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-   -   Hp desktop 1640n no signal to monitor. (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=621173)

  • Dec 20, 2011, 02:36 PM
    wauya
    Hp desktop 1640n no signal to monitor.
    Suddenly show this error in monitor.It work well half hour ago.Psu seems well;fans runs,leds on except the hard drive light not on or flashing and hard to feel it is turning or not.this monitor work on other computers and the connection cable also showed nothing wrong.The cd/dvd open and close well.I insert the system restore cd it runs but no boot up.What are the problems which parts I should looking in? Hard drive? Vedio card,or mother board?Since I do not have those parts can be change and try at hand.Please tell me what should I do next.I have the backup external HD for this computer.How can use it to take over the bad HD.Please help.This is 6 years old unite and work well for years except change PSU 6 months ago.
  • Dec 20, 2011, 04:42 PM
    b2tb02
    First: Before you go and do anything else, do you have a friend that has an extra monitor?? All you has to do is plug it and turn it on, make sure the computer is off so it boot again.

    If you still don't see anything.. on the monitor, it is probably the video card, even if the hard drive is " not working, you should be able to see the boot promp, show up on the screen and then crash.

    If you are not a technical person and you don't want to spend all that cash at the repair shop, you can do this simple steps:

    Press: F5 to bring up the selective boot up "if that doesn't work try this"
    turn it on once is done and you can hear the noise and nothing on the screen:
    Hold the power button for a few seconds until it reboot itself "this is a cold boot" "if that doesn't work"
    Change the video card: that is very simple done, but you would need to know a bit about the inside of the computer, but very easy to change, do not do it if you are not comfortable with the inside ask a friend to do it.

    Also ask him/he to Check the power connection on the hard drive, sometimes after you replace the power supply the cables are not set strongly in place and can become loose.

    as for the back up hard drive, unless you created a boo table backup you won't be able to do so, but give it a try, you would need to hit delete at boot and go into the BIOS of the computer and choose boot from other devices, turn it off, plug your eternal drive and see what happen.

    Here is my last one:
    Insert your windows cd you should see an option come up asking if you want to boot from the cd, hit any key and follow the promp, it has a few options you can choose the restore option it would try but since it is a windows system, 99.9% it won't work, but sometimes people get lucky, I know I have been building custom systems for 20+ years.

    You mention you have a back up:
    Great, remember if is not a "Clone" meaning an exact copy, only your files and folders or if you did a custom back up, only that was copied thus you would not be able to boot from it.



    Hope that helps. And hope anyone out there please make a backup of your system at least once every 2 months or just let it run when you are working to keep it current.
  • Dec 20, 2011, 07:15 PM
    wauya
    Hi b2tb02,Thank you very much your fast and detail response.I did try use other monitor not work.Since no signal out put,I know it could be serious wrong.The most problems is no boot promp and let me compeletly in dark.Your most useful tips is to r/o HD problem which is no boot promp.I try press F5 to pick safe mood and cold boot all not work because no boot promp show.If bad HD r/o then no need to try my external HD which contain the system data not only the files.I also try use boot up cd(from original from HP and not work. And also take out and put back the video card RAMS,bio battery and check all connection to HD mother board and also inspect the board and found no visual wrong.Then now only strong suspect is the video card.I may looking from my other computer hope to find a suitable card.I will not bring to repair shop because this is some what out day and if can not be repair by myself I plan to buy a update one.Thank you a lot I will let you know the result.By the way are you sure if the HD compeletly down will still show the boot promp that means has signal out put?
  • Dec 21, 2011, 05:41 AM
    b2tb02
    Good luck.. and yes even if the hard drive is completely crash it should show up a boot promp, because that part of the boot process, happen from the BIOS of the Mother board, the hard drive has not been engage yet.

    You should see something like PHOENIX BIOS or American Megatrends or whatever Bios HP
    If nothing shows up, your motherboard might be the one with the problem.

    Just save your hard drive, and when you get your new system, just get an external case for it and you can also try to boot your new system from it.

    Sorry if I couldn't help.. good luck and thanks for making backup of your hard drive most users don't do that and when things like this happen they are really out of luck.

  • Dec 21, 2011, 08:07 AM
    wauya
    b2tb02,
    Thanks a lot.You help me a lot about this issue.I am glad to find an expert here.I will try a video card if not work then most problem is the mother board and I will stop here and buy a new system and keep the HD as you suggested.Thanks again.
  • Dec 26, 2011, 08:56 AM
    wauya
    b2tb02,
    Yesterday I have time to looking for my trouble PC again and found out that my brother made mistake that he treat the sound card as a video card.Actually the mother board is Asus,P5bw-la and the video card is intergrate to this board and I can not remove it and try other card.Finally I got a Post code tester and plugs in Pci slot and obtain a code 26.What this code mean?I know OBD code for cars but know nothing about PC code.Where I can find problems code list for PC? Thanks for your help.
  • Dec 26, 2011, 09:01 AM
    ScottGem
    Most video adapters ARE on the motherboard these days. However that doesn't mean you can't add your own video adapter and use that. In most cases, inserting a video card in a slot will disable the onboard video. But some motherboards require you specifically disable the onboard video.

    You can e-mail HP using the support link at HP.com and ask what is necessary to replace the video. You are entitled to free e-mail support for the life of the product.
  • Dec 27, 2011, 07:05 PM
    wauya
    Scott,
    Thank your very helpful informations I will use it when need but right now the situation is;If I buy a fancy video card will be expensive then the used mother board and if not work then any how need replace the board.I want to find out where is the problem better then try this and that.Thanks again for your valuable informations.

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