Computer Turns ON—No Beeps—Black Screen

[earguy]

If the monitor is black form the start, what is the monitor doing does it display no signal, does the monitor power light change color or does the light blink?

If you are seeing the BIOS load and then the monitor goes black then try booting from a live CD like a Linux disc or an AV rescue disc.

What are the lights on the computer doing, is the hard drive light or the DVD light or the power button light on or blinking, is there any lights on the back of the computer like on the power supply or NIC, what are they doing are they on or blinking, are any if the lights changing color going from green to amber? Is there a light on the motherboard?

Are all the fans spinning? Can you hear and feel the hard drive spinning?

Are you using the customers monitor, monitor cables, keyboard, mouse, power cord ? Anything else plugged in?

What software did you use to test the RAM?

Why where you running CHKDSK?

AV rescue disk wasn't loading. Did CHKDSK because I was grasping at straws, as I am still fairly new. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[DataMedics]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet, it's the first thing that popped into my mind when I read the title of your post.

CHECK THE RAM!!!

If the RAM is bad you'll get power on and a black screen.

 

[DanF]

As far as I know, the OP already checked that.

 

[B Trevathan]

AV rescue disk wasn't loading. Did CHKDSK because I was grasping at straws, as I am still fairly new. Thanks again for the advice.

Are you seeing the BIOS load on the monitor at start up or do you see nothing at all on the monitor?

 

[gikstar]

I still like using the power supply tester which if it tests bad then I can immediately tell the client it's the power supply. Lets face it, it the tester says it's bad, then it needs to be replaced. If the tester says it's good, then I hook up a know good power supply to test it further.
This is especially helpful if the client is standing right there...

 

[Larry Sabo]

+1.

 

[earguy]

Can you boot to an alternative operating system, such as Parted Magic?
I have seen a bad hard drive cause a live cd not to boot.
Bad hard drives can cause many issues and be the first thing I would check.
If so, run some diagnostics from there.
Sounds like you need to run a FULL diagnostics, in place of just hunting and pecking until you hit "the magic" thing that will make it work.
Without a FULL diagnostics, this may just be a temporary fix and may come back.
There are several threads on here about how to do a FULL diagnostics.
Parted Magic is a good place to start.
By the way, did you clone the hard drive? You may want to do that FIRST.
Rule #1......Save the data first.

Great advice. Thanks. I've never really done this so this will be a learning experience.

 

[earguy]

I still like using the power supply tester which if it tests bad then I can immediately tell the client it's the power supply. Lets face it, it the tester says it's bad, then it needs to be replaced. If the tester says it's good, then I hook up a know good power supply to test it further.
This is especially helpful if the client is standing right there...

Thanks. The client isn't here (TGFT). I'll see if I can get another power supply I know is good.

 

[earguy]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet, it's the first thing that popped into my mind when I read the title of your post.

CHECK THE RAM!!!

If the RAM is bad you'll get power on and a black screen.

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually, that was one of the first things I did. I must have forgotten to post that, sorry.

 

[earguy]

I'm back home and the CHKDSK ran as i had originally scheduled it to do so before all the good advice. It has finished but is saying to wait while the computer restarts. I failed to mention (really stupid failure) that this system has 4 hard drives. I had an associate pick up the computer and as of yet have not personally contacted the client. I've tried, but he is out or something. I am assuming (I know, I know) that all these hard drives are either RAID or for storage. While in BIOS it listed two of them while not listing the other two.., SATA Channel 1: [HDD name] SATA Channel 2: [HDD name] SATA Channel 3: NONE SATA Channel 4: NONE I am waiting for the computer to restart (It's been hours in the doing) or should I shut off the machine and try rebooting it?

 

[earguy]

Are you seeing the BIOS load on the monitor at start up or do you see nothing at all on the monitor?

At first, nothing at all. But then I turned the power switch on the PSU off, unplugged it, pressed the power button for 30 seconds, plugged it back in, switched on the PSU and the computer booted up and I was able to access BIOS, though I could not make changes such as date and time.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I would suggest disconnecting all the hard drives and booting a Live Linux CD. If the symptoms persist, the BIOS may be corrupted/damaged. Updating the BIOS with a EEPROM programmer is a handy service to be able to offer, as it saves the motherboard from having to be replaced. Such programmers can be had for under $75 USD from a US-based seller. I'd also suggest buying a SOIC-8 clip to go with it so you won't (always) have to unsolder the BIOS from the MB to reprogram it.

 

[frase]

Check if the CPU is seated correctly and more importantly - no pins are bent on the CPU socket itself.
Agree with Larry as well a BIOS update may be in order.

 

[gikstar]

Does this appear to be a new build or do you think it has been in production for a while? If it's been in production then I doubt that it would have bent cpu pins, unless someone else has tried to repair it, gave up, and now it's your turn..

Clients don't always divulge what's really going on and we've had one client out-n-out lie about having taken their laptop someplace else before bring it to us.
Had a laptop come in last week that was brought in as 'running slow'. By the time we finished testing everything and doing a number of updates, we ended up without any video. I provided 3 options for them any explained WHY I was recommending each option. Finally tells me that they were experiencing problems where the screen would go blank and they would turn it off for a day or so and it would work again. They opted for option #2 - the video reflow with a copper shim installed, which did the trick. I wasn't too concerned that we could have caused the problem because one of their initial comments was 'should I just buy a new computer'.
I like it when people 'trust' you to steer them in the right direction

 

[frase]

Does this appear to be a new build or do you think it has been in production for a while? If it's been in production then I doubt that it would have bent cpu pins, unless someone else has tried to repair it, gave up, and now it's your turn..

Clients don't always divulge what's really going on and we've had one client out-n-out lie about having taken their laptop someplace else before bring it to us.
Had a laptop come in last week that was brought in as 'running slow'. By the time we finished testing everything and doing a number of updates, we ended up without any video. I provided 3 options for them any explained WHY I was recommending each option. Finally tells me that they were experiencing problems where the screen would go blank and they would turn it off for a day or so and it would work again. They opted for option #2 - the video reflow with a copper shim installed, which did the trick. I wasn't too concerned that we could have caused the problem because one of their initial comments was 'should I just buy a new computer'.
I like it when people 'trust' you to steer them in the right direction

The clients son built the system, as from OP.

 

[gikstar]

I read the OP and every post by 'earguy' on this topic and I am aware that the client's son had built the system yet my question is still valid since there is no mention as to when the system was built or how long it has been in use.

 

[B Trevathan]

At first, nothing at all. But then I turned the power switch on the PSU off, unplugged it, pressed the power button for 30 seconds, plugged it back in, switched on the PSU and the computer booted up and I was able to access BIOS, though I could not make changes such as date and time.

O.K. what you need to do then is try to boot the computer from a live CD, its super easy, you shouldn't have to go into the BIOS to do it.

All you have to do is download a Linux .ISO file and burn the image to a CD or DVD, when the computer starts up enter the Boot Menu sometimes you will see press F11 for Boot Menu or press ESC for Boot Menu or whatever, once your in the boot menu load the CD in the drive and then on the boot menu select the CD drive and press enter and the live CD should boot.

There are lots of different live CD but I would try something small like Puppy Linux.
Or you may like something like Ubuntu more or maybe Mint

Just remember to always choose "Try WITHOUT installing".

 

[earguy]

Does this appear to be a new build or do you think it has been in production for a while? If it's been in production then I doubt that it would have bent cpu pins, unless someone else has tried to repair it, gave up, and now it's your turn..

Clients don't always divulge what's really going on and we've had one client out-n-out lie about having taken their laptop someplace else before bring it to us.
Had a laptop come in last week that was brought in as 'running slow'. By the time we finished testing everything and doing a number of updates, we ended up without any video. I provided 3 options for them any explained WHY I was recommending each option. Finally tells me that they were experiencing problems where the screen would go blank and they would turn it off for a day or so and it would work again. They opted for option #2 - the video reflow with a copper shim installed, which did the trick. I wasn't too concerned that we could have caused the problem because one of their initial comments was 'should I just buy a new computer'.
I like it when people 'trust' you to steer them in the right direction

It doesn't seem to be a recent build.

 

[earguy]

I read the OP and every post by 'earguy' on this topic and I am aware that the client's son had built the system yet my question is still valid since there is no mention as to when the system was built or how long it has been in use.

Been in use about three years or more, I think.

 

[earguy]

O.K. what you need to do then is try to boot the computer from a live CD, its super easy, you shouldn't have to go into the BIOS to do it.

All you have to do is download a Linux .ISO file and burn the image to a CD or DVD, when the computer starts up enter the Boot Menu sometimes you will see press F11 for Boot Menu or press ESC for Boot Menu or whatever, once your in the boot menu load the CD in the drive and then on the boot menu select the CD drive and press enter and the live CD should boot.

There are lots of different live CD but I would try something small like Puppy Linux.
Or you may like something like Ubuntu more or maybe Mint

Just remember to always choose "Try WITHOUT installing".

OK. How about UBCD?