Re: [TCLUG:4786] Hardware Problem

[Ben Luey <lueyb@carleton.edu>]

If the problem is that when it boots, hard drives spin up but nothing
happens, it is probably a bad card or more likely a badly seated card. On
startup, your motherboard makes sure that there are no shorts or other bad
stuff -- and fried card or one that isn't in all the way could be shorting
something and so the motherbaord won't boot. Take out all the cards except
for display and see if you can get to the bios. If so, keep adding cards
until they all back or you know which card is causing the problem.

Good Luck,

Ben


On Mon, 15 Mar 1999, Perry Hoekstra wrote:

> Greet the Monday morning sun all,
> 
> I aplogize for the roundabout way I am sending this message, but my
> USWest email is sticking its tongue out when I try to post directly.
> 
> I am looking for a solution to a problem I ran into this weekend.  It
> isn't Linux related but hardware related.  I have a Dell 120c that
> shortly will become my Oracle database server.  I went to boot it on
> Sunday and nothing.  Taking the thing apart, I have determined a couple
> of things... when powered on, the harddrives are spinning but nothing
> happens.  I can put in a disk into the floppy drive but it is never
> read. It like the box has no bios or it is not reading the bios.  The
> motherboard for my new PC will not be in until tommorrow so I cannot
> swap parts to see if the video card or the harddrives are toast but I
> believe they are fine.  How can I check to see if something has happened
> to the bios if nothing comes up.  What keeps the bios in the flash
> memory of the machine, is it the trickle of power from the lithium
> battery?  Could that have died and taken the bios with it?  One other
> possibility I thought of: how often do motherboards go belly up?  I am
> definately out of my comfort zone on this one. Ideas anyone?
> 
> --
> Perry Hoekstra
> 
> dutchman@mn.uswest.net
> 
> 
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Ben Luey
lueyb@carleton.edu
ICQ: 19144397

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