My computer nightmare, Gateway won't boot or post

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Also, take out the CMOS battery, and see if it will boot or POST at all.
I did try this, I believe. I can try again, though, in case I didn't already.

Things I'm going to try now:
- One RAM at a time
- Resitting the CPU (PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING IMPORTANT I SHOULD KNOW THIS!)
I'll be back in this thread to read some more suggestions afterward.

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Just that when you drop it back in, be sure not to bend any pins. Try not to disturb the thermal paste too.

It should drop into the slots very easy. Don't force it. There is a guide, a notch or similar, to tell you how it belongs on the board. Pay attention to the orientation when you remove it. It's not that hard a job.

Also, like bronx said earlier, find the BIOS chip and reseat it.

Good luck!
My DAW System:
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101

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Well folks, I just tried testing the RAM, one stick at a time in each slot, and it still wouldn't POST.

I'm going to resort to reseating the CPU before I officially pin this on a potentially dead motherboard.

edit: also, the mobo doesn't have a bios chip nor a socket for one. As weird as that is.

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After trying LOADS of suggestions and tips and solutions and all this over the last FIVE days, almost nonstop, I'm officially pinning this on a dead motherboard. I did everything I could, but in the end "He's Dead, Jim".

I did reseat the CPU. It actually looked good. No signs of any burning or anything. I get paid next week, so I can order the new mobo then. My current motherboard is an Acer IPIMB-AR, but I may replace it with a different motherboard. Yes, I realize I'm going to have to reinstall a new license of Windows, but I should have enough left over cash to do it, I wanted buy a retail copy of Windows 8 for a very long time anyway. Yes, this is my music production PC, but it was a damn good one.

Hopefully the i7 looking good was a good sign, and it works on the new ATX motherboard. If anyone has any suggestions for the kind I should buy, feel free to suggest. No more than $225-$250. In the meantime, I can get that and install Windows 7 (my retail copy, if I can't get Win8 right away). Something that would work with an i7 and have 16 to 32 GB ram capabilities (16 did me fine on this one, I don't think I ever went past 10 but sample libraries these days are getting bigger), possibly on-board video (since I don't do any gaming or anything I don't see why I need a super l33t gfx c@rd), ethernet, USB ports (maybe, I can probably get that separate).

I would like to thank all of you for your help, guidance, education, knowledge and patience with me. I actually learned a lot from all this.

*"Taps" playing the background*

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Double check if you connected right switch buttons (case buttons) and if the polarity is correct. You may have to refer to the manual if this is not printed on the mobo next to pins.

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Double post

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bronxsound wrote:Double check if you connected right switch buttons (case buttons) and if the polarity is correct. You may have to refer to the manual if this is not printed on the mobo next to pins.
All looks to be correct with that. It's a dead mobo, indeed. It's amazing the way it happened. From reading across the internet, this type of thing has happened on many PCs. Usually it's the motherboard. Not necessarily from installing an application, but from updating/upgrading Windows.

The reason why I'm scared of it being the CPU is because I THINK my PC was overclocked, straight from the factory though. It was supposed to be a 3.40 running at 3.50. This is what I remember reading about the computer before I bought it, but I can't find anything on it now. I could hear the fan running when making music (but never really hard). The times it did run hard was when Windows 8 and 8.1 had it's background updating processes going (while the PC was idle) and it was driving the CPU usage up to about 50-60%, even on my i7. But that usually last about 15 to 30 minutes, 2-3 days a weel. That was actually a very common complaint about Windows 8, just from me Googling the issue a while ago. Usually, I never went past 20-30% on CPU usage when making music or doing anything else (which used less about 10 or so percent)

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xphen0m wrote:
bronxsound wrote:Double check if you connected right switch buttons (case buttons) and if the polarity is correct. You may have to refer to the manual if this is not printed on the mobo next to pins.
All looks to be correct with that. It's a dead mobo, indeed. It's amazing the way it happened. From reading across the internet, this type of thing has happened on many PCs. Usually it's the motherboard. Not necessarily from installing an application, but from updating/upgrading Windows.

The reason why I'm scared of it being the CPU is because I THINK my PC was overclocked, straight from the factory though. It was supposed to be a 3.40 running at 3.50. This is what I remember reading about the computer before I bought it, but I can't find anything on it now. I could hear the fan running when making music (but never really hard). The times it did run hard was when Windows 8 and 8.1 had it's background updating processes going (while the PC was idle) and it was driving the CPU usage up to about 50-60%, even on my i7. But that usually last about 15 to 30 minutes, 2-3 days a weel. That was actually a very common complaint about Windows 8, just from me Googling the issue a while ago. Usually, I never went past 20-30% on CPU usage when making music or doing anything else (which used less about 10 or so percent)
Acer owns Gateway, and while you may have an Acer mobo, you may have to get the very same one--from Gateway--for it to fit back into that Gateway case.

Also, depending upon which version of Windows 7 you have, you may be able to install it up to 3 times on your home computers.

Steve
Here's some of my stuff: https://soundcloud.com/shadowsoflife. If you hear something you like, I'm looking for collaborators.

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planetearth wrote:Acer owns Gateway, and while you may have an Acer mobo, you may have to get the very same one--from Gateway--for it to fit back into that Gateway case.
Wouldn't I need a warranty for that?

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sounds like you experienced system corruption several times over, including while you powered down during the failed system upgrade. it's probably NOT the motherboard. But your entire Windows install is probably totally too far gone to recover. I recommened erasing everything, then reinstall Windows. It's frustrating, but so is flogging a dead horse.
Download & play soothing music: https://soundcloud.com/wait_codec

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Bit late to the party but here are my two cents...for the record I've been doing technical support for the better part of 20 years and started as desktop support though admittedly do enterprise software support, have always built my own machines, etc. When it comes to power supplies do NOT scrimp...single most important part of your setup. Under powered systems will run but they will also damage your memory DIMMs and MB. There are online calculators that will tell you based on your number of drives, cpu wattage, number/speed of DIMMs, number of drives (including CD)/ PCI cards, etc, the recommended PSU wattage for your rig. Considering the number of drives, DIMMs and high powered CPU's used by most musicians running a DAW today, in MY opinion nobody should be running a system with anything less than a 750w PS. An i7 running on a 300w PS? Asking for trouble.

Most common point of failures (second to hard drives) are motherboards, for obvious reasons. Power surges are muy bad! Get a quality surge protector with a backup battery if possible to avoid the negative effects of brownouts because when power to your home is restored this is not a gradual climb but a sudden full surge of power. Can a BIOS become corrupt? Sure, never experienced it myself though, and certainly not via a windows update/upgrade. Occurs more commonly through improper flashing. A burned out capacitor is generally easy to detect, pull out the motherboard and sniff all over.

You've already done what should have been the first step in troubleshooting issues with a non posting box - make sure PSU/CPU fan is spinning, make sure you unplug the power cord, ground yourself, remove all memory DIMMS, all non OS drives, video cards, any and all PCI cards, (hopefully MB has an integrated one you can use in its stead for video), reinsert one DIMM, test for post (cycle through the DIMMs and memory slots testing with all combinations. If still no post, remove fan from CPU - does thermal paste look "hard/dry-ish/cracked"? Dry thermal paste does not conduct heat to heat sink and BIOS usually have a safety function which will shut down your PC if temp's reach set threshold. This happening enough times can damage a CPU. If it is, it's time to clean CPU/FAN heatsink with proper thermal paste remover, apply fresh thermal paste to fan heat sink (using too much is just as bad as it being dry as it will not conduct heat but instead will work as an insulator to trap the heat), reseat CPU/FAN carefully. Still no post? Last possibility if you have the option is to install your MB/CPU/FAN/HD/DIMM in another case - I've had experiences with the case's USB ports and on/off switches causing immediate electrical shorts due to cheap manufacturing which will cause problems booting/posting and which can also fry a MB.

Like I said, this is all a bit late considering you're replacing your MB but maybe this can help someone else in the future.

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Doors are sticking. So doors are planed down. Hinges are oiled. And doors stick again. A classic example of fixing defects without first identifying the problem. Also called shotgunning. Previous posts did same. Clearing CMOS or suspecting a hard drive was equivalent to oiling hinges.

A house's foundation was never inspected? So everything to fix doors never addressed the problem. Foundation of every computer is its power 'system' (more than just a PSU). Normal is for a defective PSU to boot a system. And work fine in another system. While suddenly start causing strange (unexplained) failures. Just like the door, until its foundation is confirmed good, then any other part can act defective.

Shotgunning is replacing good part until something works. A shotgun strategy explains 5 days of confusion and frustration. For example, if a system does not even power on, then hard drive, et al are completely irrelevant.

Until the power system is confirmed good, then anything else may act defective. Power system is only confirmed with all parts interconnected - no wires disconnected. Useful reply (assistance) is only possible with some three digit numbers. That means a meter, some requested instructions, and minutes of labor. Without those three digit numbers, then the fewer who really know this stuff can only remain silent. Until a power 'system' is confirmed good, then all previous recommendations can report nothing useful.

Again, a defective power supply can still boot and run a computer. Defect can only be identified with a system unchanged (no shotgunning), with all power system components still connected, and numbers from a meter using requested instructions.

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So, guys....question. Is it really SO rare that CPUs die? I've been told that several times throughout this ordeal but upon reading situations similar to mine, that's the first suggested culprit.

I'm trying to decide on which way to go:

A.) I would like to see if this i7 3770 is still working. That would save me a lot of money if it were. (which is very important as you'll read why at the end of this post) I want to order some replacement parts to try it. But I really don't want it to wind up being the CPU that's the problem. I want to check out NewEgg's return policies via a phone call if it doesn't work out. I read their return policy on their website. I'm aware of a restocking fee, but there's other information I need to check out that would be better via an actual human. Literally no one around me has a socket that would work with my i7.

B.) Part of me just wants to bypass the potential frustration of option A and just save up to get a custom rig built at the end of the month. I have few rig lists built around AMD FX 8350 on PCPartPicker. But I've gone stark raving mad without having my music to make....especially considering that I just bought Trilian the day that this started. Those two facts in combination have driven me up the wall.

The things that really frustrate me even more is that 1. TigerDirect closed all four of their Chicagoland locations. Because of this, there are no computer shops around this area I'm in. (Chicago's south suburbs) B. Hours are being cut at work (I found out this past weekend) This could potentially delay me getting a new rig.

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>> So, guys....question. Is it really SO rare that CPUs die?

It is extremely rare. Meanwhile, with the near zero facts available, then none of those 'suspect' are viable. Even removing memory has no relationship to the problem. Now for how a computer works.

A power controller decides when to power on or off a PSU. Once that processor decides everything is OK, only then does it let the CPU execute. You think your CPU is not executing? Why? How many even knew a power controller exists; let alone know it decides when the CPU can work?

Obviously, is a CPU is not permitted to work, then BIOS, memory, and all that other stuff never does anything.

Posted was a completely different strategy. Do not invent a suspect and then accuse it. Instead, follow the evidence. Most all other parts will act defective if the power 'system' is not functional. A computer can even boot and run with a still defective power 'system'. Long before even considering any other suspect, first numbers must be obtained to define the power system as good or bad.

If a power controller (just one of many parts in the power 'system') does not like what it sees, then it will not let the CPU execute. Power 'system' is the foundation. Why then would you accuse that CPU - for the same reasons a homeowner would accuse doors rather than first check his foundation? Only useful answers exist when hard facts and numbers are provide. If a computer's foundation is defective, then other parts (ie CPU) will act defective.

So far, the only hard fact is a system will not boot. Everything after than has only been speculation. Always start by inspecting the foundation.

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