[Gllug] Hardware fault

[Andrew Davies]

On 12/04/2010 11:31, Dylan wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am faced with a machine which is *completely* un-responsive after power-up.
> There is no HD activity, no activation of the monitor from standby, and no
> beeping, although the fans run normally. I have removed or disconnected
> mouse, keyboard, DVD and HD (both SATA) and memory resulting in no change of
> response - i.e. there is no complaint of any kind about the lack of essental
> hardware. The machine's owner tells me that yesterday it spontaneously
> rebooted.
>
> Is there any way simple way to distinguish a power supply, processor or
> motherboard fault? Any suggestions would be welcome.
>
> Dx
>    
IIRC, upon power up, the machine checks the motherboard clock, CPU and 
that there's some memory present (not necessarily in that order) then 
emits a single beep. You then get the video card BIOS and then the POST 
screen.
If the machine is powering up (e.g. the fans spin for a few seconds) and 
you're not even getting a beep, the problem is likely to be 
PSU/Motherboard/CPU related.
Graphics card issues usually involve multiple beeps and a PSU problem 
would, normally, mean that nothing happens (but not always).

The easiest way for most people to diagnose computer problems is to try 
to eliminate any non-working part from the whole. Start with as simple a 
system as possible (PSU+motherboard+CPU+power switch + one memory stick 
+ graphics card + HDD) and then eliminate each part by replacing it with 
a known working one.
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