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| This article tells you the basics of how to determine if there is faulty hardware in a computer and/or if you have configuration problems..... |
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1
Turn off your computer. Make sure that all of your
wires in the front and back I/O panels are securely plugged in...
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2
Turn your computer back on. Observe.
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3
If the computer simply does not turn on, or you get
stopped at a screen with white writing and a black background, and does not say
"Windows" anywhere in it, it is a hardware problem. Shut down
your computer again and go to step 4. If you get stopped at a screen that says
"windows" anywhere in it, and it asks you to choose an option for
booting, read the directions on that page and select the choice based on them.
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4
If you are not good with computers, skip to step 7.
If you are comfortable with working with the inside of computers, turn it back
on and get in the BIOS. From here you should be able to set everything back to
normal. If you have overclocked, set your FSB and vCore down to stock levels.
If your BIOS has the button, you can press "restore to factory
settings" instead of having to go through every menu. This button should
be near the back of the bios and is lodged between "exit and save
changes" and "exit and discard changes."
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5
Try to start the machine up again. If the computer
didn't start up in the first place, check the power switch lead. These little
buggers can frequently get unknowingly moved to adjacent pins if you're not
careful. If your power switch lead is in the exact right place, check your ATX
12v auxiliary connector. It is a common mistake for people to leave this
unplugged.
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6
If nothing is working, take the little battery out of the
motherboard (should be near the southbridge) and wait 2 minutes for it to fully
discharge. Remember, you must have the power cord unplugged to do this.
(You should never have cords attached to the back when you're working on a
computer.) If you know which jumper on your motherboard is the clear CMOS
jumper, you can just move that to the other two pins and wait 5-10 seconds to
clear your CMOS. If absolutely nothing works, try taking all of the parts out
and putting them back in. This shouldn't be just one by one. Take all of them
out, lay them on a table, and put them back in, making sure to connect all necessary
wires. Also, make sure you're grounded by simply touching the power supply
every 5 minutes or so.
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7
If you have a hardware problem and you aren't comfortable
working on the inside of computers, take it to a local computer repair shop and
describe your problem. The better you describe what's happening on your
end, the easier it makes their job on their end, and it'll be cheaper because
they won't have to screw around with it as much. If you're a brave soul, and
would like to try to fix it yourself, go to the next step.
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8
Open up the computer. You should be able to do this
by unscrewing the screws on the back. DO NOT unscrew any screws that are near a
fan. Only ones on the very outer rim of the back.
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9
Do not touch any components of the computer except for
the power supply, which you should touch every 5 minutes to keep yourself
grounded. This will keep you from frying any of the expensive components in
there. One electrostatic shock can bring your system down for good. The power
supply is located in the upper left hand corner, and it should have a lot of
thick wires coming out of one hole in it.
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10
There should be a little battery located near the bottom
of the motherboard. It is shiny, and could be hidden by some wires.
Remember to not touch the motherboard or any other piece of circuitry unless
you have to. Locate the battery. It should be in a little holster, with a lever
on one end. Pop it out and wait 2 minutes.
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11
Put the battery back in, making sure it's on the same
side it was when you popped it out. If you don't remember, try putting the
shiniest side up. This did not clear any memory on your hard drive, only the
CMOS memory, which you don't have to worry about.
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12
Put the computer back together and plug it in. If you
have any more problems with starting it up, bring it to a computer repair shop.
There are so many complicated things that could have gone wrong that it would
take hundreds of pages to explain them all to you. But remember, computer
repair shops will take advantage of you. They're just like auto mechanics,
trying to raise the price out of your own ignorance. Be skeptical and be aware.
