I killed my computer, help?

I bought this computer a few years ago, it's an ok PC... nothing special. Can't really give specs since I haven't used it in awhile. However, I tried to start it up recently... everything was plugged in, as far as I can see, and it powered up. Problem was... nothing shows up on the monitor. I checked the monitor on another PC and it works fine. Is there any reason why it will start up, but not show anything?

Thanks,
Josh

 

Without knowing anything about the PC in question, it's hard to say. There are a few things you can try . . . .

Double check the back of the pc - how many video-out sockets do you see?
If there is more then one, then the pc came with on-board video and someone has added an agp or pci video card. Most motherboards will disable the on-board video when it detects an add-on video card. If you should plug the monitor into the on-board socket, you won't get any video. An add-on card's socket will (most of the time) be level with the floor, and down toward the lower half of the case.

If there is only one video socket, and it's a pci or agp card, you can open the case (unplug the pc from the power outlet first) and look in and make sure the card is properly seated. To be sure, remove the card and re-insert it (make sure you touch the pc's frame somewhere first, to get rid of any static build up in your body). If it's a pci card, try it in a different pci slot.

If the pc has on-board video, then you may have a bad board. It's really hard to say without knowing anything about the pc.

 

I opened up the comp and the video card was in properly, I tried switching slots and trying another video card that i've used with other comps. Neither solution worked. I asked my friend if he had any suggestions... and his reply was to check the CPU chip. After checking it out, I found that a few of the pins on the chip are bent... could that cause the problem?

 

Yeah, that would be a problem. What kind of CPU is it?

How did that happen? Did someone have the CPU out for some reason? If it was taken out and not reinstalled properly, then it could have fried when you tried to boot up. Was the heatsink on it? Was thermal grease applied?

Check the cpu for burn marks . . . if there are some, then it's a goner. If not, I guess you could (carefully - make sure you are grounded) straighten the pins back out and reinstall it. Make sure you apply thermal grease and verify the heatsink is positioned correctly, and the fan is plugged in (if it has one).

Did someone raid this pc for parts while it was not in use?

 

Type of CPU? I think it's an Intel P4... but I can't say to be sure. When the computer was bought, it was done so in parts. My friend did raid the computer for parts awhile back, he could be the one who bent the pins. There are no burn marks on the CPU. I don't know what thermal grease nor how to verify the heatsink... also, since the pins are so tiny.. how would I go about straightening them?

Yeah, that would be a problem. What kind of CPU is it?

How did that happen? Did someone have the CPU out for some reason? If it was taken out and not reinstalled properly, then it could have fried when you tried to boot up. Was the heatsink on it? Was thermal grease applied?

Check the cpu for burn marks . . . and I guess you could (carefully - make sure you are grounded) straighten the pins back out and reinstall it. Make sure you apply thermal grease and verify the heatsink is positioned correctly.

Did someone raid this pc for parts while it was not in use?

 

I'd have my "friend" replace the CPU he damaged . . . those pins are small, but they don't bend all that easy . . . and installing a CPU - if done correctly - should never result in this kind of damage. It's not rocket science - the computer industry has made the installation of a CPU almost idiot-proof - the biggest worry a person should have is static-discharge.

To straighten the pins, I would use small non-magnetic needle nose pliers. However . . . since you are new to this aspect of pc use, I advise you to do some research on the subject first. First, place the CPU in a non-static bag, or at least out of the way someplace "pins-up" in a small cardboard box. Next, determine what kind of processor you have (Google the info on the CPU), and go on from there. Find some directions and guidelines about the installation of your CPU - I'd start with the manufacturer's website . . . all the manuals you could need can be had.

To be honest, since the CPU has suffered this level of damage . . . and you tried to boot it . . . you may be flogging a dead horse.

Good luck.

 

I bent the pins on a cpu once getting the damn heat sink off. I used a letter opener to straighten them. Just the right size to slide down the cpu & straighten the pins. Booted up with no issues.

 

My pins were retarded bent, my friend said he tried shoving it in after he raided it... they were bent over themselves. That make things difficult. In the end, tweezers, a letter opener, several credit cards, fingernails, sharp knives, and even a mechanical pencil all failed to revive the cpu. All 4 bent pins broke off. I tried to boot it but it was being retarded as usual. I thought maybe, by some crazy stroke of luck... it was due to a bad hard drive?

I popped in my HD in another working computer, but it refused to boot. So I'm currently reinstalling and setting it up, in hopes that when I return it to the original computer... it will work. I doubt that has anything to do with the display not working on the other computer though =S

(Also... when I put the HD from the broken comp to the working one... everything on the screen has a blue tint to it, even on boot up)