BleepingComputer.com: No POST, No beep, No Display... Sometimes

Hey Guys,

So a few days ago I felt bored so I took apart my old gateway P3 and dusted the whole thing out, planing the do a format and reinstall windows 98. so the deed is done and I put it back together and turn it on. The computer starts shows bar to load the bios and freezes at the end of the bios load with no beep. so I go online to do some research and found a post saying to try to clear the CMOS. So I did that. now the computer starts, shows the loading bar for the bios and does not show any progress on the bar, still no beep. So I tried a few more things... Reseated ram, tried every stick of ram at a time in different slots, reseated video card, tried a different video card, and tried to start it with only video card, HD, and one stick of ram, It started and beeped twice saying error change of RAM size, and error in the floppy drive (which I did not have connected)... So then a new problem a raised were I now start the computer and it gets to the no POST, no Beep part then I restart and the display won't work on ether of the to video cards I have for it. but the odd thing is now if I wait a few hours and come back the display works again but only once... the it stops again. Its not the monitor because I tried it on the computer I'm using right now. Anyone got any ideas. thanks for listening.

Here are my Specs

Windows 98
Pentium 3 500Mz
Stock 16mb Video or 64Mb Nvidea
I can't find any markings on the motherboard
I have no Idea what PSU it has but its stock

All you can is to go over everything again, check all connections even ones you did not touch. It is easy to dislodge things and not realize it. If that don't get you through it may be time to look at the board, you can damage sockets and break fragile soldered areas.

I would agree with OldPhil.

Check your BIOS to be sure that you input Current Time and Date as well? Draining the CMOS reverts it all back to day one, of that Computer.

Edit, you may well find it in there. Particularly if you made changes along the way since it was new?
Windows is funny about CMOS. But not if the sums add up.

This post has been edited by Abacus 7: 01 November 2009 - 09:49 AM

make sure the cpu is seated right
and then make sure the heat sink is seated right

as for the floppy error
if you get display back then go into the bios and tell it to rescan all drives

Thanks guys. this is really just a rainy day project and I was hoping it would not be the motherboard. I may just take every thing apart again and start over. I will also check the CPU when I have it apart, but I never messed with it before but you never know. Also, I noticed that my HD does not make any noise could that be the problem?

You could try another HDD, just to see if it will boot?

It is sort of Trial and error time, I think.

Solved! sorta... I took Every thing apart, and checked the CPU (It had a lil dust on it) blow it off and put every thing back together, and it worked! HDD is spinning, display works, I still got two beeps but it was just because the time was wrong on the bios. so I fixed that and its working perfectly. I even got the wireless network adapter to work. So all that's left it to format and reinstall... wish me luck. Oh ya and the this 6 year old computer runs 10X faster then my 2 year old desktop lol. just don't ask it to play any games. Thanks a lot guys.

You are more than welcome, Mate, Thanks for the feed back.

Mpaquinjr, on Nov 2 2009, 09:00 PM, said:

yer windows vista LOL such a bad OS

checked the CPU (It had a lil dust on it) blow it off
did you make sure you put thermal paste on the cpu

info:http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

if you don't put any there then your cpu will over heat
lucky back when i did not know much i had a cpu overheat alarm

This post has been edited by starcraftmaster: 02 November 2009 - 06:36 AM

Yes I did add so past, luckly I had some left over from when I helped my friend put a new cpu in. my dad was so suprised that I did a good job on it that he is haveing me price out some stuff to upgrade the family desktop. let me know what you guys think.

HIS Radeon HD 4670 1GB Video Card
OCZ ModXstream PRO 500W PSU
2 x 2GB OCZ Obsidian RAM
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad 2.33GHz

I know its not top of the line stuff, but my dad wan'ts it on a buget. The only thing I'm not sure of is the PSU wattage. Sorry for getting a little of topic.

Mpaquinjr, on Nov 3 2009, 12:41 AM, said:

post that here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum139.html

you will get much more help

Good Plan, Mate.

Pisst? Get an Antec Case and at least with a 450W PSU. Costs maybe $20 more?
Simply unreal gear. The Case is made out of Steel not Tinplate.

Often, Manufacturers cut costs, but get you in when you buy the PSU, instead of Buying the complete Case. Only you know what you really want?

Check it out? ebay is good to start with.

This post has been edited by Abacus 7: 02 November 2009 - 10:14 AM