F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Assist with the outdated machine that occasionally powers up.

Assist with the outdated machine that occasionally powers up.

Assist with the outdated machine that occasionally powers up.

B
Bourbonarms
Junior Member
Find
4
09-19-2025, 11:25 PM
#1
Hello, everyone, I'm trying to bring back an old Pentium 4 HT that I haven't used since 2008. I had some personal projects running on it. First, I cleaned it up, changed the CMOS battery, and installed a working PSU. The machine starts up and the fans spin nonstop, but I can't get a video signal. Sometimes the keyboard doesn't turn on either. Even when I power it on without any memory or HDD/CD-ROM, nothing happens. If I try to shut it down, sometimes it works fine, but other times I have to hold the power button for a few seconds. Recently, after four hours of troubleshooting, I managed to turn it on three times randomly. I got through Windows boot, but the installation was messed up. I'm not sure if the motherboard is dead or not, so I'm looking for advice on what to do next. Maybe replacing the PSU would help? Apologies for my unclear English.
Reply
Reply
B
Bourbonarms
09-19-2025, 11:25 PM #1

Hello, everyone, I'm trying to bring back an old Pentium 4 HT that I haven't used since 2008. I had some personal projects running on it. First, I cleaned it up, changed the CMOS battery, and installed a working PSU. The machine starts up and the fans spin nonstop, but I can't get a video signal. Sometimes the keyboard doesn't turn on either. Even when I power it on without any memory or HDD/CD-ROM, nothing happens. If I try to shut it down, sometimes it works fine, but other times I have to hold the power button for a few seconds. Recently, after four hours of troubleshooting, I managed to turn it on three times randomly. I got through Windows boot, but the installation was messed up. I'm not sure if the motherboard is dead or not, so I'm looking for advice on what to do next. Maybe replacing the PSU would help? Apologies for my unclear English.

Reply
Reply
J
JaakkoETL
Member
Find
155
09-19-2025, 11:45 PM
#2
Used to be, systems relied on hardware interrupts. In simple terms, this meant a CD drive could lock the whole system if it worked correctly. I’d suggest giving everything a fresh install, taking out all drives, and trying to reach BIOS consistently.
Reply
Reply
J
JaakkoETL
09-19-2025, 11:45 PM #2

Used to be, systems relied on hardware interrupts. In simple terms, this meant a CD drive could lock the whole system if it worked correctly. I’d suggest giving everything a fresh install, taking out all drives, and trying to reach BIOS consistently.

Reply
Reply
I
Ikarus_ORG
Member
Find
226
09-27-2025, 01:40 AM
#3
You can link the SATA/IDE drive to a dock and retrieve the data.
Reply
Reply
I
Ikarus_ORG
09-27-2025, 01:40 AM #3

You can link the SATA/IDE drive to a dock and retrieve the data.

Reply
Reply
T
TobtIsAmazing
Junior Member
Find
18
09-27-2025, 09:30 AM
#4
It looks like there might be an issue with your motherboard, power supply, or CPU. It seems to struggle during the boot phase, though the cause isn’t obvious. You could try replacing your CPU or PSU with a known working unit, re-seat any loose components, and observe if the problem persists. They’ve already confirmed it works without the HDD and CD-ROM drives connected, so those aren’t the culprits. It’s also possible they can’t prevent the system from locking up early, though that’s uncertain.
Reply
Reply
T
TobtIsAmazing
09-27-2025, 09:30 AM #4

It looks like there might be an issue with your motherboard, power supply, or CPU. It seems to struggle during the boot phase, though the cause isn’t obvious. You could try replacing your CPU or PSU with a known working unit, re-seat any loose components, and observe if the problem persists. They’ve already confirmed it works without the HDD and CD-ROM drives connected, so those aren’t the culprits. It’s also possible they can’t prevent the system from locking up early, though that’s uncertain.

Reply
Reply