Topic: Another startup issue

[Rik]

My main machine wouldn't fire up this morning, it hung half way through POST at the 'Initialising USB controllers' point. A reset got no further, so I powered off and disconnected all USB devices then tried again. Now the machine powers up, the drives spin up, the fans all run, but there's no graphics output and it doesn't even present a POST screen. The power LED on the Asus P5W64WS mobo is lit and there's no beeps. The machine responds to the reset button by simply running all the drives, including optical, but it won't re-start, nor does it respond to the power button.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

[Simon]

Have you considered the same thing you suggested to me?  Could it be the graphics card?  Does the motherboard have onboard graphics you could switch to?

[Rik]

Yes, re-seated, no.

[Simon]

Bugger.  SANDRA!!! 

[Rik]

Indeed. I've looked at clearing the BIOS/CMOS but the battery and jumper are behind all the SATA leads and, with my shakes, that's likely to cause damage.

[Clive]

Gosh, this is getting as scary as the X-Files.   

[davy51]

when was the last windows update you downloaded lol
either the memory or graphics cards
is going out on both of your machines or you both have a bad infection of some kind

[sam]

Well it sounds like its not even getting to the windows bit?

Can you get into the bios at all?

Your monitor works with another machine? Just a thought.

[Simon]

I think Rik's symptoms are worse than mine, in that at least mine works, once it's booted up.  I also believe Rik has connected his monitor to another machine, so it's not that.

[sam]

hmmm... RAM?

[Simon]

 

[Sandra]

If you are on XP then boot off your XP CD and go to the repair option then at the dos prompt type FIXMBR or FIXBOOT and reboot as it sounds like the MBR has become unuseable. If one doesnt fix it try the other.

If its Vista or Windows 7 theres an extra word that goes before fixboot and fixmbr but I cant remember it at the moment.

[sam]

but it doesn't even appear to be getting to the boot screen!

What's the motherboard spec?

[Rik]

It's an Asus P5W64 WS Pro, Sam, and you're right, it's not a Windows issue, the machine doesn't reach POST.

[Simon]

I wonder if it's the PSU?  Mine went recently, and although, in my case, the machine was totally dead, I wonder if they can almost, but not totally, fail?