Desktop Computer Repair : Powers on but does not boot

[@dryster123]

I will usually remove CMOS battery first or reset via the jumper, then reseat the RAM.

[@chantalslut]

I repaired thousands of motherboards. First thing always.

[@marcorizza274]

Why not checking immediately the 1 long 2 short beeps?

[@jswift5300]

Hey Richard, love the channel, watching how you approached this board in the video and your different diagnosis techniques. Although I'm new(ish) to electronics, I have been troubleshooting machines since the early 90's so it's really interesting to see how a veteran in the electronics field tackles various types of equipment. Just for reference though, like you did, when diagnosing PC's it's vital to remove all external components, leaving the bare minimum in place so that you're not getting misleading voltage / signals interfering with the main board from other circuitry. Even taking out DIMMs, USB and any other devices makes sense, then test / check the BIOS post sounds at each turn for any variations. As you'll undoubtedly be aware, the BIOS post boot 'beeps' usually give you a good indication of the root cause and are specific to each manufacturer. By checking the vendor's motherboard manual it'll usually give you pointers to the faulty component based on the number of 'beeps' it emits. Anyway, I know I'm "teaching your grandmother to suck eggs here" but, just thought it would be useful to point out for others. Thanks for all your videos and for contributing back to the community, we need more people like you to keep the "Right-To-Repair" movement strong. Top guy.

[@Lightrunner.]

Good Video Richard 👍👍. Your attempts have brought you to the goal. This it what count.

[@eugenionita8702]

I had a lot of motherboards from ASU’s with the same CPU socket and I always had this problems every month and at some point I not even put the side case back just so I can take them out and put it back few times until it come back 😢 that was a bad ram slots big gaps that can leave a lot of debris going in between also usually they just put one fan throwing warm air out of the case that just made things a lot worse because of low pressure created inside the case all the dust would go in like in a hoover now I always make sure I put more fans pushing fresh air in and lot less dust inside… thank you for video

[@EasyRider-g1b]

take the CR2032 battery out, then short the "Clear CMOS" pins for about 20 seconds with a flat screw driver then put in a new, remember a new CR2032 battery.

[@2009numan]

I would have removed the cmos battery and cleared the bios first

[@retrocomputeruser]

@: 8:52 One long beep followed by two short beeps is always a RAM fault. If it gets that far then the CPU should not be the problem as the BIOS has already recognised it.

[@benhumphrys1656]

"Round the Wrekin"... it helped to be familiar with the Midlands to decode that 😀

[@traditionaltools5080]

Quite an interesting post analyzer card. If that linked in the description? Ive never seen anything like that before.

[@hasantelli8846]

Thanks..👍

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, as you showed with memory and without memory there was the diffecence so bad conection could be the problem and at the end it showed very nice video richard

[@KlaBoi-qj8oh]

It's not just performance but licenses!!

[@pmcrisp]

good stuff

[@johnnyboy4711]

loud fan on boot up but continues and no boot screen,any ideas? thanks

[@MykolaInc]

Nice motherboard. I have similar paired with Athlon II x4 635 working about 13 years w/o problem.

[@CliveChamberlain946]

Moral of the story? Always keep a mini vac and IPA with some clean brushes close enough that it reminds you "hey, this is fast and can't hurt"

[@meTimetraveler]

I have a Lenovo Yoga 9, got for free, that the backlight comes on, , the kyboard lights up then goes off after awhile the fans come on for the heatsinf, processor warm. thought it was the BIOS, ordered another BIOS chip, unsoldered the BIOS chip, soldered in the new BIOS chip, did nothing soldered the old one back in. I am thinking it's the onboard ram. will try to re-flow the solder for the ram chips. Probably could seel it the way it is for a $100 or so.

[@RixtronixLAB]

Nice video, thanks for sharing it with us, well done :)

[@mp3seeker]

35 ambient temp?

[@WhitentonMike]

There is a fair chance the POST was reading the SPD on the installed memory incorrectly. By switching to different memory the timing of the memory was different and the POST happened to detect the replacement memory and write the values into the BIOS. Switch back to the original memory and the POST was now able to read the memory and write its timing into the BIOS. CPU base frequency, FSB multiplier, and timings can make POST not detect memory correctly. I recently had a problem with an Intel 6th gen. It would not make it passed the memory test with brand new known good name brand memory. I found a different chip in an identical system, swapped it in and the system reset on its own and recovered.

[@Dutch-linux]

Good video again Richard ... if it was the cpu they are around a tenner these days normally when you look for overheating chips 80 degrees or more would be alarming so yeah the 50 degrees very normal personally I would of started with cleaning and deoxit all slots reseat and repaste the cpu then i would see if it powers on and boots (with analyzer card) but yes you did good and found the fault at the end and that is what counts very very good video thanks Richard

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

That's the thing really. We would all do this sort of repair in a different sequence. It's down to a a lot of experience and a bit of luck. This one fooled me a bit as I was convinced it was not a RAM fault and of course it was ram slots in the end

[@tyronenelson9124]

The systems memory controller is NOT part of the northbridge by the way.

[@romanstingler435]

It could be the BIOS flash, and maybe it took some time for memory training after the flash that fixed it. I had a few of these and a BIOS flash fixed a few of them.

[@CXensation]

It all comes down to the process of fault tracing. If you follow a given procedure you will always get stuck exactly in the problem at hand. Then take it from there.

[@f1remandg]

Yeah interesting like you say, there is the approach that you took and there’s the approach that someone else says, check the ram, however, your method means that when you give the PC back to the customer, you can say, all the other things check out as sound and working, I know if I took my car in and was told what it was, but that they had checked the other Likely or usual Suspects! And they where all ok, I’d go away a happy customer with less concerns that the PC might fail again soon! How do you clean Ram slots etc?

[@fredcooper2063]

??? Could you give us some details on that dinky thermal camera, Richard??? Sorry, if you have before, I must have missed it!! Thanks!!

[@a13Banger]

Can anyone recommend a multimeter in the US that beeps/alarms/chirps in Diode Mode? Preferably one that is not super expensive. Maybe a mid-tier meter. I have a Greenlee and a Kaiweets meter but neither beep in Diode Mode :(

[@warwickbunn1250]

The Kaiweets KM 601 does have diode beep and a very useful max and min feature amongst others. Mine came direct from Kaiweets themselves. Richard has done a review of it if you look in his back catalogue.

[@a13Banger]

@@warwickbunn1250 Thanks. Ill have to check it out and also look into my Kaiweets KM601 again. It does beep. It is just the single beep though whether getting voltage drop reading or a short.. Hoping I can find one that does the long beep on short..

[@warwickbunn1250]

@@a13Banger It should do a long beep for continuity for as long as its connected, obviously, and a short beep for a detected diode junction. I think the KM312B in their range also has diode beep. It is amazing how few do though as its very useful.

[@bertusover]

If the PC posts dirty ram slots will reveal themselves if you wiggle the ram while it's running. If the display artifacts and the pc freeses it's dirty. I actualy had one yesterday, just cleaned the slots with IPA and a toothbrush, problem solved.

[@gregwmanning]

Its always the last thing you try (because you have fixed it so you have stopped trying new things)

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Ahhh yeah. That's always true, Never thought of it like that

[@GeorgeStoenescu-f9v]

how's this qualified as a repair if no fixing was involved?

[@topc5826]

Yeah troubleshooting 101 if it won't boot disconnect all peripherals harddrive CD-ROM clean all the components' sockets nothing better than a can of compressed dry-gas, anti-static especially ram contacts, before unsoldering components or flashing the BIOS if I could see a code I would do a search for that code. If its software keeps locking up step one after boots up going to diagnostics run the diag on memory and hard drive before you start uninstalling any software and reinstalling it. I did deskside support for 25 years and witnessed a lot of techs and help desk phone support skipping steps one through 8 and trying 9 &10 and each one repeating the same process of uninstalling and reinstalling wasting hours when it turned out a 2-minute test in the beginning showed it was a failed hard drive. I open a box up and it's full dirt before I do anything I clean everything soft rubber pencil eraser and polishing the contacts on DIMMS.

[@reallyryan_]

I wouldn't even bother fixing this old thing, bro needs some upgrades I mean AM3 oof. So old.

[@2009numan]

that motherboard number would take you to asus site as its not a msi or gigabyte motherboard LOL

[@maxwarfield6699]

Great video, as usual. Two questions: 1- Is a 3.3 volt battery always a CMOS battery, or is that just how you refer to it? 2- What would be an alarming temperature, for a chip - anything above 50 degrees? Thank you

[@Dutch-linux]

Anything over 80 degrees is a red flag below that is considered normal temps any batteries on a board is always bios nothing else ever needs a battery the battery should be between the 3.3 and the 3.1 volts but when it already gets close to the 3.1 replace it anyway

[@FunkyTechy]

CMOS batteries are 2032 batteries

[@shaunmorrissey7313]

@@FunkyTechy Not always

[@FunkyTechy]

@@shaunmorrissey7313 I mean on anything for 1996 to now is 2032 so if you know that you know what you’re dealing with beyond asking what a cmos battery is

[@maxwarfield6699]

@@Dutch-linux Thank you kindly for your reply, I do appreciate it and sorry for MY late reply - ‘s been crazy at work. Wow, ok then, I thought components reaching temperatures of +/- 40 degrees were possible red flags - I was way off! As for the 3.3 volt battery, I remember repairing a PlayStation 2 a while back and one of the many issues with it, was a dead 3.3 volts battery [for the memory] would you say/call that a CMOS battery too? I’m still not sure I understand what a bios is, but if it requires a CMOS chip somewhere, then I would understand its battery being referred to as a CMOS battery. Thanks again for your reply and your awesome videos. I’m still quite the NOOB in electronics repair BUT I’m taking notes. Cheers kind sir!

[@bobsbits5357]

hi i know why the time was a bit of alot of the pcb amd3 3+ is i got alot from the computer fairs they had alot of you know what the B450 i am using now is 100% new as i have the paper work for it i have to look in to the date of amd 3+ i know the pcb is not working right the nova backup doe's not like it i have tape back up drives i use it to test any pcb mate comes over with the someware is linked to the ip on the rooter some now disc back up is painfull slow as hell the blue ray 100gb is slow as well olt 1/2 inch is very fast great video love to see what you come up with all the time the lot a work for said it time to up date my unit i still have a working sun 711 scsi 12 units i been offered money for them many times

[@electronicsanta8149]

hey richard, if you need an amd x2 64 cpu i can mail you one, i have a bunch of those laying around,

[@lezbriddon]

If an AMD board wont power up/boot, change bios battery some boards will never boot if its low, and /never/ boot one without a battery in, and never move the jumper to the clear cmose position with any volts from the psu, all these warnings are for the old style boards but all things that have caught me out, the cmos jumper is terminal... Worst pc nightmare I had, my won! built it all up to be my main machine with 8 hdd's in 2 raid sets, within a few hours one set went wacky, had a bad hdd, boxed it up to return it, then another failed!, few days later, another! all WD 500gb drives. all sent back, replacements only lasted a few days, returned again, next new ones set up in external caddys and put on stress tests twice a day for 4-5 days, all perfect and survived fine, fitted in machine dead in hours... 12v PSU was 11.8 but the ripple! the ripple was making the heads in the drive wobble and it was writing data in a throw it anywhere pattern over the drive surface until it degraded the the magnetic tracks/gaps and couldn't track anymore... PSU was never suspected as the other drives (seagates) where not dying so I guess the head control in them wasn't as finicky about supply voltages

[@elsaarmstrong-zp6ng]

I have found test meters shows average or rms of ripple sitting on top of DC and cause confusion, best to scope DC to make sure it’s clean after checking with meter! I had a Heathkit AC audio meter in the past which was very sensitive and would show audio frequency on top of DC With a large meter very sensitive movement. You could see ripple vibrating on top of DC. right up to about 40 KHz - very handy for checking low level signals from microphones, guitar pickups etc. Fraser

[@lezbriddon]

@@elsaarmstrong-zp6ng agreed. but i didnt have a scope all them years ago. infact I only have a hantek 2d15 so i guess I still dont as its got the worlds most useless trigger

[@catherinemorgan2741]

change ram

[@OpenYourMind80]

windows 10 doesn't need Anti-virus, Windows defender is much more efficient. Remove Avast....yesterday! :)

[@bobsbits5357]

hi this board is got to be 15 years old amd 3 i had a amd 3+ that was 12 years plus and it's still only used to test scsi gear on it gone over to amd4 i had this chip set i thing i still have the pcb still some times you have to let old computer gear go south IC'S over heat and come away i had this alot of the time lead fee solder they used in alot around this time the things is now the price of a new main pcb and cpu is now very low it work out just to e wast the insides now and just sell the cpu on i have a mate all ways coming over with computers the tec's around here tell him they will not work on any of this juck as it's come from house clean outs the house clean out have a skip they put all IT gear in and they have a man like your self who find good gear in it and re sell what they can alot goe's to carboot sales for fast sell

[@chrishartley1210]

You are a bit out on your dates. That AM3 board is probably 2011. Not earlier because the date code on one of the chips was 1110 (week 10 2011) and unlikely to be later because AM3+ was released in mid 2011.

[@Vladimir_Varavva]

Network not working on this bios. Programm mac adress on dmi tool. Any Cx post cod this mother board, problem ram. Это дичь какая то мерять питание процессора смотреть температуры если есть посткоды, идиот поймет что процессор запустился. Дедушка вообще не в курсе что творит, и действует на удачу, я уже молчу про соблюдение алгоритма диагностики материнской платы.

[@Alpha-ms9nj]

I have an old HP Z230 with same symptoms. Turns on, fans run normal RPM, no post, blank screen. No beeps at all. Motherboard light is on, Then about 60 seconds later the cooling fans run full blast at high RPMs. I Was told it could be the PSU or motherboard. Going to try another PSU first. If that doesn't solve it, I will try removing RAM and other components like shown before I remove and inspect the MB.