A8M2N-LA (HP Pavillion A1730N) wont boot, no beeps

ts18997

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Running an HP Pavillion A1730N. Stopped mid use and will not reboot, no beeps. Only gets as far as the HP splash screen and then stops.

Config: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 4600+
2.4GHZ, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache
2GB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM
320GB 7200RPM Serial ATA hard drive
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Graphics with 128MB dedicated graphics memory

No other cards than a modem. Harddrive and DVD are both onboard SATA
Scenarios:
1) When booting and it gets to the HP splash screen, there are 3 options presented, ESC(Boot Menu), F10(SETUP, and F11(System recovery). If you wait until you get to this screen and try to hit any one of those options, it will not respond and in about 1-2 mins, screen goes black and then the splash screen re-appears (keeps cycling like this)

2) If you start hitting ESC or F10 as soon as you power on, it will go to the boot menu or setup but then keyboard will not respond. You can see the boot menu and first screen of the setup but cannot navigate. Its as if the keyboard is dead (yes, tried another one). I can never get F11(system recovery) to come up.

If I put a bootable CD in the drive, in scenario #1, I eventually get message "Hit any key to boot from CD". No matter which key is pressed, it appears to ignore and times out booting from CD.

One thing to note, during initial power on, the keyboard lights flash. At no time after that will numlock, scrolllock lights work. After the initial boot, keyboard appears dead.

Tried reseating/removing DIMMs, moving SATA connections around, checking power connections, etc. With no DIMMS installed, it will beep so I know thats working. It seems to know when harddrive is being moved to new SATA port or when a DIMM is removed since it shows up on the initial setup screen but in no case can I navigate to anything else but what is presented on the first setup screen.

Any ideas? I'm thinking bad mobo. Was wondering if power supply could cause something like this?
 

ts18997

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I see I've had a few reviews but no feedback. I went ahead and replaced the motherboard. While hooking everything back up, the HP Pavillion comes with a front drive bay panel 5in1 memory card reader (CF, SD, sony, etc). When plugging this back in a normal USB port, the new motherboard detects an over voltage condition and shuts down. Removing that and hook everything else up now works fine on new mobo.

Q. Could this have been the problem all along? Could the old mobo not detect the over voltage, or could it have damaged the mobo? Has anyone ever seen an non-powered USB device cause something like this?
 

ts18997

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Is there a minimum power that a motherboard would need? This case came from HP with a ridiculously low PSU, 300w. Could it be that even though I have not added new cards or devices, the new M2A-VM mobo needs more than 300w?
 

mahiram321

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Hello there, I have a HP a1619.uk with a ASUS A8M2N-LA motherboard. I have the same problem as you just explained perfectly. Keyboards not responding in bios so cant change any settings to sort this problem out. Although I have the latest bios version 3.10 and it hasnt been used much really.

What ive already tried........
1) I have taken the CMOS battery out for 1/2mins or so and put it back. Still nothing.
2) Used the hp steps to jump the board to reset itself. Still nothing.
3) Tried both ps/2 keyboard and ps/2 keyboard with converter > USB. Still nothing.

I have a feeling its something related to the motherboard or driver issues.

Its out of warranty now so does anyone have any suggestions of how to fix this problem.
 

mahiram321

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Hello again. I had a look at all comments on this page made by ts18997 and iv finally solved the problem.

I disconnected the card reader bay from the pc and tried the keyboard again and it started working. So as a whole the card reader bay was at fault therefore it definately must have given over voltage or something making everything stop responding e.g. keyboard and so on.

So if any1 has this same problem disconnect your hardware one by one and hopefully you'l find out what was causing the problem. In my case it was the card reader.

Sooooo happi now...................... YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! HURAAAAY..
 

Chaddles

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Hello,

I first sympathize with you and am happy to hear that you were able to get your system working again.

On Sunday, 080708, my girlfreind was playing Diablo (not important but is the scenario) game went into "Not Responding" she restarted and the cycle began. When I say cycle I mean exactly the same behavior that was posted here.

Computer would state the video card, then it showed HP splash screen, to end on a black screen with a cursor blinking in the upper left hand corner. Lather and Repeat. The standard troubleshooting we made the discovery that the keyboard would light up once and then stop working and the mouse (laser) would remain lit.

We first did a hardware reboot of the BIOS, no effect. Next, we tried running the hard drive in another computer to find a STOP error 0x7n. The error was persistant so we tried hooking it up as a secondary hard drive and we were able to back up all the data that was on it previously.

Again hooked it up as primary this time gave the choice to start Windows or Repair Utility and chose start Windows normally and STOP error returned we restarted this time choosing to Repair Utility which also failed. However it did give the recovery options however there were not any points that were there so only option to recover to factory settings.

This was successful after reboot (in another computer) Vista started doing its initial process, however when it came time to show me options to choose I recieved "Error in configuration settings" (lotsa text) and Code Purple. Code Purple seems to be the hard drive not mathcing the MOBO, a feature of HP. Anyway thinking all is well I hook up harddrive in original computer. And the cycling continued.

Next we tried reseating the RAM... no effect

Disconnected unneccesary hardware CD ROM, video card (used on board)...this had no effect

Tried USB keyboard...no effect

The LED indicator showing that it is posting but is not going any further.

Then we began scouring the internet and came across your post. We thought for sure this was going to be right (seeing how it was successful b4) disconnected the 9 in 1 and no effect. It is still cycling.


Specifications of machine
Config: AMD Athlonamd athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 4600+
2.4GHZ, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache
2GB PC2-4200 DDR2ddr2 SDRAM
320GB 7200RPM Serial ATA hard drive
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GS Graphics with 256MB dedicated graphics memory

We welcome any suggestions.

 

aviatortek

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Got a pavilion a1700n from a customer same symptoms, the fix was disconnecting the front panel usb from the usb 1 connector on the mobo, customer use to connect usb wireless kbrd mouse combo.
 

johnnyzero

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I recently dealt with a client's machine that was exhibiting this exact same problem: an HP Pavillion a600n with the same ASUS A8M2N-LA motherboard.

Luckily, I came across this post & was able to get the machine to work properly again by disconnecting the front panel media card reader, as suggested here. Some people have fixed this by disconnecting the front panel USB connectors, but on this machine it was the media card reader that was at fault. I tried both, neither, either, etc.

One thing about this is puzzling to me: why would the machine have a problem with the media card reader all of a sudden after working ok for some time? As mentioned here, it does seem to be an "over voltage" situation at POST (to be more accurate, it would technically be a "current draw" problem).

Perhaps the current draw on the lame 300w Bestech power supply was borderline to begin with, and over time the power supply "got a little weaker" & was no longer able to supply enough current? Maybe it's just a defect in the motherboard design, or perhaps the power capacitors on the board itself have deteriorated.

Anyway, I'm wondering if a new, higher-capacity power supply would allow my client to use the media card reader again. Any thoughts on this will be much appreciated.

best,
JohnB
 

johnnyzero

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So much for the "weak power supply" theory in my previous post. I ordered a beefier power supply, and it didn't fix the problem.

Anyway, I figured out the REAL solution for this common issue with HP Pavillion memory card readers. It turns out to be a problem with the card reader's firmware somehow getting scrambled, and it needs to be reset. The solution is buried deep inside this HP tech support document.

Here's how to fix it once and for all:

1) With the computer power unplugged (duh), open up the case & disconnect the card reader cable at the card reader itself - NOT the end that connects to the motherboard header. Make sure the cable end is not touching any metal components before proceeding to step 2 (another duh).

2) With the cable still disconnected, fire up the computer. The tech support doc says to let it boot into Windows and stay there for about 5 minutes.

3) Shut the computer down and reconnect the cable to the card reader.

4) Turn your computer back on - your memory card reader will work and, most importantly, the computer will no longer hang at POST!

I suspect that when you fire up the computer without the cable connected, the card reader is designed to reset its firmware by grounding out through the case - similar to a CMOS Reset jumper on a motherboard.

I hope this solution is helpful to others. Please feel free to drop me a line if this fix works for you: johnbeekman@yahoo.com?subject=PavillionFix

best,
JohnB
 

mahiram321

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Hello everyone. I see many people are having the same problem with their pcs as i did previously. I would suggest people to use a trial and error procedure.
The process of elimination would be to remove a certain component like the front card reader and check again. If the problem still occurs then the problem lies elsewhere. The pc could be short circuiting elsewhere and a DIFFERENT component would be the culprit.
Try a different graphics card, different hardrive or even remove certain cable ports individually and check every time to see if there is a change. As 'johnyzero' said fire it up every time you make a change.
 

rbrits

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I have this exact problem with this exact machine.

After pulling out both pci cards, and even card readers and such. I found the problem was actually in the case design... the on/off switch.

In my scenario the siwtch behind the front on/off button was stuck "in" . So when I plugged in my computer it would turn on .. and just as if you hold down the power button it would turn off again after a few seconds.

Solutoin? Take off the side of the case, then proceed to take the front off by unsnapping its grips in the siding of the frame. Adjust/play with the switch until you can get it to come in/out smoothly.

I did find however that after I was able to fix this switch, my machine would not Post, it would give one short beep followed by a long beep. Over and Over again without posting, but it atleast turned on. This turned out to be a sympton of faulty memory, one of the sticks went bad, probably from trying to turn it on all those times with the switch stuck on?

Good Luck.
 

rbrits

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I browsed over this thread again and realized I didn't have the same exact problem, my computer would turn on , then turn off shortly thereafter without showing any display on a monitor. It is working now though.

After having put the case backtogether, the internal switch still gets stuck, which then makes it seem the regular on/off switch your pressing doesn't do anything, becuase it actually doesnt since the internal switch is stuck in. So after a few attempts and some luck it seems its quite easy to turn it on, since the switch gets stuck in it always takes a few presses, one last one to get the switch to pop back out... in order to keep it on. I wouldn't recommend turning the machine off by hitting the reset button, it usually gets stuck in and then forces the power off before windows can safely shut down.

I'm aware the above problem doesnt fit the actual description of this thread but its title 'A8M2N-LA (HP Pavillion A1730N) wont boot, no beeps' fits very well and was how I was able to find it with the problem I had.
 

sinbad_aye

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Machine: hp pavillion a1730n. Would not power up at all, no green led on back of power supply. Unplugged the mobo from power supply, and ps green led would come on, but still would not power up. Plug mobo back in and green led went out.

Inside of box had more dust than transistors. Entire air intake for power supply was clogged, and there was thick dust on everything. Cleaned it out thoroughly with bleach, detergent, and 5 HP briggs and stratton power sprayer. Kidding.

New power supply from Best Buy. Powered right up, and I almost returned it to customer, but ... finally tried plugging in a couple of flat screens I have just to make sure it was really coming up -- it wasn't. Power to fans, power to hard drive and CD, but no joy on screen. No beeps. Not even any light on screen.

So I'll try disconnecting the card reader and usb ports.

I'll let you know what happens, or yell for help.

Great forum -- thanks for all the info!
 

brendaL

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sinbad_aye...did you ever get this fixed? I just replaced a power supply on an HP Pavilion a1737c Desktop PC and the first time I booted the system it worked fine...then I ran a hardware diag check on cpu, memory, hdd, both DVD drives, and all checked okay. I did not run any Windows updates or update any drivers. The system was not connected to the Internet at all. When I re-started the system again, it wouldn't start. The fans, hdd, dvd drives, usb ports, etc. power up and run, but no display and no keyboard. The light on the monitor turns green, then goes back to amber. The lights on the keyboard flicker on then off again. Any suggestions???
 

madmaven

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HP Pavilion m7750n has A8M2N-LA mobo and powers up when I plug in the power cord but no video, no busy light appears to be dead. tried tounplug card reader, front USBs reseated memory, replugged HD stilllnothing tried both unplugged no luck. would you look at the board or processor first.? Or would you do something else.???
 

brendaL

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You can remove the processor and look for damage. Also check for damage to the MOBO. A few other things you can try are: check the power supply to make sure you are getting the proper voltage and check your memory. Hopefully you have some "known good" extra memory lying around. However, it's probably a bad MOBO. In my case, I had just changed out the power supply and it fried the board. So both the power supply and the MOBO were junk. Good luck to you! :??:
 

ADroste

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I had the same Problems with the A8M2N-LA MoBo, which was built into an HP Pavilion t3657.de: No Beeps, Fans at maximum, no video. The cause was neither RAM, nor power supply or processor, but simply the motherboard. It was replaced by an ASUS M3N78-EM, which was the most compatible board I could find. (Differences: Front Line-In is not supported, and Panel connector 10/9pin originally had to be replaced by a 20-8 header.) All other components were re-used.

Windows XP Media Center didn't require re-installation but new activation by Microsoft. Afterwards the new MoBo drivers required installation. That's it.

Regards
 

sniperkitttie

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I know enough to be dangerous. Saw that you had to change your Panel connector with a 20-8. How does one go about that. I am replacing the same MoBo with a BioStar TA780G M2+ and an AMD 5000+ processor. This board uses a 16 pin front panel connector. Any idea where to get such and how does one connect the wires.

Thanks in advance.
 

ADroste

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The connector can easily be made of a socket header like this, which is normally available at every DIY Electronic Shop http://uk.farnell.com/fischer-elektronik/bl2-72z/header-socket-2-54mm-72way/dp/9728872?Ntt=9728872 or this http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?moduleId=en/335250.xml Just cut it to the necessary length. The wires from the original connector have to be cut and soldered to the new header pins. Use shrink sleeves. That looks more professional and increases reliability. Since the documentation of the A8M2N-LA (Nodus) Board is quite poor, you have to make a sketch from the original wire layout. (Which colour where.) The black wire is always the Minus side. The meaning of the pins is printed on the board. With help of the manual of your new Board you can identify which pin is what. Our defect computer for instance had no reset button. So I had to leave those two pins on the new board open.

Sorry, cannot help more since I put the sketch of my old board together with the board into the "recycle bin" ;)

Hth

 

sniperkitttie

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sony1569

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I had the same problem with HP m7750n and A8M2N-LA MoBo . Never booted but CPU fan would run on high. Tried everthing from totally taking it apart to checking PS, CPU, and then memory. Finally I just ordered a replacement A8M2N-LA MoBo from eBay for $75 with free shipping from China. Took about 4 business days.
 

huze5

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Try taking the processor out for about 20 seconds and putting it back in. Worked for me.
more like the processor over heated and you removed it from the socket and its reset it self, clean out the heat sink and removal all dirt.
Make sure that it is plugged in. Do not unplug it, just be very careful. Especially with the pins on the processor.
 

FTL 420

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I have the same problem with my HP Pavilion a6407c. I'll try what might be the easiest solution: unplugging the 15-in-1 card reader, see if that works....

Oh well, this might actually finally be the excuse to upgrade my PC....
 
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Guest

Guest
Thank you soooooooo much everybody!!!! I was having this problem for a while now and every other message board had little or no answers but you have saved me. unplugging my front usb connectors fixed the problem thanks again. :bounce:
 
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Guest

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A- I am struggling with the same issue. I got a new 4gb SD card when I put it in the HP computer, the screen became frozen and the next time I used the computer, it went black, went to the repair shop, they said the motherboard A8M2N-LA is gone. Donn;t know what to do now, how can a card reader damage so much. Any idea - pls advise Thanks