Wake up damnit!

[Pug]

So I was about to take pics of my ClearPC work rig the other day when I noticed that the USB bracket in one of the PCI slots wasn't screwed in.
I thought I'd do it quick without bothering to shut the machine down so I could snap away but I inadvertantly brushed against the spdif header (I think) as I was putting it in place.
Next thing I know, the windows "saving your settings" screen came up and it said it was going to sleep (windows that is, not the monitor OSD).

Since then, it powers up but I have no display - it's like it's stuck in sleep mode.

I've swapped GFX cards, disconnected all drives, reset the BIOS and it still refuses to POST.
I used to have an iPanel to see what stage it's booting too but right now, I'm clueless.
Does anyone have an inkling as to how I can bring it back to life?

[mnpctech]

Hmmm... Any beep codes Pug?

Have you tried getting POST after reseating MEM and CPU?

Try getting MB to POST with only CPU/MEM installed (only if MB has integrated GFX) Then try w/ CPU/MEM/GFX only

(if possible) try another CPU and MEM modules

[mrplow]

Mine did something really retarded when it went into sleep mode, too. Unfortunately, the way I fixed it was to go into sleep mode again and then managed to force it to wake up. So not too helpful to you. Nice confirmation that sleep mode is indeed completely and utterly retarded, though..

:(

Perhaps one of those "reset configuration" jobbies would jolt it to life, or trying to fiddle with the bios power saving stuff (unless there's NO display at all that is..

If you have a keyboard with a sleep button (I know, they suck, but still) then could try that to attempt the sleep/wakeup type method that worked for me above.

:wacko:

[Pug]

I couldn't get it to beep even with no memory or cpu present but now I think about it, I removed the onboard speaker when I had the iPanel in (it shows POSTcodes in Hex when connected) which could explain why it's not beeping. (duh) :rolleyes:
I'll try and dig out an old one from somewhere to try that after dinner, thx.

I did reseat the chip & mem as well as the gfx card but my unlock job on the 1800 Palo that's in there detects as an XP2000 by default (even though all multi's are unlocked) and although it won't boot at 133 without extra voltage, it should default to 100 fsb if it doesn't make it in.
Plus, I've tried it in jumper mode and set the values by the dipswitches. Still no joy though.


As a last resort, I may have to pull my only other SktA chip from Hex and cross my fingers that the suspect board won't fry it. :unsure:

[Pug]

mrplow - I can't get in the bios unfortunately.
I did try swapping for a kbd with a sleep button yesterday but that didn't do it either.

[bigZ]

Have you tried removing the CMOS battery?

[mnpctech]

It sounds like Pug did that too.

reset the BIOS and it still refuses to POST

[mrplow]

Have you tried hitting it with a sledgehammer?

I bet you'll feel better ;)
(until you realise what you've done of course)

[bigZ]

Originally posted by mrplow@Feb 9 2004, 02:50 AM
Have you tried hitting it with a sledgehammer?
or a crowbar... :wub: :lol:

[mnpctech]

Ohhhh and being that its a ClearPC case, Pug better take photos of that :lol:

OT: I'm still on the fence about buying a clear case to play wit sometime.

[Pug]

Originally posted by mnpctech@Feb 9 2004, 01:43 PM
Ohhhh and being that its a ClearPC case, Pug better take photos of that  :lol:

OT: I'm still on the fence about buying a clear case to play wit sometime.
Well, it's not looking its best in this pic but this was taken just after I posted this thread.
http://www.wizarddesigns.co.uk/images/clearPC.jpg

I haven't really made the most of the case yet, I had all sorts of modding ideas going through my head for it originally but then most of the parts went into Hex while I prioritised that as a project.
Here's where I got to just before G-gnome sprang Orac³ (http://bit-tech.net/article/114/) on an unsuspecting public... ;)

http://freespace.virgin.net/water.cooled/Pics/LCD/1stBuild.jpg
http://freespace.virgin.net/water.cooled/Pics/LCD/noHose.jpg
http://freespace.virgin.net/water.cooled/Pics/LCD/emptTube.jpg
http://www.wizarddesigns.co.uk/images/ABCFfit.jpg

Then I went a bit minimalist and tried to rethink a few angles -
http://www.wizarddesigns.co.uk/images/passiveS.jpg
http://www.wizarddesigns.co.uk/images/passiveF.jpg
but couldn't think of what to do with the space I'd gained
... so I just ended up using the rig and putting off modding it in favour of other projects (but I'll definitely revisit it eventually, whether or not I can get the bugger working again!)


Back to the problem in hand tho', what's weird is the fact that it goes through most of the motions for booting - the drives spin up and I even get the HDD activity light and the optical mouse glow.
One think that I don't get though is my keyboard lights - they flash on when I give power but don't come on at boot like they normally would.

I've got the HDD in Hex now to try and pull the data off it that I need day to day but I now get "Access Denied" when I try to get into My Docs. :wacko:

[mnpctech]

One think that I don't get though is my keyboard lights - they flash on when I give power but don't come on at boot like they normally would.

I've got the HDD in Hex now to try and pull the data off it that I need day to day but I now get "Access Denied" when I try to get into My Docs

Try another KB or port?

Did you make it the primary HD or Slave?

This is just a guess, but if youre using Win XP it may be baulking cause of the different hardware in Hex if its the primary drive. XP has the annoying HD ID code, but it only triggers if theres a dramatic change in your hardware. ie: different MB, CPU, etc

When I had a similar problem, I made the problem HD a slave on another Win XP PC and was able to access all of my old data. If I tried making it the primary, I could not get into Win XP

[Pug]

Slave atm - (everything else is accessible except "Pug's Docs" btw, sorry if that wasn't clear).
I even created a new admin account with the same User/Pass as the old machine but it wouldn't do it so I ended up spending a day & a half recreating one of the documents that was locked away in their 'cos I needed it too desperately to wait or mess about trying to recover it. :rolleyes:
Ah well, eh?

[Edit] Yup, tried another kbd too (both PS/2 & USB now)

[Pug]

Ahh poo!
Tried again this weekend to jump start the bugger by taking the CPU out of Hex and swapping Gfx cards with the Lian Li rig.
No dice. :(


I had a really scary moment when Hex refused to boot after swapping things back and the Li Li booted to a black screen when I put the DDR ram out of the ClearPC in it too. :o
Turning Hex on & off at the mains and switching ram slots in the Li Li brought them both back around but it was touch & go for a bit, I can tell you!
I don't know how all you single machine guys cope...


Damn. I paid top dollar for the A7V266-E Raid on release too. I hate it when expensive h/ware dies for next to no reason (or especially by my own stupid mistake). :angry:

[mrplow]

Originally posted by Pug@Mar 2 2004, 03:12 PM
I don't know how all you single machine guys cope...
Without the scope to constantly swap bits back and forth, the potential to b0rk everything is greatly reduced ;) :lol: