A3 Error code on ASrock Z68 extreme4 gen3

[Guest]

So I began building my computer last night, and halfway through the process I decided to turn on the motherboard and see how it works. The LED screen came up with an A3, and I looked it up and it said it's an IDEA thing. So far, I've connected the fans, HAD, CD-Drive, and RAM. The video card hasn't been connected and I haven't connected the monitor yet. Can anyone tell me what I should do about the A3?

Side Note: The internal HDD was the backup for my old computer, so it has files on it but no OS.

 

[GhislainG]

Perhaps you could install a video card and connect a monitor to it?

 

[Guest]

I'm actually not at home, but I think my HDD is still on the slave mode on the back. That should male it work.

 

[roscolo]

It's working just fine. The LED will scroll through codes as your computer boots up. It's telling you the process is stopping at your HDD because it can't go any further. There's no OS to boot from on the drive. Hook up your monitor. You don't need a video card for that board, you can use the onboard video. In BIOS set your drives how you need (IDE, SATA, RAID), change boot order to CD-drive first, HDD that you want to install OS to second, and proceed with installing your OS if you're ready and you want to install your OS on that particular HDD you have in there.

Keep in mind you'll lose all your files on that HDD that was your old computer's backup, unless you have it partitioned.

 

[Guest]

It's working just fine. The LED will scroll through codes as your computer boots up. It's telling you the process is stopping at your HDD because it can't go any further. There's no OS to boot from on the drive. Hook up your monitor. You don't need a video card for that board, you can use the onboard video. In BIOS set your drives how you need (IDE, SATA, RAID), change boot order to CD-drive first, HDD that you want to install OS to second, and proceed with installing your OS if you're ready and you want to install your OS on that particular HDD you have in there.

Keep in mind you'll lose all your files on that HDD that was your old computer's backup, unless you have it partitioned.

Ok, so you're saying that it's stopping at the HDD because there isn't an OS, right?

 

[roscolo]

Ok, so you're saying that it's stopping at the HDD because there isn't an OS, right?

Exactly. I just finished building an Asrock z68 Fatal1ty, same codes. Had the same code you have at the stage you are at. And once you install your OS and actually boot from that drive, you can watch the LED as you boot, go through the codes. And you will see A3, then, when it boots, it will cycle past that code and you won't see A3 anymore.

Essentially it wants to boot from that drive and can't. So that's where the process is stopping for now.

 

[Guest]

You were right! I just finished installing Windows and it works like a charm. Thanks for your help!

 

[Guest]

Best answer selected by samwapp.