Weird PC problem
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Posted on Nov 08, 2007 02:09 pm
dbmasters
Administrator Since: Apr 03, 2002
My neighbor has a weird issue...when we start his PC all the lights light up, but no picture come on the screen and no post activity like hard drive grinding or anything...
If we press any button on his monitor a message comes up that says it's in sleep mode...and the "hibernation" key of his old Compaq keyboard is lit up. The weird thing is I can not tell how to get it out of hibernation. I pulled the BIOS battery figuring it would just reset everything, it didn't work, tried every combo of keyboard keys we could think of...nothing about sleep mode in the MoBo manual (A Socket A Asus board) running an Athlon 3000 or so. RAM is fine, monitor is fine, I told him to try a different keyboard in case a key is stuck, he never got back to me so I presume it didn't work...
Any hints? Kinda weird.
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Nov 08, 2007 02:15 pm .. i was going to say sounds like memory, but usually it itermittently beeps at you if there's a memory problem, but if it's not beeping... is pulling the BIOS battery the same as clearing the CMOS? There should be a jumper that you can short with a screwdriver that clears the CMOS.
Also, i had a hibernate problem once, I ended up having to unplug the keyboard altogether and hard restart the computer a few times before it straightened itself out. Good luck. The neighbor might have to upgrade...
Nov 08, 2007 02:18 pm Yeah, no beeps at all, I was hoping to hear some, their pattern usually give a good clue to whats up, like binary Morse Code. I thought memory too, one of the first thing I did was pull the RAM to see what happens, some thing, never even gets to checking the RAM.
I never thought about the jumper, thats a good idea, there normally is one. Unplugging the keyboard I thought of and we talked about just as I left his house, I'll catch up with him tonight to see if he tried that or a different keyboard.
I have encountered sleep mode once before but don't recall at all what I did to fix it.
Nov 08, 2007 02:22 pm Yeah, see if you can get his motherboard model # and get a diagram. The jumper *might* be labeled too, never know.
I'd try just unplugging the keyboard first though, that may get 'er done.
Nov 08, 2007 02:23 pm he has the manual, I know it has a diagram in there, I remember assembling the thing in the first place.
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Nov 08, 2007 02:33 pm Here something to try but I give it a 5% chance of working. Since it only takes a second to try its worth it. To reset the keyboard;
Simaltaniously press both ctrl keys twice. Then press both alt keys twice and finally press both shift keys twice. This will reset the keyboard.
Like I say 5% chance it will work but worth a try.
Nov 08, 2007 02:35 pm That's the weirdest thing I ever heard, but I'll give it a try...I may just link him to this thread...let him try it all :-)
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Nov 08, 2007 02:41 pm Ya, strange ideed but it is a valid way to unlock a keyboard. Was taught to me by a co-worker geek quite a few years ago. It has helped me a couple of times.
Nov 08, 2007 02:50 pm lol, i've never heard of that either... haha. It's like the ctrl alt delete for the keyboard...haha.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Nov 08, 2007 04:18 pm I've heard tell somewhere that the cmos battery may not reset anything if just pulled, you have to do the jumper reset thing.
Course, this will depend on which MB, but it sounds valid. The eeproms will remember any glitchiness, unless you do the hard reset with jumper trick.
Also, I'd suggest putting in a new battery, instead of the old one. Maybe it's drained, and the first thing the MB does is slip into a coma.
I've never heard that keyboard thing either, sounds fun.
Does compaq still have their system information on a small partition on the HD? Maybe the HD died, and the PC cant see the HD anymore, so it doesn't know what to do?
I never liked compaq.
Nov 08, 2007 04:26 pm The cmos memory is stored in memory similar to flash, i believe, so you gotta clear it via jumper(ing). They're capacitance-based memory, so shorting the jumper connects the capacitors to ground, effectively clearing the memory...
mmm... wikipedia... lol
Nov 08, 2007 04:27 pm .HB ,tol a sknahT .siht ekil gnipyt si enihcam ym won dna ,kcirt draobyek taht deirt tsuj I
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Nov 08, 2007 04:31 pm Bwahaha, you found the evil in me Herb
Nov 08, 2007 04:38 pm HAHAHA... oh wow...
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Nov 08, 2007 05:16 pm Is the sleep mode message from the PC or the monitor? Most monitors will go into sleep mode if there is no video signal...
Pull the video card to see if it will get past post... obviously you'll have to go by hard drive noises...
If not - Then pull every other card...
If still no...It's possible that it is a motherboard issue... typically with onboard modems/ethernet...
Be very careful using jumpers to reset the CMOS... if you restart without switching the jumper back it will fry the BIOS chip... I lost my first DAW due to a mouse shitting on the jumpers when the case was left open...
Otherwise you have to unplug the power supply and remove the battery to drain the CMOS... because the battery is only really for when the PC is unplugged... if I remember right...
HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Nov 08, 2007 05:39 pm Weird. Is it an SATA connected HD ?
If it is...
-Try a new cable.
-Make sure it's as straight as can be within the case, and that the connections are true.
This sounds like a similar problem I had, just recently.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Nov 08, 2007 07:54 pm One option as well is to pull the HD and try it in another machine to see if it is even running.
I didn't notice if you tried to boot into the bios or not. I know a couple of the compaqs at work there are several options for hibernation and sleep mode in the bios that can be set or cleared.
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Nov 08, 2007 10:38 pm ...also try holding the power button for a few seconds...
Nov 09, 2007 07:40 am ah, holding the power button down, thats the one I forgot, I have had that work on laptops before.
good idea on pulling the video card.
I really don't think it's a mobo issue as everything else works, fans connected to the mobo kick on, lights light up and all that...but it is possible.
HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Nov 09, 2007 02:16 pm Yup, that's exactly what mine was doing, Dan . 'Stupid cable .
TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Nov 09, 2007 03:20 pm Nothing to add, only wanted to mention that when dB-Wan starts a thread with, "My neighbor has a weird issue" I duck and cover...
Nov 09, 2007 03:23 pm oh, yeah, a different neighbor...one of the good one's HELPING us!
