No POST

My computer just turned on by itself all of a sudden :eek: (about 3 minutes after I had a brief power outtage). I don't have wake-on LAN or anything that would conventionally cause it to "turn on by itself."

After that, I pressed the power button to turn it off, but it just won't turn off. So I go turn off the system by turning off power supply from the back. Then I proceed to turn the power supply back on and try to power up the system again. That didn't work. I almost run out of ideas, and then pull out my power cord from the power supply, then insert it back into the power supply, then turn on the system and then I finally get power. Okay.

I don't get any system beeps, nothing shows up on the monitor, but everything else seems to be powered (such as the fan and motherboard). I have 2 CD-ROMS and 1 of them has a LED light turned on all the time while the system is powered. I try to open their CD trays and none of them open.

I have reset the CMOS and that didn't help. My motherboard has an on-board LED HEX code generator that gives codes for certain problems. The motherboard always says "FF" which is a binary 11111111 or in decimal that means the number 255. In my motherboard manual "FF" means "Boot attempt (INT 19h)." That doesn't help very much. I have ran out of ideas short of starting to uninstall all my my components inside my computer.

I don't understand why any of this happened. Did the power outtage have anything to do with my computer just turning on by itself? Why don't I get any beep codes? Why does nothing show up on the monitor? This seems very weird. I have surge protectors on all my computer equipment, so I don't think any of my hardware fried, but then again that's my only explanation of what I think happened.

:( :confused:

id start by disconnecting the drives, then continue on through "the drill"...

if it were related to the power outage(rather than a coincidence) then id blame the PSU..

does the mobo display any other codes as it goes through a system check or does it go directly to FF?

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Originally posted by LordOPain
id start by disconnecting the drives, then continue on through "the drill"...

if it were related to the power outage(rather than a coincidence) then id blame the PSU..

does the mobo display any other codes as it goes through a system check or does it go directly to FF?

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It always starts at FF even if the computer is working fine. The thing about the post code FF is that the motherboard initially boots at FF and if everything boots up fine it will also end at FF once it finishes checking everything.

I hate how my stuff just always "just breaks." I've had speakers on me die, my monitor, my video card, my previous motherboard, and now this. :mad:

Quote:

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Originally posted by jagojago12


It always starts at FF even if the computer is working fine. The thing about the post code FF is that the motherboard initially boots at FF and if everything boots up fine it will also end at FF once it finishes checking everything.

I hate how my stuff just always "just breaks." I've had speakers on me die, my monitor, my video card, my previous motherboard, and now this. :mad:

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ive got an 8K7A that'll post codes as well, but it goes through a sequence based on the operation it performs, then stops w/ FF when all is well

i know what you mean about stuff breaking though..
but i have to admit ive been lucky with most of the toys i get(i swear, sometimes an angel rides on my shoulder)..
i like to think that i usually get my moneys worth.

Try taking EVERYTHING (I mean EVERYTHING) apart and putting it back together again. I spent a day trying to get my system to boot up (no video, no POST), and then tried this and it worked.

Quote:

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Originally posted by jagojago12
My computer just turned on by itself all of a sudden :eek: (about 3 minutes after I had a brief power outtage). I don't have wake-on LAN or anything that would conventionally cause it to "turn on by itself."

After that, I pressed the power button to turn it off, but it just won't turn off. So I go turn off the system by turning off power supply from the back. Then I proceed to turn the power supply back on and try to power up the system again. That didn't work. I almost run out of ideas, and then pull out my power cord from the power supply, then insert it back into the power supply, then turn on the system and then I finally get power. Okay.

I don't get any system beeps, nothing shows up on the monitor, but everything else seems to be powered (such as the fan and motherboard). I have 2 CD-ROMS and 1 of them has a LED light turned on all the time while the system is powered. I try to open their CD trays and none of them open.

I have reset the CMOS and that didn't help. My motherboard has an on-board LED HEX code generator that gives codes for certain problems. The motherboard always says "FF" which is a binary 11111111 or in decimal that means the number 255. In my motherboard manual "FF" means "Boot attempt (INT 19h)." That doesn't help very much. I have ran out of ideas short of starting to uninstall all my my components inside my computer.

I don't understand why any of this happened. Did the power outtage have anything to do with my computer just turning on by itself? Why don't I get any beep codes? Why does nothing show up on the monitor? This seems very weird. I have surge protectors on all my computer equipment, so I don't think any of my hardware fried, but then again that's my only explanation of what I think happened.

:( :confused:

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I agree with xDUCK, take a pci and agp cards out and reinstall. Do not install a anything in pci slot 1 if you use a agp video card, as it shares the same irq. Including power and "ALL" data cables.
When you only have a video card installed, clear the cmos again.
The reason your computer restarted after an power outage is it's set that way in the bios. The setting in usally in power mngt or something similar.

IF it boots up, and you have video. turn it off again for 5 min.
Now, reinstall your drives, one at a time starting with the floopy, then hd,cd's.

IF everything is seems ok, start reinstalling your pci cards one at a time, making sure they are firmly seated in their slots. Reinstalling componets one at a time will help isolate the problem.

What OS are you using, it may have become corrupt and you will have to reinstall the OS.

This computer stuff is 80% science, and 20% voodoo.

Good luck,

Jeff in LA.
:cool: :cool: :cool:

By "everything", I meant take the HSF AND processor off, motherboard out of the case, etc - not (just) PCI/AGP cards. :)

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Originally posted by glazenuts
The reason your computer restarted after an power outage is it's set that way in the bios. The setting in usally in power mngt or something similar.

What OS are you using, it may have become corrupt and you will have to reinstall the OS.

This computer stuff is 80% science, and 20% voodoo.

Good luck,

Jeff in LA.
:cool: :cool: :cool:

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I have turned that feature off in my BIOS, and even if I did leave that feature on, why does my computer turn on 3 minutes after power comes back on? That doesn't make sense, it should be almost instantly after power is regained.

I'm using Windows 2000 Professional w/SP3.

I have taken everything out and here are the results:

With just the processor, heatsink, RAM, and video card installed, I still get no video signal to the monitor. I switched out the RAM and video card and still no luck.

I then went ahead and tried a backup motherboard I have, the ASUS A7A266, and it still doesn't work. Although, the A7A266 doesn't have support for Thoroughbred processors (I haven't flashed it to the newest BIOS yet) so that may be the reason why that didn't work either. I was expecting for it to boot however, and just say Unknown CPU or something but it didn't even give me any beep codes and definetly didn't get far enough to see a POST screen.

This sucks.

Try taking the the processor and RAM out (and the video card) and see if you get error beeps from the motherboard.

Quote:

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Originally posted by glazenuts
This computer stuff is 80% science, and 20% voodoo.

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Are you inferring that I don't know what I'm doing? Just be honest and tell me what you think, I won't get mad :).

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Originally posted by xDUCK
Try taking the the processor and RAM out (and the video card) and see if you get error beeps from the motherboard.

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Took out everything from the motherboard like you said and there are no beeps from the internal computer speaker.

Something that kind of bothers me is that my main power supply that I use will not shut down if I press on the power button in the front of my case. I have tried 2 other different power supplies and I can turn them off by pressing the power button in the front of the case. With my main power supply, I have to turn it off by turning the actual power supply off, that's the only way. The power button on the case is unresposive on both motherboards with my main power supply (not the 2 backup ones).

Disconnect everything except fans (for safety reasons) from your power supply, including the ATX power connector. Jumpstart your ATX power connector by placing a paper clip from pin 14 to pin 15 (they are the two to the left of the clip on top). Check your PSU manual is you are not sure which pins they are.

Quote:

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Originally posted by xDUCK
Disconnect everything except fans (for safety reasons) from your power supply, including the ATX power connector. Jumpstart your ATX power connector by placing a paper clip from pin 14 to pin 15 (they are the two to the left of the clip on top). Check your PSU manual is you are not sure which pins they are.

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I have found out something a bit disturbing. My main power supply does not need to be plugged into the motherboard, or have a jumper on it's PWR_ON+GRND wires to turn on. You can simply turn it on by plugging a power cable to it and turning the switch on the power supply to "on."

What the hell?

Sounds like something inside, possibly a melted cable or contact, is shorting it out. I wouldn't recommend opening it up (voids the warranty). Looks like RMA time.