Computer is decent, but not working

[aziangamer]

I have a decent computer

Pentium 4 3.00 ghz CPU
Ati Radeon 9250 Video Card
512mb of Ram
160 GB of Hard Drive

I want to fix it up, and try to give it to my friend who has a CRAPPIER computer than this one here, its SO bad
u can't even play starcraft on it without lagging : (.

so ya.

Problems: Everytime I turn it on the windows screen NEVER comes on it just stays black for the whole time.
I've wanted to try system restore to try and fix it, but it still does not work because I can't even get to the freaking start screen.

Things I've Tried: Changed HD, Changed Ram, Got a new moniter for it, and still nothing works, and its getting very hard for me to get it done by the end of this year, so please give me any advice, and I would gladly accept.

[Soviet_Genius]

If there is nothing on the screen and you've tried switching monitors then you should try switching the video card. Or, you can try taking the video card out, blowing out the slot, and re-seating the video card. Have you tried switching the cable that goes from the computer to the monitor?

[Broni]

Tried Safe Mode?

[homer]

hey aziangamer i have some questions...


1. can your computer POST? by POSTing i mean, does it give you a beep at the start?

1a. if so, how many beeps?

2. does your BIOS start? can you see it loading up?

3. can you access your BIOS?

we have to zero in on the culprit. answering these questions will help us determine what is causing the problem.

[aziangamer]

guys thanks for all the advice

Homer I really want to find out what you're talking about man but I'm only 14
LOL I have more knowledge of computers than most 14 year olde
but these bios and posts I dont get quite well.

However I want to try the video card idea I have had that
9250 for some time so ya.

Honestly guys thanks For all the help the community on these forums
are incredible.

[homer]

BIOS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS

POST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-on_self-test

[BC_Programmer]

if you don't see ANYTHING on the screen and the computer DOESN'T beep at all then it could be either a Video Card problem or the mobo or CPU is fried. doubtful though.

Also call me old school but MY FASTEST computer is 350Mhz and It runs fairly quick. Sure, it can't run the newest games, but I never said I wanted to. Besides, its for development!

"u can't even play starcraft on it without lagging : (. "

good for it.



sorry I am just really predisposed against people who say that a 3Ghz computer is somehow crappy. Right, and the mona lisa is a skidmark.

[homer]

if you don't see ANYTHING on the screen and the computer DOESN'T beep at all then it could be either a Video Card problem or the mobo or CPU is fried. doubtful though.

video card and mobo are both possiblities, but not the CPU as of this point.

[BC_Programmer]

quite some time ago I decided to fix up a 486 I had for my brother. I start it up, and no video. So I try removing EVERYTHING (except video card of course). still nothing. remove CPU. nothing (not surprised.) then, out of my infinite wisdom, I decide to try the CPU in a different orientation (where I contrived this idea I wish to know). Of course, I got something this time. SPARKS! YAY! and a little smoke from a little resistor next to the CPU socket. needless to say, I put it back in the original orientation and my problem was not fixed. In this case however it is quite sure to have been the Mobo in the first case, as I know the Video card was good (well actually looking back I don't  know if it was good, I haven't tested it since then either, some crappy Cirrus Logic thing. The moral of the story? don't put CPU's in sideways.

alright, perhaps I best get back on track.... I've also had, strangely enough, this problem with a Sound Card. Turns out the BIOS couldn't resolve IRQ's for it or something silly like that and just hung. (I believe the Sound card required PCI 2.1 and the BIOS had PCI 2.0, however, so this is likely a redundant fact