Booting Problem...Horribly Stuck

[Brent100]

I have run into a very bizarre problem that I am not too sure how to fix. Ive spent tonnes of time and money trying to get this PC to work, but Ive totally run out of ideas. I'll try to explain this as best as I can

1. I finished building a new PC, using a 2500+ Barton and Magic Pro K7N UltraS Nforce2 motherboard with 512 (2x256) megs of PC2700 ram and a Radeon 9600 with a Enermax 300W PS. Once it is all set up, I turn it on for the first time and nothing happens. The PC powers up, all the fans start going but nothing appears on the screen, nor do I get any beeps coming from the board. I rechecked to make sure all the jumper settings and everything was correct. I previously used this exact same board for building someone elses system and it ran fine.

2. I then disconnected all the drives and took out the soundcard and still the same problem.
3. I tried different ram to see if it was defective and it still did the same problem and I swapped both the videocard and the powersupply (swapped a 350w in it) to see if that was the problem as well.
4. At this point Im totally stumped and I take it in to a local PC store to perhaps get some help with it. He suggested it was either the CPU or the motherboard that is faulty as he tried swapping pretty much everything as well. So I got a new AMD 2500 Barton and a AOpen AK79d-400VN motherboard and for some bizarre reason, I get the same freaking problem. I swapped everything again to try and narrow it down, but I still cannot get this PC to boot/post.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance

 

[niwi7]

lol the most obvious solution---

try a different video card

if it still doesnt work...

well....a computer needs a cpu (and fan), RAM, Power Supply, and video card to boot (and mobo of course)

disconnect FROM THE BOARD (not from the device) the HDDs, CD drives, Floppies etc etc and remove all pci cards

if computer still doesnt boot, it is either the cpu, ram, power supply or video card....rule out all of those then it is the mobo...RMA it...urs was DOA!....if computer does boot...add each peripheral 1 at a time until you find the problematic device


just put together a msi mobo setup....turned out i had some rare hard drive that causes nforce2 mobos not to post....imagine the misery i went through trying to diagnose that probem! i even by accident had to RMA the board! goes to show you even things you wouldnt think are problems could be

 

[Brent100]

I did all that.

 

[niwi7]

ok so there is your problem----

if computer will not boot with only the essentials hooked up, and the motherboard is correctly grounded (screwed in right), and you have switched all the essentials and tried different combinations...


the motherboard is broken

RMA it

hopefully you got it from newegg

 

[Brent100]

I already tried another motherboard...a different make and a new CPU and I still get the same problem.. that is my dilemma, for some reason this problem is duplicating despite the fact that Ive tested/swapped all the parts. Im just curious if I am forgetting something important or some little tiny thing I missed or screwed up.

 

[Brent100]

you mentioned something about not screwing it in properly and grounding issues. Is there something I should know about this? I have it screwed down, but could this be a problem?

 

[Dim]

Sounds like the only thing that hasn't been swaped is the case. Try taking the motherboard out of the case, install CPU, memory and video card only, and see if it will boot out of the case. You'll have to momentarily short the two pins that the power switch goes to in order to get it to boot.

Since two motherboards and CPUs are involved, my money is on the motherboard shorting out on the case as the problem.

 

[Brent100]

does that mean the case has totally destroyed the motherboards or should it work in a different case because I already tried swapping the case.. I failed to mention that in my post because I didn't think that would have made a difference, I was just getting desperate..

 

[styrty]

Hey, I just posted something very similar to your problem earlier. I have the same symptoms and can only get my computer to load things by leaving it on, then toggling the power supply on/off switch really quickly. This isn't a good way to do things but it's all I can do to get my computer(s) to boot something. I've had the same problem on two of my computers so far (and they are completely different systems). I've tried clearing my CMOS but that only worked temporarily. I'm starting to think that the power outlets in my house have something wrong with them. Have you tried moving the computer to another room and outlet and trying it there? I just recently built two new computers, and the one downstairs has the not booting problem while my one upstairs works just fine. I'm a pretty thorough guy too so I tend not to make mistakes.

The thing someone else mentioned about grounding and the motherboard might not be the problem either. One of my computers was originally being used by me upstairs and it worked perfectly fine. Then I replaced it with a new chip and harddrive (but kept the original motherboard and case) and put it downstairs. That it when it started to go crazy and not boot up. Something screwy is going on and I thought I was the only one.

 

[niwi7]

the correct way to install a motherboard--

there are copper colored little things that look like screw extensions....you screw those into your case wherever there is a screw hole for the motherboard....then.....you screw the motherboard into those holes so it is raised off the chassis of the case....if you screw the MOBO directly onto the case with no little copper thingies it will ground out causing it not to post (boot)....this sounds like your problem....

oh yea there is also a way of installing a motherboard with plastic pieces but im not too familiar with this....a google search will do you well...."How to build a computer" (im serious....not flaming u...type that in u will be helped)

 

[niwi7]

the copper "screw extension thingies" as i said before are actually called risers (just looked it up)


good guide on this site--
http://www.buildyourowncomputer.info/menu/build/7/

 

[Brent100]

I had the case installed with risers

I tried a different outlet

I just took everything out of the case and tried running it and I still get the same problem

 

[styrty]

Some motherboards solder their chips on and leave too much of the wire hanging out underneath. You might want to check that nothing from the motherboard is making contact with the case itself, or to be safe put the packaging material that came with board between the case and the motherboard.

Some cases actually have raised grooves that you screw the motherboard into so that the raisers are unnecessary. I actually have one of those kind of cases (which caused me some concern when I first wanted to install the motherboard since the board is still essentially touching the casing).

 

[niwi7]

ok you changed everything except power supply, case and motherboard

its one of those

 

[Brent100]

"ok you changed everything except power supply, case and motherboard"

Ive tried all that, which I indicated in my posts..

 

[niwi7]

wait you changed the mobo too?


that doesnt make sense then


you must be doing something wrong


im very confused

 

[Thraxen]

Are you sure you don't have an extra riser that isn't matched up with a screw hole? I had a friend who did that about a year ago. He had one screwed into the case that didn't match up with a hole on the mobo and he shorted the mobo out.

 

[draelon]

I had nearly the exact same problem when setting up my last machine. I hooked everything up, turned on the computer and saw nothing but a black screen. No beeps, no errors, no POST, no nothing. In a fit of desperation, I decided to read every word in my motherboard's manual to ensure that I didn't forget something. As I was flipping through the pages and checking each item in turn, I realized that I forgot to connect the second smaller power supply to my motherboard. This small 4 pin connection is for powering the CPU. Without it, your computer won't do anything.

SO, I'd say you forgot to attach both power supply cables to your motherboard. Check to make sure all of your power supply cables are connected properly.

 

[redhatlinux]

I've seen a bad keyboard do this. No bios POST, removed the keyboard to see if I could get keyboard error msg and she POSTED. Go figure.

 

[JJWalker]

A couple things:

1)Be sure that the video card is completely in the AGP slot. I mean REALLY push it in and make sure it is seated. Sometimes they appear as though they are in, when in fact they aren't.

2) Do you have a fan with a speed sensor (three wire) on your CPU heatsink? If not, install one and make sure it is plugged into the cpu header on the MB.

 

[styrty]

Check out this thread: http://groups.google.com/groups?q="...0203130549.2062284a@posting.google.com&rnum=1

There's a discussion there about matching up the right PSU to motherboard and chip.

 

[Johnbear007]

remove the MB and everything from the case. put it on a piece of cardboard. Then, put in only CPU RAM and Vid card. Attach power supply and boot. If it doesnt work then, one of those componenets is bad

I had a friend recently have the same problem, he was just shorting out on his case.

Just another reason I no longer buy cheap cases. Antec all the way (I think lian-li are ugly)