Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: Ted2 on January 25, 2011, 01:32:58 PM
-
Hi computer hope.
I think I may have just broken something in my computer :-X
I was planning on upgrading my ram and took out the one ram module I have to check what type it was, so I took it out and foolishly I rubbed some off some of the dust that it was coverd in(very old pc) with my finger. Stuck it back in and now when I switch the PC on it powers on but all I get is a black screen. There is no bleeps, only the sound of the power units fan/exaust fan starting like normal.
The light on the front of the PC stays lit for 20 secconds then switches off.
I've left the computer running just to see if for whatever reason its taking longer to start up... But my monitor picks nothing up then just goes on standby
I thought I was being gentle, but I guess not :-\
So there's two things I'm wondering, is this what happens when a PC has no ram? This is the only PC I have so I'm hoping all I have to do is buy new ram. And should I try placing the ram in another socket? I have 4. 2 black coloured 2 blue.. With slightly diferent looking clips...
I have tried other monitors so it's not that, I have double checked then checked again that the stick is pushed in correctly.
I did not force the stick out, or force it back in. However the clips or latches on the socket do not 'click' but I'm pretty sure the stick is in as far as it will go and seems secure.. I assume that's just the way it was designed.
I don't know the name of my motherboard but the PC is a HP Pavilion t760.uk Desktop PC
Windows XP sp3
512mb DDR
-
You did all this while the system was powered down, yes? Just checking
Ram modules are very sensitive to static electricity. If you weren't grounded and if there was a release of a static, that could fry the ram module.
-
Yes it was powered down, left plugged in but the plug switched off.
I made sure to touch the case before anything inside the computer, but the reason why I'm worried is theres not much room for me to really get a hold of the ram and I ended up having to poke around a bit.. The, what I think is a graphic card took a little flick too. I then made sure all the other wires inside were in nice and snug. I hope it's just the ram that is damaged.
Just to add, it's not my software, I've not recently changed anything and everything was working fine until I opened the case
-
Well, I'm not a hardware expert so hang around and let's see what others can contribute.
-
Carefully remove and re-seat all addon cards...
Do the same with the RAM modules...
In the meantime travel to crucial's website to confirm you have the correct RAM...
All RAM is not equal.
-
Apologys, I did not notice there is another thread just like mine before it got bumped up.. I did look, but not hard enough...
Anyway, well I've read through the steps you and others already gave there. Although for me this ram module is not a new one, my title is a little misleading, what I ment is that I was taking out a ram module that was already in the computer and putting it back in, I've not purchased any new ram modules yet.
Trying re-seating the addon cards now...
Just one thing, I have 3 empty ram module slots, could I try another or do they always have to be put in a certain order?
Thanks for the help
-
If there's only one stick it usually needs to be in the first slot.
-
The, what I think is a graphic card took a little flick too.
What does this mean?
-
I mean I flicked a card by accident with one of my fingers. You know that sound you would hear when a cartoon character jumps off a diving board?
That's what happend. And I guess I got a dodgy accent :)
Ok! So the computer doesn't work. Anything else I can try here or is it all over for this computer?
If the motherboard is damaged is it really worth buying parts for it? The whole thing is probably about 4 - 5 old now years now
140gb hdd
128mb radeon X300 SE
512 ddr ram
2.93 GHz pentium 4
... No CD or DVD drives
..... I have a LAN issue, some file is corrupt so I can't use LAN ever since SP3 was released. Tried fixing, couldn't.
..... That's about all I know about the computer. It really is in a it of a mess I think. But it does, or did do what I wanted it to do which is play games.
I've never built my own PC... So it's not something I really know much about. But if theres anything I can salvage from it I will.
I've not completely given up either, Of course idealy I'd like to get this one running again and any suggestions or fixes are much appreciated
-
Carefully remove and re-seat all addon cards...
-
I can't get them out at all... I'm going to have to come back tomorrow with a picture if you guys got the time, it'll be easier that way for me to show you that way.
To be honest I'm hoping for a "skip part 1 and move on to part 2" because they wont budge and I don't want to damage any more parts then I already may have. Even though I realise that's not how things work, but no harm in hoping.
I've tried taking the case panel of the side that the motherboard is on too, but I'm not sure if that even comes off so I cab't see anyway of doing it right now... Maybe the cards have melted themselfs to the board??? the gfx card itself is warped/bent
-
Removing and re=seating addon cards and RAM stiks is easy to do...
-
Ok thanks... but I'm not retarded, I bet they are easy to takeout, but this thing has a leaver that doesn't move and I've given it as much force as I feel I could without snapping anything off
I know nothing about hardware, maybe some have 1 screw? 2 screws and a leaver? a rope? padlock? an anchor???.. I don't want to break anything - not before I try get help that is
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Xb1V2hDLw
-
I finally managed to get the cards out! It was just quite hard to see the latch and which way to push it, but turned out I just needed to pull even harder. So now I've taken out the graphics card and 2 others, a modem and a AV compenent... never used either. So now theres some space too see, this is what I found...........................
(http://img401.imageshack.us/i/p1030165l.jpg/)
As you can see that big metal block there is lopsided and two of the hoops are missing to keep it down.. I still have these little parts but I doubt they're going to be able to hold that thing down now...
This is what I was talking about earlier about me not being sure if the ram were inserted properly
(http://img225.imageshack.us/i/p1030158z.jpg/)
( drew a red line to show where the white clips end up when the ram is in. They never fully close or 'click'. Yeah I should of took a picture of the ram when it's in, but wassn't thinking about that at the time, more about 'omg this things falling apart and i've hardly touched it')
I had earlier today taking JUST the gfx card out and put it back in and tried rebooting, this time, still no display but with a 10 second beep - 10 second pause repeatedly. This was before I had realised that those hooks on that thing had popped open. And I'm pretty sure it was yesterday when I must have broken it. so sometimes I get the beep, sometimes I don't
-
Make sure RAM is oriented properly, notches in bottom line up with tabs in slot.
Push RAM into slot until clips snap up into notch on side of RAM.
If put them in backwards, you will damage slots.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Desktop_DDR_Memory_Comparison.svg/424px-Desktop_DDR_Memory_Comparison.svg.png)
-
As you can see
Where is the pic?
-
Thanks for the picture commando, but I had already noticed that, I've been putting the stick in the right way for sure.
My pictures don't seem to display on the forums, heres the direct link
pic 1:
http://img401.imageshack.us/i/p1030165l.jpg/
pic 2:
http://img225.imageshack.us/i/p1030158z.jpg/
-
BTW, your graphics card is AGP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port
-
It looks like the heat sink on your northbridge is loose. In fact, it looks like you've broken the things that hooks onto (not sure what to call those).
-
Yeah, sorry, that's what i was saying earlier.. Is this computer done for now? :(
I can try pin it back down.. somehow. I still have the parts that snapped off that held it down, maybe a bit of superglue?
Also, the 2 other cards I have I don't use. Could I just get rid of them and eveything will be fine again in hope that they are the parts that are causing the problem? not sure if it shows in the picture but an AV card is plugged into the motherboard with this 4 pinned wire... quite tightly, should I just pull it out??
Clutching at straws here
-
If you take it to a shop, they might be able to fix it.
-
I have had a good look at it all now and theres nothing else missing/loose/rattling around apart from the hoops that hold the sink down.
Is that an essential peice of hardware or might be be able to just get rid of it.
Same with my modem card, AV component card.. Could I just get rid of them and only have my gfx card?
As for taking it to a shop for repairs I'm wondering what kind of prices I might be looking at, since I don't know much about the insides of my computer I could easily get ripped off.. scammed
Also taking into consideration my computer specs
-
I have had a good look at it all now and theres nothing else missing/loose/rattling around apart from the hoops that hold the sink down.
Is that an essential peice of hardware or might be be able to just get rid of it.
Same with my modem card, AV component card.. Could I just get rid of them and only have my gfx card?
As for taking it to a shop for repairs ...
That heatsink must be locked down so the chip doesn't overheat.
You can ditch the modem card if you no longer use dialup.
Don't know what the AV component card is. Can't see it.
You computer is probably 2003-4, not worth paying a shop to repair.
You could buy a new Pentium 4 motherboard for about $50US & reuse almost everything else except AGP graphics card.
-
IT WORKS!!!!!! ;D
I don't know why it works but it does!
All I need now is to secure that heatsink down... You don't think I could get away with just leaving it as it is in the picture even if I only use the computer for no longer than 2-3 hours at a time?
I know it's not something a technition would ever tell you to do, so maybe I wont get a reply on how to get this done?. but would a small smudge of glue not work or ruin the mobo?
I'll need to find something to replace the two hoops you can see missing and stick something else to the board to replace them too.
Well if anyones intrested in what I come up with I'll post a pic of it hopefully working and not just a pic of a big ball of flames