PC Will Not Boot New Computer Will Not Boot Whether you're a novice or an expert PC technician, we've all had an experience when a new PC would not boot. There's no worse feeling than pushing the power button on the front of a new machine an hearing absolutely nothing. This article will focus on some of the common problems with new builds and help to reduce the computer troubleshooting time when diagnosing problems with your new computer. Take A Quick Visual Of The Computer You should have already done this before trying to power up the PC, but a lot of novice PC builders will skip this step in anticipation of powering up their new machine. This step may save you time and money. First, triple check to make sure the CPU is sitting flat on the motherboard socket. It's probably hard to tell because of the heat sink, but if the entire CPU and heat sink combo looks skewed, then chances are it's not installed properly. Next, go over the IDE cables and the thin wires running from the power and reset switches to the motherboard. While the IDE cables are keyed, it's quite possible to get those case wires backwards or completely. Lastly give the PC a little shake. Make sure an errant screw didn't fall behind the motherboard during the install. This could blow the motherboard or cause the system to go to ground. Computer Hardware Troubleshooting When a new PC will not boot, a good place to start is the power supply. Is the machine getting power? If there is no fan activity at the rear of the power supply, then the power supply isn't working. First, check the wall socket and power strip to make sure power is actually being supplied to the computer. If there is power to the outlet, confirm that the | / O lever in the back is set to |. Then confirm that the voltage is set to 110V in the USA or 220V in countries that require that setting. If you have a voltmeter, you might want to consider testing the power supply. Refer to the pin out chart for the correct power supply voltages . Troubleshooting Video Cards If the system powers up, but you get nothing on the screen, the video card may be the culprit. First, confirm the video cable is secured to the video card's output. If the motherboard has built in video, and you're using a PCI-E or AGP card, make sure the cable is secured to the correct port. Also, check for bent pins on the connector and confirm the monitor works and the brightness controls are set correctly. Do you hear any beeps? If so, refer to our BIOS beep code chart . It's always a good idea to reseat the RAM and video card when you get the "No Signal Displayed" message on the monitor. Dead Motherboard or CPU Improper installation of the motherboard and CPU can cause instant failure. We like to install the CPU and RAM modules on the motherboard before installing the motherboard in the case this is because it sometimes requires some effort to get the heat sink seated properly on the CPU. The CPU itself should slide effortlessly into place and lock without any problems with the lever. If you require resistance when installing the CPU, make sure the CPU's pins are properly aligned to the socket on the motherboard. Apply the correct amount of thermal grease or tape as recommended by the manufacturer, and then install the heat sink. The heat sink should rest flatly on top of the CPU. As for the motherboard, refer to the manual about each of the connections to the case. Common problem areas are the standoffs between the case and motherboard, and the connection of the thin wires from the power and reset switches to the motherboard. BIOS BEEP Codes You will often receive a BIOS beep code when there is a hardware issue with the PC. You should determine the BIOS residing on the motherboard by physically looking for the BIOS chip on the motherboard. Look for something like AMI-BIOS, AWARD BIOS or PHOENIX. Refer to our BIOS Beep Code Chart when diagnosing beep code errors. This will often lead you quickly to the source of the hardware problem. In Conclusion While these new computer installations can be frustrating, it's important to take a step back and think before you do more damage. Take a nap or a walk and then look at the problem with fresh eyes. If you need further assistance, please consult our techs on our message boards . Repair Windows XP Installation Repair Windows XP Installation Repairing your Windows XP installation isn’t as straightforward as it has been in previous version of Windows. In the past, you could simply install Windows over top of it self to correct any problems with missing or corrupt files. With XP, you need to be careful or you could end up inadvertently wiping your current installation and losing all of your applications and data. When we “repair” Windows, you are installing Windows again with the intent of keeping all of our data and programs intact. Warning: As with any major procedure, you risk losing data. Be sure to backup any important data before you proceed with the Windows XP repair. To repair Windows XP you’ll need a genuine Windows XP CD. Because you are essentially reinstalling Windows when you repair it, you’ll need the key code on the back of the XP CD case, so have it handy. The recovery disks for major brands like HP and Dell will not be good enough unless they have actually given you a Windows disk, which isn’t likely. Insert the CD in the drive and reboot the PC. You will see text flash on the screen that says “Boot to CD press any key.” There will be a brief delay until Windows loads. Then you will see a screen that offers you the following options: 1. To setup Windows XP now, press Enter. 2. To repair a Windows XP installation using the recovery console, press R. 3. To quit setup without installing Windows XP, press F3. Option 2 seems like the obvious choice, but we actually want to press Enter to setup Windows. You will then be asked to accept the license agreement. Once you do that, you’ll need to select the XP installation you want to repair and then press R. Allow XP to copy the necessary files and then reboot. You will again be asked to press any key to boot to the CD. This time do not press anything. Windows will boot to the installation screen on its own and proceed with the installation of Windows. Once done, you will need to run through the final stages of setup by inputting your Windows registration key. Then you’re finished with the repair. Take the CD out and reboot the PC. You should find that your data and programs are still intact, but Windows has installed over itself and repaired damaged or missing files. How to Uninstall Vista If you upgrade to Vista from Windows XP, you may be finding it difficult to revert back to XP. There are several factors involved in uninstalling Vista and some of these make it difficult to successfully go back to XP. Whenever you do a new Operating System upgrade, you need to face the fact that reverting back to a previous version may not be an option and even if it were an option, the process of going backward is complicated and may not even work. With that said, be sure you have made the necessary backups before upgrading to Vista or before attempting to downgrade your Windows Vista installation to XP. You can try to downgrade without losing data via the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/933168. But the best way is to use a fresh XP CD with a fresh license key. While you can try to use a previous license of XP from that computer, it may not work, as there have been issues with Vista rendering previous XP licenses useless after a Vista upgrade. This makes sense, as Microsoft does not want you to sell the upgraded XP after you are no longer using it. So be sure to get your hands on a boxed copy of XP before attempting an upgrade. Boot to the fresh copy of XP. To do this, you may need to go into the system BIOS to change the first boot device to the CD ROM drive. When asked where you want to install XP, look for the current partition where Vista is installed and remove it. This will wipe out the Vista installation and all data will be lost. You can now install XP by choosing the free space on the hard drive. You will also need to install drivers for all of your hardware. If you do not have a driver disk, be sure to go to the manufacturer of the hardware (motherboard manufacturer, video card manufacturer, sound card manufacturer, etc...) and have those disks ready. You should at the very least have the driver for the network card so you can get online and download the other drivers later. If you have a major brand name computer and have purchased it with XP and then later installed Vista, call or Email their technical support to see if there is a way to successfully revert back using the recovery disks that came with your computer. If you have any other questions about downgrading Vista, please be sure to join our free message boards today. Device Manager Error Codes The Device Manager in Windows XP is often the first place to look when you are having a problem with Microsoft Windows--particularly a piece of hardware that is malfunctioning. The Device manager lists the components in order, and will sometimes have a red "X" over the device, or an exclamation point beside its icon. This indicates there is a problem with the device, and if you double click the icon, you may find that there is an error code associated with the error. Error Codes and Explanation Code 1 Problem: This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1) Resolution: This error could mean the device has no drivers installed or is incorrectly configured. Try updating the drive by clicking Update Driver. This starts the Hardware Update wizard. If updating the driver doesn't work, see your hardware documentation for more info. Code 10 Problem: This device cannot start. (Code 10) Resolution: First, try updating the driver for this device. If that doesn't work, on the General Properties tab of the device, click Troubleshoot to start the Troubleshooting Wizard. Code 19 Problem: A registry problem was detected (Code 19) Resolution: Navigate to the General Properties tab of this device, then click Troubleshoot to start the Troubleshooting Wizard. Click Uninstall, and then click Scan for hardware changes to load a usable driver. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, and then select Last Known Good Configuration. This rolls back to the most recent successful registry configuration. Code 22 Problem: This device is disabled. (Code 22) Resolution: The device is disabled because a user disabled it by using Device Manager. Click Enable Device. This starts the Enable Device wizard. Code 39 Problem: Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39) Resolution: The driver may be corrupt. You should uninstall the current driver, then click scan for hardware changes. To reinstall the driver. Error Code Summary Some typical resolutions for Microsoft Windows error codes:  Uninstall the driver for the device.  Reinstall the driver.  Try Rebooting.  Swap out the hardware with a known good device.  Roll back the driver.  If all else fails, either reinstall Windows or use the recovery disks that came with the PC. Be sure to backup all data first. PC Troubleshooting Tips “I Didn't Do It!” We've all heard it before. Whether you're a help desk technician, a system administrator, or just the whiz kid nephew that the whole family calls for PC help, you're familiar with this response. Dealing with computer problems can be frustrating enough, even without having to start from scratch due to a user who can't tell you what went wrong. This is why it's vital to have a game plan when diagnosing a sick PC. The intention of this article is to walk you through the logical troubleshooting process. Article by Joe Chafin Step 1: Re-Create The Problem Ask the user to demonstrate the problem. This is an important step, because sometimes the problem lies not with the hardware but with the user. By actually having the client show you what is happening, you can garner much more information than by assuming the client is correct in his or her diagnosis. For example, a user is complaining that his “sound card doesn't work,” when in fact the power adapter is unplugged from the speakers. Step 2: Determine If The Problem Is Hardware Or Software (or, gasp, both!) Determining if the problem lies in hardware can sometimes be accomplished by using some basic senses. Listen for POST beeps, bad cooling fans, or the infamous click-click-click of a bad hard drive. Smell for burning parts. Watch the computer POST and look for error codes. Software problems usually occur more along the lines of crashes, system hangs, error messages, and the like. Step 3: Divide and Conquer Isolate the problem by dividing it into logical areas . For example, if the computer produces an error when reading from a DVD, the logical place to look is the DVD drive system. This system consists of the DVD disc, the drive itself, the components that tell the drive what to do, the cable that connects the drive to the motherboard, and the software being used to read the disc. Any of these can cause an error. Your task is to determine where the problem lies. Test and rule out each part of the system until you find the faulty link in the chain. Step 4: Fix The Problem Or Test A Different Theory Once the problem has been isolated, repair can begin. Swap the part, change settings, update software, etc. If your solution doesn't work, start the troubleshooting process over again at the appropriate step. Be sure to take notes. This step can be frustrating, but logic will eventually prevail. Step 5: Test The Solution Don't immediately assume that you have totally repaired the PC. Occasionally, fixing one problem can cause or reveal others. Test the computer yourself and then have the user test it, under normal operating conditions, to prove that the problem has been solved. Step 6: Provide Feedback To The User This is often the most overlooked step of the troubleshooting process. I have seen many technicians who fail terribly at this juncture due to lack of patience, extensive use of technical terms, or just plain being condescending. If a user is paying you to work on an issue, they have a right to know exactly what went wrong and how it was fixed. Explain the problem and the solution to your client, without using overly technical terms. Don't assume that your client is less than intelligent just because they don't share your passion for technology. Remember, your technical prowess may get you the job, but your people skills will ensure that you keep it. CPU Beep Code The CPU is a hard component to troubleshoot because it is essentially the brains of the PC. We often get questions from people asking if the motherboard will produce a beep code if the CPU is bad. A computer will not beep without the CPU. There will be no power at all to the system if the processor is removed. The BIOS will issue a code in some instances, such as read/ write errors, overheating or general failure. But if you remove the processor, the computer will not power up or issue any codes at all. The system will appear completely dead. If you are receiving a beep code from the BIOS, first look on the motherboard for the BIOS chip and then write down the exact error code you are getting. For instance, a Phoenix BIOS might produce a 1-1-2 beep code if the CPU has failed; while an Award BIOS will generate a repeating high and low beep code. You can also troubleshoot the CPU with a visual inspection. If the CPU fan is not spinning, there is a good chance the processor has shut down the computer to save itself from burning up. Replacing the fan should resolve that problem. If the BIOS does not have that capability, the CPU has probably failed due to excessive heat. You can remove the heat sink and fan to look at the top of the processor. There will sometimes be a scorched area at the top, indicating a fried CPU. Do not remove the heat sink and fan unless you have the knowledge of how to do so, and be sure you have thermal compound available when you reassemble everything. If the CPU checks out, you could have a problem with the power supply or motherboard. Those components can produce similar symptoms. While replacing a CPU is relatively easy if you’re careful, you should eliminate all other components on the motherboard before purchasing a new processor, as they are generally the most expensive part in the computer. If you have any other questions about CPUs, be sure to join our free computer support message boards .