Pentium 4 computer won't display on monitor

[mehguy]

When I try booting it up, it seems ok, but when i plug in the vga cable, it won't display anything.

[BuckoA51]

Likely it's been set to a screen mode your monitor can't display. Try booting into safe mode (assuming some sort of Windows OS is on it) and changing to something safe like 800x600@60hz

[mehguy]

Likely it's been set to a screen mode your monitor can't display. Try booting into safe mode (assuming some sort of Windows OS is on it) and changing to something safe like 800x600@60hz

that's what I thought to seeing that the computer is years older than the monitor. Also, why safe mode?

How would I be able to switch the resolution if I can't see what the computer is doing?

[Ed Oscuro]

Try booting into safe mode

But to answer your question, safe mode typically selects VESA mode 640x480 @ 60Hz, which is an industry standard that all monitors are supposed to display by default.

Now go do a Google search on booting in safe mode on your particular PC.

[HydrogLox]

it won't display anything.

How would I be able to switch the resolution if I can't see what the computer is doing?

When you turn the computer on can you at least see the initial BIOS screen (Text Mode)?
If you can't even see that then there is a more basic problem.

[mehguy]

it won't display anything.

How would I be able to switch the resolution if I can't see what the computer is doing?

When you turn the computer on can you at least see the initial BIOS screen (Text Mode)?
If you can't even see that then there is a more basic problem.

I can't see the bios.

[Thamiel]

Are you using a video card or the motherboard for video?

[HydrogLox]

If you know which main board bios you have the Computer POST and beep codes may be able to tell you something as long as the main board speaker is connected. But even if everything passes the Power-On-Self-Test the graphics adapter, cable or monitor could still be at fault. Do you have another video source that you can use to test the monitor & cable?

[mehguy]

If you know which main board bios you have the Computer POST and beep codes may be able to tell you something as long as the main board speaker is connected. But even if everything passes the Power-On-Self-Test the graphics adapter, cable or monitor could still be at fault. Do you have another video source that you can use to test the monitor & cable?

how do i connect a speaker?

[Ed Oscuro]

You don't connect a speaker; the motherboard itself will have a speaker for beep codes. If it doesn't, you're SOL as far as that goes.

I wonder if it's possible new monitors don't support 640x480...seems unlikely.

When was the last time you actually got video from the screen? Was it recently, or years ago?

[CkRtech]

how do i connect a speaker?

Since it is a Pentium 4, it most likely has features available from an older era. Therefore, you should have a 4 pin header on your motherboard for a speaker connection.

Are you running a video card in this machine, and does it have built-in video? If it does have a built-in video option, it is possible it is outputting from that port rather than the one on your expansion card. The BIOS most likely has an option on which to initialize first, and the failsafe will always default to any built-in display output. I understand that this might not be an issue with you system, but is an extremely easy thing to overlook.

You may also want to check to see if the monitor you are using has multiple inputs. If it does, make sure you have the correct input selected.

It could be that your computer is fine and you only have a bit of a setup problem. Good luck.

[mehguy]

When was the last time you actually got video from the screen? Was it recently, or years ago?

Never, I just got the computer a couple of days ago.

[mehguy]

how do i connect a speaker?

Since it is a Pentium 4, it most likely has features available from an older era. Therefore, you should have a 4 pin header on your motherboard for a speaker connection.

Are you running a video card in this machine, and does it have built-in video? If it does have a built-in video option, it is possible it is outputting from that port rather than the one on your expansion card. The BIOS most likely has an option on which to initialize first, and the failsafe will always default to any built-in display output. I understand that this might not be an issue with you system, but is an extremely easy thing to overlook.

You may also want to check to see if the monitor you are using has multiple inputs. If it does, make sure you have the correct input selected.

It could be that your computer is fine and you only have a bit of a setup problem. Good luck.

I tried making a lan using the pentium 4 and my vista computer, the vista machine recognized it. So, maybe my monitor doesn't support the pentium 4's output?

Also, I tried connecting a beeper speaker (I hope i connected it right...) and no beeps were coming out of it.

[Ed Oscuro]

Best bet is to follow through with the advice on checking for video outputs and trying whatever ones you find. If that doesn't work, I'd try a cheap old graphics card (swapping the one in there, if there is).

No beeps playing so far (assuming this model has beep codes, but pretty much all motherboards do, even back then) suggests to me that the core components are still good - RAM good enough to POST, CPU running. Edit: Your LAN test confirms this and makes it look better.

If the video output is gone, I'd be cautious about messing with this more unless it has a plug-in video card and replacing that fixes it. Otherwise the problem would be more basic to the motherboard.

[mehguy]

Best bet is to follow through with the advice on checking for video outputs and trying whatever ones you find. If that doesn't work, I'd try a cheap old graphics card (swapping the one in there, if there is).

No beeps playing so far (assuming this model has beep codes, but pretty much all motherboards do, even back then) suggests to me that the core components are still good - RAM good enough to POST, CPU running.

You do get lights on the case front, right? I'd hate to think the only thing that's actually running is the PSU fan.

I get lights from the case but for some reason, the access light acts as a power light and vice versa with that power light.

[Ed Oscuro]

Is this a brand-name PC? It could just be that it's self-built and somebody just hooked up the wrong pins to the motherboard. I suppose somebody could have done that even with some brand name PCs, too, if they messed with it.

[mehguy]

Is this a brand-name PC? It could just be that it's self-built and somebody just hooked up the wrong pins to the motherboard. I suppose somebody could have done that even with some brand name PCs, too, if they messed with it.

I believe its a self built. It has no brand name on it except 2 stickers, one that says pentium 4, and the other saying "powered my asus". (it's an asus mobo)

Anyways, I my monitor only has one input for vga.

[Lord of Pirates]

Have you tried booting with the monitor already connected and on? I'm guessing yes from what's been posted so far but, I figured I'd ask.

[mehguy]

Have you tried booting with the monitor already connected and on? I'm guessing yes from what's been posted so far but, I figured I'd ask.

Yes. Also, I just noticed but there are no fans apart from the one on the cpu...

[Lord of Pirates]

Aside from a video card, nothing else should need a fan to run properly.

[Ed Oscuro]

Since it's an Asus motherboard, you should be able to look up the model name on the Asus support website and get a manual for it.

Still don't see an answer for the most important question: Are you connecting to a VGA port on the motherboard (on the back panel), or into a video card on the expansion slot?

[mehguy]

Since it's an Asus motherboard, you should be able to look up the model name on the Asus support website and get a manual for it.

Still don't see an answer for the most important question: Are you connecting to a VGA port on the motherboard (on the back panel), or into a video card on the expansion slot?

I've tried both slots, nothing works.

[Lord of Pirates]

Have you tried removing the video card and defaulting the BIOS?

[BazookaBen]

So the computer turns on (the fans are spinning)? I've seen a motherboard where the video simply wouldn't work. It was weird.

Having a graphics card should fix that though. If you really want to save the PC, you can plug a graphics card into the AGP or PCIe x16 slot. But honestly, that's probably more trouble than its worth to save 12 year old PC. I mean, your PC would probably struggle with 720p video on youtube.

[Ed Oscuro]

Since it's an Asus motherboard, you should be able to look up the model name on the Asus support website and get a manual for it.

Still don't see an answer for the most important question: Are you connecting to a VGA port on the motherboard (on the back panel), or into a video card on the expansion slot?

I've tried both slots, nothing works.

What do you mean by "slots?" Are you saying there are two VGA connectors and you've tried both? I imagine you didn't take a video card and swap it across PCI connectors, because this motherboard's expansion video card slot is probably (hopefully) AGP, usually a brown connector, most likely.

Still if you tried the VGA connector on a plug-in video card, and got no video, you should try two things:
1.) plugging into the motherboard's VGA connector after removing the video card
2.) plugging a different video card into the spot where the original video card was, and trying that (again, I wouldn't try anything expensive in case the machine has a fault)

Things change slightly if it's just a PCI graphics card, in which case the card can be swapped around. Things change again if it's a PCI-E connector, but then they just become more like AGP.

The only other thing I can think of, which certainly applies to PCI-E, is whether it has additional power inputs.

What is the motherboard?

[mehguy]

I went to a pc repair shop and they told me that I had a bad mobo. They sold me a used mobo with a cpu on it.

So i installed the mobo and it works.