Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:47 +0900, "Joel Rees" wrote: > Just out of curiosity, ... > hmmm I like that... > > Have you used a flashlight to check under the motherboard and other > places for dust, lint, loose screws, etc? Lots of things you won't see > without a flashlight. > > Have you taken a vacuum cleaner to the slots and, well, everything? > (Carefully, of course.) Even just a year can be enough to build up > quite a bit of lint and dust, and those tend to "break" electronics as > quickly as anything. Vacuuming can often be a quick cure for a lot of > things. Agree 100% a layer of dust or lint on electronic components makes them very likely to go bad much before expected time. My usual routine is to clean my machines every 2months or so. Cleaning means using compressed air/vaccum cleaner in the box. Fan blades should be wiped manually if too much dirt. This not only improves the life of components by better air circulation and heat dissipation but also reduces the noise the fans make. > Just make sure you're careful about static electricity, and avoid > knocking off parts, vacuuming up delicate parts, or bumping things and > "mis-adjusting" them, especially very low reactance coils (single, or > even half-loop coils, and single-plate air capacitors) which you may > not recognize as such at first. Vacuum is usually above the box to *eat* up the dirt/lint dislocated by compressed air from the can. Vacuum cleaners are notorious to keep all the static charge so as to kill any sensitive electronic component. > Have you used an eraser to clean the fingers of your memory boards? > The original ones, especially. > > Again, be somewhat careful to avoid letting the eraser knock parts off > the board and such. And make sure you hold the board so that the > eraser dust doesn't fall into or under parts. > > Joel Rees > Had done that and it didn't help. Probably because I just got the motherboard in January and hence is quite new. I'm quite happy with all the suggestions from the list. As always, a well informed lot lurks d-u. Thanks, KS. -- http://www.fastmail.fm - One of many happy users: http://www.fastmail.fm/docs/quotes.html -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/1313011282.4510.140258128273...@webmail.messagingengine.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:23 -0400, "Mark Neidorff" wrote: > > I don't know where you are located, but consider carefullyyou may > have > toasted the A) RAM B) CPU C) mltherboard D) all of the above E) something > else > that is bringing the entire system down. By putting potentially broken > components into a good system, you can also toast components on the good > system. This will cost you more than taking the system into a reputable > repair > shop and having them diagnose the problem(s) for you. I recently did > that and > I considered the $70 diagnostic fee to be cheap because then I knew > exactly what to replace. > > For future reference, you are best off if when doing something with RAM, > you get a complete matched set of memory. Don't mix and match. > > Mark > I'm in Canada and I believe the problem didn't happen due to the electrical supply. As per my earlier message the mobo (at least) seems to be toasted at this point. I agree with your suggestion on memory. I thought that I would underclock it to match my older DDR3 RAM which is 1333 with the new one (1600). The easiest way would have been same brand and same specs. thanks, -- KS -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Access your email from home and the web -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/1313010661.1698.140258128271...@webmail.messagingengine.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On 8/10/2011 1:19 PM, KS wrote: > The PSU was not disconnected but turned off from the switch on the PSU. > I make sure that when I buy one, it does have a switch on itself rather > than common practice of many manufacturers to take that off to save > $0.01. Wish you'd made this statement, or similar, up front. You're a hardware freak like me. Well, maybe not quite like me. :) I _never_ buy an ATX PSU without a manual switch either. This one thing demonstrates to me that you know hardware. Most people never give this a though. Sorry if it seemed I was "talking down" to you with some of my suggestions. It's a public list, so I always assume lowest common denominator, starting with the basics. > Today's results: > 1. Old RAM is working that I could use that in another machine and it > booted up fine. > 2. Switched CPU and it works as before without any issues. Good old AMD > Phenom II X4 970BE > 3. Memtest is running on old RAM just to be sure. > > Tentative conclusion: > My ASUS motherboard is fried and I need to RMA it :( that means another > couple of weeks of wait time. > > Will test motherboard after memtest. > Tahnks again. Bench test it outside the chassis with another PSU. If it still won't POST I'd say the board may have taken a dive. This is weird. I've never seen/heard of a bad DIMM frying a mobo before... -- Stan -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4e42e6d0.5060...@hardwarefreak.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
Thanks for the pointers. > > I doubt you fried a CPU due to swapping DIMMs, unless static discharge > was involved. Did you use a static strap, or grasp the chassis with one > hand while inserting the DIMMs with the other? Many people ignore the > static threat, simply due to ignorance or not reading instructions. > I do take care to avoid any static charge. Always go touch the metal part of kitchen tap before starting working on PC and then keep and hand on the metal part of the case as long as possible. Working only on wood floor and not in the carpeted room. > I assume you disconnected the PSU power cord while swapping the DIMMs. > If you did not, the board was still receiving +5VSB from the PSU. If > you did not, disconnect the power cord, pull the chassis cover, insert > the two original DIMMs where you had them previously, reconnect the > power cord, power on the machine. Some boards don't like having > components swapped when +5VSB is present. If this works, power down, > pull the power cord, and add the two new DIMMs. Insert the power cord > and power on. Maybe you'll get lucky. If not, we trudge on until we > find the actual source of the problem. > The PSU was not disconnected but turned off from the switch on the PSU. I make sure that when I buy one, it does have a switch on itself rather than common practice of many manufacturers to take that off to save $0.01. Today's results: 1. Old RAM is working that I could use that in another machine and it booted up fine. 2. Switched CPU and it works as before without any issues. Good old AMD Phenom II X4 970BE 3. Memtest is running on old RAM just to be sure. Tentative conclusion: My ASUS motherboard is fried and I need to RMA it :( that means another couple of weeks of wait time. Will test motherboard after memtest. Tahnks again. -- KS list...@fastmail.fm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - A no graphics, no pop-ups email service -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/1313000383.17369.2161683...@webmail.messagingengine.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On 8/9/2011 2:30 PM, KS wrote: > > On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:47 -0500, "Stan Hoeppner" > wrote: >> On 8/8/2011 6:59 PM, KS wrote: >> >>> I shut down the machine and tried to boot it with just the Mushkin RAM. >>> Same beep sequence followed. >> >> If you put the Mushkin back in the original sockets, then you likely: >> >> 1. Damaged the mainboard PCB when inserting modules >> 2. Lodged a screw, or something conductive, shorting the board >> 3. Got dust, debris in the DDR socket shorting some pins >> 4. ?? >> >> BTW, attempting to boot without a video device will also cause beeps. >> You removed your PCIe vid card. Does this mobo also have onboard video? >> If not, put the vid card back in before attempting to power it on. >> >> If it boots with the Mushkin in the two original sockets, but not with >> one stick in the "other" socket for dual channel operation, then other >> that socket is likely bad, or has something tiny wedged in between pins. >> >> -- >> Stan >> > > Thanks Stan. The motherboard has onboard video. But the behaviour of the > machine is the same with or without the PCIe video card. > > And the machine does not boot anymore with any of the RAM modules. > Assuming that all the memory modules were not zapped together, it is > quite likely the CPU is toast. I can only check this using another > machine like this. I might be able to do that tomorrow (and some > memtest86 too). I doubt you fried a CPU due to swapping DIMMs, unless static discharge was involved. Did you use a static strap, or grasp the chassis with one hand while inserting the DIMMs with the other? Many people ignore the static threat, simply due to ignorance or not reading instructions. I assume you disconnected the PSU power cord while swapping the DIMMs. If you did not, the board was still receiving +5VSB from the PSU. If you did not, disconnect the power cord, pull the chassis cover, insert the two original DIMMs where you had them previously, reconnect the power cord, power on the machine. Some boards don't like having components swapped when +5VSB is present. If this works, power down, pull the power cord, and add the two new DIMMs. Insert the power cord and power on. Maybe you'll get lucky. If not, we trudge on until we find the actual source of the problem. -- Stan -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4e424852.1040...@hardwarefreak.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
Just out of curiosity, ... On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 4:30 AM, KS wrote: > > On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:47 -0500, "Stan Hoeppner" > wrote: >> On 8/8/2011 6:59 PM, KS wrote: >> >> > I shut down the machine and tried to boot it with just the Mushkin RAM. >> > Same beep sequence followed. >> >> If you put the Mushkin back in the original sockets, then you likely: >> >> 1. Damaged the mainboard PCB when inserting modules >> 2. Lodged a screw, or something conductive, shorting the board >> 3. Got dust, debris in the DDR socket shorting some pins >> 4. ?? >> >> BTW, attempting to boot without a video device will also cause beeps. >> You removed your PCIe vid card. Does this mobo also have onboard video? >> If not, put the vid card back in before attempting to power it on. >> >> If it boots with the Mushkin in the two original sockets, but not with >> one stick in the "other" socket for dual channel operation, then other >> that socket is likely bad, or has something tiny wedged in between pins. >> >> -- >> Stan >> > > Thanks Stan. The motherboard has onboard video. But the behaviour of the > machine is the same with or without the PCIe video card. > > And the machine does not boot anymore with any of the RAM modules. > Assuming that all the memory modules were not zapped together, it is > quite likely the CPU is toast. I can only check this using another > machine like this. I might be able to do that tomorrow (and some > memtest86 too). Have you used a flashlight to check under the motherboard and other places for dust, lint, loose screws, etc? Lots of things you won't see without a flashlight. Have you taken a vacuum cleaner to the slots and, well, everything? (Carefully, of course.) Even just a year can be enough to build up quite a bit of lint and dust, and those tend to "break" electronics as quickly as anything. Vacuuming can often be a quick cure for a lot of things. Just make sure you're careful about static electricity, and avoid knocking off parts, vacuuming up delicate parts, or bumping things and "mis-adjusting" them, especially very low reactance coils (single, or even half-loop coils, and single-plate air capacitors) which you may not recognize as such at first. Have you used an eraser to clean the fingers of your memory boards? The original ones, especially. Again, be somewhat careful to avoid letting the eraser knock parts off the board and such. And make sure you hold the board so that the eraser dust doesn't fall into or under parts. Joel Rees -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/caar43iouc9quy1bhjvz0-c66fwgvn5evmytp3wc3hmoyogc...@mail.gmail.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On Tuesday 09 August 2011 15:30:53 KS wrote: > On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:47 -0500, "Stan Hoeppner" > > Thanks Stan. The motherboard has onboard video. But the behaviour of the > machine is the same with or without the PCIe video card. > > And the machine does not boot anymore with any of the RAM modules. > Assuming that all the memory modules were not zapped together, it is > quite likely the CPU is toast. I can only check this using another > machine like this. I might be able to do that tomorrow (and some > memtest86 too). I don't know where you are located, but consider carefullyyou may have toasted the A) RAM B) CPU C) mltherboard D) all of the above E) something else that is bringing the entire system down. By putting potentially broken components into a good system, you can also toast components on the good system. This will cost you more than taking the system into a reputable repair shop and having them diagnose the problem(s) for you. I recently did that and I considered the $70 diagnostic fee to be cheap because then I knew exactly what to replace. For future reference, you are best off if when doing something with RAM, you get a complete matched set of memory. Don't mix and match. Mark -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/201108091723.36050.m...@neidorff.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:47 -0500, "Stan Hoeppner" wrote: > On 8/8/2011 6:59 PM, KS wrote: > > > I shut down the machine and tried to boot it with just the Mushkin RAM. > > Same beep sequence followed. > > If you put the Mushkin back in the original sockets, then you likely: > > 1. Damaged the mainboard PCB when inserting modules > 2. Lodged a screw, or something conductive, shorting the board > 3. Got dust, debris in the DDR socket shorting some pins > 4. ?? > > BTW, attempting to boot without a video device will also cause beeps. > You removed your PCIe vid card. Does this mobo also have onboard video? > If not, put the vid card back in before attempting to power it on. > > If it boots with the Mushkin in the two original sockets, but not with > one stick in the "other" socket for dual channel operation, then other > that socket is likely bad, or has something tiny wedged in between pins. > > -- > Stan > Thanks Stan. The motherboard has onboard video. But the behaviour of the machine is the same with or without the PCIe video card. And the machine does not boot anymore with any of the RAM modules. Assuming that all the memory modules were not zapped together, it is quite likely the CPU is toast. I can only check this using another machine like this. I might be able to do that tomorrow (and some memtest86 too). -- KS list...@fastmail.fm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - A no graphics, no pop-ups email service -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/1312918253.10466.2161292...@webmail.messagingengine.com
Re: Hardware - Boot issues: No post
On 8/8/2011 6:59 PM, KS wrote: > I shut down the machine and tried to boot it with just the Mushkin RAM. > Same beep sequence followed. If you put the Mushkin back in the original sockets, then you likely: 1. Damaged the mainboard PCB when inserting modules 2. Lodged a screw, or something conductive, shorting the board 3. Got dust, debris in the DDR socket shorting some pins 4. ?? BTW, attempting to boot without a video device will also cause beeps. You removed your PCIe vid card. Does this mobo also have onboard video? If not, put the vid card back in before attempting to power it on. If it boots with the Mushkin in the two original sockets, but not with one stick in the "other" socket for dual channel operation, then other that socket is likely bad, or has something tiny wedged in between pins. -- Stan -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4e40bbd0.4050...@hardwarefreak.com
Hardware - Boot issues: No post
Hi all, I understand this is not Debian specific but there being quite a few helpful people on the list, I wanted to get their opinion on this one. I have my main machine in an Antec Sonata box with ASUS M4A89GTD Pro/USB3, AMD Phenom II X4 970BE, Mushkin 2x2GB 996744, MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-OC GeForce 8600 GTS video card, 3 SATA HDDs and 1 SATA optical drive. On Friday I recieved extra RAM that I ordered (G.Skill DDR3 1600 - 2x4GB) and went on to upgrade my machine with extra RAM. On opening I noticed that I had the two Mushkin modules in black+blue slots rather than same color (dual-channel). So I switchd them to be on blue slots and booted the machine without any issue. Shut down the machine and added the G.Skill modules and booted the machine. Beeep Beep Beep i.e. POST message long short short beeps were repeated. This is documented in ASUS manual as memory not detected by BIOS. The memory LED was red. I shut down the machine and tried to boot it with just the Mushkin RAM. Same beep sequence followed. I have tried all combinations of the RAM (old and new) on the memory slots and cleared the BIOS and used the memory detection button (MemOK) on the board. Nothing changes the beeps i.e. no memory detection. This was all done without any of the HDDs/DVD, graphics card connected to the board. Is there any way that I can pinpoint which component is bad (without having another similar motherboard or CPU)? Has anyone experienced something similar to this? Thanks in advance. -- KS list...@fastmail.fm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Does exactly what it says on the tin -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/1312847963.24617.2160939...@webmail.messagingengine.com
