Support NeoGAF

[Escape Goat]

My computer wouldn't start the other morning so I figured it was either the monitor, the graphics card or the harddrive. It wasn't the monitor since that worked with another computer. When I boot it up I don't hear the beep that I usually do, I just hear the fan running. I dont want to buy a new harddrive if that isn't the case. So, how do you know for sure?

 

[Scrow]

install the hdd in another computer

 

[Ecrofirt]

this is going to be a long shot, but I had something exactly like this.

Does your fan get really loud when it's starting up? One night my PC just turned itself off, and I couldn't get it back on for the life of me. After I called Dell, they told my to unplug every cable connected to the computer, and try holding in the power button for 10 seconds.

What happened with me was my processor locked up somehow, and it was still holding a charge. Unplugging evertthing and holding in the power button drained the charge, and then the computer booted normally.

 

[Escape Goat]

Hmm, Ive never done that before. Is it fairly straightforward?

Ecro, I dont notice it being any louder than it usually is. Maybe a little but thats because I have the panel off now. haha

 

[Ecrofirt]

there's a chance it'll work. Hopefully that's the cause, and you won't need to buy a new HDD or something.

 

[Escape Goat]

Unplug everything? like the cabling inside that runs into the HD and all? I hope I dont forgt which cable goes in there. haha

 

[Kazuya]

So when you boot the computer, there isn't anything on the screen ?

If the HD is corrupted, you would have anyway something on your screen. I think it must be your CPU, or memory. Check if everything is correctly plugged.

 

[Ecrofirt]

no, no, just the cables in the back. The keyboard & mouse, power cable, lan cables. Stuff like that.

 

[Suerte]

Hope you don't lose much Sean Cody!

 

[Vandiger]

If the computer doesn't post but you hear the fans and lights running then its either the motherboard or powersupply.

Most likely the power supply. If its a bad hardrive you would at least get past the bios screen.

 

[Escape Goat]

Okay, I'll see what I can do with it tonight. Thanks for the help, guys.

Suerte, I had to reformat a few weeks ago so I lost all of them. And I mean all of them. My friend gave me a pw so I availed myself to the service. :lol

 

[Escape Goat]

If the computer doesn't post but you hear the fans and lights running then its either the motherboard or powersupply.

Most likely the power supply. If its a bad hardrive you would at least get past the bios screen.

yeah, the computer boots up and I hear the fan and the green light in front boots. But thats all that happens. I dont get the bios screen since the green light on the monitor just flickers.

 

[SpoonyBard]

It's not the HD if the machine doesn't beep or show anything on screen. It could be the motherboard, memory or CPU. You should open the case and make sure that everything is plugged in correctly and not come loose.