Odd power problem

[Zagadka]

This isn't Win7 specific (mostly)

First, look at my system specs.

OK, for the past few months, I've been having a problem where about 60% of the time on boot, I guess the video hardware doesn't kick in. What's weird is that it not only doesn't load any video (both monitors stay in "powered down" mode - yellow light), but the system access light stays solid red.

All of the fans work. I checked the circuitry twice. I don't have any power problems at all, period, once it boots. I've tried other cards, different power cables, etc. I've even underclocked my system (I never overclocked it).

I mostly work around it by hitting reset and waiting to see if the monitors turn on.

My guess would be some fault in the hardware, but I can't find it. I've done everything short of switching motherboards.

Now, the weird part... when I switched from Vista to 7100, it worked frine. When I upgraded to 7201, it reverted.

Before I go out and spend on a new motherboard, I wanted to see if anyone has a better idea.

 

[Captain Zero]

Bring it over here, we'll workbench it and see what's going on.

Honestly, it sounds like a BIOS/Mobo problem. Do you run defaults in BIOS?

 

[Zagadka]

hehe, I'll bring some beer

Yea, I tried resetting BIOS. I'm looking up new motherboards now (when something breaks, it is a great excuse to upgrade, of course).

 

[Captain Zero]

Any BIOS upgrades available for it?

 

[Zagadka]

Going to be installing 7229 in a sec, I'll check BIOS version when I reboot

 

[Zagadka]

BIOS is updated.

I took the opportunity to upgrade my motherboard. Maybe I'll have enough next month for a new processor

 

[Caerus84]

My computer actually just started doing this yesterday...I'm running build 7100, my graphics card is an ATI 4770. I've discovered that I can boot up into safe mode just fine, and clean out the display driver using driver sweeper...and then it'll boot up regularly (with the windows driver), but once I try to install the ATI driver again, it will boot up into a black screen...I tried several different drivers and it doesn't matter which one I choose, I only get the black screen. Any suggestions?

 

[Zagadka]

Well, I have bad news for both of us, Caerus. I just installed a new motherboard. Checked the wiring twice. Exact same problem remains... so it isn't the power supply, it isn't the motherboard or BIOS, it isn't the OS, it isn't the RAM, it isn't the video card, it isn't the wiring...

WTF?


BTW, doesn't everyone love putting a computer together? The smell of fresh plastic... the terror of running power through the system the first time... I even love all the little cuts you get on your fingers from boards, jumpers, and the like.