Computer not posting

M

MiNdGaMeS

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Aug 8, 2008
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Story: Friend brings me there dell dimension, they thought it was hit by lightning. I found the modem completely fried and the motherboard messed up.

Now: I replaced the power supply, the motherboard, the processor. Only thing original is the RAM, Hard Drive. I used a foxconn motherboard and a generic power supply (online browsing only so no need for anything fancy). When you turn it on the fans on the power supply and processor come on, the light on the front flashes green. There is nothing on the screen and no beeping. Any ideas before I just sledgehammer this thing and light it on fire all the while drinking and laughing?
 
its not the ram because it would give you a beep to let you know there is no ram. Do you have a speaker hooked up to the mobo. If not hook one up and see if there are any beep codes. If not most likely the brand new power supply is bad.
 
MiNdGaMeS said:
Story: Friend brings me there dell dimension, they thought it was hit by lightning. I found the modem completely fried and the motherboard messed up.

Now: I replaced the power supply, the motherboard, the processor. Only thing original is the RAM, Hard Drive. I used a foxconn motherboard and a generic power supply (online browsing only so no need for anything fancy). When you turn it on the fans on the power supply and processor come on, the light on the front flashes green. There is nothing on the screen and no beeping. Any ideas before I just sledgehammer this thing and light it on fire all the while drinking and laughing?
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That is strange...

It sounds like it could be a power supply problem. Usually you would see some kind of BIOS message, but in this case there is nothing. Do you have a power supply you know that works and could you try that?
 
The green LED should be, if correctly connected, directly on the +5V line. If you have a flashing LED, it indicates a motherboard-to-power supply problem.

Check to ensure the connections (and their polarity) are correct and see if continues to happen. Then try swapping the power supply (as Rabid suggests).
 
Yep tried a known good PS and cleared the CMOS, only thing I can think of is Dell may have some weird kind of pin out for there connection from the buttons on the front.
 
MiNdGaMeS said:
Yep tried a known good PS and cleared the CMOS, only thing I can think of is Dell may have some weird kind of pin out for there connection from the buttons on the front.
Click to expand...

DELL? from what I've heard they use some sort of proprietary pin config for their stuff & that might be your problem.

Edit: on pin config I meant the psu-MBoard power pins, not the front panel pins
 
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Do you receive power at all? Do the fans spin up? If not, this is a power/MB issue. If it does power up but it does not beep then you you need to reseat the RAM and Processor. If you power up, and you get a beep code and nothing else you need to reseat your video card. Also, don't operate under the pretense that this is a Dell computer anymore. The systemboard has been replaced. You should operate under the pretense that this is just like any other white-box, non OEM computer. The case doesnt make it a Dell... The Dell crap inside does, all of which you have replaced.

My immediate thought is that you have replaced everything but the RAM and it's not working... Replace the RAM too.
 
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Set the jumpers in the harddrive and CD-ROM, set harddrive master and CD-ROM slave.

Having the jumpers not set properly can cause the computer to hang and not post.

Example:

mxo_ata_jumpers_1.png
 
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e MpTy said:
Having the jumpers not set properly can cause the computer to hang and not post.
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This statement is not quite true. In the most technical sense of the word, P.O.S.T. is nothing more than a "Power On Self Test". I do agree that having jumpers incorrect would cause the computer not to boot properly, but it would not affect the POST process. It is the process that occurs before that "beep" your computer makes long before it ever starts scanning the drive controllers. The "beep" is a code. Even when your computer is operating normally and beeps once quickly, it is a code. That is usually the "Everything's OK" code. Most system board manufacturers have their own unique beep codes that are outlined in the owners manual.
 
Bulletsponge said:
This statement is not quite true. In the most technical sense of the word, P.O.S.T. is nothing more than a "Power On Self Test". I do agree that having jumpers incorrect would cause the computer not to boot properly, but it would not affect the POST process. It is the process that occurs before that "beep" your computer makes long before it ever starts scanning the drive controllers. The "beep" is a code. Even when your computer is operating normally and beeps once quickly, it is a code. That is usually the "Everything's OK" code. Most system board manufacturers have their own unique beep codes that are outlined in the owners manual.
Click to expand...

Not to start a debate or anything but I've experinced it first hand indeed its rare but it has happen to me, I don't know if because it was a 10 year old computer or something did'nt work propery as soon as I corrected the jumpers it posted and booted.

My 2cents quite a puzzle.
 
I've seen some strange things... Check the jumpers if you wish, it certainly won't hurt anything.
 
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