no video signal

[don]

Someone gave me their 6 year old HP computer to take a look at.... it had no
video signal was the problem... so I put a new video card in an open PCI
slot and rebooted..... still nothing, no POST text either..... I can hear it
turn on..... I am guessing the motherboard is toast but I want to know if
anything else could be causing this before I toss it..... thanks

[root]

Disconnect the hard drives, take out any cards other
than the video and try to start again.

[Krypsis]

Take out the memory and try a reboot. If the MB is working, you should
get some POST beeps. If you get the beeps, replace the memory simms one
at a time and see if it boots. Test each simm individually. I have had
cases where one simm is dead and it stops the MB booting. Just a matter
of identifying which simm.

Don't forget to earth yourself (static discharge), then disconnect power
to the MB before removing simms.

Krypsis

[don]

"Krypsis" <kry...@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:4e1e4d01$0$13391$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...

> On 14/07/2011 8:53 AM, don wrote:
>>
> Take out the memory and try a reboot. If the MB is working, you should get
> some POST beeps. If you get the beeps, replace the memory simms one at a
> time and see if it boots. Test each simm individually. I have had cases
> where one simm is dead and it stops the MB booting. Just a matter of
> identifying which simm.
>

Ok, thanks for your help...... I took out both memory sticks and when I
turned it on I heard the loud beeps.... so I was happy... since now it
seemed that at least the motherboard was working..... played around swapping
the memory sticks but still nothing.... then I came across this "How to
reset the BIOS on a blank screen" on HP support page....
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph04760&tmp_task=solveCategory&cc=ca&dlc=en&lang=en&lc=en&product=3435609#N276

so I tried both methods and when I rebooted I got a HP screen telling me no
operating system found which I knew was because I had disconnected the hard
drive before..... so anyway after connecting the harddrive back I was able
to boot up to Windows Home Vista...... I think the BIOS settings were all
messed up, but thanks for your advice because it help me prove the
Motherboard was still funcitoning.....

[don]

omg, I gave the pc back to my friend and when he went to hook it up he said
he briefly saw the Windows Vista login screen before the screen went
blank....... he brought it right back to me and sure enough the pc powers on
but no screen??????? any suggestions?

"don" <d...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:ivlvlf$rqh$1...@reader1.panix.com...

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

On 7/14/2011 7:55 PM, don wrote:
> omg, I gave the pc back to my friend and when he went to hook it up he said
> he briefly saw the Windows Vista login screen before the screen went
> blank....... he brought it right back to me and sure enough the pc powers on
> but no screen??????? any suggestions?

Have you tried swapping in a *known good* monitor and cable (at least
the cable) at your friend's location?

The physical movement of giving it back to your friend makes me suspect
that.

--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

[don]

"Nobody > (Revisited)" <useneth...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1Q5Up.2462$kI4....@newsfe02.iad...

> On 7/14/2011 7:55 PM, don wrote:

> Have you tried swapping in a *known good* monitor and cable (at least the
> cable) at your friend's location?
>
> The physical movement of giving it back to your friend makes me suspect
> that.
>

ok .... well, it turns out it was a bad 512mb ram chip because I took it
out and the PC boot up fine....
such a head-ache ! lol