MoBo Oddity???

Hi,

Customer called adn said his "Computer won't start ". I go tohis business and the PC is sitting at the POST screen with the AWARD logo, the Intel chipset, the Processor speed and at the bottom of screen, Press DEL to enter setup. That is it. No memory test, no keyboard test, no nothing. Is there a way I can force the computer to start in BIOS or a specific mode that allows me to interact with the PC by holding down a key (SHIFT or CTRL, etc.)?

I appreciate any help in advance.

Jerry

 

Disconnect Power Supply from MB, Clear Cmos and restart .... hit del key and you're in.

 

Already have done this...anything else???

 

So what happens when you plug it in? There's just not a screen sitting there. Describe what it does before you get this screen. And, if you can't boot from a floppy after you have cleared the cmos, you may have a boot virus, but this would more than likely give you an invalid disk message. There's more going on here than what you have described.

Just out of curiosity, how did you go about clearing the CMOS?

 

You turn the PC on and it sits at the screen described above...nothing else. As far as the CMOS goes, first I pulled the CMOS jumper off the "normal" setting and place it on the "configer" setting, and turn it on, same screen as above. I pulled the battery, and replaced it 1 hr later, turn it on and get same screen. That is all???

Thanks

 

You don't need to pull a battery for an hour. You can jumper 2&3 for about 5 seconds and then go back to 1&2 and the job should be done as long as you disconnected your PS from the MB. And, unless you have some special MB, you sure as heck don't want to try restarting with the CMOS jumpered 2&3. Regardless .....

Are you trying to boot back to the HD or are you trying to boot to a floppy? What happens when you hit DEL key during startup? What kind of MB is this and what kind of machine? What happends when you disconnect the HDD and try to boot?

Like I said earlier, there is more to this than what you have conveyed. I'd like to help, but ........

 

You have either a bad BIOS or a piece of harware gone bad.

Remove all interface cards not required to boot. Network cards sound card, modem "all" .

Unplug any USB devices printers "all ".

If it don't go now things are not looking good, so do this next,

Remove the video card clean the contacts with a a clean red pencil eraser, then use a clean tissue to remove any eraser residue.

Reinstall video card.

Still no go!

If you have more than one stick of memory remove them one at a time trying to boot each time. Finally put in the first one you removed in place of the remaiming stick.

Still no go!

Last thing I can suggest a new video card! Borrow one for testing if possible.

Still no go!

Then imagine I am a Catholic .............. "I am now crossing myself ".

Mike

 

I replaced the board...

Thanks for all the help...

 

Good solution - reminds me of myself.