My own computer is a Mac. I think with a Mac, the display comes up
before it checks the memory. On a PC, would bad memory keep the monitor
light from turning green?

On the PC, a Compaq Presario 1710 I think, all ports except the modem
are on the motherboard. Would I need the hard drive to get the monitor
to light up?

Offhand, I remember I could unplug the floppy drive and the CD drive.

Could corrupted BIOS prevent the monitor from waking? It sounds as if
resetting the BIOS depends on what model the computer is. Macs have
PRAMs and CUDAs instead. The PRAM can be reset with keyboard
combination on atartup. The CUDA includes the pram and is reset with an
electrical switch. I don't think either can keep the monitor from
showing a green light.

Michael Kennedy wrote:

It won't ask for memory. You have to have memory in the pc for it to do
anything but beep. That's all you'll get without memory BEEEP BEEEP
BEEEP.... If you take everything out except the processor it should
beep..(including memory and vid card) Beeping a good sign and and means the
bios is working.

- Mike

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:Zmlze.14689$Yb4.6535@trnddc08...

"jakdedert" wrote in message
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"Choreboy" wrote in message
...
Neighbors have a computer that won't work after a lightning strike.
With the video cable connected, the monitor stays black and in the
standby mode. There are howls from the speakers, like feedback. With
the cable disconnected, the monitor will briefly show a notice that
it's
not connected. There are no howls from the speakers although the mic
cable remains connected.

With the power off, I checked the pins of the monitor cable to see that
the grounding pins were grounded and the signal pins were not. One
grounding pin is open, so it seems certain that the monitor is damaged.

The next step would be to try another monitor to see if there's other
damage to the system. In case the computer's video card is damaged,
can
a monitor be damaged by plugging in to it?

'Probably' not, but why not try plugging their monitor into your
computer?
That's extremely unlikely to cause any damage. Then, I'd take
*everything*
out of the neighbor's computer, except the vid card...unplug memory, all
drives including floppy...just leave in the CPU and vid card.



Actually I'd be more concerned about that causing damage than the other
way
around, but realistically either way should be fine.