I installed a Wi-Fi card that may not be compatible with my computer, and now the system repeatedly restarts without showing anything on the monitor. The computer worked normally before I replaced the previous Wi-Fi card. What troubleshooting steps should I try to get it booting again?
2 Answers
The card might not actually be the wrong model, but since the problem started after the replacement, remove it and test the computer in its previous configuration. If the old card is available, try reinstalling it. Also make sure the new card is fully seated and that no cables or components were disturbed while installing it.
Start by removing the new Wi-Fi card completely and disconnecting everything except the power cable, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Then try booting again. If it still loops, clear the CMOS to reset the motherboard settings. On many systems, you can do this by powering off, unplugging the PC, and carefully removing the coin-cell CMOS battery for a few minutes before reinstalling it. Check your motherboard manual first, since some boards have a dedicated clear-CMOS jumper or button.
I haven’t tried clearing the CMOS yet. I wasn’t sure whether simply removing the battery would work.
The computer was working before I replaced the old card, which had stopped working, so I’ll test it without the replacement installed.