Computer won't work after electicity went off

Earlier, I was rebooting my computer (a gateway desktop...about 7 years old...running Windows XP Home SP3) after installing windows updates (had to restart to finish updates), and while computer was restarting, our electricity went off for a second or two...long enough to shut down the hard drive. (for info purposes, no, there is no storm...nice sunny weather....this is normal for us...electricity stays on during storms, but sometimes goes off during nice weather! Go figure!) Oh, and PC is plugged into a surge protector.

Anyway, after waiting a minute or two, I press the power button to turn hard drive back on....but nothing shows up on monitor. At first, I thought monitor had gone out suddenly, but it appears to be working. I waited several minutes then turned off computer by holding power button. After waiting a few more minutes, I turned on the computer again, this time listening for that jingle that windows plays when it starts up....no jingle. The green power light comes on, I hear the hard drive starting & going, but nothing shows up on monitor, and I hear no jingle...so I'm guessing windows is not starting at all? So, I'm thinking it's the hard drive....? :cry Any idea what happened or what the problem could be? Did the electricity mishap fry our computer??? Anything we can do to fix it ourselves? (can't afford to take it somewhere & can't afford another computer...right now, I'm using our kids computer...an old, slow computer...but, hey at least it works)

Please help! Thanks!

 

If the computer is booting you'd usually hear a single beep & see a black screen with white text or a logo. That lets you know the system has past BIOS and will boot the OS. Did your beep before?

My 'hail mary' move is to unplug the power cord, push and hold the power button to discharge the mobo, then plug the power cable back in and hit the power button and see if she comes alive.

If the hard drive went bad you'd get a black screen with the text saying 'missing OS' of 'Nt loader' something to that fact.

So you can hear the drive spin up.. so you can hear fans too?

Open the case and see if the cpu fan spins, then if you're barave enough unplug all the *unnessary* devices drives, modems, nics, soundcards, and see if it will boot with just the mobo,ram,cpu, and video card(or onboard video)
If it does then you put the parts back one by one until it stops booting again.

 

Couple of other things you might try real quick:

Give us the model #, any other Gateway info you can provide, so we can start seeing what we're up against.

Is there a hard drive indicator on that machine? If so, when you boot see if you're getting any indications - and, there may be indicators on the back panel, see if they're doing anything.

(Good shots, foogoo: I spent 10 minutes typing the same things you did - grrrr.) :major

 

There is no beep. Absolutely NOTHING shows up on the screen. I tried unplugging the power cord & holding down the power button, then plugging it back in & turning it back on, but still nothing. I hear something come on...I think it may be the C: drive itself, not sure though...I also think I hear the cd drive spin....but that's all I hear.

I'm not really brave enough to open the tower....but if the tower's shot already, then I suppose it won't hurt if I try to do something in there.

If anyone can walk me through it step by step, that would be great. I'd really love to at least recover some important files that were on this computer.

I believe the gateway model # is 300S.

I'm not sure what a hard drive indicator is. Can you tell me where to look for one?

Also, the monitor (a samsung SyncMaster 955df) gives a clue...when monitor is off, there is no green light...when monitor is on & being used, there is a solid green light...when monitor is sleeping or when computer enters sleep mode or if computer is off, but monitor is still on, then the green light blinks. Soooo, normally when I turn on computer, then turn on monitor, green light comes on & stays on, & it's business as usual. But, now, when I turn on the computer, then turn on the monitor, the green light comes on, but doesn't stay on...rather, it blinks, like it's not receiving the "signal" from the computer.

 

Need your serial number: find your serial #. Is this a 300S (smaller, horizontal-type case), or a DX300S (larger, ATX case)?

The 'HD indicator' is a (usually green, but could be another color) LED that flashes when the drive is accessing data; also, some motherboards have LED indicators (usually 4, back panel) that provide mobo status - both of these are just shots in the dark.

Does the power supply fan come on?

To follow up on foogoo's suggestion: power down, unplug, remove the cover opposite the motherboard's foundation (usually, if you're facing the front of the machine, it's the left side cover), and unplug the power cables to the hard drive(s), CD/DVD drive(s), and floppy drive if it's got one - unplug your monitor, but leave the power cable to the motherboard connected. Now, plug in and power up, tell us what you see/hear.

 

serial number is 0029962942. I think it's just a 300S, but I'm not 100% sure. It's a gateway micro tower, if that helps.

I don't think there is an HD indicator...I know that the CD drive & the floppy drive have those indicators.

About the fan, I don't know...

About opening the case, I will try & work up the courage to that this weekend...it's getting late tonight, and I don't want to start something I can't finish. Will ya'll be checking the forum this weekend?

Also, when I open the case, will everything be pretty much self-explanatory as to what it is? (I did add RAM to this computer about a year and a half ago, so I know for sure what the RAM looks like!)

 

We'll be here.

Meanwhile, I (or someone) will dig up a good pic to show what the major components are and where they're located.

Hang in there, and keep us posted. :major

 

Gateway has very good support guides for a variety of procedures located here.

 

Okay, not sure exactly what I'm doing here...

I totally unplugged the computer, unplugged everything that was connected to it from the back. Then I opened the case. I took pictures of the inside, hopefully I'll be able to attach those to this post.

I unplugged the hard drive power cord, and the CD drive power cord. Couldn't find where the floppy drive power cord was. Then I wasn't sure what else to unplug. I went ahead & plugged the main power cord back & plugged it into an outlet, and turned on computer. First, a green led light (on the mobo, I think) behind the hard drive lit up. Then the fan came on, started spinning. Then a green led light on the power supply came on. The only noise we heard was the fan.

What next?

 

Also, wanted to edit that the green led light behind the hard drive came on when I plugged the main power cord in.

------------------

After doing what I said in the previous post, I then unlugged again & drained power. I plugged back in the hard drive & rebooted computer again. Everything happened the same, but hard drive did come on...it made a buzzing type of noise. We did NOT hear that noise that it makes when the hard drive is being read or is busy doing something.

Not sure what to do next.

 

Me either, if swapping parts is out, which would be the next logical step.

A good overall cleaning wouldn't hurt - you never know if you'll find a loose connection, etc.

From the pictures, you've got two sticks of RAM - you might try swapping modules, pulling one stick at a time, etc., checking for symptom changes as you go. While you've got them pulled, make sure no dust is in or connecting the memory sockets.

Have you tried booting to your Windows disk, or any bootable disk or drive?

 

Second picture, top right quadrant - does that fan operate when you power up?

Also, look for any burn tracks on the motherboard, and any capacitors that look out of shape.

 

By cleaning, do you mean the dust? If so, how do I go about doing that? Will a vacuum work? Or a micro-fiber dusting glove? Or one of those high-pressure-canisters that blow dust out of small electronic places?

I didn't notice any loose connections...but I'm not an expert, lol!

I haven't tried booting to the windows disk...I could try that. I do have the windows xp home edition ops disk....will booting to that erase or otherwise mess up the data that's already on the hard drive?

I'll try swapping ram too....one of the rams was there from the start...the other one I added about a year and a half ago. But, how would the ram affect the booting up of the computer?

Second pic, top right quadrant - yes, that fan operates.

Burn tracks on mobo? what would those look like? I don't notice any discoloration anywhere...

Capacitors....again, what are those? (I'm sorry, I'm not very tech savvy...I'm just learning as I go!) I don't notice anything that looks out of shape....but I'm not really sure what the "shape" is supposed to look like...

 

You must be careful about causing static, although it's less a threat in warm weather. Vacuums can generate a lot of voltage, and to a lesser degree, compressed air. A brush or glove is probably best, but be careful - and yes, try to get rid of as much dust as possible.

Do try booting to the disk - if you're successful, let us know.

RAM can cause problems from the moment you push the power button.

Some good pictures of caps can be found in this thread - for that matter, look for anything unusual.

 

Thanks for the pics of the caps.

I did see one cap that looked very similar to the leaking/popped caps in that thread.

I will attach pics. My camera is not that great, but hopefully the pics are decent enough. In the first pic, it's the 2nd cap from the right (of the 5 tallest caps). In the 2nd pic, you can pretty much tell (it's a pic of the same cap, but different angle) - it's the one that's to the right of the cap that says 6.3V.

So, let me know if you still think I should swap Ram and/or boot from the windows xp disk.

(Oh, and I also dusted as best as I could.)

 

Yikes - those caps are next to the processor, yes?

If I were in your shoes, I'd still continue with the RAM and boot testing, but you may be looking at a fried motherboard, especially since all of this started during a power hit. Does your surge suppressor carry any protection guarantees?

 

I'm seeing 4, possibly 5 caps that look like the tops are raising in the 2nd photo; I'd consider replacing the motherboard.

 

It's right next to that fan & the power supply (see the 2nd pic from my first batch of pics...it's that row of caps right next to the fan).

I'll try the RAM swap & the boot testing tomorrow, and let you know how it goes.

Not sure if there was a guarantee on the surge protector or not...I don't have the package anymore.

If the motherboard is indeed fried, then that means the hard drive is ok? And we if ever get our hands on another tower, could I then install our hard drive in the new tower? Or is there another way to retrieve the data?

BTW, thanks for all your help! I'll be a computer tech before it's all over, lol!

 

You should be able to retrieve the data from your old hard drive by connecting it as a slave device in a new system, providing the drive was not damaged by the power spike. I would suggest doing it that way, instead of trying to use your old drive as your root drive in a new system. We can walk you through those steps once you reach that point.

Hang in there - you're doing fine.

 

OK, I swapped RAM....still nothing.

Then I tried booting from Windows xp disk...still nothing.

I even hooked it up to another monitor....still nothing...both monitors are not receiving any sort of "signal" from the computer.

So, is the final verdict that the mobo is fried? Is there anything else to try? And you think the power surge was the final straw for the mobo and/or cap?

If it's true that the mobo is fried, my options are to either buy another mobo (there's one here: http://www.skyline-eng.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=4834) or to wait until we get another tower/computer to try and retrieve the data from this hard drive?

To connect as a slave device, what sort of hardware/cable would I need to get?

And thanks for the word of encouragement!

 

Well, I once worked on a machine where a power spike had taken out everything except the floppy drive.

Which route you take from here really depends on how much you want to outlay or risk (as the CPU/RAM/PSU may also be damaged).

If you need the data now, probably the best route is by buying an external USB case for your drive but you may be able to get it running in your current PC by disconnecting the CD/DVD drive and attaching the hard drive to those cables temporarily.

I don't know if it's been said before in this thread but surge protectors are usually only good for one spike, all bets are off wth any subsequent power surges.

 

Agreed 100%. You can get a very good computer system for not much money now, which will enable you to run more of today's software - even if you replace the mobo and everything's kosher, it's still going to be an old machine.

That's an IDE drive you've got, and most modern drives are SATA and beyond, so if you do decide to purchase a new box (or even build your own! ), make sure the motherboard supports an IDE interface, if you're not going to go the external route.

 

Thanks for the info.

I guess I don't really need the data now...but eventually would like to get it...pictures, genealogy, job stuff, tax stuff, etc....I had moved some stuff to a flash drive...but only about half of it...was still needing to buy another flash drive!

I don't want to attach or do anything with the pc I'm currently using. It's my kids computer, and it's older/slower than our gateway....plus, every once in a while, it makes funny noises, so I don't know how much life is left in it. I'd rather leave well enough alone.

I'd also rather get a used working computer to mess with (that way, if I mess it up, it won't matter much) or maybe wait till we can afford a new computer (at tax refund time).

What does an external USB case look like & cost? Is it this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-5-IDE-HDD...C_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item1c15b918fd

What about something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-0-SATA-ID...649?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5e6ee871

 

Caliban,

I saw your post after I posted mine!

Yeah, agreed...is buying a $60 mobo worth it, for such an old computer?

What's an IDE drive, and what's the difference between that & SATA?

 

IDE and SATA are drive interfaces: aside from signal characteristics, the most important consideration in your case is physical connection - do Google searches for 'ide cable' and 'sata cable', and you'll see the difference.

 

And your first Ebay link is close to what you need - except your drive is desktop sized (I presume), 3.5" wide, so you'll need the 3.5 version.

 

So, something like one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/External-3-5-HD...C_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item1e5ca54fc1

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-5-USB-2-0-IDE...C_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item3f024ba69c

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-IDE-3-5-Ext...C_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item2a069f0b31

 

Those all look good - note the caveat about drive thickness in link #3.

 

Some more questions...

Are ya'll fairly certain it's not the power supply? What makes ya'll certain it's the motherboard? I ask because I might be able to get a motherboard pretty cheap, but I want to be sure that it's the problem before I spend money on it. Or could it be both the motherboard and other things that got fried?

Also, is there a difference between one of those external hard drive cases and those USB to IDE Adapter Converter Cables? Do they both do the same thing, but just hook up different ways? Which is better to use?

 

No, we're not certain it's not the power supply but we do know that the caps on the motherboard look like they're damaged enough that they alone could cause your problem.

If you have money to spare and you want to buy a new motherboard, go ahead - but make sure it's compatible with your current RAM and CPU or it won't be so cheap.

Oh yes, if the PSU is damaged, it could easily cause the same problem to a replacement motherboard/CPU, etc. What a damaged PSU will in turn take out depends on which ouput voltages are outside of specification. A bad 5 volt rail might take out hard drives, a bad 3.3 volt rail might take out RAM, etc.

The first thing to do is always ensure the safety of the data.

 

Hi, guys

Just wanted to give an update. I did finally get one of those USB to IDE Adapter Converter Cables, and the other day, I finally was brave enough to remove the hard drive from the fried computer, and hook it up to our kids' computer. And viola! it worked!!! The hard drive was perfectly fine, and I copied the important info from it to our kids' computer.

And then, here's the amazing part...well, amazing to me anyway. We had a third tower that was given to us. Not sure what brand...I think it was a homemade computer. Anyway, the mobo & power supply was good, but the hard drive was bad. So, I took out that hard drive & put in our old one, and voila again! It worked! Our soul (our old hard drive) has a new body (tower) to live in!

Thanks so much for all your help, everyone. I couldn't have done it without Major Geeks. And I've learned so much along the way. The inside of computers is not scary to me anymore, lol! Heck, I really enjoyed being able to fix it myself! Again, thanks!

 

That's a great all-round result

Now make sure all your data is backed up regularly and think about replacing the surge protector/UPS.

Look after the USB to IDE adapter - all techs should have one (and a soft makeup brush).

 

Yes, I will make sure all our data is always backed up from now on!

I plan on getting another USB flash drive this weekend, and I guess I'll pick up another surge protector too.

So, I'm officially a tech now, huh? I'll be sure & add that to my resume, lol! Who knows, I might turn this into a job one day!