Trying to deduce a problem!

[Jaggernautt]

I had problems with my processor a while ago so I got a new processor. With the processor i got a motherboard that supported it. The processor i got is the AMD FX-6300 and the mobo is the ASUS M5A 78-LM. After installing the mobo and the processor, I plugged everything in properly (fans, HDD, disc-drive, Graphics card, RAM) with the PSU and when i plugged it in I saw the green light on the mobo indicating that power was getting to it. When i pressed the power button, the lights that would normally be on from the fans and the case flashed on then quickly off. Before, these lights would obviously stay on and the computer would boot up. Now, they flash on and back off and the computer doesn't boot. After looking at the mobo it looked faulty so i sent it back and got a new one of the same kind. After replacing it, the same problem occurred. I thought maybe the mobo wasn't getting enough power. So i got the corsair 750w PSU and replaced that. Same deal. I tried to figure out the problem by switching the processor to another that was from another computer and the same thing happened. So to date, I see that the problem is not the PSU, CPU, or the motherboard. I really cannot tell what it could possibly be at this point. The only things I can think of now are that the hard drive is fried (even though it has been fine before any of this and I'm pretty sure the computer would at least make it to BIOS if this was the problem), the RAM is messed up (which also worked fine before), or the tower wires are shorted out or something like that. Maybe a ground is messed up? I'm not sure. But to say exactly what happens when I plug the computer in to turn it on is this: The power light on the motherboard turns on, I press the power button and the fan and case lights turn on and turn off as well as the fans of everything doing maybe a half rotation as if all of these get power for a split second. After this happens, if I try to hit the power button again nothing happens at all until I completely cut off power to the system by either unplugging it or turning off the power supply. Once the light on the motherboard goes off the power is off obviously and then I turn the power back on and try again and it does the same thing. I've used many different outlets and outlets at other houses as well so I also know that the problem doesn't lie there. I usually can figure a problem out for my PC but this time I can't and I need help! I want to use my PC again and play games and have fun with it..... also some serious research too but that's not the point. Does anyone have an idea on what I could do or where the problem may lie?

 

[GhislainG]

Did you test it outside of the case with only the CPU and memory? Does it POST?

 

[Jaggernautt]

So PSU, Motherboard, CPU, and RAM? or hdd? but thats it? not in the case or hooked up to it? at all? And it hasn't POSTed yet no.

 

[GhislainG]

If you replaced everything, including 2 CPUs and nothing works, then are you sure you didn't forget to connect the CPU ATX cable?

 

[Paperdoc]

Here's something you definitely should check. Your case has many threaded holes where metal (usually brass) "stand-offs" are screwed in. These are little spacers to fasten your mobo to. But you CHANGED to a new mobo, and MAYBE it has its mounting holes in a different place.

Remove the mobo and compare its mounting hole locations to where your case has stand-offs installed. Ideally there should be one stand-off under each mounting hole in the mobo to support it. Each mounting hole (typically 9 on many mobos) is right through the board and has a star-shaped pattern of metal fingers around it. The board is designed to be Grounded to the case at those points, but ONLY at those points. So you put screws through those holes into the stand-offs.

Here's the REALLY IMPORTANT part. There should NEVER be a metal stand-off under the mobo where there is NO mounting hole. Any stand-off like that is likely to cause grounding of a metal trace on the bottom of the mobo. So be absolutely sure there are stand-offs ONLY where they are supposed to be - under a mounting hole.

GhislainG has suggested "breadboarding" as a diagnostic procedure, and he's right. The idea is to assemble your the minimum basic system to test outside the case on an insulating surface, like a dry wooden board (hence the term "breadboard") or a plastic panel. This means:
mobo with CPU and its cooling fan installed
PSU
1 stick of RAM installed
keyboard plugged in
video card ONLY if your mobo does NOT have on-board video
cable connection from video output to monitor, turned on

Connect PSU to mobo normally and turn on its rear switch. On the mobo locate the Front Panel pinout and on it the two adjacent pins that are supposed to connect to the front Power push-button. Use a small screwdriver to short together those two pins for just a second, and the system should start up. If it's OK, it will get through the POST process with messages on the screen, until it tells you to Insert a Bootable disk. That's because so far you have not given it anything to boot from.

In your case, if you succeed to this point, you know that all those basic components are OK and trouble is elsewhere. Now you start a repeat process: one at a time you shut down, install ONE new component, and try to start up again. Try this sequence:
another RAM stick
a mouse
a hard drive
video card (IF you were using on-board video before and will used a separate card in final system)
optical drive

If the system fails to boot up cleanly after any one of these is installed, you know which item is faulty. If you get everything together and working, you know all of that is OK.

 

[Jaggernautt]

thanks very much! I will definitely do this when I can and post to let you know how it went

 

[Jaggernautt]

Okay so I found that the standoffs were not in very well, I took everything out once again and re assembled everything, now I got the PC on and it is now restoring files. I have read that this process could take a while for such a large hard drive. It's a 1tb drive so any ideas on how long it should take to restore files on it? It wouldn't boot normally otherwise. It's been recovering/restoring for about two days now

 

[GhislainG]

It may take several hours, but not 2 days.

 

[Paperdoc]

I think now you have a very different problem. The problem you appear to have solved was a short circuit that prevented any boot process. Now it appears you can boot up to accessing the HDD, but things don't work from there.

Well, the good news AND the bad news is: it probably should not work. Say, what?

Your situation now is that you are trying to make an upgraded system that includes a new mobo and CPU boot from an old HDD that has a version of windows installed on it. This usually does NOT work. First, here's why; then we'll deal with what to do.The Windows installed on your old HDD is customized in the sense that it includes all the drivers needed for your OLD hardware with its many devices, and many of those are actually components of your old mobo. But your new mobo has different devices on it, and that old Windows does not include all the drivers it needs.

There is one possible solution that can work sometimes, although often does not work after a significant mobo change. To do this you need your original Windows Install CD, or at least an Install CD for the SAME version of Windows. Place that in your optical drive. Turn on and go immediately into BIOS Setup and make sure that the first boot device is your optical drive, and the second is your old HDD. SAVE and EXIT and it should boot from the Install disk. Do NOT do a normal Install! Look in the menus for a Repair Install and run that. This process will inventory the devices in the system, then compare to the drivers already installed on your HDD, and try to fix all the mis-matches. Once it finishes, shut down and remove the Install CD. Start up again and observe. It might just boot up cleanly, or almost. It might fail miserably. It might get part way and then fail. If it makes some progress but fails to complete, shut down and try again but THIS time, do a boot into SAFE MODE. From there you can go to Control Panel ... System ... Hardware ... Device Manager. Look there for yellow triangles indicating a driver problem and try to resolve each one by finding the right driver.

Even if it boots cleanly, check Device Manager for any problems you need to resolve.

If that process simply cannot do the job, you need to re-Install. If you do this on that same old HDD, all its data will be wiped out! So, make SURE you have a full backup for that HDD (have to do that on another machine). OR - this is much easier but costs a bit more - remove the old HDD, buy and install new HDD, and with ONLY that HDD installed, do a fresh Install of Windows. When it is done, you'll have to re-Install all your application software. When all that is done, re-install the old HDD and copy from it all your old user files.