New build won't operate

by merlunderwood May 27, 2005 12:08PM PDT

Hi;
I've built a new system and now it won't go pass the first BIos Screen... takes over five minutes to find the IDE drives and then just stops.. can't get into BIOS setup or get to the hard drive to install windows..everything is brand new...
Xtasy 9600 xt 256mb AGP
DDR 512mb 3200 VS Corai Ram 400mhz
250 gig western digital drive
bct combo drive cd-rw-dvd-rom
emprex dVD dual 16x Double layer drive
ecs 755-a2 Motherboard (sempron with HtTech)
AMD Athlon 64 3000 Cpu
zalman Ulta Quiet Cpu Cooler (cnps7000-ALCu)
just pc mid tower case with 450 watt power supply..
nothing else...
put all to gether and made sure ram is seated correctly
same with video card and unpluged the front case USB headers and extra audio for IDE drives..
turns on and counts memory right away and then starts to find IDE drives in about 25 seconds.. then accually finds them in about 5 minutes then stops doing anything..
I can hit delete a number of times and get the clicking noise form the computer but can't get any futher..
any Ideas for me to try next...
Thanks for your time and any help ...
Merl

Discussion is locked

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OK, you are going to have to strip

by Ray Harinec May 27, 2005 2:40PM PDT

down to near the starting point. With luck, not all the way. Why not unplug the two optical drives, power and signal cables. But tell us where they were plugged in.

Planning to install Win XP? With any SP on the CD??? The 250 MB drive will want at least SP1 for reliable operation.

I'll have to look up that mobo, the Sempron comment and Athlon 64 3000 seems conflicting.

One stick of RAM?? Do you have a floppy drive???

Let's talk about the jumpering of the Hard drive. I assume that it is not a SATA drive. WD drives jumpering is unusual.

I'll get back, unless someone else [or you] solves the problem in the meantime.

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winxp pro

by merlunderwood May 28, 2005 9:08AM PDT

Hi Ray;
I'm going to WinXp pro on the drive when i can get to acess.. I have sp1 and sp2 update on disk to update Xp when I get i on the drive..
no floppy drive is attached..can put one on and try and boot that way.. I'll try that and see what happens..
It has only one 512 mb ram chip..
as for the hard drive it is on it's own ide cable and set to master and connected to #0 ide port on the mainboard
when i turn on the system it finds the drives on the 1st bios screen but will not get past that srceen to all you to do anything else..
Thanks for you time and help,
Merl

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I downloaded a copy of

by Ray Harinec May 27, 2005 2:59PM PDT

the manual for your mobo, in the event some info is needed re the BIOS. See you in the morning. LOL

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You shouuld be able to get

by Ray Harinec May 27, 2005 3:05PM PDT

into the BIOS without the system looking for the drives. Are you missing the chance to hit DEL [or whatever] to get into the BIOS???? That should be on one of the first screens. Any chance that a logo screen covers it??? There should be a key to hit to get the logo away so that you can see the intial screen if so.

If you haven't gotten into the BIOS to set the drive ports up, that may be your only problem.

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getting into Bios

by merlunderwood May 28, 2005 8:54AM PDT

Hi Ray;
Thanks for you time.. Just got off work and got home to find your messages...
I'm not able to get into bios.. it is the first screen i get and the only screen i get.. it is here that i can't even get in to bios.. i het the delete key by it self, ,or the ctrl, alt,and esc keys at the same time (according to t e manule to try and get into bios but it won't do anything, there is no logo screen that comes up...
Merl

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OK, I'm looking at page 27 of your manual.

by Ray Harinec May 28, 2005 9:57AM PDT

I think that you are saying that you get the screen that says hit DEL to enter setup and hit the DEL key in time, and you don't get into the BIOS, Correct?

Be aware, I have a SOYO mobo that when I do that it still does a few things before it gets around to bringing up the first BIOS screen.

One check, is to be certain that the CMOS chip is plugged in tightly, last week someone fixed a problem by removing the chip and cleaning it's contacts, but that was a very old sytem that he bought on eBay.

The other is to check the the clear CMOS jumpers are on the correct pins, the other is to be sure that the CMOS batteryt is good and is making agood contact.

I'll watch for your answers.

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Possibly if the BIOS protect

by Ray Harinec May 28, 2005 10:05AM PDT

jumper is enabled, the system will not allow oone to get into the BIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Look at page 28

by Ray Harinec May 28, 2005 10:11AM PDT

typical half arsed explanation, and doesn't even make it clear what jumper it is talking about.

Slight change of subject, since you haven't really put anything important on the drive yet, this is the best time to update to the latest BIOS. Most likely while the mobo sat in a box at the vendor, the BIOS was updated a time or two. Quite usual for a new model mobo.

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Also, I see on page 9

by Ray Harinec May 28, 2005 10:02AM PDT

that there is another jumper related to the BIOS. So both JP1 and JP2 are BIOS jumpers. Check them, I'm not exactly clear on the protect settings. Sometimes the manual use of the English language is suspect. LOL

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system up and runnig

by merlunderwood May 28, 2005 10:41AM PDT

Ray, and everyone else,
Thanks for all the replys and the efforts in helping me get the system going...
It turns out that the Jumper on the hard drive on the wrong pins after all.. (daaa) ;o).... I removed the jumper and the computer went right into detecting the drives and found them right a way..like in about ten seconds istead of five minutes... and was able to go on and set up the bios and now i'am loading winXp...
Thanks again for all the help...

Merl

New build won't operate

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