Ozmodiar-X
asked on
Monitor has no picture
My brother was changing hard drives on one of my older comps that has all my imortant stuff on, any way, now there is no picture. I tried moving my good monitor to that comp and there is still no picture. I moved that monitor down to my new comp, the picture works there. The hard drive is fine, i put it in my new comp and it worked great. I can't try switching video cards becaue that mother bored is too old to take this one.What could be doing this? how can i fix it? I am in big trouble if i don't fix this! The comp is about 8 years old now.
Hi Ozmodiar-X,
try these steps one by one..
1: remove the graphic card on the computer you are having
problem with and touch ground..e.g the element.. put it back in please and try again..
2: make sure the graphic card have good connection with the box.
3: make sure your ram is correctly in place.
4: remove ram and touch ground .....(try with just one if you have two or more..)
5: try with other ram mems you know is working.
6: forgot this..one..hehehe...
Cheers!
try these steps one by one..
1: remove the graphic card on the computer you are having
problem with and touch ground..e.g the element.. put it back in please and try again..
2: make sure the graphic card have good connection with the box.
3: make sure your ram is correctly in place.
4: remove ram and touch ground .....(try with just one if you have two or more..)
5: try with other ram mems you know is working.
6: forgot this..one..hehehe...
Cheers!
right 6: some computer wont start uncless the fan is correctly connected...that is to the right socket..
try changing this..
try changing this..
I mean the cpu Fan...
I'm a bit confused as to which PC has what, but basically:
If you move the disk with all the settings for say OLDPC to NEWPC
It will probably refuse to start as everything about the NEWPC is different.
Either put the drive back or re-install the OS and choose to leave your existing files intact when prompted by the install procedure
If you move the disk with all the settings for say OLDPC to NEWPC
It will probably refuse to start as everything about the NEWPC is different.
Either put the drive back or re-install the OS and choose to leave your existing files intact when prompted by the install procedure
Is the computer actually starting up properly (POSTs - beeps once!) but without graphics? Does the POST info come up on the screen when the computer starts or is the monitor black constantly? Does the monitor come out of standby when starting the PC, but display no picture?
If the computer seems to otherwise be working (just without a display) then you MAY have damaged the graphics card via an electrical static discharge when working in the case (older computer equipment was more vulnerable to such things). What sort of graphics card is it? I'll assume either an ISA or PCI model (or an early AGP card).
If your computer doesn't seem to be starting up normally then you should check your memory and cpu. These are the only two things (apart from the PSU....and the graphics card) that could prevent an image from appearing on the monitor (You have already ruled out the monitor itself).
Unfortunately you've swapped the only component that's backwards compatible with a pc that old, the monitor. So unless you can obtain another PC from the same period, or spare parts from a second hand computer shop (they should be cheap due to their age) then you won't be able to troubleshoot much more.
At least there is one consolation, your stuff on the hard disk isn't lost.
If the computer seems to otherwise be working (just without a display) then you MAY have damaged the graphics card via an electrical static discharge when working in the case (older computer equipment was more vulnerable to such things). What sort of graphics card is it? I'll assume either an ISA or PCI model (or an early AGP card).
If your computer doesn't seem to be starting up normally then you should check your memory and cpu. These are the only two things (apart from the PSU....and the graphics card) that could prevent an image from appearing on the monitor (You have already ruled out the monitor itself).
Unfortunately you've swapped the only component that's backwards compatible with a pc that old, the monitor. So unless you can obtain another PC from the same period, or spare parts from a second hand computer shop (they should be cheap due to their age) then you won't be able to troubleshoot much more.
At least there is one consolation, your stuff on the hard disk isn't lost.
As mentioned before, the first thing to check is if you plugged the cpu/heatsink fan into the motherboard header, because most AMD motherboards check if there is a working cpu fan before they will start. To troubleshoot this, I recommend stripping down the pc to the bare essentials: keep one stick of RAM, the cpu, and the video card, and reset the BIOS. Do not include hard disks, other PCI cards, or other peripherals.
ASKER
It seems that every thing loads fine. No the POST info does not come up, it just stays black.
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the video cart went south... Dead...
ASKER
okay, i removed the hard drives and it worked again. Now when i hook them back up it wont load, but there is picture. it seems every thing is in the correct order.
You mean except the Hard drive?
If that is the case, u need to double check the hard drive connections as I described above.
If still not working, normally that old machine can not take the latest large drive.
You'd better live it, esp. back up all ur data properly.
If that is the case, u need to double check the hard drive connections as I described above.
If still not working, normally that old machine can not take the latest large drive.
You'd better live it, esp. back up all ur data properly.
How big is the new disk drive?
ASKER
okay, there we go, i went down to a used comp store and got the cheepest one i could and put it in, then i hooked only the master hdd(13.5 gigs) in and not the slave(3gigs, it had nothing even on it) and it worked. But now i need to find out how to make it able to go from 16 colour to like something better, and fix the resalution(640 X 480). But i cant seem to be able to put those any higher. any idea of how to fix that?
ASKER
also both hard drives worked on the same cable before, and how can i tell if the cable is in upside down, i have them in the right order if thats what your talking about. the jumpers and set correctly because we never switched them, i tried a new IDE cable, that did not work.
Sounds like the computer is running in VGA mode (or you're in safe mode!).
You will need to install a different driver to get it to go higher.
- Right-click the desktop, and then choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
- In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced Properties.
- Select the Adapter tab, make a note of the Adapter Type you're currently using, and then click Change.
- In the Select Device dialog box, select Show All Devices.
- Select Standard Display Types from the top of the Manufacturers scroll box.
(now this is the bit I'm a little rusty on..)
- Select Standard Display Adapter (Super VGA) from the Models scroll box, then click OK.
- Click the Monitor tab, make a note of the Monitor Type you're currently using, then click Change.
- In the Select Device dialog box, select Show All Devices.
- Select Standard Monitor Types from the top of the Manufacturers scroll box.
- Select Super VGA 1024x768 from the Models scroll box, then click OK.
- Restart Windows 95.
It should now allow you to run your monitor at up to 1024x768 (there were other options like XGA which support higher resolutions I think, but I can't remember!).
The ide cable should plug in so that the red wire is nearest to the power connector. There should also be a little bit of plastic sticking out of the middle of the conector which should point to the top. I say 'should' because I have encountered some very old computers that had very odd hard-disks and IDE
You will need to install a different driver to get it to go higher.
- Right-click the desktop, and then choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
- In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced Properties.
- Select the Adapter tab, make a note of the Adapter Type you're currently using, and then click Change.
- In the Select Device dialog box, select Show All Devices.
- Select Standard Display Types from the top of the Manufacturers scroll box.
(now this is the bit I'm a little rusty on..)
- Select Standard Display Adapter (Super VGA) from the Models scroll box, then click OK.
- Click the Monitor tab, make a note of the Monitor Type you're currently using, then click Change.
- In the Select Device dialog box, select Show All Devices.
- Select Standard Monitor Types from the top of the Manufacturers scroll box.
- Select Super VGA 1024x768 from the Models scroll box, then click OK.
- Restart Windows 95.
It should now allow you to run your monitor at up to 1024x768 (there were other options like XGA which support higher resolutions I think, but I can't remember!).
The ide cable should plug in so that the red wire is nearest to the power connector. There should also be a little bit of plastic sticking out of the middle of the conector which should point to the top. I say 'should' because I have encountered some very old computers that had very odd hard-disks and IDE
he he, knocked tab and enter keys somehow there! :o)
Anyway, I say 'should' because I have encountered some very old computers that had very odd hard-disks and IDE cables that didn't meet todays standards.
Hope this helps you out! :o)
Anyway, I say 'should' because I have encountered some very old computers that had very odd hard-disks and IDE cables that didn't meet todays standards.
Hope this helps you out! :o)
Ok, That sounds good, at least your machine start working.
1. The hard drive problem, try a)put the master drive (13G)one in the end of the cable, connect the 3.3G one in the middle. b)check the jumpers of each drive that the first 13.3G one set to the master, the other slave. c).Now it sounds your 13.3G working, it means the cable connector is right. you just need to try the 3.3G one at different way of connection. there should be one way of working, d)If neither direction is working, try disable all jumpers, use the cable selecting, if it still not working, I will presume that is the Power spply unit's problem. it is too old and weak to suppot two hard drive.
2. As to the display card problem , which system you installed? Did you reinstall the whole system after new hardware installed or just use the old system before? Did it work before in the same enviroment? The driver for the card is Window's or the card itself? what is your memory size?
I suggest to try Windows 98SE rather than any other system to see if it is working. Before that, you may try to reinstall the drive by the display card's itself.
any luck , let me know,
1. The hard drive problem, try a)put the master drive (13G)one in the end of the cable, connect the 3.3G one in the middle. b)check the jumpers of each drive that the first 13.3G one set to the master, the other slave. c).Now it sounds your 13.3G working, it means the cable connector is right. you just need to try the 3.3G one at different way of connection. there should be one way of working, d)If neither direction is working, try disable all jumpers, use the cable selecting, if it still not working, I will presume that is the Power spply unit's problem. it is too old and weak to suppot two hard drive.
2. As to the display card problem , which system you installed? Did you reinstall the whole system after new hardware installed or just use the old system before? Did it work before in the same enviroment? The driver for the card is Window's or the card itself? what is your memory size?
I suggest to try Windows 98SE rather than any other system to see if it is working. Before that, you may try to reinstall the drive by the display card's itself.
any luck , let me know,
Hi Thanks for the points,
Glad to be helpful.
Glad to be helpful.
ASKER