# My computer won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991 "2001-08-24T21:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Torkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Torkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torkle)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/1 "2001-08-24T21:32:41Z")
Here’s the thing. My system won’t boot. It won’t even show the BIOS screen where it checks the memory or anything. It’s just a blank screen. I’ve tried booting with just the CPU , memory and vid card, and still just a blank screen. No beeps or anything but I know the motherboard is getting power because the fans and NIC lights start up. Could this be caused by a bad stick of memory? Or a bad CPU? I’m pretty sure it’s not the video card but i have no way of testing that. Please help, i’m really at a loss of what to do. Specs: FIC AD11 1Ghz T-bird 256MB DDR \<—generic, could be the problem? ATI Rage Fury (don’t laugh) ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/2 "2001-08-24T21:40:27Z")
In my experience, a bad CPU is usually the culprit. Do you perchance have anohter CPU that you could test? With memory, you will usually at least get some error beeps, though it depends on the motherboard. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/3 "2001-08-24T21:55:36Z")
Is your monitor plugged in and getting power? Although, if that were the case, I’d expect a beep or two. But it might be worth checking. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/4 "2001-08-24T22:38:00Z")
In my experience that’s the power supply, it outputs some voltage but not enough. Happened to me a few times, nasty little bugger to figure out cause you see all those lights but the screen is blank. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/5 "2001-08-24T22:52:10Z")
If you havent already tried it, take out the processor and RAM, put them back in, and try again. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/6 "2001-08-24T22:53:50Z")
It is possible your monitor is burntout and your PC is booting…you just can’t see it. Do you see your drive light flashing? If so it is booting and your monitor or video card is bad. Did you recently install memeory? If so take the stick you installed out and try again to see what happens (although usually a PC will boot to the BIOS screen even if some memory is bad…still, ya never know). Athlon CPU’s usually have fans on them. This is especially important for 1Ghz+ Athlon CPU’s. They overheat in no time so some motherboards check to see if the fan is running. If the fan doesn’t spinup the computer will not allow itself to boot. Open your case and watch the fan as you power on. If it’s not spinning this may be the case (or if the connection from the fan to the header on the mobo came loose this can also be an issue…there are more than one fan headers so make certain you’re connected to the right one). The FIC AD11 does support this feature so it is worth checking out. Go to FIC’s [tech support web page](http://www.fic.com.tw/motherboards/ad11/) for more info. ---
**Author:** ![mic84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@mic84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mic84)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-start/77991/7 "2001-08-24T22:54:18Z")
The same thing happened to me about a year ago. It could be the CIH virus, AKA Chernobyl. This thing sometimes erases the Flash BIOS and HD. Extremely unpleasant… Since they don’t produce(or sell, or want to sell, who knows) BIOSes alone, i had to replace my whole mother board. Yet, as others wrote, it could be something else…