Hi all,
Ive got a reoccurring issue that has been effecting a couple of dedicated machines that operate remotely. Users are reporting that their systems are unable to turn on. Walking them through the troubleshooting, there is no issues with the monitor. Power is being applied, the system lights turn on. We can confirm the network activity lights on the LAN port and the router has negotiated a link speed. But if we log into the router, we see no packets coming from the PC.
Now, the weird part. When the computer is shipped back, it magically starts working again. Ive tried running a memtest to see if maybe its bad ram, but it always comes back passed. I believe the issue is due to a multiport pci serial card. Sometimes if the cable is removed that connects to that pci, the system will boot. Other times, it completely kills the pc. Until of course it gets shipped back, then it will work again.
Ive really hit a dead end with this issue. Im not sure how to diagnose a no post situation without physically being there. At the very least, I wish I could replicate the issue in person. Unfortunately, the issue is occurring with multiple computers and pci cards. Doubtful its a one off bad piece of hardware.
If anyone has any experience troubleshooting a no post situation remotely or has had issues with pci cards, I’d really appreciate it!
Oh wow this is a fantastic write up! I really appreciate the effort you put into this. You’ve certainly given me lots to ponder over. I wonder if there is some credence to the humidity issue. Id have to do some digging on when the issue occured and what the conditions were like but some of the locations do get humid.