NOTE: When working on a computer, always maintain proper ESD (Electro Static Discharge) prevention procedures.
There are many things which can prevent a POST. An IDE (or EIDE) device (hard disk, CDROM, etc) gone bad, any plug in card either gone bad or loose/dirty, RAM bad/loose/dirty, power supply failing (delivering below tolerance voltages), etc.
If the machine is getting power to the motherboard, but won’t post, remove everything (including the cmos battery) but the CPU, one stick of RAM (ensure it’s in memory slot 1, inserting it two or three times to help clean oxides from the contacts), and the video card if so equipped (seat this two or three times as well). Remove the floppy and IDE data cables connectors from the motherboard end. Remove power to any disconnected devices.
Insert the cmos battery. Try to boot the machine. If it POSTs, power down and add your next RAM stick(s), one at a time with a power-up/boot between every add. Power down for every item addition.
IMPORTANT: Depending on your bios, you may have to enter the bios setup (http://www.d-a-l.com/faq/faq/23.html) and reset the NVRAM and/or “Update Configuration” switches at each boot.
If it doesn’t POST with the bare minimum components, the problem is one of those components. Depending on the age/use of the machine, the logical place to start would be the power supply (and video card). Testers for PS’s can be obtained for little money. After that, if you don’t have the equipment to test motherboards, CPU’s etc, or, a supply of extra compatable components laying around, it’s best to take it to a reputable repair shop for testing.
Next add the floppy data cable (align red/blue stripe/Pin 1 correctly) and power to the drive. Try to boot with a floppy boot disk. If successful, (power down) and add IDE #1, with master disk only connected to the data cable. Connect drive power cable. Boot without a floppy bootdisk this time. Because the bios was reset to factory defaults (battery removal) the disk should be automatically detected. If everything is OK, power down and add the slave device/cabling to IDE #1. Repeat the boot process.
Connect/test IDE #2 next, in the same manner, one device at a time. Get the IDE devices running first then go on to any plug in cards. Continue this way until you encounter the POST fail again. If you do, the last device is the cause. If you don’t, you’ve successfully cleaned/reseated all your connections and the machine should be OK unless there is an intermittent failing device.
Note: Many people will interchange the terms “bios” and “cmos“. For the purposes of this article, the term “bios” will be used.
BIOS = Basic Input Output System
Brief Overview
The BIOS is a program pre-installed on computers (with the exception of Macs) that the computer uses to start up. The CPU accesses the BIOS before the operating system is loaded. The BIOS then checks all your hardware connections and locates all of your devices. If everything is OK, the BIOS loads the operating system into the computer’s memory and finishes the boot-up process.
Since the BIOS manages the hard drives, it can’t reside on one, and since it has to be available before the computer boots up, it can’t live in the RAM. The bios is located in the ROM (Read-Only Memory) of the computer. It resides in an eraseable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) chip on the computers motherboard. So, as soon as you turn your computer on, the CPU accesses the EPROM and gives control to the BIOS. The BIOS is also used after the computer has booted up. It acts as an intermediary between the CPU and the I/O (input/output) devices. Because of the BIOS, your programs and your operating system don’t have to know exact details (like hardware addresses) about the I/O devices attached to your PC. When device details change, only the BIOS needs to be updated. You can make these changes by entering the BIOS when your system starts up. To access the BIOS, hold down the appropriate key as soon as your computer begins to start up.
On the majority of todays computer systems, the bios is entered by pressing a key or a key sequence on power up. Usually on the first screen display you see will be the instructions for the key sequence required to enter the bios/cmos. The BIOS setup program can normally be entered only during the boot process, either on a cold boot, or a warm boot (after hitting {Ctrl-Alt-Del}). Some setup programs (example; early ACER systems) will let you go into the setup program using a key combination once the system has fully booted/started.
The use of the delete key {Del} to enter the setup program during boot is becoming standard. AMI and Award BIOS, and some others as well now use this. Older BIOSes can use any of strange key combinations, including Esc, F1, F2, F10, Ctrl-Esc, Alt-Esc, Ctrl-Alt-Esc, Ctrl-Alt-Enter, Ins or others. If one of the above key sequences does not enter the bios setup program, you will have to seek out a manual for your system, or go the the manufacturers website for instructions. Phoenix (Hewlett Packard) use F1. The POST (Power On Self Test) screen (or “Diagnostic” screen) will be hidden by default on some systems, such as HP, Dell, and Compaq. Instead you will see a screen bearing the logo of the manufacturer. When this screen first appears, this is when you enter the key sequence for the bios setup. This manufacturers “splash” screen can be set to hidden (allowing you to see the boot process) once you enter the bios.
Once you enter the bios setup, you will (usually) end up in the first basic setup screen for your system. This is where the time and date, floppy drive and hard disk parameters are set. There may be another screen or section for hard disk or IDE auto detection. If utilized, this will set the hard disk parameters in this first Basic setup screen.
The boot sequence for system start up will usually be in the ADVANCED (or BOOT with Phoenix bios) section. This is where you can choose the boot device order. For the average user, the sequence is A: (or floppy drive), CDROM drive, then the first IDE hard disk (labeled 0 or 1, depending on how your system is designed). On todays systems, there is also a choice for booting to “other devices”, such as a Network. (When the bios is reset to factory defaults, this boot sequence is usually used.) On some older systems, the CDROM may show up as NONE. This is normal for these systems. The CDROM is usually identified on the POST screen, such as; “Found - LG CRD-8320B” or similar. So even though it’s not listed in the bios, the system knows it’s there.
One last thing to mention, some bios will not recognize changes, new RAM (and other devices) unless you set the “Reset Configuration Data” option (if it exists in your bios) to YES. Once you save your changes, and the system boots successfully with the new changes, this switch will be automatically reset to NO, until you enter the bios once again and change it.
Learning Keyboard shortcuts can make life much easier if you do a great deal of typing. Many users are not introduced to keyboard short cuts, because more of the books and training tools out there focus on Mouse commands.
Without a mouse, a great many options and commands are simply not practical, for example; getting to a program on the Start Menu that is three of four levels deep. However, there are keyboard commands for a many of your common needs, and using them can help speed up your computer tasks. In this article we are going to go through several of these.
The most common keyboard commands I use are Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-W, Ctrl-S, Alt-Tab, and Windows Key-L.
Ctrl-C: The Copy command. Highlighting anything in just about any program (browsers, MS Word, MS Excel), normally allows you to copy that item. You can highlight a word, choose a picture or even a file in a folder and press Ctrl-C to copy that item to the Clipboard.
Ctrl-V: The Paste command. Once the item is copied, to recover it from the clipboard into a Word Document, Excel Spread Sheet or into a folder, we use the Paste command.
Not every program allows Copy and Paste, but the ones that do usually respond to the same key combinations.
Ctrl-X:The Cut command. Cut is like Copy, only we don’t want the original. If you highlight a file in a folder, like we did with the Copy command, and then use Ctrl-X, the file disappears. It is not deleted however; it is moved to the Clipboard. If the computer shuts down at this point we loose the file. Using Ctrl-V (Paste) moves the file from the clipboard, into the active program or folder.
Ctrl-W: Close Current Window. This command works for open programs, and even file directories. Ctrl-W closes the current focused program. However, if that program has the ability to open several files in the same window, typically Ctrl-W closes the current file first, and if no files are open, it then closes the program. This is different than the way Alt-F4 works. Alt-F4 closes the focused program.
In Tabbed browsers, such as Firefox for instance, if you have several tabs open, Ctrl-W starts by closing the active visible Tab. Hit multiple times, Ctrl-W closes all open tabs, and finally the FireFox program. After that is closed, it works on the next open program.
Ctrl-S:Save File. This should be one that you train yourself simply to hit periodically while working on documents, spreadsheets and other data areas. Most programs these days have auto-save functions, but I never rely on those functions. It is really easy to pause for a moment after every few minutes and hit Ctrl-S. Hands never leave the keyboard and my data is safe even if the power suddenly goes out.
Alt-Tab: Cycle through open programs. If you need to jump back and forth between programs, such as a browser to a spreadsheet, or mail program; you can use the mouse to click on the Start bar, or you can press the key combination Alt-Tab. Alt-Tab cycles quickly through the programs you have running, allowing easy and fast switching between them, without having to take your hands off the keyboard.
WindowsKey-L: Lock down the computer. To keep your computer secure when you are heading for lunch or called away from your desk for a quick meeting, you can go through the log-out process, or just key the Windows Key with L. Not all keyboards have a Windows-Key, it is a key with the MS Windows Logo on it, and those keyboards that do have it, don’t seem to follow any specific placement for the key. However, if you do have one, this combination is one that you may want to get use to using. (Like the Ctrl-S combination).
Other Windows Key combinations are:
Windows: Display the Start menu Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer Windows + F: Display Search for files Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center Windows + R: Display Run dialog box Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
Making your own HotKeys
Keyboard combinations do save a great deal of time, and also keep creative flow going. Making our own hot key combinations to start programs we use often can be just as rewarding, and very simple to setup.
To do this we work with Short Cut links. There are only two places (that I know of) where this process works with the Short Cut links. One, is any short cut link on your desktop, and the other is any short cut link in the Programs area of your Start Menu.
To setup a key combination to start a program, Right Click on the short cut, and then choose Properties (at the bottom of the floating menu). Then use the mouse to click once into the Shortcut Key: text field area. Now we are ready to press on the keyboard the combination we want to assign to this program.
You will want to choose a combination that is not already being used. For example you wouldn’t want to use Ctrl-C or something like that. Using Ctrl-Alt- and then a letter or number is usually fairly safe. If the key combination is already assigned, then the action will be taken, and the field won’t change.
If the Link is ever deleted, then the key combination will not work any longer. For this reason I prefer to set up Hot keys using the links on the Start Menu, rather than the ones on the Desktop.
There are many more keyboard combintation which you can use, and some fairly cool mouse tricks as well which can speed up your computer tasks, and make time at the computer much more enjoyable. If you need further help with key combinations or anything else for that matter, touch base with us in the Help Forum.
There are many things which can prevent a POST. An IDE (or EIDE) device (hard disk, CDROM, etc) gone bad, any plug in card either gone bad or loose/dirty, RAM bad/loose/dirty, power supply failing (delivering below tolerance voltages), etc.
