Old Computer Won't Start Up
Old Computer Won't Start Up
The granddaughter's old computer functioned properly for a year before. She added an XFX graphics card she no longer needed after upgrading, which worked well for more than a month. After moving in, the new setup was functional for over two weeks. The mother temporarily removed the PC and it operated normally again. Information remains unclear, but it seems they didn’t touch anything inside the case, and the device is not technical.
I brought the PC to my place and inspected all connections thoroughly—everything was in order. When I powered it on, all fans activated, including the PSU fan and the XFX video card fan, which lit up with a blue LED. The power supply indicator also appeared. The monitor displayed an American Megatrends flash screen that faded quickly.
A black screen appeared with a blue 4-panel window logo, and it remained there for a few seconds before showing a "No Signal" message. After a short delay, a black screen followed, then a final black display with no beeps. In the BIOS, the system confirmed proper 8 GB DDR3 memory at 1600 MHz.
Attempts to start the OS were unsuccessful—reinstallation failed. Safe mode could not be launched, and various troubleshooting steps (boot logging, debug mode, driver enforcement) also resulted in a black screen after reboot. No further guidance is available.
It appears you're inquiring about the specifications of the system, including its make and model if any components were installed. Would you like me to check for available details?
I haven't taken out the motherboard and didn't notice any name on it. Given it's an American Megatrends Bios, I thought it might be an AM motherboard. The video card shows a large XFX but no visible model number. I'll remove that board and try booting with the on-board video to check if it works.
I'm curious about whether the system includes video functionality. A lot of details are available in the BIOS, by the way.
I took out the video card and linked to onboard video (just DVI, strange). I restarted and saw an install Windows prompt requesting region, time zone, and keyboard layout which I provided. After a short wait, it told me it needed internet. I plugged in an Ethernet cable (it wasn’t wired for Wi-Fi) and the process started, asking for my Microsoft account details. When I entered the pin, the screen went dark, displayed a no-signal message, then cleared again.
Graphics card (no longer in PC) is XFX RX-Skytec V2.0. Also, I attempted to run the PC on a single memory stick, tested each stick in every slot, and received consistent results, so I returned both. The BIOS correctly identifies the proper amount each time. Memory appears to be functioning properly.
Are the BIOS date and time accurate? If not, the motherboard battery should be replaced.
Is this the video card you took out?
https://www.xfxforce.com/gpus/amd-radeon...tion-4gb-3
The system date and time are accurate. It seems this is the correct card. I reviewed all four photos, and they all line up perfectly.