so I had to build a new pc (my first) and use a few old parts from another pc. I put everything together, cpu, hdd, ram, power supply and ran into different problems since it was my first build. Now I thought i had everything right finally but no, I press the power switch and everything powers up but nothing boots up. The screen stays blank, theres nothing wrong with the monitor tho. But even when everything powers up, like the fan, hdd, cpu fan, and even the green light on the mobo. The usb slots don't work. I plugged in the obtical mouse and it turns on for a second but then turns off. It will stay on if I plug it in half way but even then my keyboard won't get a signal what so ever. So i get no signal from the monitor or the usb slots. could it be that i have a faulty motherboard? I already tried powering up with only the mobo, cpu, and vga and still I get the same results. I need help.
hmm i also heard that i could short out the mobo if i didn't apply the spacers, and thats exactly what I didn't put in at first. Is it possible to damage the mobo completly this way?
Yes. Motherboards are most commonly damaged this way, and not by lack of anti-static precautions or hard travelling conditions as most believe (that's not to say you shouldn't still take precautions in this area though). Common checks though: Which PSU are you using? (Brand and wattage please) a lot of old PSUs aren't up to the task of powering modern PCs. Amazingly, a lot of new PSUs with high wattage ratings aren't up to the job either - not because new PCs use lots of power, but because a lot of PSUs really are crap. Check: 4-pin CPU connector securely attached IDE cables to optical drives in the right way round, and drives powered CPU heatsink securely attached Graphics card (if used) power connector securely attached before returning your motherboard for replacement.
yeah I pretty much checked all of that, I was retrying it all over again just now. I used a thermaltake 430w brand new, plus i used two other power supplies and it had the same results. I plugged in the little round speaker for the motherboard beeps and still i heard nor saw anything. This coming monday i'm going to send it to get it replaced since it looks like that is my only option. I'm leaving the battery from the motherboard out for a while to see if that does anything but even then, I get no signal for the keyboard.
The problem with no video is that the PC is being halted before it can get into POST, which means the CPU isn't able to function. This is usually due to dodgy cabling or faulty parts, typically the Motherboard or RAM, and sometimes the graphics card or PSU.
so damn pissed right now. I basicly built this pc becuase my dell broke down. everything powered up but wouldn't start up. I was told that i needed a new motherboard and cpu plus a case since my dell model wasn't being made anymore. So i bought the necessary parts, used some old parts from the dell (ram, hdd, video card) and guess what, I have the same damn problem. Everything powers up but nothing boots up. So i'm guessing at the point it's either the ram or video card or both. I'm going to test the video card tomorow at a friends house but i can't test the ram since i don't know anyone that has a compatible mobo to go with it. But right now i'm guessing I either shorted the mobo or most like the ram also got burnt out. I swear, i'm ganna burn the so called "computer experts" building down for keeping my pc for a month and giving me a false report on my pc ><!
Who are these said 'computer experts'? We don't profess to be geniuses here, but there are numerous shops etc. with "tech guys" so to speak that don't know their SCSI from their IDE. It's shocking, frankly.
well it was some computer shop where it seemed as tho they repaired alot of pc's but I think they're just some hispanics who don't really know much :/ But even without the vga, the usb should still supply a signal to the keyboard right? since the keyboard gets no signal and neither does the mouse (unless it's plugged in halfway) Could faulty ram possibly stop the usb from getting any power and stop the pc from booting the bios? the only parts thats aren't new in the pc are the hdd, ram, and vga. And unless the mobo got damaged, i'm actually hoping it's the ram thats the problem right now.
I don't think USB is initialised unless the PC is actually able to POST so you can get into the BIOS. To be fair, RAM is a common cause of a PC not booting, so you'd be wise to check that.
I know a budget may come into place, but it may be better to use new parts esspecially if this is your first time building a PC from scratch. There may be several hardware issues dealing with these different parts. Incompatability plays a big part in this. Only way you are gonna really find out whats wrong is if you have another pc with similar compatible parts to switch out with and use the process of elimination. But if you installed that mobo incorrectly and it was damaged in some way but still functional, then nothing else will work correctly. ANd it may damage anything you connect to that motherboard. And vice versa..... Im aware im not giving fixes to correct your problems but if you wanna go forward with getting this pc working then prepair for lots of frustrations. I would do some research on your motherboad to see whats the best bios set up. These older Mobo's are pretty delicate with their set up. Could be as simple and lowering your FSB jumper (if there is one. this was one issue I had with booting up using a certain mobo in the past)
There is an ancient PC building guide which still holds very true. It says to fit the mobo, speaker and psu into the case and connect them up.. Nothing else.. no cpu, no ram no cards. Power on and you will get some beeps. That shows that you have life from the core. Then add the cpu and again power on... lots of beeps or a long screech.. (no ram) Add ram. now you should get 1 or 2 beeps as the bios detects no keyboard and/or no drives. ::: aside :: There is a catch22 with usb keyboards.. you need USB emulation to be on in the bios. If it isn't there is no way to get into the bios with a usb keyboard to enable it.. Get an old ps2 keyboard from somewhere. I get them all the time for next to nothing.. you will need one at some point. When you get to this point you can go a couple of different paths. I put the graphics hardware in and check that things like the cpu speed and ram seem to be right. Continue adding one thing at a time and powering up.. as soon as it refuses to boot you have your culprit. I have a soundcard that works on some boards but will stop others booting. Sooo.. it isn't always what you think it is that can stop hardware passing the post
thanks for your help everyone. Thru the process of elimination I found out that basicly just about everytthing on my old dell got ruined when the modo burned out. I got a new stick of ram just to try it out on the new mobo and guess what. I hear beeps now. The old ram was completely dead and thus (like someone told me) wouldn't even boot the bios. Now I DO get a signal into the keyboard, and mouse stays on. Now I get one long beep along with three wuick beeps, and I already know that it's becuase of the video card. That got burned out too. I already ordered a new one and it should be the final piece to complete everything. So far the only thing which I didn't have to replace was the hdd, i basicly had to build a new pc from the ground up. I just hope the hdd didn't get burned out too! >_< Anyways thanks alot everyone, you've been a great help. Now I know, as someone mentioned, it's better to build a new pc from scratch rather than using old parts, and....don't trust dells ~_~
