My complete nightmare, PC won't POST

I'm not blaming Trilian for this moreso than I am Windows. But here's my totally nightmarish experience that has started while trying to install Spectrasonics Trilian, which I had been looking forward to buying for the past 4 months. I'm hoping and praying that it's JUST the motherboard and NOT the CPU as well. I'm planning on replacing the motherboard next payday (next week)

- Gateway DX4870-UR368
- 14 GB Ram
- Windows 10.....then Windows 8
- Core i7 3770k

This nightmare started this past Friday night. I was installing a (legit) music production program from the DVD drive when Windows 10 somehow, weirdly glitched up and wouldn't read the disc. I ejected the disc but Windows Explorer indicated that that the disc was still inserted. I tried to shut down but the PC wouldn't do so; it just stayed on a black screen. So I had to turn it off via power button. Up powering, I was getting damage file_system errors and I needed to restore my PC back to factory defaults, which meant Windows 8. I had to do this because all of the recovery options did not work. So the restore went through and everything appeared to be working fine....until the very next morning.

At first, when I turned on the PC, the power button would come on, HDDs (plural) spin up, I can hear all of the fans going but nothing was happening. I waited for about 10 minutes and it eventually booted up. So, it was a delayed boot. So I stupidly decided to try and upgrade to Windows 8.1. I left it running while I went to work for a few hours and came to see it was still stuck on "Getting a few things ready 3%" still. So I aborted and turned off via power button. I tried to reboot again but this time it wouldn't reboot at all. I couldn't turn off either by power button so I had to unplug it. Upon trying to turn back on, the power button LED wouldn't even light. So I decided to call it night after a few attempts at rebooting.

Last night, I had some success. I took out that 3v looking battery and reset the CMOS switch. There was, again, a delayed boot but it booted. For some reason, the BIOS menu option had been missing from my splash screen for a while. So I decided to create a Windows 8 repair disc first (in case I needed it), then do an advanced restart to get into the BIOS and re-enable the bios menu option.

After browsing through the BIOS, I saw some options that I was wondering about and decided to Google them. Namely the power management options being enabled in the BIOS. So I decided to do another Advanced Restart to get into the BIOS, but now ever since late last night, I can't get the PC boot again. I just tried another CMOS reset but it still won't boot. While I had it working, I noticed that Disk Management said there were recovery partitions, but none of them had letters assigned and they didn't appear in Windows Explorer.

I tried another PSU, no luck. I'm not sure that it's the motherboard that's the problem (but if it is, I will definitely replace it if I have to). I have had NO problems with the PC in the 3 years I've owned it. It hasn't shown any signs of anything failing. This problem is a total surprise and only started after factory restoring Windows 8. A possible culprit could be the CPU (the i7 3770k) as well.

I'm praying that I can get this fixed. I'm considering taking this to the Geek Squad, but I know they'll charge me out the butt and it's a 50/50 chance with that. (from hearing about other's experiences)

I talked to a PC repair person and he also agreed that it was the motherboard. I'm praying, hoping and worrying that it's not the CPU.

It won't even post. I'm going to try another test with the PSU that I haven't tried. (shorting the Green wire to the black). If only I can find a paper clip. I have some twist ties laying around somewhere, I'm not sure if that would work, though, if I take off the paper surround it and expose the metal underneath.

Vern C
I'm not blaming Trilian for this moreso than I am Windows. But here's my totally nightmarish experience that has started while trying to install Spectrasonics Trilian, which I had been looking forward to buying for the past 4 months. I'm hoping and praying that it's JUST the motherboard and NOT the CPU as well. I'm planning on replacing the motherboard next payday (next week)

- Gateway DX4870-UR368
- 14 GB Ram
- Windows 10.....then Windows 8
- Core i7 3770k

This nightmare started this past Friday night. I was installing a (legit) music production program from the DVD drive when Windows 10 somehow, weirdly glitched up and wouldn't read the disc. I ejected the disc but Windows Explorer indicated that that the disc was still inserted. I tried to shut down but the PC wouldn't do so; it just stayed on a black screen. So I had to turn it off via power button. Up powering, I was getting damage file_system errors and I needed to restore my PC back to factory defaults, which meant Windows 8. I had to do this because all of the recovery options did not work. So the restore went through and everything appeared to be working fine....until the very next morning.

At first, when I turned on the PC, the power button would come on, HDDs (plural) spin up, I can hear all of the fans going but nothing was happening. I waited for about 10 minutes and it eventually booted up. So, it was a delayed boot. So I stupidly decided to try and upgrade to Windows 8.1. I left it running while I went to work for a few hours and came to see it was still stuck on "Getting a few things ready 3%" still. So I aborted and turned off via power button. I tried to reboot again but this time it wouldn't reboot at all. I couldn't turn off either by power button so I had to unplug it. Upon trying to turn back on, the power button LED wouldn't even light. So I decided to call it night after a few attempts at rebooting.

Last night, I had some success. I took out that 3v looking battery and reset the CMOS switch. There was, again, a delayed boot but it booted. For some reason, the BIOS menu option had been missing from my splash screen for a while. So I decided to create a Windows 8 repair disc first (in case I needed it), then do an advanced restart to get into the BIOS and re-enable the bios menu option.

After browsing through the BIOS, I saw some options that I was wondering about and decided to Google them. Namely the power management options being enabled in the BIOS. So I decided to do another Advanced Restart to get into the BIOS, but now ever since late last night, I can't get the PC boot again. I just tried another CMOS reset but it still won't boot. While I had it working, I noticed that Disk Management said there were recovery partitions, but none of them had letters assigned and they didn't appear in Windows Explorer.

I tried another PSU, no luck. I'm not sure that it's the motherboard that's the problem (but if it is, I will definitely replace it if I have to). I have had NO problems with the PC in the 3 years I've owned it. It hasn't shown any signs of anything failing. This problem is a total surprise and only started after factory restoring Windows 8. A possible culprit could be the CPU (the i7 3770k) as well.

I'm praying that I can get this fixed. I'm considering taking this to the Geek Squad, but I know they'll charge me out the butt and it's a 50/50 chance with that. (from hearing about other's experiences)

I talked to a PC repair person and he also agreed that it was the motherboard. I'm praying, hoping and worrying that it's not the CPU.

 I do believe a motherboard will post error beeps without a CPU. Unless you performed unsafe over clocks or had you system shut down to CPU heat issues, processors are rare to go bad.

I've been meaning to post here. The more I worked with the PC, the more it seemed like the CPU is actually dead. Thinking back, I've had the PC hard shut off randomly. But that's only happened a handful of times in three years. 3-4 times total at the most. The most recent was about two weeks before this ordeal started. The USB appears to be receiving power. For a brief period of time, I had my iLok plugged in and it actually lit up. I really wish I had a way to test this i7. No one around around me has this CPU socket and on top of that, all of the computer shops around me have shut down. Now it's just all residents running computer businesses out of their homes.
 
So I'm stuck TORN on what to do here:
 
1. Part of me wants to buy some replacement parts and see if the i7 works. But this comes with a risk of it not working and then I'm stuck with those ordered parts and out some cash.
 
2. The bigger part of me wants to bypass the potential extreme frustration of option 1 and just do this custom build I've been wanting to do for a while. This would happen at the end of the month when I've saved up enough money. I've sold off some software to help me get there. I'm possibly going to sell off my Slate Digital single licenses since I have the subscription now. (I actually called Slate Digital with this question today and they confirmed that I can do that because the subscription is a separate license from the single plugins)
 
I've gone stark raving mad without being able to get down the ideas that I've been having. Combine with the fact that I had just literally, hours earlier, drove to Guitar Center to purchase Spectrasonics Trilian the day this whole problem started.....yeah.....I'm more impatient than ever lol.

A memory problem can also lead to not getting a PC to POST.
 
You might try a single memory stick and if nothing try a different one, just to rule that out.
 
Bob Bone
 

I am still clear where your problem lies. You say the machine will not start/post, but you said you are getting into the BIOS. Which is it?

 
After having to restore Windows to factory settings, it started as a delayed post. I would press the power button and nothing would happen for about 10 minutes. I was still able to get into the BIOS from that. Eventually, it stopped posting completely.
 
I tried virtually *EVERY* possible solution known to man over the course of five days, which took up my entire time off days from work. I even tried a different power supply from a good computer. None of it worked. Tried everything suggested in this thread and every thread I made across various computer forums. Interestingly, when I put the power supply from the non-functioning Gateway into my Dell, the Dell actually booted up. Both of those power supplies were 300 watts, however. The ONE thing I haven't tried is a higher wattage power supply. I'd need to wait until I get paid on Friday to do that because all of the computer stores around me (no exaggeration) have closed down within the last 1-2 years. I live near the Northwestern Indiana border, so I may do some Googling for computer stores in that area.
 
It seems like the USB ports are getting power as my iLok will still light up. After trying everything, this is why I'm wondering if the CPU is dead. That is my top fear. I know I need to replace the motherboard regardless (I accidentally bent some pins on the CPU socket :( ) The thing that tells me that the CPU is NOT dead is the fact that it was posting originally, albeit a delayed post, before it stopped posting completely. Honestly, I'm not sure if that's typical of a failed CPU. The obvious culprit is the PSU, but given everything I said, I have my doubt that's the only problem. I believe the motherboard started to fail before it completely died and in the process, it took some components with it.
 
I just don't want to wind up ordering a mobo, a new power supply and have it turn out that the CPU is dead then I'm about $150. Part of me just wants to bypass that potential extreme frustration and just save up to get a new (custom) rig at the end of the month.

Do you have a system speaker attached?

Y: good
N: bugger!

I shall assume Y.  Otherwise, diagnosing whether it's the CPU, MOBO or RAM or 'X' can be a b1tch.  Refer to your MOBO manual as to the beep codes and their meaning, this is the best way of diagnosing the issue.  They look like this: http://www.cwc-group.com/casp.html

If you have >1 RAM stick installed, try booting with just one installed at a time, changing which one each time ofc.  This will also have the effect of re-seating the RAM, which is another possible problem.

You can test the PSU á la this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4

There are q. a number of other things you can try (e.g. remove gfx card and just use the integrated gfx), but the beep codes are really the way to go.

>I was installing a (legit) music production program from the DVD drive
>when Windows 10 somehow, weirdly glitched up and wouldn't read the disc. 
 
Have you tried disconnecting the DVD drive?
3 times in the last 10 years I've run into bootup problems (slow startup or complete failure) on various PCs caused by a dead or dying CD-Rom/DVD drive.