Computer Won't boot up!!!!!!

[Dethredic]

Ok, Well, me and my friend just built my new computer today! It was the first time for both of us, so when we first turned it on, it worked!!! We got the Asus screen, then the screen that showed the slaves/hard drive.

But as we hadn't installed an OS yet, we shut it down, got a keyboard and mouse plugged them in, then booted it up again. This time we got nothing. All the fans started spinning, and everything looked like it was working, but nothing would appear on the screen. We tried several more times, switching the monitor, the plug on the Video Card as well as removing the mouse/keyboard. We let it go for a minute before shutting it off each time. We re checked all the connections too.

Things I have tried
- CMOS reset
- An out of box build.
- Each ram stick individually, in each slot.
- Switched the GPU around in the different PCI Express x16 slots.
- Tried with only the critical components
- Tired without the RAM or HDD, no beeps or post.
- Tried with no keyboard or mouse

Interesting things
- Other than the first boot, I have never heard a beep from it.
- When I have the computer pluged in, and set the PSU to "on"(computer is not yet turned on), the keyboard blinks once, then nothing, the mouse lights up and stays that way. When I do press the power button, the keyboard does not light up and numlock does not make the light turn on
- GPU doesn't turn on till 5 seconds after everything else

Computer Parts
E6420 - Processor
P5N32-E - Motherboard
8800GTs 640mb - Graphics Card
WD 2500KS - Hard drive
Buffalo Firestix - RAM
OCZ 700W GameXtreme - Power Supply


Any Ideas?

 

[jedi940]

Since no beeps occur but everything turns on, it could be your processor.

 

[double_helix]

What happens when we remove the kb/mouse and boot up without 'em? Never mind...

Find it kind of odd to be a processor issue when they were able to get the PC on and watch the BIOS POST information, but I guess there's that slim chance it could be...

Would you guys happen to have a PCI video card?

 

[Dethredic]

well, the video car we have now is PCI, but I don't have another one. I only have an AGP one. I am thinking I might have damaged something on the first boot, but lets hope that is not the case. We haven't got the BIOS POST since the first boot.

 

[slycanman]

If you know that the Keyboard and Mouse were good then I would suspect the motherboard......

Do you have a Digital multi meter to confirm the +5 and +12 volts are ok ?

 

[Dethredic]

Nope, don't have a multi meter

 

[slycanman]

At the initial boot up or after that was there any smell of burnt ??

 

[Dethredic]

not at all, It all seems normal. I have removed the cpu fan and the cpu looks normal.

 

[double_helix]

The video card you have now is a PCIe, not a PCI. There's a difference. I was wondering if you could get a display, of sorts, with using a standard PCI video card for troubleshooting purposes. When you say "GPU doesn't turn on till 5 seconds after everything else", do you mean that when you turn the computer on the video card fan doesnt turn on till 5 seconds afterwords? Please clarify.

I'm almost with slycanman on this one that it sounds like a possible motherboard issue. I'd find a multimeter and see if the +5 and +12 are good. I'm sure someone you know has one...

 

[torcida_kutina]

Did you plug the speaker on MBO? You said you didn't hear any beeps.

 

[Dethredic]

When you say "GPU doesn't turn on till 5 seconds after everything else", do you mean that when you turn the computer on the video card fan doesnt turn on till 5 seconds afterwords? Please clarify.

Exactly!

Well, while I was playing with it, I accidentally forgot to plug the power for the Video Card in, and when i turned on the computer, I got a very loud high pitched screech (I think from the MOBO) so this would say the sound is working. I turned it off immediately, then plugged it back in then turned it on and I was back to the "nothing".

 

[torcida_kutina]

Exactly!

Well, while I was playing with it, I accidentally forgot to plug the power for the Video Card in, and when i turned on the computer, I got a very loud high pitched screech (I think from the MOBO) so this would say the sound is working. I turned it off immediately, then plugged it back in then turned it on and I was back to the "nothing".

I did that few times, and my VGA Card works fine, so i think you didn't "destroy" your card.

 

[double_helix]

The high pitched noise was actually from the video card indicating that it was missing the needed external power from the power supply. And the fan not turning on till 5 seconds or so is probobly normal. Most video cards turn on the fan once they reach a certain temperature threshold.

Anyone got a spare rig you can test your equipment in?

 

[Dethredic]

Unfortunately not, I am gonna bring it into a computer shop on Monday, and hopefully they will be able to test/fix it. I don't think I killed my card either. Well, that kinda sucks that the video card made the sound not the Mobo.

 

[double_helix]

Well not really, it's good that your video card made that sound! =) It indicates that it was working and trying to tell you something important.

I don't like paying money for something I could do and we should be able to troubleshoot this without coughing up the greens.

 

[Dethredic]

Neither do I, but I have tried everything I know, I have been posting on 6 forums, and tried many many more things. One of the only reasons I am bringing it to them is because I can't swap out parts

 

[jedi940]

Find it kind of odd to be a processor issue when they were able to get the PC on and watch the BIOS POST information, but I guess there's that slim chance it could be...

I think it is odd that Everything worked the first time and now they get nothing. It could be anything. I said processor becasue with no beeps, it sounded like the system was not able to complete POST and was therefore unaware of any missing/damaged components. I'm still sticking with that as the next thing to check out especially now that we know the graphics card can work. that or the mobo.

 

[Dethredic]

Well, possibly I fried something?? I hope not.


Quote from Manual

If you do not see anything within 30 seconds of powering on, the system may have failed a power on test. Check your jumper settings and contact your retailer for assistance

Now how can I fix that?

 

[notherdude]

It is VERY rare for a CPU to fail, particularly a new one, mobos fail all the time.

The only way to diagnose this is to switch out the likely suspects until you hit the right one.

Try a different PSU before you assume it's a bad mobo. Sometimes the PSU will fail partially, we've seen it many time before.

As was pointed out above the loud sound was an alarm telling you no power to video card. This shouldn't have hurt anything.

I trust you have the 4 pin CPU power connector in at this point?

It kind of sounds like MOBO, maybe PSU, and if you're lucky an outside chance something simple was overlooked.

 

[tsponholz]

Do you get any power at all? I fixed a similar problem today. My system would turn on, fans would run for a second (literally) and then shut down. It would then start all over.

The problem was not enough voltage to the ram. Try pulling out all but one of stick ram (I assume you have two or more). Then it's a matter of boosting the ram voltage in the bios. See my post:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245562-31-system-boot-post-fixed-inside

Of course the bios options will be different on your board, if this is even the problem.

 

[Dethredic]

Yes I have the 4 pin connector on (mine is actually 8).

When I boot up, everything turns on, and stays on, but nothing happens on the monitor, and no beeps, so i can't even set my ram voltages.

 

[notherdude]

It beeped on first boot, so we can probably assume you would hear an error beep if it was Video, and since you have tested RAM as best you can we should be looking at MOBO or PSU. Since it's moderately easy to get another PSU to throw in there (borrow or else buy one at a big box store and then return it, he he) I think you should, before you assume it's MOBO, the fact that a lot of stuff seems to run is no gurantee the PSU is fully working. If that fails it's probably a bad mobo. That's my theory anyway.

You can check to see what the default voltage is for your RAM. If it's 1.8 or 1.9 then you are probably getting enough voltage. If you have RAM that requires 2.1 or 2.2 or so then maybe you'll need to put another brand of stick in therer in order to adjust it in BIOS. It started once so this seems somewhat doubtfull that it would never start again, even after switching to one stick.

 

[Game_Fanatik]

What you're going thru, I went through it all. In my case, my new hardware just had a mind of its own. My rig's specs P5N32 E; E6600; 2GB Corsair PC6400 EPP; PNY8800GTX; ToughPower 650W; XP Pro & Vista Home Premium.

I did exactly what you did, turned it on and posted to the BIOS after all the components were in then turned it off cause no O.S. I then tried to turn it back on after plugging the keyboard & mouse but it didn't post. I thought I might have damaged one of the components so I swapped out my E6600 for a spare Pentium 4 661; swapped out my toughpower for my ultra 500W; tried each stick of ram in each slot; resetting CMOS; double-checked all wires were properly connected...all the hardwork and my comp never posted to the BIOS. I thought I was **** out of luck. I kept turning it on and off and wiggling power wires here and there. I even noticed I was missing one mobo screw. So I said what the heck and placed the missing screw on. It finally turned on and posted to BIOS. I'm still not sure what I did, but the last thing I messed around in the case was the missing mobo screw. I know for sure that the mobo doesn't need all the screws in place to work, cause I've had a computer running outside a computer case. I think the P5N32 E are possessed. Just kidding.

It also acts up when I take components out to organize my wires. It takes at least 15+ tries before it will turn on.

My only advice is to keep on trying. I hope my short adventure in home built computers helped out. I've built a total of 4 computers and experienced the same turnouts. Build #4 is my gaming rig.

 

[Dethredic]

Well, I just realized that I do not have anything plugged into the speaker area near where the case power button/reset button.

The problem is, that there is no 4 pin connector coming from the case. There is one labeled speaker but that is a 10 pin, and then 7 individuals coming out of that as well labeled:
Mic
Mic Bias
L-Ret
R-Ret
L-Out
R-Out
GND

So I have no idea where to put these

 

[jedi940]

Those pins are for your onboard sound card. If your case has a headphone jack and a mic jack, those cords will plug in to those pins. Also, If you didn't have anything plugged into the speaker, how did you get beeps when you forgot to plug in the graphics card power?