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What do I need to trouble shoot second hand desktop computer? And how? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
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[Resolved!]

I traded my cousin some really expensive RAM that I happened accross for his old desktop, that he put his graphics card into that he swapped from his newer computer. If I plug the desktop into the wall and try to turn it on nothing happens. If I open it up I can see that the where the wire from the power supply plugs into the graphics card there Is a little light on. So clearly some power is getting somewhere...

How do I go about trouble shooting this, and what tools do I need? I assume at minimum a multi meter? Not really sure what to do, it's been decades the last time I built a computer.

Board says "Asrock H110M-HDS"

Edit: Attached a Pic and noticed the light is actually on the graphics card, not motherboard. Added addtl info.

Update: So now all of the sudden the fan spins. I am at a loss as to why it spins now, as I haven't actually really done anything. I ordered a speaker for the mobo, so waiting for that.

Final update: It works! I apparently had either a bad monitor or bad display port cable. But using another monitor with DVI I was able to finally get it to fully boot!

I am not sure what got the fans to eventually work, maybe just a cable was jostled.

I really appreciate all the advice! I definitely know a lot more and feel better equipped to do things with it now.

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[-] NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world 15 points 5 months ago

Make sure the RAM is seated correctly. If the tabs on the sides of the modules are not fully locked, the module is not seated. This will cause the system not to boot.

[-] fishos@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Seconding this. If they don't click, they still feel in. They gotta CLICK. For people new to building, you gotta press harder than you probably feel comfortable pressing.

[-] Mountain_Mike_420@lemmy.ml 14 points 5 months ago

Just jumping in here to let you know that most of the people here missed one of the most basic and first steps in pc repair… CLEAR THE CMOS!!!!

There might be a jumper on the mb but the easy way is to remove the battery and try to turn the power on and off a few times.

Replace the battery and the computer should try to POST.

I know it seems crazy but sometimes computers that won’t post had major hardware changes and the bios won’t let power through. Not sure why but clearing the cmos will revert to defaults and get you to the next step of troubleshooting.

Source: 20 years pc repair technician.

[-] AlphaOmega@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Also 20 plus years. This will fix a ton of boot issues.

[-] Ackward@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

This, I used an old board and it didn't work until I replaced the (button) battery . After that, you can troubleshoot the board adding components one by one and listening to the beeps. There's a code. Left the GPU as last element and use the integrated one always until all is working. If a external GPU doesn't work, it could be not enough power. If memory fails, beeps again, try to find a working one and go from there...

[-] SolOrion@sh.itjust.works 10 points 5 months ago

What wattage is the PSU?

You could try taking the GPU out entirely and see if it gets anywhere. If it runs fine without the GPU it's probably wanting way more power than your PSU can provide. I doubt that's the issue for various reasons, but it's a possibility.

[-] AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

My guess would be the PSU as well. It could be dead, or not plugged in right, or underpowered. Pulling out the GPU is a great idea. At least if it boots that provides some direction.

[-] vivavideri@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

Depending on what cpu it is, you should be able to try it without the gpu. Also Google the mobo and try to find its manual. The manual will tell you things like what you can plug in and where. It'll tell you compatibility crap too. You'll have two spots on the back where you plug in the displayport/hdmi cable for your monitor -- the gpu, and the mobo. Use mobo port and take out the gpu and see if it starts. POST is key. My old gigabyte was a badass and had a led number box so troubleshooting was cake. With other ones, there's gonna be miscellaneous spots with lil lights that'll blink (the manual for the mobo will tell you)

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Edit: Is it possible there aren't lights? I read through this a few times and don't see anything.

Amazingly the computer came with the motherboard manual. I think something was wrong or a component was incompatible with the old one, and they had this one available.

Someone else suggested buying a speaker to hook up so I can hear the beeps. Do the lights provide the same info as the beeps?

[-] vivavideri@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yeah. There should be a page in the manual with a diagram of your board and it'll tell you where. here.

[-] vivavideri@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I poked around at your manual lol.

#11. System panel. One left of it is for the wee speaker. Also check that your chassis is wired up to this correctly, or, better yet, you can be a madlad and unplug it all and see what works. The caveat to that is.. you have to know what order to do that in. Generally, your power supply has wires that go to all sorts of stuff, make dang sure you don't power your cpu for very long without the fan/cooler. Once you know the cpu power and fan is working, keep plugging more stuff in til you find the problem. I'd also mention if anyone hasn't, be mindful of static.

[-] Muehe@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago

Do the lights provide the same info as the beeps?

Yes, but whether you have lights or just beeps depends on your board. I think yours does not have the lights, just the speaker pins.

[-] Ballistic_86@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Here are the steps I would take. Powering the device on each time it seems logical and see if anything has changed.

-Check the power switch on the power supply. -Make sure the power cable is seated into the power supply. -Listen for any unusual noises when power supply is on -Open the computer and look for any codes or lights on the mobo, Google it -Check RAM is properly seated -Check all of the power cables visible to me from opening the case. 8-pin at the top, 24-pin on the right side, any hard drives/ssds, cable for graphics card -Inspect computer for any hot spots -Unplug video cable from graphics card the into the one on the mobo, this only works with some newish AMD, but most Intel processors are going to have onboard graphics -If nothing comes up and I can’t see any problems, you will have to start taking things out of the computer -Start with removing the graphics card -Check for any sort of damage to the power port and PCIe on the card and the slot Removing the card should allow better visibility of the mobo -Remove the back panel (if you need to) to see if all of the power supply cables are properly seated -Check any cable management in the back or any hard drives/ssd mounted back there

After this, if nothing has changed and I don’t have any more info I would probably take apart completely, check for any kind of damage, put back together and test again with the bare minimum and adding stuff as I go. If you don’t know how to take apart or put a computer together I would follow a guide on YT.

After that you should def have an idea what isn’t working, if everything looks fine it can be the power supply If the power supply seems okay and mobo isn’t showing any kind of lights or code (or signs of life) that is your best candidate

As you add stuff it should give you the best indication and if you are unsure, post another edit

My best guess based on your post is a dead motherboard but going through the steps like you want will avoid having to purchase an expensive thing for no reason

[-] marcos@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

The power supply connect with the motherboard in more than one place. If "the wire from the power supply plugs into the motherboard" is a thing, that may be your problem.

Unplug anything that is optional (that includes disks and stuff that you have more than 1, like maybe memory sticks) and try to power the computer. If it works, replug stuff one by one.

As BigMikeInAustin said, remove everything and plug it again. I'd add to get a paint brush and clean stuff a bit in between if it's dusty. Make sure to clean plugs and contacts, try not to clean electronic components.

Try to remove the board's battery for a few minutes and turn the computer on again. Some times that's enough.

Also, turn the computer on for a minute or two, turn it off, unplug everything, and touch the surfaces to see if they are hot. Try not to touch any printed circuit board.

[-] juergen@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 5 months ago

Second unplugging all optional components (RAM is not optional) - and the video card in particular. A card that pulls more power than your power supply can provide could do exactly what you are seeing.

[-] ZapBeebz_@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

Okay, most absolute basic troubleshoot check: is there an on/off switch on the power supply that might be off?

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yes, there is one on the back of the case that I switched on.

If it were off, I would assume there wouldn't be anything to power that tiny light near the Graphic card connector.

Edit... not an assumption anymore. If you turn the switch off, the light turns off.

[-] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

Is the light on the motherboard or inside the metal box for the power supply?

More of the old, old ones would not do anything if any component was not properly seated. So maybe unplug and replug everything?

And if that doesn't work, I would start systematically removing components to see if I could get a different response from the computer.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 months ago

Sorry, I hadn't had it fully opened on the other side... it's actually the graphics card that has a light. I got tricked when I was looking in from the other side.

[-] silentdon@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I might be asking a dumb question here, this is the right community for that after all. But have you asked your cousin what might be wrong?

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

He doesn't live near me, and it supposedly booted before he gave it to me. If I understand correctly, he had a family friend that has a PC repair business assemble the old one, with the old card from his newer computer. Everything seems professionally done with all the fancy zip tie cord management... but I don't know.

It's been a while since I worked on this, so maybe I will text him and see if I can refresh my memory.

[-] athos77@kbin.social 5 points 5 months ago

So it worked and he gave it to you, and when it arrived at your place it no longer worked? I'd try checking that all the internal cables are connected properly; one of them may have jostled loose in the journey.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago

So it worked and he gave it to you, and when it arrived at your place it no longer worked?

Yep, that's the story. He's a good guy, so I have no reason to doubt it. If there are any shenanigans, it would be the guy at the shop (that I don't personally know) maybe tricking him into showing it booting properly. But that seems far fetched.

Is there a particular order to work through, that makes most sense troubleshooting wise? My hand is having trouble being nimble enough to reach a lot of places.

[-] mrcleanup@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

There's usually a four prong power connector on the top left corner of the motherboard. I always forget that one, nothing works without it plugged in too.

[-] AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social 5 points 5 months ago

I would test the ram first. Go stick by stick then DIMM slot by DIMM slot.

[-] Successful_Try543@feddit.de 3 points 5 months ago

Seconded. If the RAM is not compatible or properly placed, the PC won't do anything.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Is it posting? There should be led indicators that flash, usually an array of them. (The pattern as it lights up means stuff.) and if connected to a monitor, it should also flash some kind of boot screen. If it completes posting, it’ll at least go to bios. If the LEDs aren’t flashing at all…

the first step is to pull everything out and re-seat it. (Ram, gpu, power, etc.)

Start with seating the power sockets (to mobo, the minimum needed RAM, cpu and cpu fan (connected to cpu_fam header; usually next to the cpu).

Side note on ram, if it’s dual-channel or more, it matters where the ram goes. Consult your manual.

[-] athos77@kbin.social 5 points 5 months ago

Are you getting any POST codes?

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

? Remember my knowledge is basic.

It doesn't seem to turn on at all, there is no workable video output.

[-] juergen@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 5 months ago

POST codes are beeps. None of those at all?

[-] CosmicApe@kbin.social 4 points 5 months ago

There might not even be a speaker installed

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago

Nope, nothing. The light on the case button doesn't activate, there are no noises or beeping, the fans don't spin. The only sign of electricity at all is a small light where it connects to the graphics card.

[-] gramie@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

POST means Power On Self-Test. All motherboards will run some diagnostics and detect basic problems (e.g. missing RAM, no boot media).

If the motherboard beeps, you can look up the motherboard and see what the number of beeps means.

[-] Muehe@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago

So the circle is where a little speaker should be attached:

Sometimes these come with the case, but in your case not apparently or the PC guy would have attached it. You can buy these pretty cheap (one or two bucks) and they look like this:

When you have one attached and start the PC the mainboard will run some tests, and if it detects a problem there will be a pattern of beeps coming out of the speaker. You can look up what this pattern means in the handbook somebody linked above.

[-] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Have you checked to make sure all the cables are seated? Unplug them and plug them back in.

[-] Davel23@fedia.io 3 points 5 months ago

Do the fans spin up at all?

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 months ago

No, that's probably what's so alarming. You expect fan noise, but nothing spins.

[-] Davel23@fedia.io 7 points 5 months ago

Make sure the power button is connected to the board. Use the diagram in this PDF to locate it.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I don't see a spot for it on diagram or board. Everything is ziptied together, so it's not easy to trace back right now. The system panel header is plugged in. USB 3_3_4 is plugged. CPU fan connector is plugged.

Chassis Fan connector not plugged. USB 4_5 not plugged. Chassis intrusion and speaker header not plugged. TPM header not plugged.

[-] DrDominate@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Where is says panel 1 is the correct place for the connectors to the front of the case. Two of those pins are for the power button. Make sure the connector that says pwr, both + and -, are connected to the pins on the board that are labeled pwr.

That's just a sanity check to make sure the power button is correctly connected. Something less common could be the power button is broken but we won't go there just yet.

[-] thawed_caveman@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I do think it's a good idea to do what you did and just try it as is, since there's actually a pretty decent chance that it just works.

However, if it doesn't work, i would check everything as if i'm building the PC from scratch. Are the parts compatible (good old pcpartpicker is here for that), is the PSU sufficient, is everything plugged in the way the manuals say, etc

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

If it is working, the fans should spin, no?

[-] GladiusB@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

The MB probably doesn't jive with the GPU. Look up online for the MB manufacturer if it supports that sort of GPU.

If your RAM is seated as 1 and 2, make it 1 and 3 or 2 and 4.

Fans usually means the BIOS is recognizing some hardware as funky. I had this same issue when I bought RAM that was incompatible with my MB.

[-] pivot_root@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Unless the GPU is an Arc, compatibility between the motherboard and GPU shouldn't affect much more than the maximum performance you can squeeze out of the GPU. As a protocol, PCIe is backwards compatible.

If your RAM is seated as 1 and 2, make it 1 and 3 or 2 and 4.

Never assume. RTFM when trying to use dual channel memory.

this post was submitted on 25 May 2024
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