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Question Pc won't start on CMOS normal position

Mar 14, 2022
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Hey all,

So, this my drama! I have an old pc laying some years and I decided to fix it as I currently don't have another pc. The problem with it was the hard drive as it was dead, so I bought an SSD Kingston. Install it and tried to install windows from a usb but the pc couldn't recognise the hard drive (since now it was working with an HDD). I read some advices about bios setting and tried some different settings, changed sata configuration from IDE to AHCI, nothing change and then I change it to RAID. From that moment the pc doesn't open, stays in black screen , no bios access. Also I noticed that no beep sound on the start. I checked cables, I disconnnect rams, 3 beeps everything ok, disconnected the graphic card, unscrew it cleaned it added thermal paste. Took off the CMOS battery and changed it, did a reset through CMOS jumper put it in 2+3 pins and bios opened and was reset. Checked some things and a messaged appeared saying to put the pins in normal mode. I did it and black screen is back, no bios access. So in reset mode I have bios access but in normal mode no bios, only black screen.

Any thoughts?

Intel (R) Core (TM) 2 Quad CPU Q8300 2.50GHz, ATI Sapphire HD2600 pro, Intel Desktop Board DP35DP
 
Hey all,

So, this my drama! I have an old pc laying some years and I decided to fix it as I currently don't have another pc. The problem with it was the hard drive as it was dead, so I bought an SSD Kingston. Install it and tried to install windows from a usb but the pc couldn't recognise the hard drive (since now it was working with an HDD). I read some advices about bios setting and tried some different settings, changed sata configuration from IDE to AHCI, nothing change and then I change it to RAID. From that moment the pc doesn't open, stays in black screen , no bios access. Also I noticed that no beep sound on the start. I checked cables, I disconnnect rams, 3 beeps everything ok, disconnected the graphic card, unscrew it cleaned it added thermal paste. Took off the CMOS battery and changed it, did a reset through CMOS jumper put it in 2+3 pins and bios opened and was reset. Checked some things and a messaged appeared saying to put the pins in normal mode. I did it and black screen is back, no bios access. So in reset mode I have bios access but in normal mode no bios, only black screen.

Any thoughts?

Intel (R) Core (TM) 2 Quad CPU Q8300 2.50GHz, ATI Sapphire HD2600 pro, Intel Desktop Board DP35DP
Try taking the cmos battery out and keeping the jumpers in normal position try booting that way
 
I have already changed the battery. Without the battery and jumper in normal position still black screen. Could be a dead graphic card as no beep is happening? Can a pc get into bios without a graphic card?
 
I have already changed the battery. Without the battery and jumper in normal position still black screen. Could be a dead graphic card as no beep is happening? Can a pc get into bios without a graphic card?
Depends on the build itlf the cpu has a apu there shouldn't be a issue booting period. Have you tried to check if the mobo is set to just apu display since resetting the bios
 
Thing about it being dead he said he just replaced that's what's throwing me off why normally lithium cmos battery never die unless there's a short somewhere draw extra current that shouldn't be
I missed the 'changed battery' part in post #1. I thought maybe it's just discharged and dead considering the system's age. Yes that, sometimes system sits for too long and moisture and dust somehow connect the wrong places or debris or something, a short for some reason would mess the battery up. Elimintating it from the POST would show if battery or its housing was messed up I guess.
 
Two major things to try.


1. Shut down completely and disconnect the power cord. Open the case.

2. You have a graphics card in the system. But does your mobo also have its own graphics chip, OR are you using a CPU chip with integrated graphics? If you are not sure, the tip-off would be: is there a video output socket like DVI or HDMI on the mobo's rear panel of sockets? IF YES, then you must recognize that doing a complete BIOS Reset will set the mobo to use THAT mobo-based video output system, and not the added video card. In that case, do this

a. Disconnect the cable from your video card and re-connect that to the video output from the mobo rear panel.

b. REMOVE the video card from the system so the only possible output is from the mobo system.

c. Proceed to Step 3 - BIOS Reset.

IF your mobo has NO built-in video output and your ONLY option is the added video card in the PCIe slots, continue to use that and skip the two parts of Item 2 above.

3. BIOS reset. The proper full sequence is

a. Ensure your video cable to the monitor is plugged into the correct output socket - either the mobo's back panel IF the mobo has built-in video, OR the socket of your video card. On your MONITOR, ensure through its menu system that it is using input on the correct input connector where your cable is plugged in.

b. Locate the battery in its holder. NOTE position of the battery (side out) so you can replace it that way. Remove the battery.

c. Move the Reset jumper to the Reset position, leave there for at least 5 to 10 sec, then put back into "normal operation" position.

c. Re-install battery. IF this is an old battery, a good idea to replace it right now.

d. Re-connect the power cord and start the system. Watch your screen for any sign of "life". Listen for the "beep" sounds. A normal start-up will show some messages on the screen as POST proceeds, and end with ONE beep indicating the entire POST was successful. THEN it will try to boot from the default device. IF there is more than one clear "beep", that is a code for where the problem is. You will need to look up the "beep codes" for YOUR particular mobo to find out what that is. IF you see NO messages on your screen and get NO beep codes, there is a serious hardware failure.

e. IF you do get a normal start-up that ends with a message to "Insert a Valid Boot Disk" or something like that, good news! Now you need to re-do the start-up and go into BIOS Setup to complete the reset. Shut down and re-start, or push the case Reset button. As soon as the boot process starts, hold down the "Del" key and wait until the opening screen of BIOS Setup appears. Use the menus to go to the Exit menu system. There should be an option to do Restore Factory Default or Optimal Default. Do that. This will load a complete set of factory default settings. Then you can use SAVE and EXIT to save those and reboot, AGAIN going into BIOS Setup right away.

f. Go through the Setup screens for any parameters you need to adjust for your system, like where the boot drive is. Look for the parameters for a SATA drive because I ASSUME the SSD unit you have is built like a SATA unit and plugs into one of your SATA ports on the mobo. Set the SATA system to use the newer AHCI system, and not anything like IDE or PATA. Assuming you want to use your graphics card again, look for the place where you tell it which video output system you want to use. IF you do have video on the mobo, it will have choices for the mobo-based system or a graphics card added to your PCIe slots. Set it for that PCIe card option. If your mobo has NO video facility there may be no choice but to use the card in the PCIe slot. Look at the Boot Device Sequence. You should set it to boot FIRST from the place where you will have your Windows Install medium - either an optical drive with disk, or a USB stick. The SECOND choice should be the real SSD device you will boot from normally after Windows is installed. Now go back to the Exit Menu and SAVE and EXIT. The system will start to reboot right away, but do NOT let it! Shut down as soon as it tries to re-start - pull the plug if you have to.

g. Now re-install your graphics card and move the cable feeding your monitor to that cards' output socket. Re-connect power if you unplugged, and start up again. It should go through the POST process with messages on the screen, ending in one beep sound and then a message to Insert a Valid Boot Drive again. If that happens you have got it working just fine, and all it needs is to have Windows installed in your designated boot device.

i. Install your Windows Boot device (disk or USB stick) and use case Reset to reboot. This time it will repeat the POST process but succeed in booting from the Install device so you can install Windows on your SSD.