[SOLVED] Newbie! PC will not start. Power, Fans, Mouse, Keyboard all on, but no display.

Jul 20, 2020
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Hi. My first post here.

I have a backup Desktop PC which has been a tiny bit flaky recently, but no biggie. It worked 98% of the time.
I have a 120 GB SSD installed, and also have a spare 240GB SSD which I wanted to clone the C drive to as an upgrade.
So I installed an older version of Acronis True Image (2014) and backed up the C Drive.
Then I tried to attach the 240GB SSD internally with the case open (just temporary like) to perform the cloning.
When I rebooted I just got 3 seconds ON, 3 seconds OFF, 3 seconds ON,......etc.

So I did a bit of Googling and decided try changing the CMOS battery, as the MOBO is over 5 years old (GA-Z77M-D3H).
I figured it could have been the cause of the previous flakiness too (?), and cheaper than trying a new PSU/MOBO..
I have cleared CMOS in the process of changing the battery too (5 mins off).

Now when I try to boot up I get a one BLEEP and a steady state of power.
All the fans spin, the wired mouse and keyboard have power, the HDD light comes on initially, but then stays dark.
But however I try to connect the monitor I get no display.
After reading similar threads in this forum, I have tried removing all peripherals (GPU, Wi-Fi card).
Tried using the MOBO DVI and HDMI connections.
Tried a single stick of RAM in every slot.
Tried the same with a different stick.
Re-cleared CMOS.
Checked all the MOBO connections.
Switched the drive connectors around.

Nothing. :(

Any suggestions?
Is my MOBO faulty?
PSU is old too.

i7 2600
GA-Z77M-D3H
2 x 2 Gb RAM
Sandisk Extreme 120 Gb SSD
1 Tb Seagate 7200 HDD
Asus GT520
TP-Link PCIe Wi-Fi
Antec SG-650
 
Solution
Take off all the components until you're left with the bare minimum, when breadboarding, and see if you can power up the system without a boot drive. I would also advise against cloning drives in favor of a reinstall of the OS using a bootable installer created using Windows Media Creation Tools.

How old is old ?

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Take off all the components until you're left with the bare minimum, when breadboarding, and see if you can power up the system without a boot drive. I would also advise against cloning drives in favor of a reinstall of the OS using a bootable installer created using Windows Media Creation Tools.

How old is old ?
 
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Solution
Jul 20, 2020
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Cheers @Lutfij.
I was trying to avoid a reinstall as this PC was originally a W7 operating system upgraded for free to W10.
I know I can still do the free upgrade from W7, but it is a longwinded process.
This PC was originally built for my Mom from bits cannibalised from my original PC I built.
The MOBO bios first version is dated 2012 on the Gigabyte website, so that old!
The PSU is even older (2008?).

I will try powering without the C drive now.
Should I remove the storage HDD too?
 
Jul 20, 2020
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No difference with the drives disconnected. The monitor just keeps going to power saving mode.
DVI and HDMI are the same.
BTW this monitor is from my other PC setup and is known to be good.
 
Jul 20, 2020
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OK!!!!!

I just tried it with only the SSD (C Drive) connected and got a BIOS option screen:

Load optimized defaults then boot
Load optimized defaults then reboot
Enter BIOS

Which should I do?
 
Jul 20, 2020
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I opted for reboot and got Windows Boot Manager.

It wants me to insert installation disc (which I haven't got) and do a repair.

Also "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible"

Should I try to enter the BIOS and look at the Boot order
 
Jul 20, 2020
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I cannot get the Windows iso to load for a repair when either on disc or USB.
I also tried putting the Acronis Bootable media onto a USB and reconnecting the HDD where the backup is stored, but no go either.

Any suggestions?
 
Jul 20, 2020
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Answer is NO.

I cannot get the W7 installer to recognise the SSD without a driver and that is part of the Sandisk SSD Toolkit app!!!

Any suggestions yet.
It's a bit lonely here.
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
Why are you installing Windows 7? You said you already upgraded the PC to Windows 10. After you wipe the drive you can just install Windows 10 now, you don't need to go through installing Windows 7 and then upgrading it in place each time. Your Windows 10 license is already associated with the motherboard.
 
Jul 20, 2020
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I did say that this was a W7 free upgrade to W10. I don't have a W10 licence for this installation.

Anyway I have Googled the answer and found out that I had to delete all partitions on the SSD to make one unallocated partition for W7 to install to. Phew. Pass the Aspirins.

At least this all shows that the only thing I fried was the 120 Gb SSD, and they are peanuts now.
 
Jul 20, 2020
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I don't have a W10 licence for this PC, only a W7 licence.
Any W10 licence I may have had is now irretrievable.

Anyway, the W7 installation worked. So a few driver updates and I can install W10!

The small 120 Gb SSD looks to be OK, even though Windows 10 is corrupted on it. I may still find a use for it.
 
Jul 20, 2020
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But will it not ask me for a licence key? I have no access to that key now I can't boot from the original SSD.
Or will the W7 key work?
I have only ever used a genuine copy of W10 (my other PC) or gone through the W7 upgrade route.

Anyway. New problem.
I went straight ahead and started the W10 upgrade and after a while the monitor went blank, but the HDD light is still flashing and I assume the process is continuing, but I am now blind to it!

Aaaaaarrrrgghh!
 
Jul 20, 2020
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I'm an idiot!!!!

I hadn't moved the mouse for a while and the screen saver had kicked in! :ROFLMAO:

All seems well now.
I will look into the Microsoft ID thing for if this happens again.

Cheers guys