Hi,
I've got an old Windows XP desktop computer that I last used in 2013 when it worked absolutely fine.
It's been switched off and un-plugged since around then.
I came to try and use it tonight and it won't boot up.
I've taken the PSU out of it and bridged the green switch cable to earth and the fan in the PSU started up (the fan doesn't start when the PSU is plugged into the computer)
Anyone any ideas what to try next?
I'm wanting to run older software that was designed for Win98 and XP which is why I'm keen to revive this machine, I also need a windows machine (newer computers in the house are Mac) to run model railway related programmes and can't justify the expense of a replacement machine.
Thanks
Forgot to say, the computer has onboard graphics and a graphics card installed, has a DVD drive and a CD/RW drive and 3.5 floppy disk drive (shows its age a bit)
Think I've added a stick or two of ram at some point also.
It could be the motherboard battery... alternatively, you can install older windows in a VM (https://www.virtualbox.org (https://www.virtualbox.org) is ONE option) which might be easier than trying to revive older hardware?
Hi, Thanks for your input,
is that the CMOS battery?
I had wondered about that - is it a case of pluck it out and match the numbers?
The one on this machine looks similar to a watch battery.
Will I need to re-set anything in the bios other than the clock and date?
I had a battery go on an old computer. It didn't stop working, though; just didn't remember any settings/date/time, etc.
Another possibility is that a/several of the capacitors on the motherboard have deteriorated with lack of use, rendering it inoperable.
If sounds like a motherboard problem.
If you look around, people give away old PCs or you can get good Windows 7 machines on eBay for less than £75 or so .
Search Ebay for ebay windows 7 computer
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Complete-Desktop-PC-Computer-System-WiFi-and-Windows-7-Pro-/281477258932?ul_ref=https%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-53481-19255-0%252F1%253Fff3%253D4%2526pub%253D5574631662%2526toolid%253D10001%2526campid%253D5338243305%2526customid%253De7addd67058b2b20f1ada4bfd64ccd84%2526mpre%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%25252Fitm%25252FComplete-Desktop-PC-Computer-System-WiFi-and-Windows-7-Pro-%25252F281477258932%2526srcrot%253D710-53481-19255-0%2526rvr_id%253D2004328753332%2526rvr_ts%253D48a2cf5616b0a9e867b69f24ffe95f34&ul_noapp=true (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Complete-Desktop-PC-Computer-System-WiFi-and-Windows-7-Pro-/281477258932?ul_ref=https%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-53481-19255-0%252F1%253Fff3%253D4%2526pub%253D5574631662%2526toolid%253D10001%2526campid%253D5338243305%2526customid%253De7addd67058b2b20f1ada4bfd64ccd84%2526mpre%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%25252Fitm%25252FComplete-Desktop-PC-Computer-System-WiFi-and-Windows-7-Pro-%25252F281477258932%2526srcrot%253D710-53481-19255-0%2526rvr_id%253D2004328753332%2526rvr_ts%253D48a2cf5616b0a9e867b69f24ffe95f34&ul_noapp=true)
This company is in Lancs!
a win 7 machine should run the old XP progs - you could mount your XP hard drive in the machine and load programmes off it,
Could you try another PSU??
If all else fails, I could transfer data to a modern SATA disc
Good luck
You could install VMware Player or Workstation and create virtual machines for each of the additional operating systems that you want to run on your modern PC. I use do that for an old copy of AutoCad that won't run on anything newer than XP. You can apparently go as far back as DOS if you like.
Thinking backwards, you said the PSU starts when bridged but not when plugged in.
How about checking the case start button cable has no breaks or is unplugged as it sounds like the PSU is not seeing the signal to start from the case switch.
You could bridge the PSU start at the PSU plug when its plugged into the computer and it might come to life.
As an aside, XP was the last version of Widows to allow direct write to ports and are therefore the last version that can be used to drive pre USB CNCs, Lasers and the like so very valuable machines to keep going.
double check the off board connector to the front power switch is making a good connection,also try removing any cards,memory,drives etc and try powering just the motherboard.
Also check thst the on button is actually working, with a meter.
Paul
Quote from: Paul-H on June 12, 2019, 07:50:32 AM
Also check thst the on button is actually working, with a meter.
Paul
how do I test this?
Quote from: Black Sheep on June 12, 2019, 08:05:07 AM
Quote from: Paul-H on June 12, 2019, 07:50:32 AM
Also check thst the on button is actually working, with a meter.
Paul
how do I test this?
you need to find the lead that goes from the switch on the front to the motherboard. It will be a two pin header, usually near the speaker lead and LED leads.
As a Mac user your best bet is to install VMfusion on the Mac and then you can run any Windows programs if you have the Windows installation discs. I run Windows XP on my MacBook Pro for the same reason, there are programs I need that are not available elsewhere. I believe this was suggested in an earlier post.
Quote from: Gyppy101 on June 12, 2019, 09:05:28 AM
As a Mac user your best bet is to install VMfusion on the Mac and then you can run any Windows programs if you have the Windows installation discs. I run Windows XP on my MacBook Pro for the same reason, there are programs I need that are not available elsewhere. I believe this was suggested in an earlier post.
Does this software emulate the ports on a PC? Just asking for a friend. Windows XP was the last version of Windows to write directly to the ports and he has a slide scanner that only worked under XP.
Quote from: Malc on June 12, 2019, 10:17:22 AM
Quote from: Gyppy101 on June 12, 2019, 09:05:28 AM
As a Mac user your best bet is to install VMfusion on the Mac and then you can run any Windows programs if you have the Windows installation discs. I run Windows XP on my MacBook Pro for the same reason, there are programs I need that are not available elsewhere. I believe this was suggested in an earlier post.
Does this software emulate the ports on a PC? Just asking for a friend. Windows XP was the last version of Windows to write directly to the ports and he has a slide scanner that only worked under XP.
It has to be a native XP, even an XP shell running under Windows 7 wont allow access to the ports.
On my MacBook Pro I can access everything on Windows XP, running in VMFusion, that I can access on the Mac
Quote from: Gyppy101 on June 12, 2019, 11:13:00 AM
On my MacBook Pro I can access everything on Windows XP, running in VMFusion, that I can access on the Mac
You cannot toggle the polarity of bit 4 on the parallel port :)
This hardware level control is used by a lot of legacy equipment.
Having reread the OP, I have a feeling that he does not want to muck around with the household Macs, but wants a stand alone machine for railway purposes.
Perhaps some clarification?
I use these simple PCs to run parts of my workshop. At £60 they are very good value.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thin-Client-T5740-Computer-Pc-Atom-N280-Windows-XP-Embedded-SSD-2GB-Rs-232-VGA/323018824746?epid=14025075583&hash=item4b356c1c2a:g:-U0AAOSwv-xb6bTS (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thin-Client-T5740-Computer-Pc-Atom-N280-Windows-XP-Embedded-SSD-2GB-Rs-232-VGA/323018824746?epid=14025075583&hash=item4b356c1c2a:g:-U0AAOSwv-xb6bTS)
they also do a version with a parallel port.
Quote from: Black Sheep on June 12, 2019, 08:05:07 AM
Quote from: Paul-H on June 12, 2019, 07:50:32 AM
Also check thst the on button is actually working, with a meter.
Paul
how do I test this?
Follow the two wires from the switch to the motherboard, unplug the wires from the motherboard, then with the meter on Continuity (Buzzer) or low resistance put one probe to one wire and the other probe to the other wire at the plug, then press the button, sounder should sound or meter show low resistance, if not then the switch has failed.
If the switch has failed shorting the two pins on the motherboard should fire up the PC.
Quote from: Bealman on June 12, 2019, 11:22:51 AM
Having reread the OP, I have a feeling that he does not want to muck around with the household Macs, but wants a stand alone machine for railway purposes.
Perhaps some clarification?
Sure,
Regarding the macs:
The Macbook dates from late 2011 and isn't in the best of health so might have to be replaced (hence not wanting to put too much into an old machine)
The other mac is from 2006 so is obsolete but handy to have (has full Adobe suite)
I'd like to keep as a standalone machine so that I don't muck up another computer or get down a route of setting things up to find something somewhere doesn't do what I need / want it to.
It'd also be nice to see what files etc are on this machine.
Will try testing the switch at some point this week, thanks all for your help so far.
I couldn't get it to fire up bridging the switch wire, however, the IT chap at work suggested stripping out all the extra cards and disconnecting drives so that it's simply power supply and motherboard and see if we get any life
we didn't
so, removed the CMOS battery and popped the multi-meter on it, it happily gives out 1.5v and having put it back in we do have life, it powers up, fans spin, lights come on and long beeps happen
and the long beep keeps happening and I don't seem to get much further!
Quote from: Black Sheep on June 17, 2019, 08:06:02 PM
I couldn't get it to fire up bridging the switch wire, however, the IT chap at work suggested stripping out all the extra cards and disconnecting drives so that it's simply power supply and motherboard and see if we get any life
we didn't
so, removed the CMOS battery and popped the multi-meter on it, it happily gives out 1.5v and having put it back in we do have life, it powers up, fans spin, lights come on and long beeps happen
and the long beep keeps happening and I don't seem to get much further!
The beeps are a code sequence. If you can get the manual for the motherboard it will tell you what it means. No monitor, no keyboard, program the CMOS memory. etc.
Try variously F8, F9, F10 etc as soon as the first beep happens when you power it up and it may load the BIOS configuration screen.
swapped the ram to the adjacent slot and we're up and running :)
might be worth running a bit of contact cleaner over the memory chip connector- alternatively just leave it alone and make a full disk backup ASAP!! (use a disk cloner (freeware))
Just as a matter of interest, the POST (power on self test) beeps are a function of the bios, not the motherboard. Phoenix bios, AMI bios etc have different combinations of short and long beeps.