jonathan_173
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Motherboard Dead?
I added a new hard drive to a computer after the old one went bad. I had to remove the processor and heatsink to insert it into the available slot. When I reinstalled everything, checked cables, and made sure the heatsink was plugged into the motherboard I powered it back up. Unfortunately only the devices that were not powered by the motherboard powered up. Is this a sign of a dead motherboard or maybe just bad motherboard power plugs? Also, not sure if it's related or not, but the power switch will only turn the computer on. It will not power it back off even by holding it down. The only way to power down is by pulling the plug on it. I've stripped the board down to nothing and still seem to be getting the same problem. Doesn't seem to be grounded anywhere, so I'm at a dead end. Please help!
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Callandor
Try it without the new hard drive connected, in case there's something flakey about it.
ASKER
I did check all connections. In addition it's a Pentium processor. I tried just plugging in the heatsink without seating the processor; still no luck. Currently I have everything disconnected, inluding the new hard drive. I couldn't find the cmos jumper so I've taken the battery out to see if that helps anything. I'm not getting any beeps either. It's an HP Pavilion 533w if that helps you any.
Sounds like a broken cpu. What cpu do you have?
If amd it dose not take much to crack them.
Try a new cpu, or yours on another motherboard to test.
Look at the core and see if it is chiped.
If amd it dose not take much to crack them.
Try a new cpu, or yours on another motherboard to test.
Look at the core and see if it is chiped.
ASKER
No chipped CPU guys. Wouldn't matter anyways if it's not even seated. Power is not being redistributed throughout the motherboard. All the fans that are powered by the board itself are not powering up.
are you getting any beeps with this? If not it is very possibly the motherboard.
Could be that the board has been damaged.
To make sure you need to try a known good power supply on it to rule out a bad power conecter or have the PSU tested.
To make sure you need to try a known good power supply on it to rule out a bad power conecter or have the PSU tested.
ASKER
The thing that's puzzling is the fact that the time before when I powered it up with the bad hard drive it would POST just fine. The only thing that I did between now and then was unseat the heatsink and processor(since the processor was somehow glued to the heatsink?) and connect up the new hard drive. I wouldn't think that would kill the motherboard. The only thing that I'm suspecting might have happened is that somehow one of the pins on the processor got bent. I straightened it out and seated it again and still the same problem.
ASKER
No beeps buckeyes33.
THen if you can I would do what Snowguy has suggested in last post. If that does not work then your motherboard is probably bad.
ASKER
I may do that. The power supply works supplying power to the cdrom and hard drives and floppy. Like I said before, the only things that aren't working are the devices powered by the board itself.
ASKER
I'll give it a try tomorrow when I take it to my instructors tomorrow. Whoever's solution comes closest to answering the problem I will award the points to. Won't forget about you guys. Thanks for all the input. Will post tomorrow as soon as I find out something.
it could be something wrong with the power supply plug for ur mobo as well, do you have another mobo to test with??
ASKER
Ok, guys (or girls, whichever you are) I finally figured out what the problem was. Unfortunately it wasn't anything that any of us thought of and I definately learned something new. When I removed the heatsink and processor, the processor was attached to the heatsink. What I failed to do was remove the processor from the heatsink when reinstalling it. My instructor thought to do this and reseated the processor correctly and then the heatsink. For some reason this particular board would not power up without the processor seated. Never had that happen before because all my processors have been AMD. With AMD you can do that and the board still power up. After reseating the processor and heatsink, it powered right up and ran fine. I'm still trying to decide who to award the points to. Give me a few hours. Thanks for all the input.
I thought I suggested reseating the cpu at the very beginning? "Did you take out the cpu and reseat it?"
Hello jonathan_173,
I think you can go to check the spec. of HD: you can try this way: Just replace your old Hard Drive back to your system. Try to turn your system back on. If it is back on like it was. Then, now we can say the HD's problem.
Another way is the ribbun cable; is it IDE or not. And don't forget to check at the motherboard connector too.
Good Luck
Jim
I think you can go to check the spec. of HD: you can try this way: Just replace your old Hard Drive back to your system. Try to turn your system back on. If it is back on like it was. Then, now we can say the HD's problem.
Another way is the ribbun cable; is it IDE or not. And don't forget to check at the motherboard connector too.
Good Luck
Jim