Server won't post

[Humboldt]

Sun MicroSystems
Not sure what model, it's at work.

Replaced the MB and all components last year and tried to get it to work for 4 days.

Me, trini, and the business owner (super computer geek, MS MVP, built and maintained all our other servers for the past 25 years, founded http://www.datastormusers.com, does almost of our networking and programming, etc...) could never get it to actually boot up.

It'll power up fine but never post, I think we got something on the monitor once.

Been a while but want to start messing around with it again and see if I can get it going.

Suggestions appreciated.

Thanks.

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'd start with the standard stuff to at least get a reliable POST screen to come up.
Remove all components...adapters, peripherals, memory, CPU....go to total bare bones nothing....power up. Put in CPU...power up. Put in memory, power up. Hope that starting with those basics you'll at least get beep codes which you can refer to the particular motherboard systems manual.

[Humboldt]

I'd start with the standard stuff to at least get a reliable POST screen to come up.
Remove all components...adapters, peripherals, memory, CPU....go to total bare bones nothing....power up. Put in CPU...power up. Put in memory, power up. Hope that starting with those basics you'll at least get beep codes which you can refer to the particular motherboard systems manual.

Yeah, that's exactly what we did
Will start over and keep you "posted"

[Faust]

I'd start with the standard stuff to at least get a reliable POST screen to come up.
Remove all components...adapters, peripherals, memory, CPU....go to total bare bones nothing....power up. Put in CPU...power up. Put in memory, power up. Hope that starting with those basics you'll at least get beep codes which you can refer to the particular motherboard systems manual.

Agreed. I would like to add that in a couple instances over the years I have had to actually remove the mobo from the case and set it on a piece of cardboard on the outside-side of the enclosure (so I didn't have to remove the drives and PSU since their cables would still reach) and hook up the bare minimum components . What was happening in these two instances was the enclosure or possibly the mainboard was the victim of crappy QC so standoffs/screws or mounting holes were offset enough to short out a trace on the board when tightened down. If you can get it to POST with the mobo outside the enclosure then you'll need to hit/miss which screw to not use or use paper washers for insulation. Of course if the standoffs are far enough off nominal location you could also be stressing or warping the board which would mean you paper washers won't help and just not mounting the board with all the screws will solve it. The fact that you may have seen some response in the past would lend either being possible after 'Cat's bare-minimum-components-to-POST recommendation.

It's a stretch, but like I said I've seen it happen.