if any of you are computer experts please respond. my computer won't boot up. nothing comes on the screen the light just keeps blinking on and off. i was thinking it could be the power supply or the cmos battery. am i right? how can i get this fixed?
i'm posting from a computer at my friends office. i would call the manufacturer but they dont service people in the usa anymore. its packard bell.
Are you saying the CPU is not coming on, or the monitor is not displaying anything? I realize that if the CPU is not coming on, the monitor won't display anything. Also, have you been having problems prior to this? There is a nasty bug being sent through email that will crash your system big time.
NOT AN EXPERT...but try unplugging EVERYTHING and starting over...make sure all connections are tight... COULD IT BE ON SLEEP OR STANDBY??? PB~~~my brother-in-law had to put his PB out of it's missery...
nope it couldnt be that i checked all the connections. even took the computer apart to see if anything inside had been unplugged. but all that looks fine. tho monitor comes on. but nothing shows up on the display the light on the cpu looks like a flickering light bulb.
Do you have a floppy disk or cd stuck in a drive? One time my computer wouldn't start because I had left a disk in the drive. It's never done that again, but it did that one time. Also, do you have a "bootable" disk to be used in the event of an emergency? Or a system restore disk from Packard Bell? Packard Bell systems usually come with a system restore cd. By the way, what were you doing on the computer just before you logged off last??? That might point to some clues. Good luck! Calmest_LA
The system isn't passing POST, (Power On Self Test.) Let's try some basic troubleshooting: 1. With the rear of the system case facing you, locate the power supply fan. Keep an eye on the fan blades and power up. If the blades move, power supply is good, if not, you've found the problem. 2. Power supply good, POST still fails. This step requires removing the case cover. If you're not confident doing it, stop and find a local PC shop for diagnostics and repair. Otherwise, remove the cover. Locate the hard drive, (since I don't know your case type or model number, you'll have to look for the drive.) An easy method is to locate the floppy drive, then working from the rear of the drive, trace the ribbon cable back to the main board, aka motherboard. Typically, the IDE, or hard drive ribbon cable plugs in directly above the floppy cable on the motherboard. Once you've located the hard drive (IDE) cable, trace it back to the rear of the hard drive. You found it? Great. Now, using a medium size straight edge screwdriver, place the blade on the side of the hard drive. Hold the screwdriver handle up to your ear, and power the system up. The screwdriver acts like a stethoscope, magnifying the sound of the hard drive. Did you hear the drive spin up? If so, the drive is good. If there was no sound from the hard drive, it's DOA. NOTE: Don't be shy about repeating this process to train yourself what you're listening for. The hard drive makes a very distinctive sound during the power up sequence. 3. Hard drive good, POST still fails. Carefully reseat the cables on the back of hard drive, then reseat the peripheral boards by pushing each one straight down into the respective slots on the motherboard. Do not force or rock the boards. Power the system up. Good POST? Put the cover back on and enjoy. If not, continue. 4. Boards reseated, POST stills fails. Trace the power supply leads to the motherboard and reseat the connector. At this point, you can try removing the memory SIMMs one at a time, (observing static handling precautions,) and powering up. Often, bad memory will prevent the system from passing the POST. Again, if you're not comfortable doing this, stop and locate a local shop for service. Let me know if this helps.
thanks for the help. unfortunately it was the power supply. packard bell computers have unique power supplies and i cant get a replacement. so now i have an excuse to buy a new computer.
