[Nottingham] Motherboard problem

[David Bean]

First things first:
Don't forget static handling procedures.

This is possibly static on the mobo (it really happens), usually before
it dies for good. Disconnect any power to the unit, and hold the power
switch in for about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. When this has fixed the
problem before, the problem usually reoccurs.

If this fails then I would strip it down completely and put it together
as minimally as possible: 
Mobo, PSU (Try both), CPU, RAM (Try only one stick at a time), CPU Fan,
Power switch) and look for life.

It may also be worth reseating any removable chips, usually only the
bios chip these days, if at all. Most people wouldn't dare, and I don't
blame them for it.

>From here we are looking at mobo, or CPU, possibly RAM, although I would
expect a RAM problem to cause some beeps. Can you get someone with
enough spares to test the parts so we can differentiate CPU/mobo?

The other problem with the motherboard is that when it goes, it can take
lots of things with it...

> using his daughter's laptop with WindowsXP <hawk, spit>

Where's clippy gone? What's GNOME?


David Bean