Computer Won't Start Properly

Is your monitor plugged into the VGA or the DVI connector of the video card? Plug the monitor's VGA connector into the video card's VGA side. Use a VGA adapter on the video card if if you have only two DVI connectors on the card. Also, can you boot into safe mode? If so, set to a lower resolution in safe mood if you can get there. What monitor do you have? Let me guess. A 20" widscreen Viewsonic.

Hah, no, a 19" widescreen HansG.

I used the provided converter and plugged the monitor in VGA and the smae thing happened, except instead of saying DIGITAL every time the monitor got a signal again it said ANALOG. As I said, the monitor is working and getting a signal occasionally, but it's like the computer (I would assume the mobo but it's painfully obvious I'm no expert) is hitting a wall somewhere at the beginning and restarting.

And I can't boot up in safe mode because I can't boot up at all. I can't even open my disc drive to install Windows.

And I'll just add for further information, on the HD audio and AC '97 audio cord bundle there were was a slew of one-pin connections at the end. I just assumed it was another alternative and left them unplugged, especially because I saw no apparent place that they would plug into the mobo. I have the HD audio one plugged in now.

Maybe I should switch to the '97 audio just to try something different.

A couple of things. Did you plug in the 4 pin 12 volt connector from the PSU to the MB. Also, does your video card require the 6 pin plug in from the PSU?

Yes, I plugged the 20-pin and 4-pin power plugs into the mb, and facing the right way too so that the fastening latch hooks. The gpu needs a 4-pin power plug, and actually I tried running the computer both with the 4-pin power plugged in and using the adapter they (EVGA) gave me to change the plugin into two 4-pin molex plugins, with identical results.

And I'm just now realizing it might be possible that I plugged the GPU plugin into the mobo and vice versa. Is that even possible?

And thanks for the help so far.

Edit: I just realized I couldn't have switched the GPU and mobo plugins because the GPU one is labeled "PCI Express." Big hint as to what it does.

Have you tried reseating the video card. Also, reset the CMOS jumper.

Alright, I will go look up how to do that. I will also look up what a CMOS jumper is. And if you're supposed to know what that is when you're building a computer, that's probably what the problem is. For now though I'm going to bed, thanks for today's help. I shall return.

Stay with it. You'll solve it I'm sure. CMOS is a three prong MB connector with a jumper. Usually near the battery. It will be set at default. Read the manual then lift the jumper from the default pins and place the jumper on the reset pins for a few seconds. You may or may not have to remove the battery when doing the reset I described. Be sure to place the jumper back on the default pins before you boot up.

Okay here is my advice ..

Plug out the video card , put it back in and connect if there is a extra power connector plug on your graphic card then connect that to your PSU.

This problem has to do with your graphic card only . Make sure that the cable is properly plugged in.

I am 90% sure that doing the above will solve your problem .  

I'm not familiar with that MB.... If it has an onboard Video controller, did you disable it?

Yes? re-enable it and remove your GPU... Can you now get into BIOS?

No? Disable it and try....

my 2p.

Its your psu for sure  

Windows is installing at the moment. Thank you all for the help.

The problem is rather embarrassing. Remember the part where I said I plugged everything in? That wasn't true. My CD/DVD drives had no power. That was the only thing wrong with it. At least now we know what might be the problem when someone's mobo keeps restarting.

I'm having a SIMILAR problem with a friend's board/system.
[continuous reboots]

ORIGINALLY:
Gigabyte GA7vrx
with AMD 1.2 GHz Duron; (Socket A = Socket 462)
256 MB DDR ram
AGP (ATI XPERT2000Pro)
WD hard drive
ASUS 52X CD ROM
---this is an ATX system

System is NOW:
I changed Mobo to Chaintech 7CTKJD
then Changed existing DDR 256 stick to a new one; 266 Mhz
Tried a different AGP (ATI; Rage 128)
Tried 3 different power supplies--used one I know works well
Tried 2 different CPU's (Duron, Sempron, roughly 1.2 GHz, 1.4)

Symptoms:

With ORIGINAL SYSTEM:
Power on only showed solid POWER and HDD light; no spin up of hard drive nor CDROM boot/check. Black screen, fans spin, no other life at all.

After some/all component changes
[1] Changed motherboard 1st thing, after that, all existing components put back in actuall booted and POSTed, went to CMOS to check if it detected everything ok (yes), exited....so begins the continuous reboot cycles (but at least it's more than NO SIGNS OF LIFE).

[2] made other changes (Memory, AGP, Power supplies, and finally the CPUs. Symptoms remain the same as far as continual reboots. Details on that below.

COLD BOOT:
After mem test or after cancelling or after going in to CMOS and making changes OR NOT and exiting it will go into a continous REBOOT CYCLE. It POSTS with one beep; once mem test done/cancelled it reboots again.
*****Sometimes it will alllow me to press DEL and get into CMOS config, but saving or not and rebooting causes continual reboot loop

WARM BOOT: never gets me anywhere, ALWAYS reboots after mem check done or cancelled.

PLEASE NOTE that I could only get to a mem check EVERY TIME by setting CMOS to NOT do quick POST. With Quick POST it would beep once and reboot before I even see the "energy star" / Mem check screen.

TWICE from a cold boot I have gotten as far as the 'windows did not shutdown properly, selecte if you want safe mode/normal boot, blah blah'. Hitting any choice cause instant reboot.

It seems like I have the best chance of getting to go in to CMOS if I have left the power off for awhile (15+ minutes?)....this generally requires the Power supply switch to be TURNED OFF. Turning it back on gives me an instant boot; usually does boot such that I can get into CMOS.

Also note: I have tried MANY times to clear the CMOS via jumper (done properly with power off as mobo manual suggests) then put jumper back to normal position and apply power again. Really doesn't seem to make any difference except when I DO get back in CMOS I can see it has been cleared.

ODDly, CMOS usually detects the HDD, but sometimes it does NOT. Not sure why. I hooked it up to MY good computer as a slave and it's perfectly readable (has XP on it; didn't see which SP version)

Any suggestions PLEASE? I'm at wit's end on this one.

Thanks,

-Brew