First build problem .

[Abarbarian]

Hi , I'm building my first ever pc and have a small problem .

It seems I have power as the cd drive opens and closes , power up button lights up and starts pc . HDD light lights up initialy then goes of , its a new hdd and hasn't been formated yet . Re-set button doesn''t seem to do anything .Fans work ok . Fitted new cpu heatsink and fan , put it on , took it of , put it back on again , grease seems to be nice and evenly spread , looks ok . Tried 2 case speakers one definitly works . Monitor definitly works . Treble checked all connectors and jumpers , almost sure that they are all connected ok .

Turn on power , press powere button . fans work , cd opens and closes and thats it .
No beeps from case speaker , nothing on monitor , .

Tried with hdd and cd and floppy disconnected along with re-set button . Same result .

Can I test the baord or cpu in any way . Have I been a lame brain and missed something simple .

Any ideas guys .

 

[muckshifter]

No Beep = Bad MB or CPU ... try resetting the MB

Please list relevant spec of the PC.

 

[marleyuk]

Try your ram in different slot. Change combinations a few times and see if it makes a difference. What time and how much ram do you have? What type motherboard is it??

 

[Abarbarian]

Urmmmmmmmmmmmm

KM400 or FIC AM39 L mobo
Athlon XP 2100+
2Gb PC 3200 DDR 400 Mhz memory (this is to go in my next pc)
Seagate St3120026a 120GB 7200rpm 8mb Cache Barracuda

So I got another cpu , not very scientific I know , but ,

We fired up and got some bios on the screen ,

Can't load the OS , hmmmmmmmmmmm,

do I need to format the HHD ???????

if so how????

Thanks for the replies guys , been away looking after me mum , is why I haven't replied before .

 

[Anon_F]

1st build problem

Check the Motherboard Manual that all cables, connections & jumper settings are ok on Motherboard. Then check that the Monitor is connected ok. Also check that the RAM is the right type and seated properly. What Operating System are you installing? If XP you should be able to boot from the disc.

 

[itsme]

Setting up your Operating System on a new and/or upgrade PC from the point of having fully installed the components and they are functioning correctly.

• Start the computer and enter BIOS
• Set date and time [this is important if you have upgraded your PC and also used the OS disk before].
• Now set your boot formation as follows 1st boot CD ROM or DVD
• Disable ALL the other boot devices.
• Press F10 to save your settings in BIOS.
• Insert your OS disk
• Install and follow the instructions setting you desired preferences, authentic windows key/language/country Etc:
• Upon completion of the set up restart the PC.
• Now install the required drivers sound/LAN/Etc:

Happy computing

 

[itsme]

Formatting HDD

This method will take time especially if you are a novice, so be prepared.

If all else fails and you have checked all other components have found them to be functioning correctly, you find that you are still unable to format using your WINDOWS and/or recovery disk, also you have no FLOPPY drive to create an FDISK, you can however create a CD which contains FDISK and boot from that, failing all the above in an attempt to format your HDD you will need ACCESS to another PC and I stress ACCSESS to a second PC.

As I see quite a number of posts regarding FORMATTING this will help you as long as you are NOT a complete novice, if you are a novice PLEASE be careful, in understanding this article fully, you will succeed.

• Before you work on any PC remove the mains supply cable, once removed [NO POWER] press the start button, as this will drain any power that is left in the PC. It is advisable to earth yourself while working on any PC, by means of a wrist earth strap.
• Remove the HDD you need to format from your malfunctioning PC.
• On the second PC providing it has a spare IDE connector connect the HDD making sure the jumpers are set correctly MASTER/SLAVE, IE: if the existing one is set to MASTER set the one you need to format to SLAVE or vice versa.
• If you do not have a spare IDE remove one of your other drives CD/DVD etc: NOT your main HDD.
• Now when you start the PC it will recognise the second HDD if asked which one to boot up from obviously use the existing one.
• When the PC is up and running go to START click, scroll up to SETTINGS.
• Now enter CONTROL PANEL click.
• In control panel choose ADMINISTRATVE TOOLS double click to open.
• Now choose COMPUTER MANAGEMENT double click to open.
• When the window opens you will see on the left hand side DISK MANAGEMENT double click to open.
• You will now see your HDD`s C=D=E= or similar.
• Choose the drive you need to FORMAT you cannot format the HDD that is needed IE the operating system as it is in use.
• Make sure you have chosen the correct HDD to format.
• Now RIGHT click where it says C=D=E= or whatever a box will open
• Choose FORMAT and run it you have a choice long or quick FORMAT make your choice.
• When you have finished CLOSE all open windows, shut the PC down and you have a nice clean HARD DRIVE, now put it back in your computer and set up your operating system.

Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

 

[peahouse05]

formatting hdd

Hello Itsme,
All else has failed - rescue disk, clean install. I am trying to format an HDD on a win98 PC. The slave HDD is detected but not given a drive letter. Also what are the steps to format in win98 please?
Regards
peahouse05

 

[itsme]

Hello Itsme,
All else has failed - rescue disk, clean install. I am trying to format an HDD on a win98 PC. The slave HDD is detected but not given a drive letter. Also what are the steps to format in win98 please?
Regards
peahouse05

tell me what you have done so far? have you followed the above method?
wish I had the pc in front of me

 

[peahouse05]

first build problem

Hello Itsme,
Do I need to start another thread?
Anyway. Connected problem hdd as slave on a win xp hoping to format by your method. It was running after booting pc but no icon for it appeared in My Computer. Went to Device Manager and it was there, but when selected it had no letter alotted.
I ran through the steps on an xp laptop for practice ok but cannot see how to do the same thing in win98, but obviously I can't even select the hdd to be formatted in win98 at the moment.
Thanks,
peahouse05

 

[Anon_F]

Have a look at this link, i did put it under the heading "Do it as a Pro" it may be helpful to you and others.

http://www.quepublishing.com/promotion/3033

 

[itsme]

Do I need to start another thread?

Yes

 

[peahouse05]

format hdd

Thanks both.
Regards,
peahouse05

 

[Abarbarian]

Hip hip hooray .........

Hi guys thanks for the help guys specialy itsme for the formating guide .

I've got a floppy and CD drive on the pc and I tried to use Partition magic on 2 floppy discs to format the drive . Could not get the darn thing to boot from a floppy even though I set the bios . Hmm. I've used Partition magic before and its worked .
Gave that a miss and took the HDD out and piggbacked it on my working pc . Ha , now I can't follow itsme's instructions on formating with windows cos I never wrote the instructions down . Drat . Never mind I have a copy of Partition magic 8.0 , so I install it , read all the instructions , and hey presto hours later I have a formatted HDD .
Rebuild my pc . Then fit HDD into new pc . No joy .
Jumpers what jumpers , I've got central heating . Oh !!! you mean those jumpers , so it realy does matter wher they sit , well I never .
Everything shows in bios as ok .
Start to load OS .
Shutdown ,blue screen , we have shutdown your pc to stop it damaging etc . Then it gave a Oxooooooo number .
Check out this Oxooooooo number on microsoft site . No help realy .
Start to load OS .
This time it goes a little further into the program.
Shutdown ,blue screen , we have shutdown your pc to stop it damaging etc . Then it gave a different Oxooooooo number .
Check out this Oxooooooo number on microsoft site . No help realy .
Check bios , seem ok .
Start to load OS.
This time it goes a little further into the program.
Shutdown ,blue screen , we have shutdown your pc to stop it damaging etc . Then it gave a different Oxooooooo number .
Check out this Oxooooooo number on microsoft site . No help realy .
Check bios , seem ok
Start to load OS.
This time it goes a little further into the program.
Shutdown ,blue screen , we have shutdown your pc to stop it damaging etc . Then it gave a different Oxooooooo number .
Sod going to microsofts site to get even more confused and even more eyestrain.
At the fifth attempt .
Start to load OS.
Windows loads and yes , I have lift of , Hooooooooooooooray . Ha ha !!! PC building , easy peasy , WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPEEEEEEEEEEE .


So why does the darn thing shut down or hang when I try to do stuff with it .?????????This can be after 10 mins or half an hour or an hour , still trying things out . More load means higher temp for cpu could overheating be a reason ????????????

SYS temp between 33 and 38
CPU temp between 40 and 48 C

Is this a little hot ?????????? do I need to put more grease on the cpu .
Or should I try to reinstall the OS ?????????

Any ideas as to why the OS wouldn't load and then did ?????????????

If anyone tells you that computers are tools of the devil , belive them and grip your crucifix tightly as you pray .

 

[Abarbarian]

As to static . I found the house electric earthing point in a cupboard , thats the strap thingy that bolts to a water pipe or a rod going into the ground . So I bared some wire and bolted this firmly to the earthing point , ran the wire out to my bench , cut and bared the wire , coiled the bare wire round a screwdriver a couple of times and sqashed this coil firmly with some pliers .Now I have an earthing lead that can easily be run out to my bench . Using a anti-static wriststrap with the crocodile clip attatched to the lead I can work in safety .

 

[muckshifter]

You have a RAM or HD problem ... either faulty RAM or bad timing in the BIOS or bad sectors on the HD ... swap the ram.

 

[itsme]

Abarbarian! Your temps are fine as for the rest of it just wait it should be OK make sure you update everything to do with Windows as for MS help Huh.... what a waste of time Good luck glad its working

 

[Abarbarian]

Thanks guys .

Running Windows XP with service pack 2 , but its my legal copy that I have on my own pc so I cann't connect to micrsoft for all the latest updates as I'm only running it for 30 no thats 28 days for evaluation purposes .

HDD was a open box from e-buyer so it should work ok . Seemed to format ok with no bad sectors showing up from the Partition Magic I used . Not very experienced with HDD or Partioion Magic though .
Memory is brand new . I'll give that memory testing program , mentioned in another thread a whirl soon as I buy a RW-CD for swapping files around .

Ran a whole hour of .avi files on Power DVD with no problems today with no probs .
Like I said , inventions of the devil .

 

[Abarbarian]

Ha Ha !!!

Well the pc was up and running with some .avi files for over an hour . It wasn't till I pluged in some speakers that I realised that I had no sound .

Several hours later after buying a RW-CD (snows awful stuff when your in a hurry ) and several more hours surfing . I downloaded the missing VIA sound watsits and installed them (why didn't they load with XP) .

Fantastic !! video with sound .

Riding the crest of a wave of confidence , I downloaded Seagates useful Seatools . Set it up , ran it , hurray . Evrything ok , except for this little message ,

File Structure Test Result
Partition 1 (NFTS 120 GB)
Failed with critical errors

So I followed instructions and tried all the windows stuff , but they showed up ok , Hmmm.

Well I wanted to have 98 and XP on the machine so why not use Partition Magic to re-partition and set up 98 then wipe XP and re-install it . Kill 2 birds with one stone . Great idea

Even better idea lets use that Boot Magic Thingy aswell , that will make life easier at start up

Set it up , speed read the instructions , yeah , yeah , I'll pick it up as I go

Pc needs to re-boot , no probs .

Whats this black screen thats appeared after the bios screen . What Boot Magic install disc .................................................

Help ...........................................................

 

[Abarbarian]

Well I took out the HDD and reformatted it by coupling it up to my working pc . Its a real pain and took forever as I took the option to shred all data when re-formatting .
Still I should have a clean HDD to load OS on . No probs . Ha ha