Computer won't boot! Please help!

[axemanxt40]

Hi guys ealier today I had finished putting my Uncle's PC together, and it was working fine until 10 minutes ago. By fine I mean it ran through 9 hours of memtest86 which was 15 passes with 0 errors, and I installed Windows XP, motherboard drivers, graphics card drivers, Windows critical updates, DX 9.0, Media Player 9.0. Then I installed Abit's Flashmenu program so I can update his BIOS to the latest one. So I run it, select a FTP site...it downloads...flashes...verifies....reboots with no interruptions. I go into the BIOS edit some settings (boot virus sector checker (on), shut down when CPU fan stops (on)), restart. Load up windows was about to flash the firmware for his Lite ON DVD Burner but right before I click the executable...BAM shut down no warnings!

So I am like WTF, go to turn it back on...goes on starts POSTing says "DDR 333mhz RAM, AMD Athlon 2500 XP+" and then it shuts down again. However, the weird thing is the power LED, HDD LED, green LED on the NF7 mobo are all on still...and both the fans I installed are still running in addition to the PSU fan! Hitting the power/reset buttons have no effect on anything.

So next I decide let me clear the CMOS, flip the switch on the PSU to off...give that like 2-3 minutes. Open the case switch the CMOS to its reset position, leave it there for 2 minutes and then I replace it to the default. I go to the PSU unit to turn the switch to on, and right away the PSU fan, the 2 case fans, the power LED, the HDD LED, and both the red and green LED on the motherboard go on. Again hitting the power switch or reset switch has no effect and the only thing that does something is flicking the PSU switch on/off.

Now honestly here I am very confused...I have never seen anything like this, I believe it might have to do with the BIOS flash (as it happened right after I flashed it) or possibly the PSU going nuts? The most annoying parts is that it was running for 9 hours with memtest86 before this !

Current Ideas:

- Try the CMOS again but this time take out the ATX and 4 pin plug for the motherboard.
- Call Abit and see what they say.

If anyone else has some ideas I would be very appreciative if you could enlighten me , thanks!

Specs:

Antec SLK3700AMB case w/ 350 watt Antec PSU
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ (Barton)
Abit NF7 v2.0
2 x 512 PC 2700 Kingston Value RAM
Seagate 80 GB IDE HDD
Lite-On DVD-ROM
Lite-On DVD+-RW 811S
Geforce 2 MX400

 

[Regs]

Hm. Sounds like your computer doesn't know what Hard Drive to boot from. So after it checks the hardware, which it successfully does, it tries to locate the OS. It can't find it so the system halts. If you can access the BIOS screen, see if the hard drive that contains the OS is the primary boot drive. And even check if the hard drive is being detected in the bios. Try also to flip the IDE channels around on the motherboard. Optical drives should be on their own channel as well as the hard drives. If they are, try rearranging the IDE cables that connect to the motherboard. If the HDDs where on Channel 2 slot on the mobo and Optical drives on Channel 1 on the mobo, switch it so that HDD's are on channel 1 and Optical on channel 2. (your bios upgrade might have a different way of wanting to boot up).

More than likely that BIOS flash created instability. I would borrow someone else's computer and make a flash disc and flash it back to the original if all else fails. Seems like the bios update is checking for something thats not configured correctly on your set up, or some thing that's not there. Like a Sata drive, SCSI drive, RAID controller, external device...etc. .

And also contact their customer support about the flash. If there is a bug on their motherboard or BIOS they'll be the first to know and how to resolve it.

 

[axemanxt40]

See I don't think the hard drive is the problem...as the computer can't power on at all. It powers on the fans, the LEDs connected to the motherboard, also the front panel LEDs which are plugged into the motherboard...but nothing else.

Anyway I called Abit they said to try resetting the CMOS jumper, also testing the PSU. Then I might have to RMA the mobo or the PSU.

 

[Regs]

Then thats a bad BIOS flash or PSU failure.

 

[axemanxt40]

Well just incase I need to replace the motherboard, does anyone know where I can order the phase change materials that AMD approves of, from a reputable reseller?

AMD Approved PCMs

 

[axemanxt40]

Update:

Well it appears that the PSU crapped out on me earlier this morning and caused the whole problem. Because I took the PSU out of my rig, put it in his, and everything booted up just fine. So now I need to get a hold of Antec for an RMA.

Thanks for the help Regs.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: axemanxt40
Update:

Well it appears that the PSU crapped out on me earlier this morning and caused the whole problem. Because I took the PSU out of my rig, put it in his, and everything booted up just fine. So now I need to get a hold of Antec for an RMA.

Thanks for the help Regs.

I'm glad to hear that you at least found the problem . We need CAT scans for our PC's. And as technology progresses, one day there ill be a simple and affordable way to diagnose our computers to the fullest degree.