Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My 955-series or 975-series server has no POST or video. Are there some steps I can take to find out what is wrong?

A: No POST or no video is a situation in which the server appears to power up. However, nothing is displayed on the monitor and the normal power on self test (POST) completion beep is not evident.

When troubleshooting a no POST and no video condition, begin by examining the server’s external configuration and external components before moving to the internal components. Try removing any newly connected external or internal devices as a first step. If a new device has been added to the server, chances are very high that this new device is causing the difficulty. Disconnect the newly connected device first, and then test the server before making any other changes.

An external peripheral device can sometimes cause a no POST or no video situation. When troubleshooting the server with a POST or video issue, simplify the external configuration to include the video cable, power cable, mouse, and keyboard only. Remove any keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) switch boxes. Connect the video, mouse, and keyboard cables directly to the server. If the server still has no video or does not complete POST with the external configuration simplified in such a manner, attempt to power on the server without the keyboard and mouse connected (only power and video connected).

Try clearing the NVRAM. Open the server case and clear the NVRAM using the CLR\CMOS jumper located along the left side of the motherboard. Move the jumper from pins 1 and 2 to pins 2 and 3 and power the server on. After clearing the CMOS, power down the server and place the jumper back to pins 1 and 2, the default position.

If clearing the NVRAM does not resolve the situation, continue troubleshooting by reseating the power supply connector on the motherboard and the front panel (power switch) to backplane cable. If the no POST and no video situation persists, simplify the internal configuration of the server by removing any PCI cards. Also, disconnect the hard drives from their power source, reseat the power connectors to the backplane but do not remove the power from the backplane*, reseat the gold tape cable for the combination CDROM/floppy drive*, and remove SCSI cables from the motherboard connections. If the server is still unable to produce video or complete POST, reseat the processors and memory cards. You can also attempt to power the server on without the memory cards and only the processor nearest to the memory slots present. While the server is in a simplified internal state, attempt to clear the NVRAM again.

As a final step, remove the battery from the motherboard, wait 15 minutes, and then place the battery back into the server and attempt to power on the server again.

* The power switch assembly requires communication through the backplane to power up the server.