Knowing how to handle a bad motherboard is one of the more difficult tasks in all of PC repair. If you suspect that your motherboard is defective (which is hard to tell between that and the power supply unit as they both have similar warning signs) you should follow a list of procedures to discover which aspect of the motherboard needs work.
The first thing to realize is that you will most likely need to purchase specific tools to fully check a suspected defective motherboard. A PC repair shop, like RadioShack, will have a multimeter, or PSU (power supply unit) tester that is not very expensive. First check to make sure your PSU is not the defective item in question, after you rule out the PSU, ensure that your PSU is plugging into a wall outlet (you should never plug your computer into a power strip or extension cord.)
After ruling out the PSU, begin removing all PCI cards from your motherboard, including sound cards, USB ports, network adapters, modems, etc. (you'll probably need to keep your graphics card plugged in to be able to see the monitor). Once this is done, power on the PC to see if you can get to the startup screen. If you have no problems after the PCI cards are taken out, the motherboard most like has an issue with one of the slots. Try rearranging all the PCI cards to see if you can bypass and pinpoint the slot that's creating the issue with your motherboard (it could also be a defective PCI card as well-be sure to account for every possibility when testing). A final thing to look for is loose screws hidden between the motherboard and case. Often times the screws will cause a short and prevent the computer from booting up.
For more information, visit mypcrepairmemphis.myyarea.com. They offer informaton on Memphis Computer repair, as well as Online computer help.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
