ASUS P8Z68-V LX won't boot to OS

[shrapnel92]

Specs:
i7 2600k 3.4 (no OC)
8GB G-Skill Ripjaws X 1600 mhz
Dual Powercolor Radeon HD 6870 1GB GDDR5
ThermalTake 750w PSU
Windows 7 Home 64-bit
Bog standard Hitachi 1TB SATA3 HDD
Dual 19" VGA monitors

Hi guys, I built the above setup this morning with no problems and I have since been trying to get it to boot beyond the BIOS. The story so far goes like this:
Initially the rig wouldn't boot at all, but the light on the MoBo was on, so I knew it wasn't a PSU problem, after jigging the RAM around into different lanes it will now boot to the BIOS/Windows Startup Repair. I can see from this that the MoBo is recognizing the CPU and all of the RAM at the correct mhz, however I have no indication that it is recognizing either of the graphics cards, especially as neither of my screens receive any signal from anything except the VGA output on the MoBo.
To round up; it boots to the BIOS or to the Windows Startup Repair, WSR doesn't fix anything and if I choose the 'start as normal' option it progresses to a loading screen at which point the system freezes and reboots, and we're back at square one.

I've tried to be as concise and relevant as possible but if I have missed any details please let me know and I will include them. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am missing out on clan training
Thanks!

 

[Noworldorder]

Even if you can boot into BIOS and both sticks show up, it sounds like something is wrong with one of them. Did you wipe the connectors with alcohol first? Even so, this sounds like a classic memory problem.
Start from scratch reinstalling Windows using just one stick.

 

[shrapnel92]

So you think I should wipe the connectors with alcohol and reinstall Windows? The issue here is that I'm not using a fresh HDD and I still have about 600GB of stuff on my HDD that I'm not really prepared to lose So you think I should just try wiping the memory first? I thought the problem was with something else to be honest, seeming as how the MoBo wasn't seeing the graphics cards.

 

[legendkiller]

If it dont give signal by GPU and wouldn't get into OS than it's both your GPU and HDD... I Recommend you replace or RMA the GPU if you can and also buy a new HDD...

 

[Noworldorder]

The issue here is that I'm not using a fresh HDD and I still have about 600GB of stuff on my HDD that I'm not really prepared to lose

Oh, that's an important piece of information...
Have you even installed the Mobo drivers yet?
LOL, yeah, I'll bet it does want a Repair/Install!

 

[shrapnel92]

I've been trying to install the MoBo drivers by setting the boot priority to boot from the dvd drive, but I've had no luck yet. Any ideas how to install them?

 

[Noworldorder]

I've been trying to install the MoBo drivers by setting the boot priority to boot from the dvd drive, but I've had no luck yet. Any ideas how to install them?

Well, you won't be booting to them, that's for sure.
LegendKiller's right that you need a new HD and clean install of Windows. I notice you don't mention a new Mobo in your specs, which makes me wonder if you were trying to upgrade a OEM PC with the new hardware but you don't own the OS...
Is that the case?

 

[shrapnel92]

No that's not the case, I just totally forgot to mention the MoBo in the specs, and now it wont let me edit the post! The ASUS P8Z68-V LX is brand new, and installed today with the rest of the parts. I have got my Windows disc and using that I've been able to access the files on the driver CD that came with the MoBo, however the PC still wont recognize and install them D:

 

[mcnumpty23]

part of the problem is that you are trying to put a previous windows hard drive in there

sometimes you can get away with it sometimes not

try tapping f8 at boot to see if it will allow you into safe mode using the integrated graphics port

if you can get to safe mode try to uninstall the chipset drivers and graphics drivers from the previous windows

do you have a spare or external hard drive you could save your 600gb of stuff to?

or could you put the hard drive back into the original pc?

i would sort out saving your important data and getting windows booting then worry about the graphics cards

 

[Noworldorder]

^+1

 

[shrapnel92]

OK using some of your advice I have now got it to boot, I have reinstalled windows and everything is gravy except for the fact that no matter what I do, it just wont see the graphics cards. I installed the drivers from the cd that came with them, and that didn't work (the Catalyst Control Centre doesn't even seem to be installed) so I downloaded drivers straight from the AMD website, and it did exactly the same thing. Now I've disabled the onboard graphics in an attempt to force it into recognizing the cards but I've had no luck. I've got both cards in the PCI-E slots and the Crossfire cable is plugged in and connecting them, does anyone know why it wont see the graphics cards?

 

[mcnumpty23]

try one card first to see what happens

the odds of you getting 2 faulty cards would be ridculously high

 

[shrapnel92]

OK, I took one of the cards out, and tried to install the drivers again and exactly the same thing is happening, it's still not showing up in the device manager either. Any other ideas?

 

[mcnumpty23]

try the other card now

possibly one card could be faulty but not likely both

edit---you are plugging in the 6 pin connector arent you?

 

[shrapnel92]

I'll try the other card now, but yes I am attaching the 6-pin connector

 

[mcnumpty23]

just checking

sometimes its the simplest things we forget

does the graphics card fan spin?

have a look if the second card doesnt work if the fans spinning

 

[shrapnel92]

Other card's in now, yep both fans spin. This card isn't being detected in the device manager before or after re-installing the drivers either :/

 

[mcnumpty23]

most peculiar

your psu should easily be up to it as its 750w

but the odds of both cards being doa is just too high

have you got an old graphics card you can try or another pc you can test the 6850 in?

 

[shrapnel92]

I don't have another PC that I can test the card in, but I have an old nVidia GeForce 9800GT I could try if you think it could help?

 

[shrapnel92]

OK I've got the 9800GT in here now and my PC immediately recognized it, installed the drivers, and set the default graphics adapter to the 9800GT in the device manager! Why won't it see my 6870s?!

 

[mcnumpty23]

well at least that proves the motherboard graphics slot works

i think really you need to try the 6850s in a friends pc

if you beat the odds of 2 doa cards then you can buy my lottery ticket for me cos its probably the

same sort of odds

either you have 2 dead cards--or its your psu--not too likely--or the 6850 for some reason isnt

clicking fully into the graphics slot

if you cant test in a friends pc how about a local pc shop?

not pc world etc just a small friendly shop who would do you a quick favour by testing the cards

 

[shrapnel92]

Yeah I'm going to have to find a way to test these cards. Thanks so much for your help! And if anything develops I will update this thread, thanks a lot to everyone that posted though!