[TML] Computer problems

[Derek Wildstar]

On Jul 26, 2008, at 1:34 AM, GDWGAMES at aol.com wrote:
> Compaq, about 4-5 years old, acquired as a Xmas gift from a relative  
> when they bought a new one.

Can you get the make and model number from the front of the case.   
This is typically a word plus a 4-digit number, sometimes 3-6 numbers  
and letters), for example "Presario SR1010Z" or "Armada e500".  This  
will make it much easier to locate specifications and service manuals.

OK.  I have couple of dumb questions just to make sure:
1) Was it working up until recently?
and
2) Did you do anything (and I do mean anything at all - move it,  
upgrade hardware or software, etc.) to it shortly before it stopped  
working?

I assume the answers are "yes" and "no", respectively.

As a general rule of thumb, I tell my customers that if they make it  
through the first month without problems, modern computers can be  
expected to last about 5 years without too much trouble.  Beyond that,  
the chance of system failure increases.  Parts also become harder to  
find as a system ages past 5 or 6 years.

> Fan, the monitor has an amber "power saver" light, and the CPU box  
> has a light over the button on the front of the box.

The system's power supply is probably good, and the problem lies  
elsewhere in the system.

At this point, I would check to see that the monitor works.  Plug the  
new into a known-working old system, or plug a known-working monitor  
in to the new system.  It's a long shot, but stranger things have been  
known to happen - a broken monitor may never leave power-save mode.

> I get the light on the front and the fan starts up. there is a brief  
> sound (brief = less than half a second) from the cd drive and the  
> floppy drive, no beep, nothing on the screen.

Assuming that it's not the monitor, then you're probably dealing with  
a hardware failure somewhere in the system.  Noises from the CD drive  
and floppy drive are good, since that means the system is trying to  
boot.    The options (in rough order of liklihood) are:
- Hard drive
- CD-ROM drive
- RAM
- video card (if separate from the motherboard)
- motherboard
- CPU

The hard drive and CD-ROM are easy to check.  Power off, open the case  
and unplug the data cables (typically wide, flat ribbons on systems  
that old*) from both the hard drive and CD.  I would also unplug the  
floppy drive for good measure.  While you're in there, blow out any  
big dust bunnies, and make sure all of the boards, memory, connectors  
and whatnot are well seated (give each a gentle shove into its socket).

Then try to boot the system again.  If successful, you should get some  
sort of text on the screen from the BIOS, ending with a "No boot  
device" message.  If this works, shut it off again, and plug things  
back in one  at a time (booting the system between each device, and  
powering off before attempting to plug in the next device).  Once you  
find the failed device, replace it - take the failed device to a  
computer store, and get a new one with the same kind of connectors.   
Larger capacity (e.g., a 120Gb drive instead of a 40Gb drive) or  
higher performance (48x CD-ROM drive vice 32x) is OK.

If this doesn't work, power off, unplug the drives again (just so they  
won't mess up any results) and replace the system RAM with known-good  
components.  Try to boot again, looking for the BIOS screen as an  
indication of success.

Many lower-cost or consumer systems have a video card built into the  
motherboard.  If yours has a separate video card, power off and  
replace that next (leave the known-good RAM in the system).  Try to  
boot again, looking for the BIOS screen as an indication of success.

If you've gotten this far with no luck, or if your system doesn't have  
a separate video card, the problem is probably on the motherboard.  At  
this point, you're probably looking at a needing a new computer.  If  
you've got time on your hands and enjoy tinkering with computers, a  
replacement motherboard isn't expensive, but swapping all of the  
components and installing the new motherboard (without damaging  
anything) is time-consuming.

* Older systems will have the Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment  
(PATA) cable, which is a wide flat ribbon cable.  Given that your  
system has a floppy drive, I assume it's that old.  Newer systems will  
have a much smaller Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) cable.
Pictures of both types of cable are here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/1210709-post4.html

---Derek