ECS K7S5A will not POST, no beeps either

[JoshGuru7]

Basically I am building a new system using an ECS K7S5A mobo.. and when i try to power it up I cannot get video. This leads me to suspect the AGP slot may be bad (as the video card works perfectly fine when tested in another system). Unfortunately I have 5 video cards here but none are PCI and so I cannot really test my theory. The thought had certainly crossed my mind that I may need to install a driver to support AGP but as I have no PCI video cards laying around that seems like a complicated task without video. Anybody have any ideas?

Edit: Under further investigation i am also not getting any beeps.. even when i pull all the memory.

 

[bashywash]

same prob

 

[stevewm]

 

[stevewm]

Some K7S5As ship with the CMOS jumper in the Clear position. If the jumper is set this way, it will not POST, beep, or do ANYTHING. Look at the jumper and verify its set correctly. Your manual should have a small paper insert warning you to check the CMOS jumper.....

 

[JoshGuru7]

Yeah I got the insert. Jumper 4 is shorting pins 2-3 though which is for "Normal Operation". Any other ideas?

Edit: CPU tested cleanly in another system, as did memory. The fact that I am not even getting any beeps when i pull the memory leads me to think it's RMA time.. and after seeing all the forums filled with people having trouble with this mobo it may be Epox time.

 

[tennesota]

My first K7S5A had a tight AGP slot...had to insert and reinsert the AGP card many times to get the AGP card properly seated. The symptons were just like what you describe...no video, no beeps, no POST.

 

[JoshGuru7]

Well (I could be wrong on this) but I think it should beep if there is no video and everything else is working (like 1 long two short or three short beeps for an award bios??). I have contemplated the issue that I just have a dead PC speaker on top of other issues but that seems like a pretty big coincidence + it would be a lot of work to swap everything over into a new case.

 

[Buz2b]

Normally, under the circumstances you described, I would say that you need to pull and reinsert the video card a few times because it is not seated properly. This is a "known" issue with both the AGP and memory slots and that MB. However, since you said, "Edit: Under further investigation i am also not getting any beeps.. even when i pull all the memory.", I'm not sure. It would be worth a shot though. I'd pull both the video card and the RAM and reseat them a few times, making sure they are firmly in on each occasion. Next, I would pull everything out of the system except the video card, RAM, floppy and CPU w/HSF. Unplug power to any optical drives and remove all pci devices. Then try to boot the system. This is AFTER reseating the components I mentioned earlier.
Now, since you pulled the RAM and still did not get any beeps, that would tend to lead one to either the CPU or the MB. Until then, try the above items. If those fail, try the cpu in another board or have it tested at a local shop. If it was a known working cpu in another system then see if you can beg/borrow another one to test in the MB. BTW, what PS model and make are you using?
Now, since you also mentioned, "it would be a lot of work to swap everything over into a new case.", I would suggest that you remove the MB from the case and place it on the anti-static bag it came in on a flat surface next to the case. You should be able to hook up all necessary cables to operate it from there. This is a standard troubleshooting technique and certainly easier than putting everything back into a new case.
BTW, did you confirm the HSF was plugged into the MB header correctly? And last but not least, what revision of that board are you using and what CPU? If you are using an XP processor, did you happen to notice if there were a couple of small stickers that say "XP" around the cpu socket?

 

[tennesota]

It would probably beep if you have NO video card in the AGP...I'm suggesting your video card may not be fully inserted in the slot.

 

[JoshGuru7]

I pulled the video card out and put it in a few times and I am certain that it is fully seated... still no luck. When I have a clear AGP slot (no video) and no memory it does not beep.

CPU- I am using a 1600 XP in this system. It works perfectly when I test in another system, and when a try the 1.4 Ghz tbird running in the other system in this new one I get the same non-results.. I think i can safely say my problem is not CPU related.

PSU- I am using a Duro 400W psu. It is on the AMD approved list and supplies 28A at +3.3 and 30A at +5V... however it is new and I have not fully tested it out yet.

I do not know what revision board it is but it has stickers saying XP around the cpu plus the onboard lan so i'm pretty sure it's the latest one.
I'm inclined to think the critical issue here is the fact that it does not beep under any situation (I know PC speaker is working fine from a previous setup and I tripled checked the connection to the mobo). Because the CPU/PSU are both ok I suspect now that the motherboard is RMA bait... the only thing left I can think of is that it is shorted. I've tried the screwdriver trick on the ATX_PWR1 connector a few times though and it doesn't seem to resolve anything.

 

[teqwiz]

Check JBAT jumper, Reference the manual. Should be 1 and 2 set 2 and 3 clear. if you clear, unplug from the wall. unplug the power supply from the board. jump 2 and 3 and then jump 1 and 2. leave it on the set as the manual describs. Should also say clear next to jumpers on the board next to the two clear jumpers. This will Short out the CMOS chip that holds all the resource locations for the Bios. plug in the board, then the wall cord. if you clear the CMOS with the board plugged in, it will probable fry the Cmos chip and it will be useless. Make sure you are grounded to the case by touching it or using a ground strap on stactic discharge will fry it just the same. Test the outlet from the wall also and make sure the polality is correct for it. Or, just return the board. Good luck. By the way. Bad video is one short and 2 or 3 longs in almost all cases, But it has to POST first in order to do that. Almost always checks the CPU last.

 

[FUNKTRON2002]

These boards, while cheap and not bad performers, have a history of just being "S**t out of the box." The most common problem is the inability to function with the memory bus set to 133Mhz... I personally know two people who bought this board and had that problem.... Perusing the ECS Knowledge Base uncovers a fair amount of people who can't get the board to function at anything other than 100/100... I have owned one, had no problems. I have put four in various systems for my friends, with no problems. But it seems that a fair amount have had problems... It looks like an RMA, without question... I was gonna suggest PSU, but if that is ok, then you have covered all the b bases for no post, no beeps... Send it back... get your money back if you can and look into the Shuttle AK35GT/R... Its a much better chipset (KT266A) and I got mine for $70 on newegg, and it has performed beautifully with an Athlon XP 1700+, RAID 0 and 256 MB PC2100 Kingston...

FUNK

 

[yodayoda]

did you try clearing the CMOS? unplug the PSU from the mobo, remove the battery, and close the CMOS jumper. let it fully drain for several minutes. put the jumper, battery, and power back and retry her.

 

[ericboo]

I just built a second one yesterday. I was getting a series of beeps which turned out to be the video card not seated properly, but thankfully I have seen that before. It is up and running fine with an XP1600 and at 133/133.

Last one I built, the LAN adapter died out after two days, so I just dropped in a cheap NIC and it has been fine for the past year. I do hear it is luck of the draw with these.

I am going through the same no beep problem with an older Soyo 6BA+ right now.

 

[JoshGuru7]

I cleared the CMOS and jumper 4 is now set in the normal position. I'm wondering whether the board may be shorted now.. On boot up the harddrive spins, cpu fan spins (drawing power from mobo), CD-Rom light flashes but there is no sound/video and i'm wondering if a shorted mobo would react similarly.

 

[Buz2b]

i'm wondering if a shorted mobo would react similarly.

In a word; yes. Not too difficult to pull the MB out and try to boot it outside the case. Give it a shot. Better than RMA both $$ and time. Again though, just make sure that there are only the absolute minimum items installed on the board to begin with. At most, just the CPU/HSF with the video card, one stick of RAM and a floppy drive. Actually don't even need the floppy drive but I like to do that with a boot disk just to "watch" the process in case it stops at a certain point.

 

[Hankysmoo]

I just got my ECS from newegg and am having the exact same problem! I'm using an antec 300W powersupply and trying to boot up with a geforce 3 ti 200. Any ideas? =( I tried clearing the cmos but that didnt help....

 

[Buz2b]

Originally posted by: Hankysmoo
I just got my ECS from newegg and am having the exact same problem! I'm using an antec 300W powersupply and trying to boot up with a geforce 3 ti 200. Any ideas? =( I tried clearing the cmos but that didnt help....

Read up further on booting with minimal components. Your PS is "on the cuff" for being sufficient. Yes, some have actually had sucess with a 250 watt PS, but that is the exception, not the rule. Other than that, can you be more specific as to your system, it's components and what you have done to try to solve your problem?

 

[JoshGuru7]

Did you get the ECS from newegg as a refurb? I've talked to three others besides myself who got this and none of the mobo's will post.. I think newegg maybe got their hands on a refurb shipment that had never been refurbed (lol).

 

[Hankysmoo]

Update, Just got my system up and running. Plugged in my headers wrong cuz the manual is so damn confusing (power switch was in the wrong place). Those who have problems make sure to check the headers!

 

[cpebbles]

I was having problems with my K7S5A not POSTing, just spinning the fans. Problem was the two standoffs I'd used right near the CPU were causing a short. Removed those and it ran beautifully.

Incidentally, I had power supply issues with an AMD approved 350W source from Antec, with nothing but a floppy, a HDD, and a CD-RW connected. If your computer occasionally fails to recognize your hard drive on reboot, time to get a bigger PSU.

 

[Goi]

Well, this happens to me a lot of times, and often its one of the following problems

CPU not seated properly
HSF not attached properly
Video card not inserted properly
Memory not inserted properly

Its really a case of trial and error, you gotta take out and put back these things one by one, many times. For the K7S5A's case, it might also be the PSU. The K7S5A is known to be finicky about its PSU...

 

[santokki]

I screwed in the motherboard to the case. Plugged in the power to the motherboard, inserted 256 MB PC133 RAM, plugged in the video card, keyboard, and mouse, then turned the computer on ... and it wouldn't POST. Re-seating the video card did the trick.

In the BIOS settings, I changed the CPU setting to 133/133. I then turned the computer off. I installed a HD, Floppy, and CD drive. Connected the cables and power, then restarted the computer. Again, it won't POST (the CPU fan and PSU fan spin for about 1 second then stops).

I've shorted the CMOS, reseated the CPU, heatsink, video card, and RAM, and nada. Please help.

 

[Macro2]

RE:"Normally, under the circumstances you described, I would say that you need to pull and reinsert the video card a few times because it is not seated properly"

Hey, this problem is right off the A= certification exam. The answer is above.
Also could be a short. Bad video card or agp slot.

 

[santokki]

They are all new parts. Ahhhhhhhh!!!!

Nightmare!!!!!!