Built My First Computer - Won't even power up! HELP!

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BDawg

Lifer
Oct 31, 2000
11,631
2
0
Perhaps you're grounded out on the case? Take out your motherboard and try to power it up on a piece of wood or something non-conductive.

There's an art to only using the certain screws you need to attach the board to the case. :)
 
iamme

iamme

Lifer
Jul 21, 2001
21,058
3
0
Bump for you, because I have the same mobo and same thing. When I first built this PC, it sporadically wouldn't power up (but the light on the mobo was on)...since then it's been flawless...The problem just magically went away.

I just opened my PC today to put in two new CD-RW's and a new HD, and the thing wouldn't start again :(

My thread
 
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RustyNale

Platinum Member
Apr 14, 2001
2,220
0
0
Try holding the "insert" key down as you power up--you may have to go through this routine several times...
 
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apemanttt

Member
May 31, 2002
185
0
0
Problems continue! I still can't et the stupid power on. The mobo remains powered, but no matter what the whole computer will not power on. I've changed everything around and nothing works.

What's wrong? Help please.
 
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CrazySaint

Platinum Member
May 3, 2002
2,441
0
0
Originally posted by: apemanttt
Oh yeah what is the insert key?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

On your keyboard between the "main" set of keys where all the letters are and the number key area is a set of six keys (3 keys wide x 2 keys high) the right most keys are page up/page down, middle two keysa re home/end, the left most keys are insert/delete.
 
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apemanttt

Member
May 31, 2002
185
0
0
Even if the computer has no signs of powering up I should still try holding down insert? It may do something?
 
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WarCon

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2001
3,920
0
0
This is a basic troubleshooting technique I use to try and isolate problems.

  • If I have visually examined everything and seen that everything is obviously on correctly.....i.e.
    cables for power all the way in,

    IDE and floppy cables on the correct direction (both ends),

    heatsink is mounted correctly,

    memory has been removed and reinstalled to ensure it is in all the way,

    case wires are on correctly,

    cards are all seated well (agp cards are somethings very tight and aren't in all the way).

    If all this is visually ok (but still not booting), I disassemble everything and do it over again.

    Make sure you don't have an extra riser (the place you screw your motherboard too). An extra one will short out the motherboard and not allow it to function. I have also seen where someone actually took all the risers off and mounted it to the motherboard tray directly, which can cause the mobo to short also.

    I then put in the processor, memory and video card only. You need the power cable, case wires also. I power it up in this condition to see if I have a bad major part. If it doesn't power up then I use spares of the processor, memory, mobo, video card and powersupply to find the bad part. (It might be more than one if you had a powersupply go bad or you was shorting on the back side of the mobo.)

    If this powers up then add the floppy and IDE devices and check again. (If it doesn't power up, you either have bad parts or a weak powersupply).

    Keep adding components until it fails again and you will have your culprit.

.........edit..........
BTW, making sure all your jumpers are correct is easier done before mounting the motherboard. I go through the book, jumper by jumper and make sure its correct.
 
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apemanttt

Member
May 31, 2002
185
0
0
Thanks for the advice, I will be going through it all tonight and if I can't get it to work still I will be unplugging all the drives and add-ons I had on that I don't need and I will see if it works. Hopefully I don't have to reassemble it.

Thanks.
Any other help is welcome in the meantime.
 
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novice

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2000
1,169
0
0
I have found that the first rule of assembling a new system is to keep it simple. And test each step as you go. In your case, you probably should start over. I know that sounds bad, but it is the best way to determine where your problem is. Try booting with just the processor, heatsink and fan, ram and video card installed. The first step is always to see if your m/b cpu and video card can post (power on self test). If you get video, you can then enter setup (bios) and look around. If it doesn't post, you have limited the potential problems to the motherboard, video card, ram or power supply. (In other words, you don't have to worry about your floppy drive, hard drive, CD-Rom drive, CDRW or sound card, or network card or modem.) Get the picture? Start with the basics and work from there. Sometimes the problem can be as simple as a video card that isn't fully inserted into the slot, or a ram that isn't fully seated. Other times it may be harder to diagnose, like the motherboard shorting out on one of the mounting brackets. Hopefully your board offers some kind of LED codes (like my MSI boards) or at least beep codes in the bios to indicate what your problem might be. Oh, and I hope you plugged the fan on your heatsink into one of the fan headers on the motherboard, since many boards won't turn on if the fan isn't plugged into the appropriate header. It is sort of a safety feature to prevent you from frying your cpu by running it without cooling.
Good Luck
 
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apemanttt

Member
May 31, 2002
185
0
0
You think one of the power supplies to one of the drives is just hooked up wrong? How could it be backwards?
 
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BigMoe

Senior member
Jan 27, 2002
476
0
0
i have this board as well however i did not use the raid setup i only have one hard drive one ide 1 on ide 2 is my cd rom what brand of memory are you using? Can you test it in other pc? is it in dimm 1? take all your card out but video. in bios disable raid and load fail safe defaults. also make sure ide cable hole one is lined up with pin 1 on your hard drive and hole 1 to pin one on you motherboard. just a few ideas
 
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McCarthy

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,567
0
76
Not one of the power supply cables, one of the data cables. Supposed to be keyed so they can only go one way, but on some boards and drives you can still hook them up backwards, especially if you have an old non keyed cable. Anyway, that's just what it sounds like. I've done that before way back when, never killed a drive doing it thankfully.

---Mc
 
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apemanttt

Member
May 31, 2002
185
0
0
Alright, that was a great idea becuase I think I might have put the cables to the CDRW and DVD drive on upside down. I didn't know which way to put them.

I will try switching this today. Would that cause my computer to not power up at all possibly?
 
iamme

iamme

Lifer
Jul 21, 2001
21,058
3
0
apematt, I just solved my problem by unplugging everything. Even the powersupply connection to the motherboard (long rectangular connector). Then I hooked everything one at a time, trying to power on and off after each connection. It finally worked :)

Also, make sure your power switch connector (the one from the case to the motheboard) is in the right spot.
 
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McCarthy

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,567
0
76
If it's an ide data cable connected backwards it'll keep the PC from booting, at least in my experience.

Like guys are saying, unhook everything. Get it down to just the motherboard and video card, you can leave the drives in the case of course, but unhook their cables. Then when you get it to boot like that, start putting stuff in. I've done both, put together my celeron 300A system out of completely new parts and had everything in before I hit the power, hit it and away it went. And I've torn new builds down to figure out what I've done wrong as well. It's usually something really simple and obvious :)

Strip that puppy and go one by one, get it to boot, shut off, add a piece, boot, shut off, add a piece...(remember to pull power cord for each piece).

--Mc
 
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apemanttt

Member
May 31, 2002
185
0
0
AHHHHHHHHHHH! I hate this! I've done everything everyone has mentioned, I've stripped it down to all the neccesary parts and the piece of trash will not power up. I can get the mobo running power to it becuase it lights up, but the stupid fans and nothing will run!

I don't know what to do anymore! I think I'm going to take the mobo out and absolutely and completely reassemble it.

???
 
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BigMoe

Senior member
Jan 27, 2002
476
0
0
check to see if its the wall outlet or the pc power supply or its time to think RMA on that MoBo
 
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WarCon

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2001
3,920
0
0
Definately check two things as you reassemble. Check for an extra riser and make sure your cpu fan is plugged into the correct header.
 
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SteelCityFan

Senior member
Jun 27, 2001
782
0
0
What brand is the powersupply?

I remember when I was building my first using an Enlight case and 300W PS. It turned out that the PS was too cheap and did not supply enough stand by voltage to satisfy the power-on requirments of the motherboard. I swapped it for a 250W of a better brand and it worked fine.

If I recall correctly, it was doing the exact same thing as yours. I took it to a friend who worked at a small PC store so we could swap out pieces until we figured it out.

You might want to try a name brand powersupply like Antec or Enermax.
 
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