?

 

Thank you so much for the advice, it is greatly appreciated. :)

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, if during transit, something got cracked, favourite here is motherboard or hard drive by the way, then intermittent faulting is as you are seeing.

 

It could be a cracked circuit track on any component, or even slight damage to the hard drive drive spindle, or head drive system, unfortunately swapping components is the only likely way to find which one is the fault.

 

One thing to try once it is up and running OK, is to apply a little gentle pressure to the middle of the motherboard, just enough to very slightly flex it, if it shuts down straight away, it is more than likely a faulty track or soldered joint on the motherboard.

 

Nev.

[PCDan]

Sorry for the late reply!

 

Hey guys,

 

So I got around to getting some parts to swap and try and the faulty part ended up being the Graphics card!

Now have a shiny new one :D

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Also I know this is a different question but..

 

I want to record to an external drive on my Windows PC where the file sizes exceed 4gb, usually around the 60gb mark and then edit on my Macbook.

 

Fat32 wont work due to the file size limit :/

 

Any ideas.

Thanks, and apologies again for taking so long!

 

Dan

[KenB]

Hi Dan

 

Good to hear that your system is up and running again :)

 

Could you please start a new thread with your external drive problem.

It is easier for other members who are searching for answers to similar problems.