PC won't boot.

[pmundle]

My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the
motherboard.The monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off
from the UPS to make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not
help either.In this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert
them one by one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC
works fine for a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My
RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is
clean and devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have
any deposits.Please help me with your views.

[C]

pmundle wrote:
> My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
> peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
> momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
> does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the
> motherboard.The monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off
> from the UPS to make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not
> help either.In this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert
> them one by one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC
> works fine for a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My
> RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is
> clean and devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have
> any deposits.Please help me with your views.

If the 333 RAM came with the machine, put it in the slot closest to the
processor. You should also run memtest either from a floppy or from a
CD. Another trick is to take a pencil with an eraser and use it on the
copper part of the RAM stick to really clean it up. If all fails, RAM
isn't expensive.

C

[Pegasus [MVP]]

"pmundle" > wrote in message
...
> My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
> peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
> momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
> does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the
> motherboard.The monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off
> from the UPS to make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not
> help either.In this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert
> them one by one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC
> works fine for a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My
> RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is
> clean and devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have
> any deposits.Please help me with your views.

Your post has nothing to do with Windows. It is full of references to your
hardware. I recommend you ask the experts in a hardware newsgroup.

[Paul]

pmundle wrote:
> My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
> peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
> momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
> does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the
> motherboard.The monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off
> from the UPS to make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not
> help either.In this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert
> them one by one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC
> works fine for a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My
> RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is
> clean and devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have
> any deposits.Please help me with your views.

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d845gvsr/

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/15210/eng/D845GVSR_TechProdSpec.pdf

LED CR1F1, mentioned on page 40, could be what is glowing green.
And that tells you that +5VSB from the power supply is available.
The +5VSB should flow steadily, so that LED should never blink.
It you see blinking or glitching, it could be a power supply problem.

The symptoms look like the processor isn't starting. A possible
reason for that, would be the Vcore regulator shutting down right
after you start the machine. Some Vcore regulators have current limiting,
and if the ATX power supply is slow delivering full +12V, the Vcore
regulator can be tricked into thinking there is a problem. And it
can shut off. To "clear" a latched fault on Vcore, may require
removing all power from the system momentarily. So as long
as the green LED on the motherboard surface (CR1F1) is glowing,
chances are a latched fault can't be cleared.

It could also be that the Vcore regulator circuit on the motherboard
actually has a problem.

Using a PCI POST card, will give a quick indication of processor
activity. A card like this, is plugged into the PCI slot nearest the
processor. There is a two digit display, which will display numeric
codes. The BIOS code, writes to I/O port 80 while the BIOS is running.
Each time a new subroutine is entered by the BIOS, the display gets
updated. If you see a steady stream of flashing numbers, it means the
BIOS is doing its normal thing. If the display "sticks" at 0xFF or
0x00, generally that means the CPU wasn't able to start properly.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158065

A repair shop would probably swap power supplies for a quick test,
and if there were no change in symptoms, they'd tell you "it's your
motherboard".

Whether it is or not, I can't say.

If you removed the RAM, and got no error beep codes, then you'd know
it wasn't a RAM problem. If the CPU had always been working, you should
get some error beeps from the piezo speaker (item "Q" in the motherboard
diagram) on the motherboard, when the RAM is missing. If the RAM is
missing, and the CPU can't start and give beep codes, then that means
the CPU got stuck for some other reason. At this point, I'm assuming
Vcore latched off, but it is pretty hard to say for sure. It would be
nice, if some of these error conditions had visual indicators on the
motherboard (like latch-off), but they can't connect LEDs to everything.

I do not recommend using abrasives on gold plated RAM contacts.
For one thing, a person might not be using proper antistatic
precautions while doing so. The gold is very thin, and removing
it will leave the less-precious metals underneath, to make the
electrical contact. The metals underneath could oxidize easier,
and then you're on a slippery slope of "continuous cleaning".
I would sooner rely on the wiping action of the slot contacts,
than grind off the metal manually.

When removing or adding RAM, you should do that with the power
off. Don't add RAM when the green LED on the motherboard is glowing.
That is why they put the LED there - if the LED is glowing, it
isn't safe to make hardware changes inside the computer case.
Turn off the power and wait for the LED to go off, then change
RAM or other cards etc.

Paul

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:39 -0800 (PST), pmundle >
wrote:

> My RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.


Having unmatched RAM sticks is very likely to cause you problems.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Stefan Patric[_2_]]

On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:39 -0800, pmundle wrote:

> My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
> peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
> momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
> does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the motherboard.The
> monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off from the UPS to
> make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not help either.In
> this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert them one by
> one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC works fine for
> a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My RAM modules are
> 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400 Mhz. On
> successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is clean and
> devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have any
> deposits.Please help me with your views.

Symptoms suggests a hardware problem, and it could be anything: power
supply, CPU, graphics card, keyboard, RAM, even the motherboard, etc. I
had a similar problem a few years ago--failure to boot or machine would
just turn off while running. As time wore on, problem occurred more
frequently. Checked everything. Checked voltages. Removed and cleaned
everything. Replaced several things. To make a long story short, turned
out to be the CPU. Replaced it, and the machine ran fine.

Those types of problems take a long time to trace down, and a trip to a
computer tech is always expensive.

Whatever the cause, it's early in the boot process probably during POST.
Check that you don't have a bad keyboard. Plug one in you know that
works. Since the monitor doesn't come up, install another known working
graphics card. Check the voltage outputs on your power supply.
Although, I doubt that's the problem.

If you don't have the expertise or extra hardware to swap out, see if you
have any local computer user groups in your area. They are always glad
to help.


Stef

[Terry R.[_2_]]

On 11/16/2009 11:30 AM On a whim, Ken Blake, MVP pounded out on the keyboard

> On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:39 -0800 (PST), >
> wrote:
>
>> My RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
>> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.
>
>
> Having unmatched RAM sticks is very likely to cause you problems.
>

Not so. If a system is designed for 333 MHz RAM and the user has one
333 and one 400, the faster one will only run at the system speed. It
will NOT cause problems.

You were vague in your explanation, so you have a way out, but not by
speed as the OP stated.


Terry R.
--
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:06:55 -0800, "Terry R." >
wrote:

> On 11/16/2009 11:30 AM On a whim, Ken Blake, MVP pounded out on the keyboard
>
> > On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:39 -0800 (PST), >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> My RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> >> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.
> >
> >
> > Having unmatched RAM sticks is very likely to cause you problems.
> >
>
> Not so. If a system is designed for 333 MHz RAM and the user has one
> 333 and one 400, the faster one will only run at the system speed. It
> will NOT cause problems.
>
> You were vague in your explanation, so you have a way out, but not by
> speed as the OP stated.


You are correct, and I apologize for making it sound like a speed
issue. I should been have more explicit and have pointed out that if
the speeds were different other things might be different too.

If you want to take my apology as taking the "way out," it's your
choice, but that's not my intent.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[sgopus]

More than likely this is related to your power supply, might be going bad,
take it to a good repair shop.

"pmundle" wrote:

> My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
> peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
> momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
> does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the
> motherboard.The monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off
> from the UPS to make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not
> help either.In this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert
> them one by one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC
> works fine for a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My
> RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is
> clean and devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have
> any deposits.Please help me with your views.
> .
>

[Terry R.[_2_]]

On 11/16/2009 4:31 PM On a whim, Ken Blake, MVP pounded out on the keyboard

> On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:06:55 -0800, "Terry >
> wrote:
>
>> On 11/16/2009 11:30 AM On a whim, Ken Blake, MVP pounded out on the keyboard
>>
>>> On Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:39 -0800 (PST), >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> My RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
>>>> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.
>>>
>>> Having unmatched RAM sticks is very likely to cause you problems.
>>>
>> Not so. If a system is designed for 333 MHz RAM and the user has one
>> 333 and one 400, the faster one will only run at the system speed. It
>> will NOT cause problems.
>>
>> You were vague in your explanation, so you have a way out, but not by
>> speed as the OP stated.
>
>
> You are correct, and I apologize for making it sound like a speed
> issue. I should been have more explicit and have pointed out that if
> the speeds were different other things might be different too.
>
> If you want to take my apology as taking the "way out," it's your
> choice, but that's not my intent.
>

An apology is never a way out. But I don't think it warranted an
apology. Just correcting it was good. ;-)



Terry R.
--
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

[Jose]

On Nov 16, 6:22*am, pmundle > wrote:
> My PC is intel 845gvsr/40GB/512 MB/P4 2.8.OS is win XP. I have a
> peculiar problem.When I start the PC , the CD ROM drive LED displays a
> momentary blink, the cabinet LED shows a steady glow and the HDD LED
> does'nt glow at all.Internally, a green LED glows on the
> motherboard.The monitor remains blank.The power has to be switched off
> from the UPS to make another starting attempt.Repeated attempts do not
> help either.In this situation . I remove the RAM cards, and reinsert
> them one by one.The next attempt normally is a successful one.The PC
> works fine for a day or two.The initial problem repeats after that.My
> RAM modules are 256 MB each but one is 333 Mz and the other one is 400
> Mhz. On successful boot, the display shows 512 MB.The motherboard is
> clean and devoid of dust.The RAM contacts are clean and do not have
> any deposits.Please help me with your views.

Please provide additional information about your system.

Click Start, Run and in the box enter:

msinfo32

Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select
All, Copy and then paste
the information back here.

There will be some personal information (like System Name and User
Name), and whatever appears to
be private information to you, just delete it from the pasted
information.

This will minimize back and forth Q&A and eliminate guesswork.

When your system fails to boot are there any beeps and if so try to
describe them.

One short
One short, two longs
One short (pause) two longs (pause) one short
Two shorts
..
..
..

What are the beeps when the boot is normal?