Possessed HTPC (1 Viewer)

[HO NGUYEN]

I have a very strange problem with my HTPC. I cannot get Windows to boot up in my living room. I move the computer to any other room and it works fine. I'm trying to hook the computer up to my LCD RPTV and it won't work. I get the startup screen for the motherboard but nothing for windows. I tried connecting it to nothing but a regular computer monitor and the same things happen. I even tried running an extension cord from the other room with no luck. I tried my other tower and same things happens. The moment I move the HTPC to another room it works fine. Has anyone ever seen anything even similar to this. I tried moving all the speakers out of the room to see if it was an issue with the magnets. No go. It just seems like computers do not like to work in my living room. Now my laptop works in the room no problem. I'm at a loss. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

When you connect a computer in the living room is either it or anything it is connected to also connected to your network? Either by wireless or hard-wired connection?

How are you connecting the PC to the HT monitor? VGA? DVI? HDMI?

Just trying to eliminate possibilities.

Is you laptop connected to any of the HT equipment when it is in the room? Have you tried connecting to see if this makes a difference.

I have never seen anything like this either, but the symptoms obviously suggest that something in the room is causing the problem. That in turn leaves essentially two possibilities: 1) Something environmental (you've taken the first step in testing that idea by moving the speakers, but there are other possibilities), 2) Something the PC is connecting to.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Glenn Overholt]

#2 is my guess. Is this on a network?

Glenn

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

I have a computer (not very old, but old-ish) from Compaq that won't boot without a keyboard plugged in. May or may not have anything to do with this.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Most computers won't boot without a keyboard. Checking for a keyboard is part of the POST and they will error out if it doesn't see one. I seriously doubt this has anything to do with the current problem as Nguyen would be seeing an obvious message along the lines of "Bad or missing keyboard or keyboard error".

Regards,

Joe

 

[HO NGUYEN]

I've tried it connected to and disconnected from the network. I've had a keyboard connected everytime. I've tried completely divorcing it from everything. I connect it to my LCD RPTV via VGA cable. I've brought a monitor into the room and still nothing. I've even gone as far as to run an extension cord from the other room into the possessed room not go. Running out of possibilities.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Are you using the same VGA cable in the living room that you use when the computer is where it normally sits?

 

[HO NGUYEN]

Tried using a different cable same story.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I have to ask a stupid question - because I don't have a network so I could be all wrong, but...

If the network loads up as part of the Windows boot-up and fails, would Windows still work? Does each PC have to be configured to the cable address? Can you disconnect the network in the bios/or will Windows still require it in order to load? Or can you remove the network card, if you have one?

Glenn

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

What exactly is on the screen when the boot process stops. Write down everything that is there from the top of the screen to the bottom, don't leave anything out. Does it always stop at the same point and is the text on the screen exactly the same?

We need more information and that's as good a place as any to start.

Regards,

Joe

 

[HO NGUYEN]

Not being connected to a network will not prevent windows from starting up. There is nothing on the screen. It starts up with the logo from the bios, it then goes to the normal screen that shows the bios info then it just goes completely black with no more info. When I bring it into the other room it will normally show the windos logo at this point and then start up. I think I'm just going to have to get a long vga cable and run it through the wall to the tv this way. I know it is not the most ideal way but keeping the computer in the other room is the only way I can get it to start up. I guess I'm just going to have to give up on this one. I think I've done every conceivable thing to isolate and narrow down what could be the problem.

 

[Stacey]

I don't know if this is possible or not, and please don't laught...but... take your computer into one of the rooms closest to your living room that it will still boot up completely.

Run an extension cord from the living room to this second room and plug in the computer and power on.

Once totally up and running fine, carry the computer into the living room and see what happens. :b

(You may want to put the whole computer + monitor on a rolling cart of some sort if it's heavy or unwieldly)

Excluding this, have you just tried booting into safe mode (Press esc key while powering on) and selecting either Safe Mode or Verify each step type of startup to see exactly where the computer is failing.

 

[Parker Clack]

Have you tried using an HDMI or DVI cable from your HTPC to your RPTV instead of the VGA cable?

Have you tried putting the HTPC in another room and run a long VGA from the HTPC to your RPTV yet to see if that works?

Parker