# Stuck In Sleep Mode



## ABRanger

Its been a while!
Here's my dilema. The system I am working with here is a 500Mhz PIII, 128 megs ram, onboard sound and video and running windows 98. Not sure if second edition or not.
When I attempt to boot the computer, it seems to go into sleep mode. The monitor light goes from green to yellow and the keyboard does not function at all. I have tried to clear CMOS, did not help at all. I removed the hard drive to another tower using the same monitor and I get a good boot. With the exception of a few drivers and files due to different motherboard. Put a working test hard drive in the bad tower, it WILL NOT boot, acting just like the other. Am I missing something or is it possible the motherboard is going bad? Any help you guys can provide would be awesome, thank you.


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## Styxx

I assume you're using WinME or earlier. Disable Sleep Mode. right-click your desktop; point to properties; click the Screen Saver tab; click the lower Settings button. The power settings should be - Home/Office Desk; turn off monitor after 15 minutes; turn off hard disk after 30 minutes, System Standby/Hibernate/Sleep - NEVER. Under all tabs there, make sure the option to Hibernate/Sleep or Standby is set to Never. click the apply button; click the OK button as appropriate.


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## Huon

Going to defaults on the CMOS is the only thing that I can think of with on-board video. I suspect your own diagnosis is accurate, 
Cables properly fixed of course.
As you try to boot, if it is the MB, you may get some strange beeps? your MB manufacturers website may give you diagnosis of those if they are happening.
Sorry I can't suggest anthing else. (I take it you have swapped keyboards).


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## ABRanger

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the reply. Problem is, I cant get the system to boot at all. No text whatsoever comes on the screen. Cant get safe mode, boot disk wont work cause I cant get anything but power and within 5 to 8 seconds it goes right to that sleep mode. I have tried different keyboards as well. It seems to me that since I put a working bootable hard drive in there and the same thing happens but use the hard drive from the bad tower on another system and get a boot that it cant really be anything else but something with the motherboard.


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## killspyware

> _Originally posted by ABRanger:_
> *I have tried different keyboards as well.*


i don't think it's the keyboard's fault... from what i've been hearing, i agree with you that it might be the motherboard...


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## ABRanger

I'm curious as to whether I am clearing the CMOS the correct way. I found the online manual for the motherboard and it sain power down, unplug the pwr cord to the tower, move the jumper to the clear CMOS settings for a few seconds....then what? Do I move the jumper back before rebooting or pwr up and shut dwn before moving the jumper? Do I need to remove the battery at any point?


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## Styxx

you move the jumper back after the prescribed time period then pug-in and power up.

No need to remove the battery.

Actually the 'F' key at BIOS screen bottom that sets Setup to the defaults is the best way to go and is the same as powering down as resetting the BIOS' jumper (CMOS is the wrong acronym, it refers to the actual metal components of the BIOS chip). It's called the Basic Imput/Otput System (BIOS) or Setup. You're resetting the program contained on the chip (BIOS/Setup) not the internal physical components (CMOS).

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213860,00.html


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## Styxx

you have to install a partitioned formatted hard drive in the unit or the BIOS won't do anything . No text, etc. Please see the following printable tutorial for more information.


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## ABRanger

Hi all,
Hey Styxx, I did use a partitioned, bootable, with OS, on the bad tower and still get the same result. Same one boots fine in another system. Really leaning towards the motherboard here.
If I swap any other component to my working test system, it boots up. No matter what I put in the bad tower, nothing changes the sleep mode type result. Thanks for all your help thus far. Let me know if ya brainstorm anything else.


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## NotRiteÂ²

Probably is mobo, but....... I have seen problems like that being just the onboard chip itself or the even the connecter you plug to in the back of box. Since you cannot access Bios, there may or may not be a jumper for the onboard video to disable it there. If you have a pci vid card, you might get lucky and be able to disable the onboard and use the pci.

Just a thought

Good Luck!


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## ABRanger

WooHoo!!! I figured it out. Although, I think God had a hand in it! 
I checked the online manual again and decided to go through the jumpers and setting. Thanks NotRite for guiding me that direction. Turns out there was a jumper missing on the system bus frequency jumper. Put it back on and WE GOT BOOT!!! Thanks guys for all your help. "Individually we are a ***, together we are genius".


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## Huon

Well Done ABRanger. That sort of Physical problem is almost impossible to diagnose without a great deal of patience and luck, (or an in-depth knowlege of the mobo). You did very well!


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