Monitor won't initialize, Solid Amber Power light.

Discussion in 'Windows XP / Older OS' started by apoorvasheth, Nov 3, 2008.

  1. apoorvasheth

    apoorvasheth MDL Junior Member

    Jul 25, 2008
    80
    4
    0
    Hello All,

    This is Apoorva from India, Mumbai. I recently received my Desktop PC from my Computer Technician with Asrock ConRoe 945G-DVI Motherboard & NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE PCIE Graphics Card replaced. Once I received the PC, I found that the technician has forgot to install additional 1 GB of DDR2 RAM because when I had sent my PC to my technician from whom I purchased this PC, there was 2 GB of RAM installed. Therefore, I did not “Turn On” the PC to check if it Is working INSTEAD, just confirm with my Technician and he says that the PC has been tested & is working fine before dispatching it to me. Therefore, I did not bother to “Turn On” the PC at that point of time.

    Once I received the additional 1 GB of RAM, I seated it properly into its slot and “Turned On” my PC. Now the issue is that my Monitor won’t initialize. The Power light on the CPU shows green but the Power light on my Monitor is Solid Amber.

    I hooked up my Monitor VGA cable to my HP 530 Notebook and it works fine, so no issue with my monitor. Now, I tried all possible troubleshooting steps as mentioned below:

    1.Unplugged all the cables except the Power Cord and Monitor VGA cable.
    2.Did Power Cycle after Turning Off the PC & Unplugging all the cables from the back.
    3.Disconnected WDC SATA HDD, Both Ram’s, SATA DVD Writer, CPU Fan Connector, ATX 12V Connector coming out from PSU, Nvidia Graphics Card.
    4.Changed the Surge Protector.


    but nothing seems to work. Tried connecting VGA cable to both Onboard and Nvidia Graphics Card but that also doesn’t help.

    So, the major troubleshooting steps have already been performed by me and there’s no question of either my Asrock Motherboard or Nvidia Graphics Card having an issue since both are replaced and tested by my technician already.

    Therefore, if anybody on this forum could come up with a brilliant idea or suggestion and help me diagnose this issue, it will be highly appreciable!

    Regards,
    Apoorva.
     
  2. clysher

    clysher MDL Novice

    Jan 28, 2008
    9
    0
    0
    Nine times out of ten this is due to bad RAM. Remove the new stick of ram, then boot, then the old, then boot. I bet one of your sticks is bad. If not, it is usually a motherboard or processor issue.
     
  3. 2centsworth

    2centsworth MDL Senior Member

    Feb 12, 2008
    333
    24
    10
    If the ram is bad, you will get a series of beeps from the BIOS assuming the motherboard and CPU are working ok. Remember when adding or removing RAM from your computer, your computer must be unplugged from the electrical mains, otherwise there is a chance you'll damage the motherboard adding or removing RAM from a hot motherboard.

    With the power unplugged from the wall, remove the secondary video card and every I/O card and everything except one stick of the higher quality RAM and then try for a POST on the built-in video with just a keyboard/mouse and monitor plugged in.
     
  4. Lord Kalvan

    Lord Kalvan MDL Novice

    Oct 31, 2008
    5
    0
    0
    Wouldn't you need to go into the BIOS to shut off the PCIE card and use the on board video, or would it automatically switch to the on board if it didn't see a card? He disconnected the CPU fan connector??? Does that mean the fan wasn't running? Has it been reconnected I hope. If it wasn't running the chip may have shut down due to thermal overload or the board not seeing a chip fan present and running.
     
  5. chianf092

    chianf092 MDL Senior Member

    Aug 29, 2008
    279
    21
    10
    That's good it's not your monitor. It could be the other stick of RAM you just installed, Try following the instructions that 2centsworth posted.


    I also see that your board has the intel graphics port too, did you try attaching your monitor to that, so you can check the BIOS settings?
     
  6. apoorvasheth

    apoorvasheth MDL Junior Member

    Jul 25, 2008
    80
    4
    0
    #6 apoorvasheth, Nov 6, 2008
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2008
    (OP)
    Issue resolved!!!!

    @Chianf092

    My dear Chianf092, you asked me a question:

    “I also see that your board has the intel graphics port too, did you try attaching your monitor to that…”

    Now could you kindly tell me what this means?

    “connecting VGA cable to both Onboard…but that also doesn’t help” and

    @ Lord Kalvan

    Q. “Wouldn't you need to go into the BIOS to shut off the PCIE card...?”

    Well, as I already said in my question posted above that my Monitor at first place is not getting initialize and the power light of the monitor is solid amber (orange). Now, under such situation wherein the display is completely blank i.e. “No Display”, how will you expect me to enter BIOS and change Graphics Setting from PCIE to Onboard when there’s nothing that can be seen on the screen?

    Q. “or would it automatically switch to the on board if it didn't see a card?”

    Yes, that’s correct!

    Q. He disconnected the CPU fan connector??? Does that mean the fan wasn't running?

    No, All the fans inside the cabinet are working fine. Just wanted to try that step as part of troubleshooting. And it has been reconnected b’coz CPU fan is the most critical part in any PC or Notebook. If PC / Notebook continue to run without fan supplying the cooling to it, my CPU would just blow off ! :D

    Anyway’z, the day I posted this question on this forum, fortunately, my technician from whom I purchased my PC visited my house and got the issue fixed. Now, If I reveal the fix right now, than there would be no fun left in guessing an answer.

    Few of you are quiet near to the solution and the solution is extremely simple!!!...believe me!!! I’ll give time uptill tomorrow and than post the solution :).

    Regards,
    Apoorva.
     
  7. lindsayphoto

    lindsayphoto MDL Novice

    Nov 24, 2008
    1
    0
    0
    Please tell me!!!!

    CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME THE SOLUTION!!! MY PC IS DOING THE SOME:confused::mad: THING TOO!!!!!!!
     
  8. HMonk

    HMonk MDL Addicted

    Nov 3, 2008
    612
    7
    30
    Monitor on but that's all

    Some basics first:

    1. If the monitor amber light is on, that signifies that the monitor is receiving electrical power - that's all.
    2. If the green light is on, that signifies that the BIOS is reporting the presence of the monitor.

    In your case, the BIOS does not see your monitor. The causes could be several but I would start with the simplest. You know the monitor works because you connected it to another PC. Good.

    Next, are you sure that you have the monitor cable plugged into the correct place. You have a least two ports: the one on the NVIDIA card, and the one on the mobo for the integrated video adaptor. Normally, it is not necessary but do you have to disable (by jumper settings, perhaps) your integrated video adpator or was the monitor previously working OK with a video card installed?

    Bad RAM: very unlikely. As 2centsworth noted, if your RAM is bad the BIOS will usually tell you so by a long series of beeps.

    Remove the video card and connect the monitor to the integrated video adaptor.

    Put the video card in a different slot if available.

    Connect the video cable to the card and pull/push on the cable to see if the green light will come on - signifying a bad connector on the card.

    Finally, many, many years ago I had a monitor that had to be switched on when the computer was turned on. If the monitor was off when the computer booted, the monitor would not work once you turned it on.

    Monk
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  9. James33

    James33 MDL Novice

    Oct 16, 2008
    14
    0
    0
    Not always, i have had seen many issues with bad ram and has been no beeps at all...
     
  10. HMonk

    HMonk MDL Addicted

    Nov 3, 2008
    612
    7
    30
    Beeps

    Next post from APOORVASHETH will be, "What happened to my beeps?" :D

    Monk
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  11. apoorvasheth

    apoorvasheth MDL Junior Member

    Jul 25, 2008
    80
    4
    0
    Solution to my issue.

    Well, not really..... :D

    Anyway'z, here's the solution:

    One of the 2 DDR2 RAMs sticks were not properly seated into its slot.

    Remember, whenever the monitor does not initialize, meaning, it is showing Yellow Amber light, this for sure means that something on the motherboard is not seated properly like in my case, there was a loose contact between 1 of the 2 DDR2 RAMs and the slot.

    So, always do these basic troubleshooting such as, unplugging the RAM, cleaning its base properly with a soft cloth to remove the dust if any and than re-seating it into its slot perfectly, or re-seating Dedicated Graphics Card properly, re-seating PCI cards if any such as USB card, internal modem, etc...


    95 % chances --- Your monitor will get initialize and computer will Boot up!!!

    Regards,
    Apoorva.


     
  12. HMonk

    HMonk MDL Addicted

    Nov 3, 2008
    612
    7
    30
    Beam me up Scotty

    When all else fails, plug it in.

    Secondly, your premise is wrong vis-à-vis mobo connections - but I'll pass on providing a cogent articulation on the inimical machinations of PC architecture.

    Monk
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  13. HMonk

    HMonk MDL Addicted

    Nov 3, 2008
    612
    7
    30
    The soul of wit

    Amen SS, Amen ;)
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...