CPU is unworkable or has been changed

[Johnny5]

I've just finished assembling my new computer, only to boot up and be met with the particularly unfriendly message that my "CPU is unworkable or has been changed". i've found that this is a somewhat common problem with ABIT motherboards, but i can't seem to get into my BIOS to turn off Speed Error Hold. here's what i've got
1 GHz Athlon
ABIT KT7-RAID
128MB mushkin rev2
30 GB quantum fireball AS
Sony Spressa 8x/4x/32x
Antec 300W midtower
ATI Radeon AIW 32MB DDR
when i fire up the computer, it sees the processor, knows its 1GHz, checks the RAM, then fails to find any IDE devices, and finally gives me the message. this takes all of two seconds, and i keep failing to get into BIOS. when i try to press f1 or DEL after the message is displayed, i just get happy little error beeps. help!
thanks much

 

[compuwiz1]

Disable speed error hold in the bios. Cant you F-1 to get past the error?

Did you try hitting the insert key while powering up, to restore defaults, so you can get into the bios?

 

[TheCorm]

You could also try taking out the battery for 15 mins or so, then but it back in, that would also restore the defaults.

Corm

 

[AC]

don't forget about that little jumper on the motherboard that u can short to completely reset the CMOS settings...

 

[TheCorm]

Ah yes, that too!

 

[Johnny5]

i discharged the CMOS, and fired it up again. no dice. however, it now says:
Primary Master - SONY CD-RW yada yada
CMOS discharge error - defaluts loaded
instead of:
searching for ide devices - none
cpu has become unworkable

again, f1 and del don't do diddily, and i just get keyboard buffer overflow beeps when i try to press them .any more ideas?
thanks

also, this is a totally new computer - i've never gotten into the BIOS in the first place to change anything around

 

[Johnny5]

might this just be a bad motherboard?

 

[boomerang]

Doesn't that board have dip switches? I'd check the settings.

 

[Rich]

Primary Master - SONY CD-RW? Why do you have it set as Master. That is where the hard drive should be. Maybe that is the problem.

Rich

 

[Johnny5]

the kt7-raid has 4 ide channels ide-1 and ide-2 are ata66, ide-3 and ide-4 are ata100. my hdd is ata 100, so that's on ide3, and the burner is on ide-1

 

[AC]

doesn't sound like the CMOS got reset

try shorting jumper, cycle power (turn on and off), and remove the jumper

 

[boomerang]

Hold down the Insert key while powering up the system.

 

[Johnny5]

awesome, its working now, thanks for the help. i didn't cycle the power when i changed the jumper - now i'm in the bios config, and hopefully en route to a working computer. thanks for the help, happy new year, yada yada