No video - Gateway 816GM

Hi JS -

Correct. No video at all.

Yes I did try 2 other different cables. The one that she has didn't work
either. Maybe I'll try your suggestion to remove the battery for 2 minutes
when I get home tonight.

Wyman

"JS" wrote:


"Wyman" wrote in message
...
Hello -

I'm trying to help a friend resolve an issue with her computer. The
computer boots up, I hear and see the CPU/video fans spinning, the power
supply is working, and the hard drives are running. There is a lit LED on
the front of the computer also. I've tried several monitors on the
onboard monitor port and get no single and I've also tried 4 different
video cards which are from working machines and still no video. I have no
idea what could be the problem. Could it be the motherboard?

The operating system is XP Media Center, 2.4 ghz AMD cpu, 200gb hd, and
512mb ram. If you need more please me know.

Thanks,
Wy



Assuming you see no video at all from time you turn on the computer:

1) Did you try a different cable?
2) Clear the BIOS
(unplug the power cord and wait 2 minutes, then use the reset jumper and or
remove the battery for 2 minutes)
3) Bad motherboard
4) Bad power supply

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com

Hi JS -

Correct. No video at all.

Yes I did try 2 other different cables. The one that she has didn't work
either. Maybe I'll try your suggestion to remove the battery for 2 minutes
when I get home tonight.

Wyman

"JS" wrote:


"Wyman" wrote in message
...
Hello -

I'm trying to help a friend resolve an issue with her computer. The
computer boots up, I hear and see the CPU/video fans spinning, the power
supply is working, and the hard drives are running. There is a lit LED on
the front of the computer also. I've tried several monitors on the
onboard monitor port and get no single and I've also tried 4 different
video cards which are from working machines and still no video. I have no
idea what could be the problem. Could it be the motherboard?

The operating system is XP Media Center, 2.4 ghz AMD cpu, 200gb hd, and
512mb ram. If you need more please me know.

Thanks,
Wy



Assuming you see no video at all from time you turn on the computer:

1) Did you try a different cable?
2) Clear the BIOS
(unplug the power cord and wait 2 minutes, then use the reset jumper and or
remove the battery for 2 minutes)
3) Bad motherboard
4) Bad power supply

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com

"Wyman G." wrote in message
...
Leythos,

I appreciate your response. I may have worded my post incorrectly and
apologize for that. I guess when I say "boot" I mean everything turns on
as
far fans, drives, cpu, etc. I can't see anything on the screen. On one
monitor the power LED just blinks and on another I get "no signal" so it
almost seems like a shortage of power somewhere but I can't figure out
where.
I've tried several different video cards and same thing happens. I
removed
the RAM as suggested by someone else for a beep test and that failed also.
I
haven't tried another PS as I don't have another one that can be removed
easily.

Wyman

"Leythos" wrote:

In article ,
says...

Hello -

I'm trying to help a friend resolve an issue with her computer. The
computer boots up, I hear and see the CPU/video fans spinning, the
power
supply is working, and the hard drives are running. There is a lit LED
on
the front of the computer also. I've tried several monitors on the
onboard
monitor port and get no single and I've also tried 4 different video
cards
which are from working machines and still no video. I have no idea
what
could be the problem. Could it be the motherboard?

The operating system is XP Media Center, 2.4 ghz AMD cpu, 200gb hd, and
512mb ram. If you need more please me know.

What do you mean by "the computer boots up"?

Do you mean you can actually tell that Windows loaded completely, that
you saw the Dell logo, the Dell power on self test....

It's very possible that you get power, drives, LED's, etc... and yet the
computer is not actually booted.

In this case you have several paths:

Remove all add-on cards and devices except a NEW/Known good video card -
if it has on-board video, use that first, remove any video card if you
have on-board video.

Now, when you start the computer, it should POST and fail - if it
doesn't do that then you've got one of two problems:

1) Bad motherboard or CPU
2) Bad Power Supply

The good news is that a PSU is cheap and can be found at any computer
store/shop - and you don't need a multimeter or to waste time getting
one, the PSU will cost about the same and doesn't require any
understanding or poking around.

If the PSU doesn't resolve the problem, try a different video card,
remember to have all other things removed, RAM, Drives, add-in cards,
just the CPU and Video and PSU.

If that fails to even POST, it's the motherboard - yes, there is a very
slim chance it could be just the CPU, but in 30 years and thousands of
computers, I've had exactly 1 bad CPU in all that time.

--
You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.
(remove 999 for proper email address)


From the tests you've run and the results (or lack of) that you've gotten,
my guess would be power supply (as Leythos and others have suggested).
They're cheaper than a motherboard and very easy to replace.

SC Tom

"Wyman G." wrote in message
...
Leythos,

I appreciate your response. I may have worded my post incorrectly and
apologize for that. I guess when I say "boot" I mean everything turns on
as
far fans, drives, cpu, etc. I can't see anything on the screen. On one
monitor the power LED just blinks and on another I get "no signal" so it
almost seems like a shortage of power somewhere but I can't figure out
where.
I've tried several different video cards and same thing happens. I
removed
the RAM as suggested by someone else for a beep test and that failed also.
I
haven't tried another PS as I don't have another one that can be removed
easily.

Wyman

"Leythos" wrote:

In article ,
says...

Hello -

I'm trying to help a friend resolve an issue with her computer. The
computer boots up, I hear and see the CPU/video fans spinning, the
power
supply is working, and the hard drives are running. There is a lit LED
on
the front of the computer also. I've tried several monitors on the
onboard
monitor port and get no single and I've also tried 4 different video
cards
which are from working machines and still no video. I have no idea
what
could be the problem. Could it be the motherboard?

The operating system is XP Media Center, 2.4 ghz AMD cpu, 200gb hd, and
512mb ram. If you need more please me know.

What do you mean by "the computer boots up"?

Do you mean you can actually tell that Windows loaded completely, that
you saw the Dell logo, the Dell power on self test....

It's very possible that you get power, drives, LED's, etc... and yet the
computer is not actually booted.

In this case you have several paths:

Remove all add-on cards and devices except a NEW/Known good video card -
if it has on-board video, use that first, remove any video card if you
have on-board video.

Now, when you start the computer, it should POST and fail - if it
doesn't do that then you've got one of two problems:

1) Bad motherboard or CPU
2) Bad Power Supply

The good news is that a PSU is cheap and can be found at any computer
store/shop - and you don't need a multimeter or to waste time getting
one, the PSU will cost about the same and doesn't require any
understanding or poking around.

If the PSU doesn't resolve the problem, try a different video card,
remember to have all other things removed, RAM, Drives, add-in cards,
just the CPU and Video and PSU.

If that fails to even POST, it's the motherboard - yes, there is a very
slim chance it could be just the CPU, but in 30 years and thousands of
computers, I've had exactly 1 bad CPU in all that time.

--
You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.
(remove 999 for proper email address)


From the tests you've run and the results (or lack of) that you've gotten,
my guess would be power supply (as Leythos and others have suggested).
They're cheaper than a motherboard and very easy to replace.

SC Tom

Thanks Tom. I might just suggest to her to get one and return it if that's
not the issue.

"SC Tom" wrote:


"Wyman G." wrote in message
...
Leythos,

I appreciate your response. I may have worded my post incorrectly and
apologize for that. I guess when I say "boot" I mean everything turns on
as
far fans, drives, cpu, etc. I can't see anything on the screen. On one
monitor the power LED just blinks and on another I get "no signal" so it
almost seems like a shortage of power somewhere but I can't figure out
where.
I've tried several different video cards and same thing happens. I
removed
the RAM as suggested by someone else for a beep test and that failed also.
I
haven't tried another PS as I don't have another one that can be removed
easily.

Wyman

"Leythos" wrote:

In article ,
says...

Hello -

I'm trying to help a friend resolve an issue with her computer. The
computer boots up, I hear and see the CPU/video fans spinning, the
power
supply is working, and the hard drives are running. There is a lit LED
on
the front of the computer also. I've tried several monitors on the
onboard
monitor port and get no single and I've also tried 4 different video
cards
which are from working machines and still no video. I have no idea
what
could be the problem. Could it be the motherboard?

The operating system is XP Media Center, 2.4 ghz AMD cpu, 200gb hd, and
512mb ram. If you need more please me know.

What do you mean by "the computer boots up"?

Do you mean you can actually tell that Windows loaded completely, that
you saw the Dell logo, the Dell power on self test....

It's very possible that you get power, drives, LED's, etc... and yet the
computer is not actually booted.

In this case you have several paths:

Remove all add-on cards and devices except a NEW/Known good video card -
if it has on-board video, use that first, remove any video card if you
have on-board video.

Now, when you start the computer, it should POST and fail - if it
doesn't do that then you've got one of two problems:

1) Bad motherboard or CPU
2) Bad Power Supply

The good news is that a PSU is cheap and can be found at any computer
store/shop - and you don't need a multimeter or to waste time getting
one, the PSU will cost about the same and doesn't require any
understanding or poking around.

If the PSU doesn't resolve the problem, try a different video card,
remember to have all other things removed, RAM, Drives, add-in cards,
just the CPU and Video and PSU.

If that fails to even POST, it's the motherboard - yes, there is a very
slim chance it could be just the CPU, but in 30 years and thousands of
computers, I've had exactly 1 bad CPU in all that time.

--
You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.
(remove 999 for proper email address)


From the tests you've run and the results (or lack of) that you've gotten,
my guess would be power supply (as Leythos and others have suggested).
They're cheaper than a motherboard and very easy to replace.

SC Tom

Thanks Tom. I might just suggest to her to get one and return it if that's
not the issue.

"SC Tom" wrote:


"Wyman G." wrote in message
...
Leythos,

I appreciate your response. I may have worded my post incorrectly and
apologize for that. I guess when I say "boot" I mean everything turns on
as
far fans, drives, cpu, etc. I can't see anything on the screen. On one
monitor the power LED just blinks and on another I get "no signal" so it
almost seems like a shortage of power somewhere but I can't figure out
where.
I've tried several different video cards and same thing happens. I
removed
the RAM as suggested by someone else for a beep test and that failed also.
I
haven't tried another PS as I don't have another one that can be removed
easily.

Wyman

"Leythos" wrote:

In article ,
says...

Hello -

I'm trying to help a friend resolve an issue with her computer. The
computer boots up, I hear and see the CPU/video fans spinning, the
power
supply is working, and the hard drives are running. There is a lit LED
on
the front of the computer also. I've tried several monitors on the
onboard
monitor port and get no single and I've also tried 4 different video
cards
which are from working machines and still no video. I have no idea
what
could be the problem. Could it be the motherboard?

The operating system is XP Media Center, 2.4 ghz AMD cpu, 200gb hd, and
512mb ram. If you need more please me know.

What do you mean by "the computer boots up"?

Do you mean you can actually tell that Windows loaded completely, that
you saw the Dell logo, the Dell power on self test....

It's very possible that you get power, drives, LED's, etc... and yet the
computer is not actually booted.

In this case you have several paths:

Remove all add-on cards and devices except a NEW/Known good video card -
if it has on-board video, use that first, remove any video card if you
have on-board video.

Now, when you start the computer, it should POST and fail - if it
doesn't do that then you've got one of two problems:

1) Bad motherboard or CPU
2) Bad Power Supply

The good news is that a PSU is cheap and can be found at any computer
store/shop - and you don't need a multimeter or to waste time getting
one, the PSU will cost about the same and doesn't require any
understanding or poking around.

If the PSU doesn't resolve the problem, try a different video card,
remember to have all other things removed, RAM, Drives, add-in cards,
just the CPU and Video and PSU.

If that fails to even POST, it's the motherboard - yes, there is a very
slim chance it could be just the CPU, but in 30 years and thousands of
computers, I've had exactly 1 bad CPU in all that time.

--
You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.
(remove 999 for proper email address)


From the tests you've run and the results (or lack of) that you've gotten,
my guess would be power supply (as Leythos and others have suggested).
They're cheaper than a motherboard and very easy to replace.

SC Tom