I would guess that if you can get to where you are, then it is not your video card. Do you get any keyboard response at all? If
you don't, then it is probably the keyboard. You should consider replacing the motherboard battery, too, while you are at it.
Fortunately, spare keyboards are fairly inexpensive. But try removing and reinserting the keyboard plug before doing anything else.
If the cmos battery has gone bad, then you lose your cmos settings. The computer knows something is wrong, and it asks you to enter
cmos setup but you can't because the keyboard is not working. Just an educated guess, of course.
Good luck, Don!
Dean Kukral
PS: the most power is used when starting up (and the hard drive starts spinning from scratch), so if you got that far, then my guess
would be it is not the power supply, but the scenario described above. A failed cpu or motherboard would not likely let you get as
far as you have. A failed hard drive would result in a message that it can't find the operating system. Failed memory should
result in a several beep message. (Of course, a failed motherboard could possibly result in this kind of error, but I doubt it.)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Penlington" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 11:06 AM
Subject: [PCBUILD] Old computer won't boot
I'm working on a 6-year old Pentium 3 running XP for a friend. She can't
afford a new computer or a full upgrade right now.
This computer completes POST with the usual "OK" one-beep, then stops at
"press delete to enter setup" screen with the usual POST info. Memory-check
appears OK.
Pressing delete or anything else has no effect. It seems to be frozen
there. There's no further hard drive activity. XP doesn't seem to be
starting to load.
Holding down Delete or F8/F10 at power-on gives the same result, so I can't
even get into Safe Mode.
Powering on and off via the power button seems fine.
I suspect a failed video card (I've tried reseating it).
What are the other possibilities? Would a failed hard drive still show the
POST screen?
On removing the cover, the power supply vents are completely gunked
up--looks like it's never had an internal clean in 6 years.
Could a fried power supply still give an OK POST?
If the CPU were cooked, could it still POST? It doesn't feel hot.
I don't want to spend much money repairing such an old computer, but $5 for
a used video card on Ebay should be OK if I could be reasonably sure that's
the problem.
But I'm wondering---if the video card is bad, would I see the POST screen
at all?
What would the experts do (with no spares to substitute)?
In summary---would I see the POST screen in the event of:
1. Failed hard drive
2. Failed video card
3. Failed CPU
4. Failed mobo.
5. Failed RAM.
Or failed anything else?
Don Penlington
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