Windows Fuckdate hosed Phil's computer

[Liesje]

Phil's computer will not boot after a Windows Update yesterday. The annoying thing is that it's not even POST-ing. There's no splash screen, can't get into BIOS, the monitor says "no signal" the entire time, can't get it to load boot options, etc. Ergo, I can't boot to a diagnostic utility on a partition or CD. But how the heck do I roll that back? I can pull the hard drive out and hook it up at work but this is not my area of expertise. It's a custom built desktop with Windows 7. I don't work on desktops or that much hardware so I'm not sure what to try first. Seems more than coincidence that it was working fine until it rebooted to apply the update and that was it.

 

[Liesje]

More info....

Trying to boot the computer as-is results in some fan turning on, but never any signal to the monitor, no POST, nothing. Press the power button and it immediately powers off (don't have to hold it in).

Took both DIMMs of RAM out....same as above (did not beep or seem to "care" that it has no RAM).

Inserted one of the DIMMs...got a splash screen for something which said "System Boot Failure" at the bottom, frantically pounded the keyboard, must've hit the boot options key, selected the hard drive, and the computer did not boot any farther, lost the signal to the monitor, had to hold in the power button to shut it off.

Inserted the other DIMM of RAM...got another splash screen but no boot error, pressed F8, chose Start Windows Normally, then lost the signal to the monitor, had to hold in the power button to shut off.

Tried each DIMM in the other spot...got the same results as before: no splash screen, no POST, no way to get into setup or boot options. Actually, one time the monitor got a signal for about 3 seconds (light went blue) but never got an image.

Tomorrow I plan to take it to work, remove all the components and blow the whole thing out (it's packed with dust). If I could just get it to boot off a disc I could roll back the update with System Restore (I have all the Windows DaRT discs at work). It's just too large and dusty to deal with at home tonight. Any other suggestions would be appreciated...

 

[deep]

ask Liesje

she's our resident expert, here at interference.

 

[Liesje]

damn! This is why I hate custom built desktops. The computers I fix at work have a nice little diagnostic utilities that test every piece of hardware based on the service tag and original configuration.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Unfortunately it looks like some kind of hardware issue, as you've already seen. It becomes a process of elimination game at this point.

You managed to get to the Windows "some real bad startup shit has gone down" screen, so that's a start anyway. Sounds like it could be the power supply, or video card since you've got the intermittent monitor working/not working going on. Do you guys have a spare desktop video card you would try switching in?

 

[Liesje]

I'll see if I can scrounge something up. At work we use the on-board video but Phil doesn't have that. I didn't bring it in today, when I woke up Phil's dog had strewn trash over three floors of the house so I didn't have time to pack up the desktop (it is huge and filthy). I'll have to ask him if it's PCI or AGP, don't remember.

 

[Just_Boy]

Who's Phil ? And what about the beeps ? beep beep ? beep ? no beep ? bep bep bep bep ? or beeeee...eeep ?

Anyways seems like a MoBo problem, or maybe PSU problem or maybe.... ?

 

[Sicy]

ask Liesje

she's our resident expert, here at interference.

This made me lol.

 

[Liesje]

No beeps, it either boots past POST or doesn't POST at all (the POST process is when you would get beep codes). Trying to get my hands on a spare video card...

 

[whackjester]

Is it an integrated motherboard? Does it display video / POST from a complete cold boot?

 

[whackjester]

What kind of memory spec are you using? Man, I could ask a lot of questions. I think it comes down to RAM / CPU, but it's very difficult to tell.

 

[Liesje]

Not integrated. I ended up replacing the video card, then I could get in and roll back and disable the Windows Update for good, install the new card's drivers. The old card had a few minor issues leading up to this so I think both things happened at once (windows update messing up drivers, and the card itself slowly going bad). Not a cheap fix but ah well...

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

She did it again.. our own Computer superhero!

 

[Liesje]

Now Phil can again play video games and watch soccer in HD in the Mancave

 

[Canadiens1131]

Oh sweet so I was on the right track. Man I love being right

 

[Liesje]

 

[BoMac]

Who's Phil?

No one important.

 

[deep]

room mate, not on a leash

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

liesje was obviously talking about her employer, phil collins.