Help I got a computer problem. ASUS M2N-E mobo with AMD Athlon X2

[TheGoodGuy]

History:

Thursday:
was given this computer by a coworker due to flash issues. He wanted a re-install.

Friday:
Reinstalled computer after backup.

Saturday/Sunday:
Installed software, had to open up computer to get video card version (Turns out GeForce 7300GT). I used can of compressed air and blew the dust away.
Turned on computer, installed drivers, computer ran fine for the time period.

Problem:
Monday:

Turn on computer.. computer wont turn on. I think it turned on for 2 seconds, (I was on my laptop), noticed the monitor turned on - old CRT makes a noise) and then it went back to search mode.. I guess it didnt turn on.

Anyway hasnt been turning on since today.

Opened computer to look at whats going on. Mobo is getting power. Press power button, CPU fan tries to spin, but doesnt spin (moves a tiny bit). I thought okay maybe PSU is faulty, went to Fry's got a new PSU. Same problem.

Cleared CMOS, no change.
Took out memory, and reseated (seems like an known issue), no change.

Computer case doesnt have a speaker, so i pulled teh speaker from the other computer of mine, no use, no sound.

Mobo is getting power. I am not sure whats causing it to not turn on.

It was working fine when I got it, it was working fine sunday. It did give a BSOD on Sunday when updating the drivers, it BSOD'ed when windows suggested I upgrade teh Nforce network driver, it BSOD'ed right away with an IRQ message. So I went into safemode without networking and disabled it and then rebooted and then installed the drivers from the CD and then shut down. Network was working when I shut it down. I had rebooted teh computer once after i installed drivers.

So what can be the problem. Its obviously not the PSU. I didnt do anything to the computer, what oculd it be?

[yamahonkawazuki]

well you tried teh psu. id say try it on another unit. to be 100% sure. but again doubt it.  looks as tho maybe happened during driver install/s ? reinstall widnows again. i would try. first , if you were closer id send you my spare x2 cpu to try and see if it went to the intergalactic bit bucket, but ehh am drawing blanks now, if i can figure somethign out ill get wiht you. and terry, a mac wont fix it   

[TheGoodGuy]

I could reinstall windows if the fucker came up. So far no response. Thats what is bugging me. Its dead as a door nail, except its getting power.

It doesnt like something, but nothing changed. No hardware changes, no software changes (no bios was flashed). I simply backed up and reinstalled and had restored all his email back and was in teh process of restoring his data from my documents.

i wonder unplugging the USB hard drive caused this? that was the last thing I did. But I think I did that after it shut down..

[yamahonkawazuki]

I could reinstall windows if the f%$ker came up. So far no response. Thats what is bugging me. Its dead as a door nail, except its getting power.

It doesnt like something, but nothing changed. No hardware changes, no software changes (no bios was flashed). I simply backed up and reinstalled and had restored all his email back and was in teh process of restoring his data from my documents.

i wonder unplugging the USB hard drive caused this? that was the last thing I did. But I think I did that after it shut down..

Honestly am wondering if mobo is going south, never to return.

[TheGoodGuy]

Well I have one more test to conduct.. if that fails, then the mobo is fubared.

I am going to pull the CPU out. If it still doesnt turn on the fans and or give me a beep. The mobo is dead. Question is how did it die.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Well I have one more test to conduct.. if that fails, then the mobo is fubared.

I am going to pull the CPU out. If it still doesnt turn on the fans and or give me a beep. The mobo is dead. Question is how did it die.

it happens. maybe voltage spike, power irregularities? many explanations. could be cpu death as well ya know. , am2 mobo or 939?  but yes pull hte cpu first and check, if cpu was bad and was an am2 mobo i could send you an x2 5000 to replace it with. i upgraded from it to a phenom 2 x4 940

[ohgood]

Psu. Did it kill anything else maybe ? Dunno. Definitely the psu though. Or a connector (hdd) installed wrong agter all the moving

[JB848]

Here is a test you can run for forensics. There is a Sysinternals program called ERD Commander. Download this and create an ISO/ bootable CD.

Attempt to boot from the CD bypassing the HD. If this works then start with HD malfunction. Check Boot Sequence also. If you changed things in the Bios to where it "was" booting from the USB drive then you need to change this assuming you can boot up far enough to.

I do this for a living but I need more info to diagnose.

Robert

[TheGoodGuy]

Lol I love the options. Yes its an AM2 mobo, and it is not the PSU. I switched it with a brand new PSU, its no the PSU.

I noticed some of the video card capacitors are bulging, i am going to pull the video card.

I have already tried booting with No ram, still doesnt turn on. The problem is the motherboard is getting power, but when you hit the button the first time it sends power to everything, the CPU fan tries to spin (moves a tiny bit) and then stops. The screen flashes and stops. After that you can press the power button a million times, even hold it down, nothing happens. You have to kill power from the PSU to the mobo and then plug it in.

I wonder what could have caused a surge, i have a lot of stuff in this house, surge is not something i expected. IN anycase that computer is getting power through a power strip. its not plugged directly into a wall.

[scottpA_GS]

I would pull the processor, re-seat and re-thermal paste it. Sounds like Processor or Mobo to me.. both hard to trouble shoot w/o a spare.

Unplug and re-connect ALL connections as well as re-seat all PCI cards etc...

[TheGoodGuy]

WOOT!

I got it to boot but with no memory and no video.

All fans powered up which means the video card is at fault. I am going to put back the memory and see what happens.

MB

[TheGoodGuy]

Okay it was the video card. The computer is running with the memory installed but no video. I dont have a PCI video card to test.

This one has 4 blown capacitors, i dont know how i missed that one. But a guide on the web said 'look for blown capacitors' on the mobo.. especially near the video card area and sure enough it was on the damn video card.

I wonder what caused those capacitors to blow.

[JB848]

The #1 thing that fries computer components is heat. Did that Vid card have it's own fan? And if so was it working? How much dust was on it before you blew it out with compressed air?

Good Job on the Diags!

[TheGoodGuy]

Yeah there was quite a bit of dust on it. I just noticed the GPU fan does not spin easily by hand. I think the fan blew taking out the capacitors / GPU.

[JB848]

Well don't know where you are located but I have SL's of AGP and PCI Vid Cards! I've been throwing them away!

[yamahonkawazuki]

pci, or pci-e? lmk

[TheGoodGuy]

pci, or pci-e? lmk

PCI-E

[JB848]

AGP and PCI only