What to do when we have no POST display PC computer?

[PcTestCard.com]

Hi folks,

Just wonder what you do when there is no POST display when powering on the PC?

Welcome to share your experience and opinions.

Thanks.

 

[GTP]

To start we usually like a bit more information, like is it a desktop or laptop?
Does the PC still power on regardless of no post display?
What happens when you press the power button? Any fan noises, lights etc?
Can you access the BIOS to determine that any options to show a post screen/info is on?

We're a fickle lot and we like to be humored with all kinds of information whether trivial seeming or not.
Just like your doctor, the more you can describe your ailment the better we can diagnose your problem

 

[Larry Sabo]

I find that a possibly leading question, based on your username, but perhaps I'm unduly suspicious. Like why do I get the following warning in Firefox when I try to visit your namesake: pctestcard.com?

 

[Computer Bloke]

Is the correct answer "Buy a product from pctestcard.com"?

In my (sadly extensive) experience most non-POSTing computers can be fixed by either plugging it in, switching it on, removing and refitting the RAM, ditto the graphics card, ditto the NVRAM battery, or replacing the PSU. For Macs you'd reset the PRAM and SMC first. Anything beyond that generally requires a new motherboard and/or CPU, and for most users and most machines that puts it beyond economic repair.

No special equipment needed, and you (well, I) can run through the whole process in under fifteen minutes.

 

[HCHTech]

I have a couple of POST cards I purchased back in the early 'aughts when I started my business. They sounded very useful, but I found that the incidence of issues they could detect was very low. I even used them to try and diagnose exactly what had failed on a couple of failed motherboards, as I recall, the codes weren't really helpful. I chalked it up at the time as pointing only to things someone doing board-level repair would care about and that wasn't me. They are gathering dust in my back cupboard as we speak.

I've had a couple of gaming motherboards in recently that had built in post displays, and that did lead to an RMA for one of them. It's hard for their warranty department to argue against their own tech showing a code for a failed RTC. I'm sure we'd have gotten an RMA without that, but the process would have taken longer.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Hi folks,

Just wonder what you do when there is no POST display when powering on the PC?

Welcome to share your experience and opinions.

Thanks.

It's certainly NOT using a POST test card. It's not 1999. PCs are cheap and easily replaced. If a barebones test and perhaps a quick swap of a PSU doesn't bring it back to life then it gets scragged. It's simply more economical to replace than spend lots of time trying to figure out what is wrong. The PSU is the most likely component to fail after that everything is integrated onto the motherboard so the only faulty component IS the motherboard, CPU, or memory. A quick swap of those components will lead you to the problem. There is no need for a POST card in modern computer repair.

Oh and spam alert! Paging @Kitten Kong

 

[NviGate Systems]

You smell something?

The Anderson's must have put down fresh manure at the farm. I'm getting a nice whif of a la refuse....

 

[Kitten Kong]

It's certainly NOT using a POST test card. It's not 1999. PCs are cheap and easily replaced. If a barebones test and perhaps a quick swap of a PSU doesn't bring it back to life then it gets scragged. It's simply more economical to replace than spend lots of time trying to figure out what is wrong. The PSU is the most likely component to fail after that everything is integrated onto the motherboard so the only faulty component IS the motherboard, CPU, or memory. A quick swap of those components will lead you to the problem. There is no need for a POST card in modern computer repair.

Oh and spam alert! Paging @Kitten Kong

You called??.

Hammer done. Thanks for the tag

 

[Porthos]

You called??.

Hammer done. Thanks for the tag

The user has been here a long time (2008). Was the hammer needed?

 

[Kitten Kong]

Hi folks,

Just wonder what you do when there is no POST display when powering on the PC?

Welcome to share your experience and opinions.

Thanks.

@PcTestCard.com as a technician (yourself), you should know what to do, if there is no POST display. This is a end user type question.

If you are attempting to garner interest in your post test card (from a much earlier thread), then you will have to try a heck of a lot harder.

You are attempting to bypass our rules, for which action has been taken against your account.