Motherboard and Components check

Hello Holger,

as you are asking for a simple way, there is the possibility to run the PSA diagnostics in the BIOS Bootmenu. It may find an error on the systems hardware.

Another simple way to check the CPU is the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool which can be found here:

• http://intel.ly/1sRhorH (32bit operating system)
• http://intel.ly/1jCAMPZ (64bit operating system)

The best way to check what components are working, is to strip down the system to minimum requirements. This means that all components which are not required to "start" the system, can be removed.

This also does depend on what happens, when the system does not start. Does it not Power on, run the POST or Boot?

Proceed with removing all components, except system board, CPU and memory. Ensure that the power button is still connected to the system. Connect an external Monitor on one of the Video Output connectors to check if the system powers on properly. Power on the system, if the behavior stays the same, the source will probably be one of these 3 Components. If the system is working properly at that moment for multiple startup attempts, 1 of the removed components probably caused the issue.

Caution: Keep in mind that the system will overheat quickly if no heatsink or fan is connected.

If you have 2 memory modules you can test it with the other memory module. If it fails with both memory modules single tested, the problem will probably not be caused by the memory.

Checking if the system board or CPU is causing the issue will only be possible with a spare system board or CPU.

If the system had only problems with booting Windows operating system, you'll need to connect the hard disk drive to verify if the problem is present.

A full Guide for part disassembly and reassembly can be found in the service manual: http://bit.ly/1rPxkXf

with kind regards,

Florian