Need help with looping restarts

[RedHat]

I recently ran into some computer troubles. I just moved and my computer survived the trip fine whereas my monitor did not and I replaced it with a spare IBM P260 my dad had. I plugged in the new monitor and booted it up and it worked fine. I left it on overnight and turned it off the next day. When I turned it on the next time, I pressed the power button and left the room for approximately 10 minutes.

When I went back in to use the computer, the mouse, keyboard, and monitor weren't responding. I turned the computer off and on a few times and left it unplugged for a few minutes to see if that would help. When it didn't, I opened up my computer case and noticed that my cpu fan wasn't running.

I turned my computer off right away and after some thought I plugged the cpu fan power four pronged head into a three pronged normal fan power slot. The fan worked and so did my computer. However, instead of booting up normally it did some sort of BIOS configuration. It did it all automatically and I didn't touch it while it was working. It then booted up Windows XP and everything worked fine. I watched a movie and played a few games. I left it on a few more hours and shut it down. That's the last time it was working

So now when I turn it on, it just goes into a reboot loop. Nothing appears on the monitor and my mouse and keyboard are unresponsive. It doesn't beep in the first few seconds like it used to. I'm not great with computers so here is what I have done to try to diagnose it so far. I switched out the power supply with a spare brand new one and no difference. I disconnected my hard drive and dvd reader/writer and no difference. I took out the battery and no difference but I have yet to replace the battery. I tried using one stick of memory in the first slot and even switched it for my other stick just to be sure one of them wasn't broken.

I read some that putting a jumper onto CMOS Clear could help and I took out the battery and put a jumper there. I am unsure what to do from there...it doesn't start up at all if the jumper is on there which is possibly what is supposed to happen? I left the jumper on for a few minutes and took it off and put the battery back in but still no luck.

My computer ran fine until now and I am started to get really frustrated with it. Here are the specs:
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboard Rev 2.0
2x sticks 1 GB Patriot DDR2 800MHz 5-5-5-12
Geforece 8600GT 540M 256MB DDR3 PCI-E
Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2.0 GHz
Seagate Barracuda 7200 250GB
Seasonic SS-550HT
PS2 Keyboard
USB Mouse

If it isn't possible to fix what should I do?
Sorry for the long block of info but I really want to get to the bottom of this.
Thanks

[Conners]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

There was no need to place a jumper wire there. (where the battery goes?) Just leave the battery out for say 30 minutes then try it. After you reinstall the battery load the optimized defaults, then reboot.

Also see http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/bios...h-guide-27576/ and scroll down to where it says Clearing the CMOS for instructions.

G/L

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

I would start with getting the system out of the case and OFF the motherboard tray and remove all items. Place the board on a box or wooden table, this will eliminate any shorts.

Then I advise to remove the CPU and reinstall it, and check for bent pins in the CPU Socket while you have the CPU out. I do not suspect this, but it is always good to check. I do suspect that the CPU, and or other parts, were bumped loose during the move and it is never advised to move a board with the CPU/Heatink installed.

So reinstall the CPU and heatsink, then try to start the system with ONLY one stick of ram in slot one, and your GFX Card. NOTHING Else, no drives, extra fans, ect. Of course do connect your CPU Fan though. This will eliminate any other faulty components

Then I advise you try to start the system. If nothing happens please try clearing your CMOS again fully as outlined in my guide linked above. My method for doing this is in poost #2.

Then if you have no luck, do you have a floppy drive? Do you have a case speaker? Do you have any other DDR2 you can test with or borrow to test with? Same applies with an additional GFX Card for testing?

Also, while you wait on a reply back, if you had no luck with any of the above but DO get the system to start or at least try to start, please connect ONLY your CD/DVD Drive now into the first Yellow Intel SATA Port (SATA2_0) and then insert your CD that came with the board and start the system.

If still no luck, please let us know what happens from all the above testing and if you have the items I asked about. Case speaker is really needed, but sound like you do have one I think. If you do, are you getting one initial Beep after any of this when starting the system? Or any other beeps?

[RedHat]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

I took everything out and reseated everything and still nothing. I followed the guide to clear the CMOS and still nothing. I think I am just going to replace the motherboard...is there a chance that replacing the motherboard will not fix the problem? If replacing the motherboard will fix it then what would be a good board for the hardware that I have? I don't want an upgrade necessarily...just a solid board that will last me until then.
Thanks.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

I can send you information on how to short the MAIN BIOS Chip and make the backup kick in, otherwise you may be looking at having to RMA the board

You left many of my questions unanswered so I am not sure what that means and I can't advise you further on other things to try without those questions answered.

[RedHat]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

I turned the system off took everything out and reseated it. I put only the gfx card and one stick of RAM in slot one. I had only the CPU fan connected. No difference. I cleared the CMOS following your guide step by step and no difference. I have a floppy drive and case speakers however, I don't have another gfxcard or memory to test it with. There are no beeps at all when I try to start it up although I hear a faint click when it starts up and shuts off. When it was working properly it would beep once upon startup. Sorry for not answering your questions in my previous post...just frustrated.
So...what should I do now?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

Since you have a floppy can you please try a blind flash as outlined in the guide linked above.

If you do that and have no luck PM me and I will send you the info about shorting the BIOS chip if you feel up to that. Otherwise you may need to RMA the board

[dbee]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

Hey MR. RedHat, if everything LSD has instructed you to do does not work, then you just may be SOL. I had similar issues , and this gentleman is a mad genius, got me up n running normally and then some. If there was some type of alteration to the bios, shorting the clear cmos pins (i had to use a screwdriver ) should get you back in to bios . I love my screwdriver now.

One of my main problems was the mobo to case leads, such as case fans to mobo fan headers, external usb ports, headphone/audio jack, disconnected them and magic happened.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Need help with looping restarts

Mad Genius eh? Thanks

If you still need more help please let me know, I can send you last resort info to try before you have to RMA