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    gateway desktop no post

    I have two gateway desktops a gt5082 and a gt5232e. One starts up with both fans going but no video. (no ram installed and no hd) The other only shows the blue led light on the front panel. I have swapped the cpu and the ps but no difference. I am not sure how to ask the right questions but any help would be appreciated.

    #2
    Re: gateway desktop no post

    Originally posted by davg
    I have two gateway desktops a gt5082 and a gt5232e. One starts up with both fans going but no video. (no ram installed and no hd) The other only shows the blue led light on the front panel. I have swapped the cpu and the ps but no difference. I am not sure how to ask the right questions but any help would be appreciated.
    My question should have been "Could this be a cap problem? I do not know the history of the unites or what happened to them as I was given these in hopes of making one out of two.

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      #3
      Re: gateway desktop no post

      1. Open the case and look at the capacitors on the motherboard. Do you see any bulging capacitors?

      2. Look at the power supply. What brand and model? How many watts?

      3. If you are daring, take power supply out of computer case, open it, look for bulging capacitors. Also take some pictures of it and post them on this forum.
      Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

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        #4
        Re: gateway desktop no post

        put some ram in it
        sigpic

        (Insert witty quote here)

        Comment


          #5
          Re: gateway desktop no post

          Thanks for the reply I have the case open on both and there is no sigh of swollen caps. I swapped out the PS (one to the other) and there was no different. One still starts the cpu fan and the cabinet fan and the DVD Rom will open and the other one nothing just the power light on.There is ram in one unit but that is the one that only shows the front panel blue light. Do I need ram for it to post the bios? I will post some pictures of the boards. The power supply is 300w in one and 250w in the other.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: gateway desktop no post

            yes you need ram to post.
            these likely have bestec time bomb power supplies which may have killed the motherboards.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: gateway desktop no post

              no ram, no post.

              On power supplies, best to be sure what you have. What is brand and model of the power supplies?
              Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

              Comment


                #8
                Re: gateway desktop no post

                Here is a photo of one of the power supplies and the other is a Bastac model Atx-300 12EB3 Rev-S2R
                Thanks for your help
                Attached Files

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: gateway desktop no post

                  thats a delta.

                  those are usually very good

                  add ram, power on, "rinse and repeat" just kidding
                  sigpic

                  (Insert witty quote here)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: gateway desktop no post

                    OK, now lets look at the computers one at a time.

                    The computer with the Delta power supply - does the fan spin up? does it have RAM installed?

                    For the computer with the Bestec power supply - does fan spin up? does it have RAM installed?

                    Do you have a voltmeter for making voltage measurements?
                    Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: gateway desktop no post

                      Originally posted by everell
                      OK, now lets look at the computers one at a time.

                      The computer with the Delta power supply - does the fan spin up? does it have RAM installed?

                      For the computer with the Bestec power supply - does fan spin up? does it have RAM installed?

                      Do you have a voltmeter for making voltage measurements?
                      Thanks everell and ratdude. The computer with the delta do not start the fan and it has ram, also there is no power on the dvd rom, power led on only. I changed out this ps and the same condition exist. The one with the bestec do power up the fan and the dvd rom and do not have ram installed. I also changed out that ps with no change. It appears to me that the power supplies are working? I do have a meter.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: gateway desktop no post

                        I have ram installed in both these units now and still no change in the symptoms. So do that indicate two failed mother boards??

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: gateway desktop no post

                          Now for a quick test. The computer with the Bestec and fans spin up..................I am assuming that you are pushing the power on button, then the fans start spinning. Right? Now that the fans are spinning, push the power on button and hold it in for 4 or 5 seconds. The fans should now stop. If so, the southbridge chip is functioning.

                          Try this test and let me know what happens.
                          Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: gateway desktop no post

                            Originally posted by everell
                            Now that the fans are spinning, push the power on button and hold it in for 4 or 5 seconds. The fans should now stop. If so, the southbridge chip is functioning.
                            Sorry to barge in, since you say this is to test SB is OK.

                            Is there a test for NB is OK?

                            TIA.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: gateway desktop no post

                              Originally posted by everell
                              Now for a quick test. The computer with the Bestec and fans spin up..................I am assuming that you are pushing the power on button, then the fans start spinning. Right? Now that the fans are spinning, push the power on button and hold it in for 4 or 5 seconds. The fans should now stop. If so, the southbridge chip is functioning.

                              Try this test and let me know what happens.
                              yes on both accounts. When I push the power button the fan starts and when I hold it in for 4 to 5 sec they stop

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Re: gateway desktop no post

                                On the computer which spins the fans - The 5vsb and other voltages must be working. It would be helpful if you would measure voltages to be sure they are in spec. You might be having a power supply problem, but I think something more is giving trouble. You have changed cpu, which indicates the problem is not the cpu. At this point, I think that either the board is toasted, or your BIOS chip has been surged. When this happens, you can sometimes simply have the BIOS chip reprogrammed. My opinion is you have a 50/50 gamble. Good luck in whatever you decide. Perhaps others will be able to give more helpful information.

                                If you have a friend who has a POST card tester, you can plug it in and look for post signals. A bad BIOS chip will either not post at all or will only go a little ways.

                                Do you work in the electronics field? Or is this just a hobby thing for you?

                                The southbridge test turning fans on and off only tests part of the south bridge. It may still have other problems. But the test is good for proving that the south bridge is not totally blown.

                                Yes there is a test for the northbridge chip. Simply unsolder it from the pc board and put it on a chip tester.
                                Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Re: gateway desktop no post

                                  Originally posted by everell
                                  Yes there is a test for the northbridge chip. Simply unsolder it from the pc board and put it on a chip tester.
                                  Personally I did not know you can do that. However it does not sound too practical given the equipment needed to desolder the northbridge along with the test equipment.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Re: gateway desktop no post

                                    Originally posted by everell
                                    On the computer which spins the fans - The 5vsb and other voltages must be working. It would be helpful if you would measure voltages to be sure they are in spec. You might be having a power supply problem, but I think something more is giving trouble. You have changed cpu, which indicates the problem is not the cpu. At this point, I think that either the board is toasted, or your BIOS chip has been surged. When this happens, you can sometimes simply have the BIOS chip reprogrammed. My opinion is you have a 50/50 gamble. Good luck in whatever you decide. Perhaps others will be able to give more helpful information.

                                    If you have a friend who has a POST card tester, you can plug it in and look for post signals. A bad BIOS chip will either not post at all or will only go a little ways.

                                    Do you work in the electronics field? Or is this just a hobby thing for you?

                                    The southbridge test turning fans on and off only tests part of the south bridge. It may still have other problems. But the test is good for proving that the south bridge is not totally blown.

                                    Yes there is a test for the northbridge chip. Simply unsolder it from the pc board and put it on a chip tester.
                                    Thanks everell appreciate your reply. This is just a hobby and I am new to computers I do have a lot to learn but I have found this forum very helpful. Is it possible to move the bios chip from one unit to the other? If the board has failed is this something that can be fixed by replacing components ie caps, transistors? When a mother board fails what is it that normally fails? What would one look for. Is it something that normally fails or could it be any of a number of things? I have attached a pic of the two boards 003 is spinning the fan 002 nothing.
                                    Attached Files

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Re: gateway desktop no post

                                      In trying to answer your questions, a lot depends on how far you want to go with this project. Anything can be fixed given enough time and money, but sometimes is not worth it. If you are up to the challenge, lets start with the power supplies. You have a voltmeter, so lets put it to work.

                                      On each of the two power supplies, plug one of the power plugs into one of your CDROM drive. Do not plug power supply connector into the mother board. On one of the other power plugs normally used for CDROM or hard drive, insert the negative side of the voltmeter (normally the black probe) in one of the two center pins (black wire). This is the power supply ground. Plug AC cord into power supply and other end in wall socket. Now using the positive side of the voltmeter (normally Red probe) measure the voltage at the motherboard connector pin where the violet wire comes in. It should measure 5 volts DC. This is your 5vsb (5 volts stand by) measurement.

                                      Now unplug the power cable from the wall socket (for safety) and put a jumper wire between the green wire and an adjacent black wire in the motherboard connector. Plug the power cable back into the wall socket. Now measure the other power supply voltages according to these colors:
                                      Red is the +5 volt
                                      Yellow is the +12 volt
                                      Orange is the +3.3 volt

                                      Write these voltages down on a piece of paper for each power supply as you make the measurements. Then let us know what you found.

                                      After making the measurements, unplug the power cable between the wall plug and the power supply. Take the screws off the power supply cover, remove cover and take some pictures of the inside of your power supplies. Sometimes we can spot problems from this.

                                      After checking out the power supplies we can do more with the motherboard!

                                      My comment on testing the northbridge was only intended in humor. Unfortunately I could not get the smiley things to work right. https://www.badcaps.net/forum/newrep...ote=1&p=72916#
                                      Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Re: gateway desktop no post

                                        Here is a picture of the ATX connector which connects power supply to motherboard. This shows the colors of the different wires and what voltage should be there. The two pins which are circled is where you insert the jumper wire after verifying that the 5vsb is working.
                                        Attached Files
                                        Old proverb say.........If you shoot at nothing, you will hit nothing (George Henry 10-14-11)

                                        Comment

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