Please forgive me if this question has been asked and answered elsewhere.
We got new Verizon DSL service yesterday, and Verizon recommended I swap out my old modem for their new model. I guess I was a bit hasty in doing so, since as soon as I plugged in the new modem, my computer froze.
After trying Ctrl+Alt+Del with no avail, I tried to “hard restart” it. The computer turns on, makes the normal boot-up sounds for a few seconds, then just stops. The hard drive doesn’t move, and the monitor doesn’t recognize that the computer is on. The CD-ROM tray still opens and closes.
I called HP and they told me I had a hardware conflict that Verizon would have to fix. Verizon told me that it’s HP’s problem. I just want my computer back… can anyone help?
You broke something, and it’s only tangentially related to the modem. It’s definitely HP’s problem. Don’t tell them about the modem, just say your computer broke after you tried plugging in a USB peripheral.
What’s fun about diagnosing computer problems is I can pretend to be the technological Dr. House.
My theory du jour is: The plugging in of the USB wire caused a short (rare, but it happens), which may have traveled back through the moutherboard, causing some damage.
Try to boot without either modem plugged in, and disconnect all but essential peripherals (keyboard, mouse). Remove any hardware (hard drives, memory) you added to the system since purchasing it. What happens now?
It appears that your computer does power on. Try to get into the BIOS setup.
Try the following:
Power on and then start hitting F2 until you see the BIOS screen. If the computer doesn’t respond, turn off power and turn power back on, and repeat the same steps with each the following keys: F12, Fn-F2, Fn-F12, F8.
If that doesn’t work, do what Dewey Finn says, and repeat the above.
If that doesn’t help, contact HP again. If you’re under warranty, this is HP’s responsibility to help fix. Tell them your computer briefly powers on, but then doesn’t continue booting up. It just stop responding and the monitor doesn’t come on. Tell them the number of beeps that your computer makes when you power it on. The number of beeps, and timing of the beeps, will tell them which error code to look up.
If you know the number of beeps, you can also look up the manual for your motherboard to determine what might be the problem, or post here and someone can help you with that.
It’s hard for me to imagine just what could have gone wrong. What do you mean by a short? The connector itself is designed to prevent something like crossing of pins. The modem could have easily been designed wrong to output voltage on pins that it shouldn’t have, etc., but that would be a fantastically big blunder on the part of the manufacturer and Verizon. I keep trying to think if the ground levels may have been off (because the modem and PC were plugged into different house circuits), but the power supplies in both the modem and the PC ought to have been isolated. It might not have been related to the modem at all, and just the motherboard failing from normal use (not that that’s excusable).
I get the impression that the monitor never turns on. If it does and you can get into the BIOS, the first thing to do would be to disable USB support.
Sorry for not responding sooner. I have to use my work computer to answer this thread for the time being.
I wish I could better describe the problem. I plugged in the new DSL modem, and the computer froze. I hard-rebooted. The computer sounds normal and the HDD light on the front is lit for about 2-3 seconds, then goes dark. The only sound coming from the computer is the fan. The autoexecutables aren’t executing. The monitor doesn’t recognize that the computer is on. The CD-ROM tray still opens and closes.
I tried opening the computer to make sure all the components were seated properly. They were.
I tried booting without the modem. No difference.
I tried booting with the old modem. No difference.
I tried booting with no peripherals installed, only the power cord and monitor cable. No dice.
Even if I tried to go into the BIOS (which I will when I get home), I don’t think it’ll work, given that I can’t see anything on the monitor.
You have to take your PC in to be repaired. Call HP, describe the current symptoms. They already have a record of what caused it, but with everything unneccesary unplugged, the ball’s back in their court to fix it. (If you have a warranty)
Also, Call Verizon and swap out the DSL modem. Something may be miswired in it to cause it to short out your PC. You don’t want to plug that modem in again to the PC when the PC is fixed.