HELP I need a new desktop PC

[Robbo3]

Until you can get a display on the screen we have no idea what the fault is.
IMHO it is unlikely to be the refurbished PC as these are normally wiped, a new OS installed then tested before being dispatched .... unless you bought it from a private individual whereby all bets are off.
Sometimes you can tell when a machine has possibly posted by the fan noise. If it ramps up then calms down it may well be ok but because there is no picture you can't tell.
Again, I go back to those adaptors. Until you can get a picture on the screen you don't know if it's a bios setting, a faulty Display Port or a faulty adaptor.

 

[HOJ]

Update, reply from supplier:

"When you press the power button a power cycle runs through the machine this is why it goes off.
Don't press the button again and let the power cycle complete, once completed the machine will turn on as normal.

Also, for the screen display please check if the input source is set correctly to HDMI or Auto selection. The USB stick is for the PC to connect internet wirelessly."


Not sure how long the "power cycle" is but after 30 minutes I gave up!

My screen is looking for an HDMI by auto selection, the only other possible issues is I am using a wireless keyboard, with a usb dingle, so going to get a wired one and try again, but the power thing seems really strange, it just runs for 20 seconds and goes dark..

 

[JSW]

Again, I go back to those adaptors. Until you can get a picture on the screen you don't know if it's a bios setting, a faulty Display Port or a faulty adaptor.

Yep, if the monitor isn't displaying the boot screen (HP Logo, Press Esc. to enter BIOS, etc) then there's something missing between the PC and monitor, the motherboard would have to be wrecked to get no BIOS, which is probably unlikely.

Update, reply from supplier:

"When you press the power button a power cycle runs through the machine this is why it goes off.
Don't press the button again and let the power cycle complete, once completed the machine will turn on as normal.

Also, for the screen display please check if the input source is set correctly to HDMI or Auto selection. The USB stick is for the PC to connect internet wirelessly."


Not sure how long the "power cycle" is but after 30 minutes I gave up!

My screen is looking for an HDMI by auto selection, the only other possible issues is I am using a wireless keyboard, with a usb dingle, so going to get a wired one and try again, but the power thing seems really strange, it just runs for 20 seconds and goes dark..

The power cycle is usually just a few seconds.

Did you try powering off at the mains, then pressing the PC's power button for a few seconds, then powering the PC back up again? Been awhile but I think that discharges the capacitors, it's worked for me in the past.

The wireless keyboard/dongle shouldn't interfere with the PC booting.

If you haven't tried it, and I realise this is all getting very tiresome now, turn the PC on with the monitor off, give the PC 30 seconds to boot, then turn on the monitor, if still no picture, turn the monitor off again, unplug the DP cable from the PC, and plug back into the 2nd DP input on the PC, then turn the monitor back on. This will 'force' the monitor to look for an input if there is one. you can leave the PC turned on while swapping the cable between DP inputs

 

[HOJ]

give the PC 30 seconds to boot

I have been swapping things about in the hope it may be a simple problem but the PC doesn't do anything, its been on since my last post, nothing, no blinking lights or a power on symbol on the switch, I reckon its a dead duck.

 

[JSW]

Google threw this up, never tried it but has to be worth a shot.

If you have a Windows PC and your screen is black or the display isn’t working, the first thing to try is a keyboard shortcut to either wake the device or restart the graphics drivers. Here are two shortcuts to try:

Wake the screen. Press Windows logo key + P or Ctrl + Alt + Del.
Restart the graphics drivers. Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B.

 

[Jake]

The wireless keyboard/dongle shouldn't interfere with the PC booting.

I've had issues with that on first boot of a new or 'new' windows system, as I understand it the first thing it needs to detect when booting is a keyboard connection (which is why I asked about the keyboard lights flashing during boot, if they don't it isn't going further). As it can't boot without keyboard, it can't load the drivers for a non-wired keyboard. No expert, may well be wrong, but worth the OP checking.

 

[artie]

Would you mind telling us the exact model you purchased?

 

[JSW]

I've had issues with that on first boot of a new or 'new' windows system, as I understand it the first thing it needs to detect when booting is a keyboard connection (which is why I asked about the keyboard lights flashing during boot, if they don't it isn't going further). As it can't boot without keyboard, it can't load the drivers for a non-wired keyboard. No expert, may well be wrong, but worth the OP checking.

If the Windows PC can't post/boot it will emit a long beep through the internal speaker to notify you in most cases, but yes, fair point

Would you mind telling us the exact model you purchased?

If @HOJ followed my link, it's this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Elitedesk-Desktop-Graphics-Renewed/dp/B08DL69P6T?tag=forumyield-20

 

[artie]

If @HOJ followed my link, it's this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Elitedesk-Desktop-Graphics-Renewed/dp/B08DL69P6T?tag=forumyield-20

If it is. It says.

• 
  
• Configure rear I/O port for customizable display connections with your choice of VGA, DisplayPort, HDMI or USB Type-C alternate mode DisplayPort

But maybe that's before purchase.

 

[Spectric]

You should not be having these issues with a new / refurbed Pc but I gather it was not a full system, just the base unit and you supplied the monitor / keyboard / mouse so the supplier will have tested the base unit and maybe there is some conflict in the BIOS as they will not have it set up for your I/O devices. To resolve these issues you must go through the boot process logically, at this stage the OS is not involved as it has not been loaded and the first step is to get the BIOS screen up. One issue could be the boot sequence, with a new PC you can load via the USB which the supplier might have done and not set the second boot device as the M.2 drive, but this would not prevent the BIOS screen unless there was a USB conflict so have you tried booting without keyboard or mouse or any USB devices as it should still boot to a screen. Next option is to phone the supplier and whilst on the phone get them to talk you through the process so you can give them feedback and sort out the issue.

 

[artie]

nothing, no blinking lights or a power on symbol on the switch, I reckon its a dead duck.

Is the power supply working?

 

[HOJ]

There is a limit as to how much I can do, and prepared to do, I have switched it on with nothing plugged in, everything in, swapped ports round, tried a wired keyboard, so all options to get it to do a boot or even look as if its trying to do something have failed, anyway supplier has been very reasonable and I am now packing it up for a return, at their expense.

 

[artie]

Has this put you off buying used?

 

[HOJ]

Has this put you off buying used?

Good question, I think the honest answer would be no, I'm fairly philosophical about these things, I don't feel, in this case, I've been conned or mugged, seller was genuine in responses, and no different as to how I like to deal with things in my everyday world, by being responsive.

Supposedly, sending out a replacement so still time yet for me to change my attitude.

I have to say though, I went to get the cable for connecting the screen from Currys last week, one things for sure I'll not be buying anything from them, not just because they didn't know what it was anyway, they were just disinterested, perhaps it was the old, scruffy looking workman look, that put them off....

 

[Inspector]

Lots of scruffy looking workmen are millionaires. I'm not one of them unfortunately but they never know.

Pete

 

[artie]

Lots of scruffy looking workmen are millionaires. I'm not one of them unfortunately but they never know.

Pete

It's true. But.

I walked into the Renault dealership in Coleraine a number of years ago, in my working clothes, with the funds to buy a new car.

Not one sales person got up off their fat donkey. So after a few minutes I left.

Same thing at Mercedes in Belfast.

Issac Agnew in Belfast was next, A very young and inexperienced salesman approached me almost immediately, I guess he hadn't learned the ropes.

But after almost driving him insane haggling, I bought a car.

 

[Jake]

Better luck with the replacement! It seems a very good deal for that price - if you get one that works, at least.

 

[Robbo3]

If the PC is the Amazon one that artie posted a link for, then in the comments several people seem to have the same problem. So it may be that you were unlucky.

 

[SammyQ]

It's true. But.

I walked into the Renault dealership in Coleraine a number of years ago, in my working clothes, with the funds to buy a new car.

Not one sales person got up off their fat donkey. So after a few minutes I left.

Same thing at Mercedes in Belfast.

Issac Agnew in Belfast was next, A very young and inexperienced salesman approached me almost immediately, I guess he hadn't learned the ropes.

But after almost driving him insane haggling, I bought a car.

Ahhh, yes...the would-be's-if-they-could-be's of 'Motor Mile' in Boucher Crescent..I remember going in there in my working duds (a suit) and being repulsed by their fawning attitude...I was back a couple of months later, in site jeans and a scruffy pully and they tried to ignore my existence. That didn't last long. I'm a six-foot, rebuilt-in-Harland-and-Wolff ex second row forward. I got their attention, respect and proper service, in that order.
I just cannot abide jumped up wee pukes with an attitude implant.

 

[bigf42]

I switched to MAC when I got fed up with updates wiping my user profile, all the programmes I used are available on MAC now. I would have thought switching to QB online would be less hassle than your going through, but that's hindsight. My son picked up a refurbed M2 macbook air for £500, worked straight from the out of the box