New heatsink = mobo breakage

[Jack_Knife]

So, yeah, I bought a new heatsink/fan for my CPU, and it arrived yesterday.

 

I turned my computer off and left it for half an hour or so, then proceeded to remove the old heatsink, remove the thermal paste off the CPU, apply the new stuff, put the new heatsink on. All seemed to be fine.

 

I go to turn it on, and it won't boot. The LED display on my mobo says "26". So, I go look this up in the manual. POST code 26 means the following:

 

"1. If Early_Init_Onboard_Generator is not defined Onboard clock generator initialization. Disable respective clock resource to empty PCI & DIMM slots.

2. Init onboard PWM

3. Init onboard H/W monitor devices"

 

That all pretty much meant nothing to me. So I went ahead and removed everything non-essential from the motherboard, and tried again. Same thing.

 

I then, without actually removing the fan/heatsink, unplugged the fan from the motherboard and plugged by old one in, while just holding it, to see if it was a problem with the new fan. Turn it on, same thing happens.

 

So, yeah, I have no idea. I figure I've broken something in the install process, but I didn't touch anything except for the CPU, so I dunno what it could be.

 

I found a somewhat similar problem on another forum, and the last post in the topic was a guy asking the OP if his heatsink was seated correctly. 'cause that was the last post, I dunno why he asked it, but presumably there is some kind of correlation between POST code 26 and the heatsink/fan.

 

Oh, and my new heatsink is seated correctly. And I applied the thermal paste correctly and all. And I've left the computer overnight to see if it would fix itself... no difference.

 

Info:

Motherboard: A-Bit AN8-V

CPU: AMD64 3000+

Heatsink: Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu

 

I know this is probably getting a bit technical for the PC Chat forum of a GTA forums, but hey, might as well try.

 

Thanks.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Jack_Knife

[MrAntenna]

Well I've had the exact same problem in the past; and error 26 is quite the bitch.

 

Is the new fan mounted correctly? Half the time it could be a problem like this. Other than that, if you say you touched nothing except the CPU, you've probably broken that.

 

It is possible that the CPU decided to be MrAntenna to you and broke in some way. Keep trying, see what happens.

 

Anyways.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Edwards

[Jack_Knife]

Put my old heatsink/fan back in, made no difference. So something is obviously f*cked. I have no idea what though. There's no way for me to test if it's the CPU, really.

[MrAntenna]

Put my old heatsink/fan back in, made no difference. So something is obviously f*cked. I have no idea what though. There's no way for me to test if it's the CPU, really.

More like error 92, yeah?

 

This most likely means a power problem. I recommend getting it checked at a computer shop. If you want to take a chance, try getting a new PSU.

[Dup]

Re-seat your RAM by taking out then putting it back in.

 

Disconnect anything you don't need to boot the PC then restart. Check all connections too.

 

If it works, put things back in as you go and see if the error comes back. This should indecate any dodgy hardware.

[Jack_Knife]

Re-seat your RAM by taking out then putting it back in.

 

Disconnect anything you don't need to boot the PC then restart. Check all connections too.

 

If it works, put things back in as you go and see if the error comes back. This should indecate any dodgy hardware.

Tried pretty much everything like that. Can't seem to get anything to work.

 

I'm gonna take it into a computer store tomorrow and get them to tell me what's wrong. I know when I'm beat.

[Dup]

 

Re-seat your RAM by taking out then putting it back in.

 

Disconnect anything you don't need to boot the PC then restart. Check all connections too.

 

If it works, put things back in as you go and see if the error comes back. This should indecate any dodgy hardware.

Tried pretty much everything like that. Can't seem to get anything to work.

 

I'm gonna take it into a computer store tomorrow and get them to tell me what's wrong. I know when I'm beat.

Try resetting the CMOS via the jumper. Take all power leads out, move the jumper for the CMOS, leave it for 5 mins then move it back, power it up and see whats what.

 

Also check the CPU is seated properly by taking it out then putting it back, carecull not to pull it put attatched to the headsink like I once did, bending 4 pins. Luckily it still works after some fine bending with long nose pliers and a magnifying glass.

 

If not, just get yourself a new mobo, maybe an oppertunity for an upgrade. Save the money for paying some guy to tell you the same.

 

Did you notice anything you did that could have put stress on the mobo? I have given all of mine some hard knocks and heard some creaks but only one has failed and that was manufacturer fault.

 

Have you got anything coming on screen, are the hard drives ticking? It might be the VGA card if it seems to be doing something other than not actually booting.

 

 

[vALKYR]

I know this is probably getting a bit technical for the PC Chat forum of a GTA forums, but hey, might as well try.

 

For a PC Chat in a GTA Forum, I'd say you've come to the right place. There are a lot of members who have quite a clue of computer hardware

[Jack_Knife]

Re-seat your RAM by taking out then putting it back in.

 

Disconnect anything you don't need to boot the PC then restart. Check all connections too.

 

If it works, put things back in as you go and see if the error comes back. This should indecate any dodgy hardware.

Tried pretty much everything like that. Can't seem to get anything to work.

 

I'm gonna take it into a computer store tomorrow and get them to tell me what's wrong. I know when I'm beat.

Try resetting the CMOS via the jumper. Take all power leads out, move the jumper for the CMOS, leave it for 5 mins then move it back, power it up and see whats what.

 

Also check the CPU is seated properly by taking it out then putting it back, carecull not to pull it put attatched to the headsink like I once did, bending 4 pins. Luckily it still works after some fine bending with long nose pliers and a magnifying glass.

 

If not, just get yourself a new mobo, maybe an oppertunity for an upgrade. Save the money for paying some guy to tell you the same.

 

Did you notice anything you did that could have put stress on the mobo? I have given all of mine some hard knocks and heard some creaks but only one has failed and that was manufacturer fault.

 

Have you got anything coming on screen, are the hard drives ticking? It might be the VGA card if it seems to be doing something other than not actually booting.

 

 

Reset the CMOS many times, in every way possible (taking the battery and power leads in and out while doing it and such).

 

Checked the CPU multiple times also. Even tried putting the old heatsink back in. Check the seating of it all multiple times. Nothing makes a difference. I still get my mobo hanging on POST code 26.

 

This system is only a few months old, and has been absolutely perfect, so there's no need to upgrade. And I'm not going to buy a new motherboard just to find out I f*cked the CPU or something else. I'm not exactly rolling in the cash at the moment. Hence why I'd rather get it checked out by someone. I'd rather pay $50 to have some guy tell me exactly what is wrong/broken then spend $180 on a new motherboard just to find out the old one was fine.

 

($AU, btw).

 

Also, I never touched the motherboard until after this problem started occuring. When I first installed the new heatsink all I touched was the CPU. Which leads me to believe I possibly did something to it (overtightening the heatsink is a possibility, someone said on another forum).

 

Nothing comes up on the screen, although the screen does turn on. And the hard drives spin. It seems like the motherboard is perfectly fine, really, it just hangs at that one point.

 

Other possibility, as someone said on another forum, is that my PSU is underpowered for my mobo. Which is true (I never checked it out when buying the system). I've been running the computer fine for 4 or so months though, so it's weird that it would chose to have a problem at the exact same time I install a new heatsink.

 

So yeah, it's into the shop tomorrow. I'm just gonna tell the guy to tell me what's wrong/f*cked, then I can worry about buying new sh*t.