The motherboard coordinates the proper
functioning of the system components. It allows devices to communicate
and work in harmony with each other. Troubleshooting a
"dead" computer system is a process of elimination. The
technician will start from the outside and work down to the
motherboard. Unfortunately, if the motherboard is malfunctioning or
bad, it must be replaced.
Scenario One
The computer will not boot and appears "dead". The first
device that should be checked is the external power supply. Verify
that the wall jack is working and that the cable is properly connected
to the computer. If computer is still "dead", move the focus to inside
the computer case. Visually inspect the cabling. Make sure the
motherboard and the drives are connected to the internal power supply.
Inspect the mounting of the motherboard. The motherboard should not be
touching the metal case. The motherboard is separated from the case by
rubber buffers on each mount point. If these rubber buffers are not
properly installed, the motherboard could short.
If the problem still exists, the next step is removing
expansion cards. Remove each card, and then try and reboot the
system. If the computer boots, the expansion card that was removed
is faulty. Next, check the drive controllers. Remove them and try
to boot the computer. If it boots, the problem can be isolated to
one of the drives. If the computer is still "dead", remove any
modular video cards. If the computer boots, replace the video card
with a known good video card and reboot. If the computer is still
"dead", replace the first bank of RAM with a known good stick. If
the computer is still "dead", most likely the motherboard needs to
be replaced or the power supply needs replaced.
Scenario Two
Dipswitches and jumpers can be found on the surface of most
motherboards. These settings might be reconfigured while
troubleshooting. For
example, on some motherboards, the CMOS startup utility can be entered
by a particular placement of the jumpers. If these jumpers are not
returned to their original configuration, the computer will not
operate correctly. To verify motherboard jumper settings, consult with
the motherboard documentation or the manufacturer website.
Scenario Three
An end user receives a "BIOS ROM checksum error". During
the POST routines, the POST runs a comparison between the
compatibility of the ROM chip and the motherboard. If the POST
fails, the end user will receive a "BIOS ROM checksum error".
This error signifies that the ROM chip and motherboard are not
compatible. The ROM chip will need to be replaced with a chip that
is compatible with the motherboard.
