Compaq Fails To Boot

Ok before you start lecturing me on craputers, I already know of all the bull---- about them, and how I should build my own and yada yada... Basically building your own is good, I just don't have the money, and this Compaq was bought by my dad for me a few years ago.

Anyways..

My brother's Compaq fails to boot. Here's what's happening:

I press the ON button. The HD activity light blinks, but the power light doesn't blink. The monitor's activity light remains amber, and does not display any messages. It just sits there as if the computer was still off. I can hear the sound of the harddrive whirring into action, the CD drive light blinks, and the ethernet card blinks a green light as usual. The PSU works fine. After all of that, the computer sits there, making the usual noises(harddrive, CPU fan) as if a computer was just sitting there idly, waiting for a task to be done. The KEYBOARD LIGHTS do NOT blink.

I talked to Compaq after going through there bot-like procedure only to have them tell me the obvious: Your comptuer doesn't work. How's your warranty status?

Specs:

1.4GHZ Intel Celeron
(Not from the original setup)256 SDRAM
128 SDRAM
(Not from the original setup)Radeon 9550. I forgot the manufacturer, but it had 'Xtasy' in the name.
Keyboard model: SK-1688
200-250 Watt PSU, Compaq's ----ed up and put two different stickers on there. The ATI Radeon 9550 requires more than 200W.
OS: Windows XP Home Edition (No Service packs installed)

Situation: One day my dad got pissed for some reason, and while my brother was playing a game, he shut off his computer. It has failed to start since. Prior to the incident, my dog was chewing on the cords to the headphones, and they no longer function with his computer or my computer. I have an Audigy 2 Value sound card. After the headset stopped working, the mouse batteries died which my brother claims brought down his whole computer.

Please help, I'm trying to be as specific and helpful as I can.

 

1. your head phones dont work becaused they were chewed. your sound card should be fine.

2. does your PS have a switch in the back? If so, turn it off, turn on the computer like normal, turn it back on, and start your computer up. you could do the same by unplugging it. What that does is it discharges any electricity in the computer.

3. Do you have onboard video? If not, take the card out, and re-insert it, see if that helps.

Let me know if any of this works..

 

hmm man i think it's a fried motherboard !

 

if it was fried, how could it power up? <_<

 

You didn't meantio nif it was a laptop or desktop so okay I had the same problem my Compaq laptop not too long ago. Take out all the power sources ie. batteries, power cords yada yada. then wait about 20 seconds and then reinsert the bettery then the power cord. again if u hav a desktop do the same thing but u don't need to take out a battery.

 

he didnt say it powered up :unsure:

 

That's good enough for me to say it does...

 

yeah nvm the ethernet card is blinking too so it wont be the mobo <_<

 

if any lights turn on and you hear your hard drive humm, your board is ok. If you get no response, then you can consider that..

 

im thinkin its the video card because the monitor doesnt get a status so if it has onboard gfx take out the card and try

 

it could also be the power supply.

cuz i had the same problem with my DELL and i got a new powersupply and it works like new.

 

I believe it is an issue surrounding your PSU.

 

sounds to me like the power pack on its way out cuz not deliving a nuff power to boot

 

Thank you to all who have responded.

myst_gfx, I used onboard graphics and nothing happened.

Carmon: That sounds logical, but his computer has worked before with the graphics card in...Can the power supply degrade after a period of time?

Is it possible that it could be the CMOS battery?-

 

^possibly I would change it and see what happens. Yes the power supply can degrade, but I suspect your PSU is practically dead.