No BIOS screen

Hi all,

I have a fairly old Pentium 800 computer with gigabyte M.B. and it used
to work for at least 6 years as a machine to download stuffs from
Internet.

Both CD roms lights are there during the bootup. However, there is no
BIOS screnn at all. I check all the cable connections. I tested the
memories in the 3 memory slots separtely, and changed another graphic
card, and made sure the CPU is firmly plugged in.

How do I know what kind of problem I have? Does that mean the CPU is
dead or M.B. is dead?

Thanks u in advance.

"Juila" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have a fairly old Pentium 800 computer with gigabyte M.B. and it used
to work for at least 6 years as a machine to download stuffs from
Internet.

Both CD roms lights are there during the bootup. However, there is no
BIOS screnn at all. I check all the cable connections. I tested the
memories in the 3 memory slots separtely, and changed another graphic
card, and made sure the CPU is firmly plugged in.

How do I know what kind of problem I have? Does that mean the CPU is
dead or M.B. is dead?

You`ll probably find that the BIOS battery is dead.

"beenthere" wrote in message
...

"Juila" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have a fairly old Pentium 800 computer with gigabyte M.B. and it used
to work for at least 6 years as a machine to download stuffs from
Internet.

Both CD roms lights are there during the bootup. However, there is no
BIOS screnn at all. I check all the cable connections. I tested the
memories in the 3 memory slots separtely, and changed another graphic
card, and made sure the CPU is firmly plugged in.

How do I know what kind of problem I have? Does that mean the CPU is
dead or M.B. is dead?

You`ll probably find that the BIOS battery is dead.


Are any fans running? Which ones?
Do you hear any post beeps?
Check the bios battery voltage with a meter as another poster mentioned
before changing it. It should be in excess of 3v. If the machine worked
before without a hassle then it could simply be a loose connection, rather
than a blown component, although I've seen power supplies fail at the drop
of a hat. Even if the CD-ROM lights work another portion of the PS could
have failed that supplies voltage to the cpu.
--
Jan Alter

or

of a hat. Even if the CD-ROM lights work another portion of the PS could
have failed that supplies voltage to the cpu.
--

bingo

beenthere wrote:

You`ll probably find that the BIOS battery is dead.

I think that the clock time and some system pref's , like display of
folder contents, will be off or inaccurate if the board battery is shot.
Ought to be replaced after 6 yrs. anyhow.

I've been so fixated with power-supplies and fans lately that I'd also
pay close attention to the responses of Jan and Dave.

"OSbandito" wrote in message
...


beenthere wrote:

You`ll probably find that the BIOS battery is dead.

I think that the clock time and some system pref's , like display of
folder contents, will be off or inaccurate if the board battery is shot.
Ought to be replaced after 6 yrs. anyhow.

I've been so fixated with power-supplies and fans lately that I'd also
pay close attention to the responses of Jan and Dave.

OP says, However no BIOS screen, so we (TINW) must
assume it goes no further than the CD lights come on, and
that`s as far as it goes.

bw..OJ

CPU's almost never fail, unless they are abused. The problem would seem to
be that your motherboard has died. I am AMAZED that you got one to last a
full 6 years.

--
DaveW

----------------
"Juila" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have a fairly old Pentium 800 computer with gigabyte M.B. and it used
to work for at least 6 years as a machine to download stuffs from
Internet.

Both CD roms lights are there during the bootup. However, there is no
BIOS screnn at all. I check all the cable connections. I tested the
memories in the 3 memory slots separtely, and changed another graphic
card, and made sure the CPU is firmly plugged in.

How do I know what kind of problem I have? Does that mean the CPU is
dead or M.B. is dead?

Thanks u in advance.

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:17:57 -0800, DaveW wrote:

CPU's almost never fail, unless they are abused. The problem would seem to
be that your motherboard has died. I am AMAZED that you got one to last a
full 6 years.

I have an old ASUS motherboard purchased in 1996 which is still
functioning normally in a Linux Box which operates 24/7. Matter of fact, I
still have two IBM PC motherboards with 640K of RAM which still function
as well as an original IBM "luggable" PC with 20Meg drive, 640K of RAM
which is still functional.

Point being? These suckers last a looong time if not abused. :-)

--
______
Zack

Every operating system out there is about equal. We all suck.
( Brian Valentine of Microsoft )

"Zack Aube" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:17:57 -0800, DaveW wrote:

CPU's almost never fail, unless they are abused. The problem would seem
to
be that your motherboard has died. I am AMAZED that you got one to last
a
full 6 years.

I have an old ASUS motherboard purchased in 1996 which is still
functioning normally in a Linux Box which operates 24/7. Matter of fact, I
still have two IBM PC motherboards with 640K of RAM which still function
as well as an original IBM "luggable" PC with 20Meg drive, 640K of RAM
which is still functional.

Point being? These suckers last a looong time if not abused. :-)


P3V4X ? The partents use that old system of mine everday. and umpteen other
examples...dave w is a doom sayer on any given occasion.




--
______
Zack

Every operating system out there is about equal. We all suck.
( Brian Valentine of Microsoft )

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:37:36 -0800, JAD wrote:

"Zack Aube" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:17:57 -0800, DaveW wrote:

CPU's almost never fail, unless they are abused. The problem would seem
to
be that your motherboard has died. I am AMAZED that you got one to last
a
full 6 years.

I have an old ASUS motherboard purchased in 1996 which is still
functioning normally in a Linux Box which operates 24/7. Matter of fact, I
still have two IBM PC motherboards with 640K of RAM which still function
as well as an original IBM "luggable" PC with 20Meg drive, 640K of RAM
which is still functional.

Point being? These suckers last a looong time if not abused. :-)


P3V4X ? The partents use that old system of mine everday. and umpteen other
examples...dave w is a doom sayer on any given occasion.



P5A-B 333MHz built like a tank.


--
______
Zack

Every operating system out there is about equal. We all suck.
( Brian Valentine of Microsoft )