New PC Build Won't Post

[EternalGamer]

Ok, so I got everything hooked up to this PC I'm building for a friend, I turn it on, power button works, both CPU and case fans function, but no video and no sound of anything posting.

Here is what I've tried so far:

-removed videocard and tried using onboard HDMI

-removed Harddrive

-removed RAM

Seems no matter what I do I get the same situition. I get no beep or no post. I just get the fans running and no other signals. Suggestions?

[violent]

Ok, so I got everything hooked up to this PC I'm building for a friend, I turn it on, power button works, both CPU and case fans function, but no video and no sound of anything posting.

Here is what I've tried so far:

-removed videocard and tried using onboard HDMI

-removed Harddrive

-removed RAM

Seems no matter what I do I get the same situition. I get no beep or no post. I just get the fans running and no other signals. Suggestions?

You have 2 separate power inputs on the motherboard. Check them both.

[EternalGamer]

You have 2 separate power inputs on the motherboard. Check them both.

Wait, do need to have two power cables running to the board? Or do you just mean the one I'm using may be bad? If that were the case, wouldn't it cease to power on?

[evilgoodwin]

Does the video card need power, too? Almost had a rage-induced anyuerism before noticed that my new card needed to be hooked up to the power supply, unlike the junker I was replacing.

[EternalGamer]

Here are the specs if anyone is wondering:

APEX PC-389-C Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (Model:PC-389-C)

ASUS M4A88T-M LE AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard (Model:M4A88T-M LE)

COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-500-PCAR-A3-US 500W ATX12V v2.3 Power Supply (Model:RS500-PCARA3-US)

AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDX840WFGMBOX (Model:HDX840WFGMBOX)

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL (Model:F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL)

Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (Model:ST31000524AS)

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support (Model:iHAS424-98)

MASSCOOL 9025B1M3/4 90mm Case Fan (Model:9025B1M3/4)

460GTX Videocard

[EternalGamer]

Does the video card need power, too? Almost had a rage-induced anyuerism before noticed that my new card needed to be hooked up to the power supply, unlike the junker I was replacing.

Yeah, it actually has TWO. I checked the manual and wasn't sure if I needed to hook up both, and it didn't say, so I tried hooking up both. But even when I remove the videocard and try to use onboard video, it still doesn't post.

[violent]

Wait, do need to have two power cables running to the board? Or do you just mean the one I'm using may be bad? If that were the case, wouldn't it cease to power on?

Often times there are 2 separate power inputs on the motherboard. A long one and a 4 pronged input. The fact that you get not so much as a beep leads me to believe it's not a component issue except maybe for the ram.

[digitalErich]

Those are 12 and 5 volt power rails, both should be plugged in.

[biosc1]

Surprised no one has suggested it yet. Do a CMOS reset. I've had a few boards that wouldn't post and doing a full CMOS reset (jumpers/remove battery) solved it.

[EternalGamer]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll try these first thing in the morning.

[Wackman3000]

I know you said you removed the ram, but did you try just one stick in different slots of the mobo? It could be one in the set that's bad or even a wonky ram slot on the mobo.

[digitalErich]

If it's bad ram he should be getting beeps from the mobo, but it can't hurt to just have one stick in there for simplicity. Same if the CPU wasn't seated properly. Getting no error beeps and no post, I would guess the same as Violent...power issues.

[Ancalagon]

Make sure your PC speaker is connected, I know when I built my last PC, I was getting errors, but because the speaker wasnt properly connected, I didnt know about them.

[AntonThaGreat]

The no post thing is usually related to the aforementioned 2 power-supply connections. I'm still not sure why they started doing it this way and it stumped me for a while when I encountered it for the first time.

Other than that, check your PC speaker. Worst case scenario, one of your components is DOA. Probably motherboard since I believe it would make noise if it was a video or ram issue.

[Grifter]

Make sure the RAM is in the correct slots. With DDR3 if you are using two sticks they do not go in the 1st and 3rd slots like DDR2 but the 2nd and 4th slots. The first slot being the one closest to the cpu. If the RAM is not in correctly the machine will not boot up at all other than fans and lights. Not all cases come with PC speakers either so sometimes you'll get no indication of the issue at all unless the motherboard has built in indicator LEDs which a lot don't.

[EternalGamer]

Grifter and Wackman, there are only 2 ram slots, so I'm pretty sure the ram is in the right place. But I did try removing both and then putting only one back in. Same situation.

evilgoodwin, yeah I have the card hooked up to a power supply. But the card is really freaking big. It barely fits in the case. However, even when it out and try to rely on the onboard video, I still can't get a beep or a post. So right now I am just trying to use onboard video working first before I reinstall the card.

digitalErich and Violent, I checked and figured out that you guys were talking about the two parts on the power plug (one long one and one four pin). On this motherboard they both plug into one long connector section. I tried unplugging them and replugging but same situation. I also looked for another power supply input on the board, but didn't see one.

So what exactly should I need to at least get a beep or a post? I tried unplugging just about everything. The motherboard is clearly getting some power because the fans (both on the processor and on the case) are working as is the power switch on the case that is hooked up through the board.

I do have one question. The heatsink on the powersupply seems loose. I honestly couldn't quite figure out how it was supposed to snap down. I flipped the latches around the tabs that stuck out on each side, but it only seems to get tighter or lock when I pull up on the lever (not down). And the lever never really "locks." Could this be the problem?

[Grifter]

Heatsink on the CPU you mean? Is there another power plug (6 or 8 pin I believe) just above and to the side of the cpu socket and if so is it plugged in?

[EternalGamer]

Yeah the heatsink on the CPU.

As far as other powerplugs on the motherboard, here is what I see that is currently NOT plugged in on the motherboard:

A white pinned slot labeled "COM1"
A primary IDE slot (I'm using Sata)
2 USB Pins (I'm only using one for the case)
a few SATA slots that are unused.

As far as I can tell, those are the only open pins remaining on the board.

[violent]

Simplicity is key. Plug in your power supply and your PC speaker only. Remove everything else out of the equation. Listen for beeps. If you get none, could be a bad mobo or PS. Or speaker, heh.

[Grifter]

Can you snap a quick picture of how you have everything plugged in? Also double check to make sure the CPU is seated properly and inserted correctly. If all the fans are powering up I would think CPU, Motherboard or RAM issues.

[digitalErich]

The no post thing is usually related to the aforementioned 2 power-supply connections. I'm still not sure why they started doing it this way and it stumped me for a while when I encountered it for the first time.
They are different voltages. They started when vid cards started to get really huge... manufacturers started to power the card slots separately.

[resikel]

One option to consider, I have seen customers improperly screwing the MB onto the base of the case, causing the MB to short out and not post. In addition to what Violent said, I would remove the case base as well. Just place the MB on a safe surface with the PS and speaker plugged in to see if it will power up.

[digitalErich]

Simplicity is key. Plug in your power supply and your PC speaker only. Remove everything else out of the equation. Listen for beeps. If you get none, could be a bad mobo or PS. Or speaker, heh.

Good advice...also, remember that when plugging in things like the mobo speaker, HHD led, power LED, these have a 'direction' so plugging in the header upside down will cause it not to work. Usually the plastic on the headers are molded so you can't mess this up, but not always.

[EternalGamer]

Ok, I'll try these suggestions and come back with pictures this evening.

I do have a question, though. I haven't build a PC in over a decade, but I did not hook up speakers to this one. I assumed that the mb itself would beep, is this not the case? Do I need speakers hooked up? I'm just trying to see a bios screen before addressing anything else.

[violent]

Ok, I'll try these suggestions and come back with pictures this evening.

I do have a question, though. I haven't build a PC in over a decade, but I did not hook up speakers to this one. I assumed that the mb itself would beep, is this not the case? Do I need speakers hooked up? I'm just trying to see a bios screen before addressing anything else.

No. A proper PC speaker is an internal component that requires just the single hookup to the motherboard.

[EternalGamer]

No. A proper PC speaker is an internal component that requires just the single hookup to the motherboard.

Oh, you mean the onboard sound. Yeah, I hooked that to the case.

[violent]

Oh, you mean the onboard sound. Yeah, I hooked that to the case.

Motherboards send certain status beep patterns to that speaker. There is a pattern for missing ram, and another for successful POST. If it's connected and nothing beeps when turning it on, there is a hardware failure somewhere. Which is why I suggest keeping it minimal in order to narrow down the faulty hardware, if any.

[Grifter]

Oh, you mean the onboard sound. Yeah, I hooked that to the case.

No. it's not onboard sound, it's a little black round dongle that plugs into the same set of pins where you plug in the power switch, reset switch and case LEDs. Unfortunately a lot of motherboards/cases no longer come with this making pre-post diagnoses much more difficult.

[EternalGamer]

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/2479/img0017es.jpg

Ok, so it seems we've moved one step backwards. Here is what I did:

I unscrewed the motherboard from the case as per suggestions. I plugged up ONLY the following:

processor w/ heatsink & fan
power switch from case
reset switch from case
Speaker switch from case
RAM
power supply plugs (x2)
HDMI out (from motherboard to TV)

This is all the motherboard currently has connected to it. And now all that happens when I hit power is that fan starts for about 3 seconds and then it stops and I get nothing. The little LED light on the motherboard, though, lights up until I unplug the powersupply.

Suggestions?

There is a little blue plug behind the fan/heatsink (see pic) that I have no idea what it is and can't find in the motherboard manual.

[resikel]

And now all that happens when I hit power is that fan starts for about 3 seconds and then it stops and I get nothing. The little LED light on the motherboard, though, lights up until I unplug the powersupply.

There is a little blue plug behind the fan/heatsink (see pic) that I have no idea what it is and can't find in the motherboard manual.

3 seconds and it cuts out usually is an indicator of something shorting the system out or not getting enough power.

That blue plug is another power plug that needs to be plug in.

http://www.playtool.com/pages/psuconnectors/12v4pin.jpg

[EternalGamer]

Ok, so apparently this MB needs three power inputs then. I'm not actually sure I even have an extra powersupply that I can use with it once I have the videocard hooked up.

Does anyone know if the 460GTX requires BOTH power supplies to be plugged up?

I have a 500 wat supply. I would have thought that would be enough for at least a single card.

[resikel]

The power plug on the motherboard is a ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)

The ones on the video cards are 6-pins which you can use power cable adapters (those 4 pin molex ones). And yes, you need to plug both of those in on your video card.

http://www.9mart.com/9dollar/Budget/EG0696-1-Converter-Cable.jpg

They should be bundled with the video cards in case you needed them.

[EternalGamer]

Awesome, that totally worked, thanks Resikel.

And thanks to everyone else. I know several people mentioned the extra power supply before, but I thought people just meant the one that was divided into two parts. Essentially I had three power supply cables to plug into this.

Once I plugged in all I got the BIOS boot screen as soon as I turned it on.

Now, off to happy hour and I'll finish the build later tonight.

[digitalErich]

Awesome, glad this was easily fixed...nothing worse than banging your head against a system that won't post.

And I apologize for not being very clear in my posts, yes some of those power connectors are for the video cards, but even without a video card in, many mobo's still require these to be hooked up. I never said that last part and I could see that if you'd taken the video card out you might think that power rail wasn't needed.

[violent]

You'll find a bill in the mail.

[AntonThaGreat]

I knew it was this! Good jerb everyone.

[EternalGamer]

Ok, now I have a new problem.

Got everything running fine. Installed a version of XP that I found lying around. Now I want to upgrade to Win 7 but the problem is I can't establish a network connection and I'm not sure why.

I first tried using the onboard 10/100 plug and it just says "not connected." I even tried installing drivers from the motherboard CD and restarting.

Then I found an old 10/100 card I had lying around. I poped that in. Both connections show up in the Network settings but both show "network cable unconnected." No matter where I plug in the network cable this happens. I tried restarting several times.

I then plugged the network cable into my 360 thinking maybe there is a problem with the connection itself. It loaded up Xbox Live just fine.

What is going on? Any suggestions?

[violent]

So I understand, you are plugging in a cable to one of the network ports and where is the other end going to? If it says it's not connected, it is a link problem. You should see a small light on either end of the connected ports when you have an active link.

[EternalGamer]

The other end is going to a netgear hub across the house. When I plug a 360 to the same cable, it coonects to xbox Live fine, so the cable or the hub isn't the problem.

[violent]

If both nics are installed and you get no links, they could be fried. This is old gear, right? Also check device manager and ensure drivers are installed.

[EternalGamer]

No, one of the is on the new motherboard. The other is old, but what are the chances that both are bad? It just says "network cable unplugged.

Checked the device manager even though AI just reinstalled drivers. Drivers show up fine.

[resikel]

We're all still waiting for our checks from the first incident...

But in the meantime, go to Device Manager and find the Network Adapter in the list. If there's a X or exclamation mark then the driver is not installed or installed properly.

Option: right click on your Realtek NIC and choose Properties, click on the Driver tab, click on Update Driver and point it to the DVD where the driver is. If possible, navigate into the directory specifically.

PS. With Windows XP, I would recommend installing the Chipset driver first (AMD Chipset Driver - the first driver on the list on the DVD - page 1-29 in the manual), then the NIC driver.

Also to note: Windows 7 probably have this driver built-in its database so just installing Windows 7, as you were planing on anyways, may solve this problem.

[violent]

For the sake of testing, try a new cable.

EDIT: You said the working 360 is plugged into the same hub, right? Try connecting the PC to the same port.

[EternalGamer]

Yeah, that's what I did. I am literally using the exact same cable moving it from the 360 to the PC. Works on the 360 just fine. Does not work on the PC it just says "Cable unplugged."

I tried installing a new card. Same problem. I tried installing new drivers. Same problem. I tried re-running the network set up. Same problem.

[EternalGamer]

PS. With Windows XP, I would recommend installing the Chipset driver first (AMD Chipset Driver - the first driver on the list on the DVD - page 1-29 in the manual), then the NIC driver.

Also to note: Windows 7 probably have this driver built-in its database so just installing Windows 7, as you were planing on anyways, may solve this problem.

Yeah, but I need a way to get the version of Windows 7 dow... wait, I think I have a CD for that.

Fuck, I'm an idiot.

[resikel]

Yeah, but I need a way to get the version of Windows 7 dow... wait, I think I have a CD for that.

Fuck, I'm an idiot.

That's why I was a little confused as to why you were installing Windows XP in the first place since Xerxes mention that you can do the double install to get your upgrade key to work in the other thread.

[EternalGamer]

That's why I was a little confused as to why you were installing Windows XP in the first place since Xerxes mention that you can do the double install to get your upgrade key to work in the other thread.

Yeah, then AI found the XP CD and I just decided to do a legit upgrade. Then I went to get the network connection working forgetting that Win 7 would probably make that process easier.

[Bone]

Just putting this out there... I don't suppose you setup MAC filtering or some other security method on your router at some point? One that would refuse to link with your new device?

[EternalGamer]

Got Win 7 installed and still the same problem.

Bone, as far as I know, I never put any kind of Mac filter on. But I reset my entire network to the defaults just in case. It didn't help.

[EternalGamer]

I really appreciate the suggestions so far. I'm now so close to getting this thing completely set up that it is frustrating to be stuck with an ethernet problem like this.

I tried a few more things and have still had no luck. Here is what I've tried so far:

-I have reset my network and power cycled everything.
-I tried disabling the ethernet adapter in the BIOS and then re-enabling it.
-I adjusted the speed of the driver in the device manager from "Auto-detect" to "T10" (per a suggestion I found)
-I tried redownloading device drivers.

I should stress that I KNOW it is not the cable nor the router. I can unplug the cable from the back of the PC and plug it into the Xbox 360 sitting right next to it and it boots up into Xbox Live without any problems whatsoever.

[resikel]

Since you mention that you put in another NIC card previously and you still got the Not Connected icon, I would recommend removing the environment as a possible variable. This means taking the computer over to your friends place and setting it up there to see if you get connected.

Another option is, since we are trying everything, take the video card out and use the on-board video to see if there is some kind of unknown conflict with that.

Logically, if the on-board NIC did not work but the test NIC work then we could deduce that the on-board NIC was defective. But that's not the case so we have to consider something in the computer is conflicting or the environment that it is in is conflicting.

Both OS did not indicate an uninstalled/ or conflicting driver so I would tend to think that it is not a driver-based issue.

[GrenMag]

I've seen bad cables work with some pieces of equipment and not others, especially if you're moving the cable to a different location (think broken wire or loose connection). I'd still try a different cable just for grins. It only takes a minute.

[EternalGamer]

Just an update. As all of you suspected, the cable was indeed bad. I forgot for so e reason that the XBox had built in wireless and it was apparently connecting through that. So that makes twice during this ordeal that I feel very stupid.

However, the PC is running perfectly now. Thank you all so much.
The naked photos of Anthony Weiner's cock are in the mail.

[resikel]

The naked photos of Anthony Weiner's cock are in the mail.

http://www.chaobell.net/newgallery/d/1944-1/s60f1x.jpg