Video stopped working overnight

[Texas Kelly]

Pertinent build specs are below. System was working fine last night when I went to bed (I routinely leave it running overnight). When I woke up this morning I was not getting any signal to my multiple monitors. I've tried the following with no success:

- Pulling the graphics card and using onboard video
- DIsconnecting HDs and optical drive, pulling RAM (main drive is an M.2, have not pulled that yet)
- Reseating power connections to mobo
- Pulling and reseating BIOS battery

Please help! The fact that the system went bad while it was running is especially disconcerting. I have an RMA for the board but if I can get it working again without disassembling everything that would be preferred!

Board: ASUS Z170M-PLUS
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 6M
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti
PSU: EVGA 220-G2-0650-Y1 650W 80 PLUS Gold Modular

 

[turkey3_scratch]

So just to get this clear, the system is running properly, but you get no video signal, correct? The fans are all spinning, correct?

There is something you could try. Start up the computer, and wait a good amount of time, the amount of time it takes for your OS to boot. Then, push the power button. If the computer turns off immediately, that means it did not boot to the OS, because in the BIOS or outside the OS, a single push of the power button immediately turns off the computer. But if the OS is loaded, it takes a bit of time for Windows to shut down. So by doing this test, you can determine if the operating system is being loaded.

 

[Texas Kelly]

So just to get this clear, the system is running properly, but you get no video signal, correct? The fans are all spinning, correct?

There is something you could try. Start up the computer, and wait a good amount of time, the amount of time it takes for your OS to boot. Then, push the power button. If the computer turns off immediately, that means it did not boot to the OS, because in the BIOS or outside the OS, a single push of the power button immediately turns off the computer. But if the OS is loaded, it takes a bit of time for Windows to shut down. So by doing this test, you can determine if the operating system is being loaded.

Correct, as far as I can tell. The power LED on the mobo is lit, the physical HDs are running and all fans are spinning.

It seems as though it IS booting to the OS. I waited about two minutes after starting it (it normally boots very fast, within about 10 seconds), and nothing happened when I pressed the power button. (I cannot recall if I changed the default power settings to prevent the machine from shutting down with an accidental power button press; it's very possible I did.) I had to hold the power button in to turn it off.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Hmm... And onboard video didn't work either?

 

[Texas Kelly]

Hmm... And onboard video didn't work either?

Neither my GPU card nor onboard video works. When I called ASUS support they had me reconnect the GPU before issuing the RMA. I also ran your test using both VGA and DVI connections (which go to two different monitors).

And I have doubts that the machine is actually booting. I remember that I covered up the activity LED on my case with black tape, and when I removed that and retried your test, it never blinked.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

If you start up the computer, and then press the power button after a few seconds, does it turn off immediately?

 

[Texas Kelly]

If you start up the computer, and then press the power button after a few seconds, does it turn off immediately?

It does not. Tried it a few times with a different delay each time and every time I had to hold the power button in to shut it down. Based on that I don't think it's booting at all. (The case is a Cooler Master N200.)

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Then I think the motherboard is the problem.

 

[hackerk]

according to the discussion i have seen if your OS is not booting at all see if the number lock light blinks when you press the num. lock on key board does it switches on and of? if it is not working then it is surely your RAM is not working. if it is turning on and of then we need to have further discussion. leave a reply.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Yeah try removing one stick of RAM.

 

[hackerk]

my point is that if the num lock light switches on and of then and then only it is problem with your OS. else it is surely the hardware problem. now try to start the machine with only one Ram stick at a time and check if any of the RAM is causing the problem. If Nothing changes then it is your MOBO.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

my point is that if the num lock light switches on and of then and then only it is problem with your OS. else it is surely the hardware problem. now try to start the machine with only one Ram stick at a time and check if any of the RAM is causing the problem. If Nothing changes then it is your MOBO.

An OS problem, though, would never cause a computer not to POST. Even if the OS was infested by so much malware, you'd still be able to go into the BIOS and see the POST screen.

 

[hackerk]

then the possible solution to this is take out hdd or ssd what ever it is then use it as secondry hard drive and then scan the whole drive.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

It's not the hard drive. As I said, it has nothing to do with the OS or any data on it, because the OS is not even booted to. It should show a POST screen, and it doesn't, so it must be the motherboard.

 

[hackerk]

you might be right. but i had an case with my own machine in past. I was having two HDD on board. I also faced same kind of problem. on previous day it was working fine but on other day it does not start. I also thought that it is problem with my MOBO. but by further trouble shooting i found that my secondary HDD was crashed and that was causing the problem. so first check if any uncommon sound is coming from HDD or not.

 

[Texas Kelly]

Update: This system is acting really strangely. I had started to disconnect everything in order to remove it for RMA when I saw the additional posts to this thread. I decided to continue doing that, then carefully reconnect everything to make sure a loose cable wasn't the issue. I then went through the following iterations:

- One stick of RAM, onboard VGA, Ethernet, basic mouse and keyboard - Successful boot to BIOS
- Replaced the remainder of RAM - Successful boot to OS during which I observed the finalization of patch installation
- Replaced my GPU card, DVI only - Successful boot to BIOS while pressing Del key
- Switched to VGA only on GPU card (via a DisplayPort adapter) - Successful boot as with prior test
- Reconnected all of my monitors to the GPU - Successful boot

At this point I reconnected my regular USB devices (Logitech Unifying receiver, Microsoft Xbox 360 controller wireless adapter, Logitech webcam, APC UPS). Back to no video.

- Backed out to just DVI with all my peripherals: No video
- Backed out to just DVI with basic mouse and keyboard in front USB panels: No video

I then let it rest for awhile. Then I tried just DVI on the GPU and the Logitech Unifying receiver to a rear USB port, and got a successful boot.

What the hell is going on? It's just not responding consistently enough for me to have an idea of what the culprit might be, and I'd appreciate some advice before I start reconnecting everything again. Could I still be dealing with a RAM issue? What do people here recommend for testing the RAM?

(I also see that there's a recent update available for my BIOS. Should I try applying that as well?)

 

[hackerk]

it seems like there might be multiple issues with your system. you should now call a technician. before damaging the system or other parts of system.

 

[Texas Kelly]

it seems like there might be multiple issues with your system. you should now call a technician. before damaging the system or other parts of system.

This is a custom build, unfortunately I am my own technician!

 

[hackerk]

man this trouble shooting is going to get so long. borrow some parts from friend and try them with your system. if it is hardware fault. it will take time but it is final solution according to me. borrow parts from friend and replace them step by step. that's all.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Very weird, but the only thing that interconnects all these weird things is the motherboard, so I think that is the issue, and needs replaced.

 

[Texas Kelly]

Well, after a little fussing and praying, I was able to get a clean boot with all the monitors connected, reconnected all the peripherals, and get a successful reboot with everything back the way it's supposed to be. The only thing I did in between was try to update the NVIDIA graphics driver, which kept failing until the version from Windows Update installed successfully. (That version is several revisions behind, but I don't want to mess with it any more now that the system is working again, especially since I'm not a heavy gamer.)

Thanks so much to everyone who provided advice in here. I'm going to cross my fingers and pray that it holds up because I REALLY don't want to go through the downtime and sensitive labor of RMAing the mobo.