PC won't boot...

It’s honestly pretty likely the motherboard finally kicked the bucket, considering this thing is already like 14 or 15 years old.

I’ll probably drag it over to someone who actually knows what they're doing to get a proper diagnosis.

As for the hard drive, it shouldn't be a huge headache to just grab an enclosure and turn it into an external drive, though I'm low-key bummed I won't have my DVD player anymore. It would've been pretty sick if I could just convert that into an external unit along with the hard drive, but from what I gather, that's just not how it works.

urbanheron4 said:Hold on a second. You don't do that on the 24-pin connector; you do it by shorting the power switch pins on the motherboard's front panel header.

Are you serious? Back when I was busy fixing PCs, you were probably still in diapers. Think about what those two wires going to the power button actually do—they just bridge the black and green wires on the 24-pin Energy connector.

Nah, the wires from the energy button aren't just shorting out the black and green pins on the 24-pin connector. If that were actually happening, the PC would shut down the second you let go of the button.

I don't know if Zachary Bishop15 actually tried to revert everything back to how it was before and then attempted to boot up his PC again.
You know how it goes when the grid starts flickering during a thunderstorm—it can totally trip the power supply. Usually, you just need to unplug the thing from the wall to let it reset. Once those capacitors drain out, it should kick back into gear and run just fine, exactly like it has every other year.

shadowlynx102 said:Oh, really? When I was busy fixing PCs, you were probably still in preschool. What do those two wires going to the Energy button actually do? They just short the black and green pins on the 24-pin connector.

Wait, how is a PC supposed to turn on if the 24-pin connector is unplugged? He’d have to disconnect it just to short those two pins. Which means at that exact moment, the motherboard isn't getting any Energy. You test the Energy switch using the front panel connectors, not the 24-pin. The Energy switch doesn't plug into the 24-pin; it goes straight to the front panel headers.

http://graphicslearning.com/wp-conte...ront-panel.jpg

wearymason4 said:No, the wires from the power button don't just permanently bridge the black and green pins on the 24-pin connector; if they did, the PC would shut off the second you let go of the button.
.

It seems like some people here aren't really paying attention to what's being said, so maybe a quick refresher on reading comprehension wouldn't hurt 😵 . Look, when you briefly bridge the black and green wires while the power supply is actually plugged into the motherboard, the PC will turn on. I never suggested leaving them connected like that. What I mean is you take a small scrap of wire, maybe about 4 inches long—ideally something flexible like a stranded wire—and strip a little bit of the insulation off the ends. You slide one end onto the black wire on the 24-pin connector, then just lightly tap the other end against the green wire. If the power supply is working properly, the computer will boot up. To be clear: you touch it, and then you move it away.

wearymason4 said:No, man, you've got it wrong—those wires coming off the power button aren't just shorting the black and green pins on the 24-pin connector together. If that were actually happening, the second you took your finger off the button, the whole damn PC would just die instantly.

I honestly can't tell if Zachary Bishop15 actually tried to revert everything back to how it was before, or if he even bothered trying to boot up the PC again this time around.
Look, we all know how it goes when the power starts flickering during one of those nasty summer thunderstorms—it’s enough to make you jump out of your skin. Sometimes that little surge just trips the power supply and locks everything up, making the whole thing act like it’s dead. Honestly, you don't even need to panic or call a technician; usually, you just gotta yank the plug from the wall, let those capacitors drain out for a bit, and once they're empty, you can plug it back in and it'll be running smooth again, just like it has every single year.

I’ve literally tried everything under the sun to get this thing back to a normal boot, just trying to kickstart it like it used to work, but absolutely nothing. I even went full technician mode on it—pulled the battery, yanked out the RAM sticks, did all the usual nonsense—but yeah, still zilch. Total dead end.

shadowlynx102 said:Man, do you people even know how to read? Seriously, go back to elementary school 😵. Look, when we bridge the black and green wires—provided the power supply is ALREADY plugged into the motherboard—the PC will kick on. I never said you should leave them shorted out forever. What I mean is you take a little scrap of wire, maybe 4 inches long (preferably something flexible like stranded wire), strip the ends, shove one end into the 24-pin connector where the black wire sits, and then just briefly touch the other end to the green wire. If the PSU isn't dead, the PC turns on. I repeat: TOUCH IT AND LET GO.

See, I didn't say that, I meant with the 24-pin connector already plugged in.

Next time I actually have some free time, I’ll try it that way—with the connector seated and me poking it using the method described. Honestly, the last time I messed around with this, I used a bent paperclip, and I ended up blowing a fan or something, so I really need to find a proper little piece of insulated wire.

Zachary Bishop15 said:Look, I didn't mean it was like that, I meant it's on the 24-pin connector that's already plugged in.

Once I have a bit more free time, I’m going to try doing it this way—keeping the connector plugged in and just pushing it in the way you described. Last time I tried something similar using a paperclip, I ended up shorting out a fan or something, so I really need to track down a small piece of insulated wire to be safe.

If you end up in a spot where nothing turns on except for the fans again—meaning the PC won't POST and the screen stays black—then it’s pretty much a given that the motherboard is dead.

Zachary Bishop15 said:And honestly, trying to modernize that rig is a lost cause; I struggle to see how it’s even possible, maybe by scavenging some used parts, because finding DDR2 1066 RAM alone is becoming a nightmare, let alone anything else.

I actually have DDR2 RAM sticks sitting right here—along with plenty of other components—but even I am running on just 2GB with Windows XP and I don't find it particularly slow... besides, I really can't be bothered to go digging through my stash, even though I technically could :P I still have SSDs hanging out below me, mostly just dangling by their cables haha. So, I truly fail to grasp this whole Disney nonsense regarding SSD support, unless he’s just talking about SATA compatibility, but whatever. Wherever I plug them in, they work.

I'm not sure where you're located, but if you head over to the flea markets in Los Angeles, you can pick up those kinds of computers for $17 cheap. Yea! 🙂 Of course, the people selling them usually claim they have no idea if the machines actually function. Back in the day, I picked up three or four units from various vendors, primarily because I was hunting for specific ATX cases that were impossible to find elsewhere, and frankly, I didn't care whether they worked or not; every single one of them turned out to be fully operational. Only one had a dead power supply.

Usually, everything inside—the motherboard, the RAM, even the HDDs and the graphics card—is all gathered together and working perfectly fine... it's pure plug & play.

If you're having trouble, just send me a PM; I deal with DDR2 machines constantly and I have far too many of them lying around, so we will definitely find something to make you happy 😁 Or if you need a power supply, I don't have any of the ones with the 6-pin molex connectors for sale (the kind needed for GPUs with extra power requirements), but if you're desperate, I know who might have one.

And by the way, +1 for the username 🙂

Some of these old DDR2 motherboards don't even support AHCI, let alone an SSD. Even when they actually recognize one, they treat it like a clunky old HDD, running painfully slow—you'll even see them trying to run defrag on it like it's a spinning disk. 🤦
A few years back, I ordered a Gigabyte GA-series from eBay. I specifically looked for version 2 because it has 6 SATA ports and a newer southbridge that actually plays nice with SSDs, but the guy sent me version 1 instead. 😢
Now it’s just sitting here gathering dust.

darkcyclist92 said:Look, I’ve got plenty of DDR2 RAM sticks lying around (and other junk too), but even I'm sitting on just 2GB (Windows XP) and honestly, it doesn't feel all that slow... plus, I can't really be bothered to mess with the sticks right now, even though I totally could :P My SSDs are actually sticking out the bottom, mostly just dangling by the cables lol. So, I don't really get this whole Disney thing about SSD support, unless he's talking about SATA maybe, but whatever. Wherever I pick them up, they always work for me.

I don't know where you're located, but you can find rigs like that at places like the flea markets in Los Angeles for $17 bucks. Yea! 🙂 OK, the people selling them usually claim they have no clue if they even work. Personally, I picked up 3 or 4 units from various sellers a while back, mostly because I was obsessed with those specific ATX cases—which were a nightmare to find elsewhere—and I didn't give a damn whether they worked or not, but every single one turned out to be fully functional. Only one had a dead power supply.

Usually, everything inside is solid—motherboard, RAM, even the HDDs and the GPU, all picked up and working perfectly... pure plug & play.

If you're having trouble, hit me up via PM. I'm constantly scavenging through DDR2 machines; I've got way too many of them, so we'll definitely find something to make you happy 😁 Or if you need a power supply, I might have some, though I don't have any with the 6-pin molex for GPUs with extra power needs for sale, but if you're desperate, I probably know someone who does.

And hey, +1 for the username 🙂

I'm over in San Francisco, so nothing like the Los Angeles markets. But if the motherboard finally kicked the bucket (and I haven't really had the energy to mess with it lately), I'll probably consider just biting the bullet, dropping the cash, and grabbing a new motherboard, CPU, RAM, and an SSD. Then I'd try to resurrect this setup using the old case—because I don't want anything else; this one fits perfectly and isn't some massive tower that I can't shove under my Sony Bravia—along with the old Blu-ray drive, hard drive, and power supply.

Zachary Bishop15 used to have a Sony Bravia; he bought it in color specifically to watch the Olympics in Boston. It's been about a year since he gave it away to some guy who wanted to turn the case into an aquarium. It actually still worked, but he just couldn't be bothered; he would've hooked a DVB tuner to a video recorder to get a picture. He felt bad giving it up, but there was really no point in letting it take up space in the closet.

wearymason4 said:There are some old motherboards running on DDR2 that don't even support AHCI, let alone an SSD; some systems might actually recognize one, but they run it as slow as a clunky old HDD, which basically forces you to deal with defragmentation anyway.🤦
A few years back, I ordered a Gigabyte GA-series from eBay—I specifically looked for version 2 with those 6 SATA ports and the newer southbridge that actually plays nice with SSDs—but the guy ended up shipping me version 1 instead.😢
Now it’s just sitting here collecting dust, totally useless to me.

Honestly, I wouldn't even touch used gear if I could swing something brand new; and if I can't, well, I'll survive without a desktop since my laptop gets the job done well enough.

I've been doing a little digging, though, and this ancient motherboard of mine actually has an optical audio connection, which is how I have it hooked up to my speakers. I remember sweating bullets trying to get any sound out of the PC at all because I've also got my TV connected via HDMI to both the computer and the speakers. So, I really need a motherboard that isn't bottom-of-the-barrel, because those super cheap ones usually skip all the essential ports I need.

But hey, that's a problem for future me. If I decide to pull the trigger, I'll just hop on here and ask you guys to help me pick out the right build.

And why on earth would you think laying a "normal" PC case horizontally is a good idea?

Richard Lee47 said:I mean, what on earth would even make you think about laying a "standard" keyboard down horizontally?

😁

👍

Zachary Bishop15 said:Zachary Bishop15 used to own a Grand color 220 TV, which he originally picked up specifically because of its color scheme for watching the Olympics in Boston. While the unit actually still functions, it’s frankly an absolute nuisance to deal with given how much space it occupies.

You see, the days when the University of Chicago and MIT were actually on top were much better. 😁

Zachary Bishop15 said:I’m currently out in Cleveland, which is nowhere near Georgetown. If the motherboard has finally kicked the bucket—and I honestly haven't had the energy to deal with that headache yet—I’ll probably just bite the bullet and swallow the cost of a complete overhaul. I'm talking a brand new motherboard, processor, RAM, and an SSD. I intend to cram all of that into my existing chassis because I refuse to switch to a tower; this setup is perfectly positioned under my TV, and I'm not looking to move it. I'll just repurpose the old Blu-ray drive, the hard drive, and the power supply to see if I can breathe some life back into the machine.

Tell you What; I’m feeling a bit worn out because I’ve been stuck cleaning out these tech rooms where PCs only make up a tiny fraction of the inventory. If I can actually carve out some time—which I fully intend to do—I am going to attempt to put together a decent rig for you. I'll hand it over once I pass through Cleveland.

I actually own a full desktop ATX chassis just like the Silver Case one you're talking about.

Richard Lee47 said:Seriously though, why on earth would you even think about laying a "standard" PC case on its side horizontally?

Look, I always just assumed there was some actual logic behind why cases and fans are positioned the way they are. You know, the whole airflow thing—drawing in cool air, venting the hot stuff, keeping the components from melting, all that jazz.

Since mine is tucked away in a closed cabinet under the TV, the cooling situation is already pretty questionable as it is, so there’s really no reason to make things worse by picking a weirdly shaped case. I mean, it’s not exactly a NASA supercomputer or anything, so a horizontal setup might technically work, but honestly? I’d much rather just avoid that headache altogether.

darkcyclist92 said:See, I told ya, hanging out at the University of Chicago and MIT was the absolute dream.😁

Tell you What; honestly, I’m feeling a little wiped right now because I’m stuck cleaning out these tech rooms where PCs are basically just a tiny fraction of the clutter... if I can find the time—which I totally plan to—I’ll try to put together a decent rig for you. Then I can hand it off once I swing through Cleveland.

I actually even have one of those full ATX desktop cases you were talking about, a SilverCase.

Man, I seriously appreciate the offer, truly, but if you've got extra parts lying around and some spare time, maybe pass them along to some kid whose parents can't afford stuff like that. To be real, I’m doing okay for now, but given how things have been going lately (between my own sketchy investments and the way inflation is hitting us here in the States), I wouldn't be surprised if more and more people end up in a spot where they can't even fix their old gear, let alone buy anything new.

Zachary Bishop15 said:Well, I've always just assumed there was a specific logic behind why cases and fans are positioned the way they are. You know, things like directing the flow of cool air in, pushing the hot air out, cooling down all the components, and all that sort of stuff.

Honestly, those fans are just creating either positive or negative pressure, so I suppose it probably doesn't even matter if the case is sitting horizontally or vertically.

Did you even bother checking the connectors?