I have this old motherboard (intel D845GLAD) that doesn't boot: Blank Screen, No beep, Processor is working fine (tried to install on different Board, Ok), 512 Memory is OK, Built-in VGA.

Is there a way for me to check if I can still fix this board, I intend to use it as a router PC.

Also, tried to recover BIOS but no luck.

Any ideas or somebody was able to encounter similar problem and able to fix would be appreciated... Thanks in Advance.

Hi Cipherfx2 and Welcome.

Any board can be fixed, if you know what is wrong with it. But unless you have sophisticated test equipment, schematics, the necessary tools, and the training and skills to use them, repairing blown motherboards is not something a typical user can do. But beyond that, even if skilled and equipped with the necessary tools and documentation, it can still take an experienced technician a hour or two to troubleshoot and identify the actual component or components that are bad. To actually remove and replace the devices on multi-layered printed circuits boards - note that most motherboards have 4 to 6 layers of printed circuits in their boards - takes a skilled and steady hand.

That quickly takes the cost of repairs over the cost of replacing the board.

That said, there are a couple things you can do. First, replace the motherboard's CMOS battery. They are usually about $2 at your local battery/camera/watch counter. Take the old battery with you as most counters will recycle. Do not touch the new battery with your bare fingers; skin oils promote corrosion, and attract dust. If that does not bring the motherboard to life, you are out only a couple bucks.

Inspect the motherboard for bulging or leaking electrolytic capacitors. These failed or failing capacitors are a common cause of sudden, but seemingly random system lock ups and reboots, or dead boards. The capacitors look like tall soda cans, many of which surround the CPU socket.

All older motherboards, and many of today's less expensive motherboards use electrolytic capacitors containing a liquid electrolyte. Failing (including flawed and/or abused/over-heated) capacitors literally bulge at the seams due to excessive internal pressures. Extreme (and very rare) cases result in a firecracker type explosion that can really stink up a room. Typically, electrolyte just oozes from the pressure relief points stamped in the tops of the capacitor casings (seen as a symbol or letter). The electrolyte can be caustic to motherboards and flesh. Look for white to dark-brown, dried liquid or foam on the tops or bottoms of the capacitors. Bulging capacitors are a sign leakage is about to occur.

A motherboard with bulging or leaky capacitors can be repaired, but often, again, it is more cost effective in the long run to replace the motherboard.

Note that using a spare computer for a router/firewall is a great use of an old computer and a great learning "project". However, using an old computer is a HUGE waste of power as an old computer could easily use 100s of watts of power where a typical Ethernet Linksys, D-Link, or Netgear router consumes only 10-15 watts.

Perhaps a more practical use of a spare computer would be as a NAS device - Networked Attached Storage - and use it to backup data on your main computer(s).