HELP! Noob Building new PC Big Trouble!

[EyeOfThe]

Hi Guys,

we are trying to build a PC and we are getting the error:
CPU is unworkable or has changed. Please recheck.

Using AMD 1800+ and Abit Nforce Mobo. I searched for the error on the internet and found the stuff below, but the problem is we are too noobish to know what we need to do. I.e. where is the soft menu, or how do you load bios settings? We need grandmother directions please. Thanks

"The problem is that Abit (by reasons unknown to us) has included an option in their Soft Menu called "Speed Error Hold". This option halts the system, if the speed is not set at default. This means that if you intent to overclock your CPU, you should disable this option. In short, set "Speed Error Hold" to "Disabled" and it should work.

this evening i get the same problem with my abit mainboard without change any speed settings,
BIOS settings or CPU. Here my easy solution: load the BIOS defaults or optimized defaults,
change your values and save the settings. Now the message doesn't show."

 

[Ness]

a few ?'s...


Do you get the POST (the one beep when you first turn on the PC?) or does it beep in a different pattern?

When does the message occur? (When you first turn the PC on, when you reach windows, right after you get the POST?)

To load the BIOS, you need to press Del. When the PC first turns on and says something along the lines of "Press DEL to run setup" Make sure when you exit the BIOS you choose to save the settings and exit, rather than just exiting.


I'm not that experienced, but I can read symptons like a text book.

Please describe everything (as detailed as you can) from startup until you recieve this message.

 

[DanFungus]

however you get to the BIOS (also called Setup sometimes), you might need to press F2, F1, Delete (not backspace)..it depends on what the manual says, it's different for each motherboard. Once you get in there, use the arrow keys to highlight the "Load Optimized defaults", then hit enter, press y and enter if it asks if you want to do this. Now, you want to check the other settings, by using arrow keys and enter to go into teh sub menus for the other BIOS options, and make sure that the FSB (front side bus) is set at 133, and anything else you might need to change, like the "speed error hold", is changed. to get out of a sub menu, hit escape on teh keyboard, and then when you are done changing the things, and are back at the main screen, the same one as when you first got into teh BIOS, highlight the Save and apply changes" or whatever, and hit enter. press y, and hit enter, if it asks to if you want to do this. hope this helps.

Oh, and to change the options for a setting, press the + and - keys, at least that's what changes my BIOS settings. I think it should be the same for you.

 

[EyeOfThe]

More info:

Went into the BIOS... couldn't find anything that said 'Speed Error Hold'

Booting uo, the PC makes one beep...

the 1800+ Athlon thinks its "1150 MHz" which seems low to me...

Primary Master: No drive
Primary Slave: No drive
Secondary Master: No drive
Secondary Slave: No drive

Verifying DMI Pool Data.....
<it doesn't do anything after this>

I'll go back and look at the bios to see if I can change it to fsb=133. I remember seeing a cpu thing that said 100/66 wich was the default I think.

Thanks

 

[BillClo]

I'd make sure that the FSB is set to 133. Many boards support 100 FSB and 133, and use 100 as the default. Also, set the Bios to fail-safe settings.

You also need to set the drive detection to "auto", if it isn't already.

 

[EyeOfThe]

I changed

CPU Ext. CLK (CPU/AGP) = 133/66 MHz

and that got rid of the error.

What should these be:

FSB Ratio (CPU:AGP) = ?
Memory Frequency (CPU:MEM) = ?

CPU is AMD 1800+
memory is 2100 DDR

 

[BillClo]

The memory frequency should be the same as your FSB. If you set the FSB to 133, set the memory the same. You CAN set it higher, but it won't help much if any, and you might run into stability problems.

As for CPU/AGP frequency, never run across that one in any of my BIOSes. As I recall though, the AGP bus normally uses 66mhz out of the 133 available. Try setting to 66mhz or 2:1 (133 fsb/66 used for AGP).

Good luck.

 

[EyeOfThe]

Ok everything seems ok. I can get into windows 98. But there are a few problems.

Before windows starts there is a long message that says I am missing a file (vnetbios.xpd)

Then when I get into windows it doesn't know that there is a CDROM and CDR. I'm not sure how to get it to recognize these items since I don't have the driver floppy disks for either. Windows 98 installed off of the CD so something knows how to use the drive but now we are stuck.

Our internet connection isn't working either (cable modem) so it's tough to download any drivers.

Anyone got any suggestions? The cable company can help us set up the internet but it seems like Windows 98 is too old to recognize the new parts we are using.

Will getting Windows XP solve our problems? I mean, will it auto-recognize all of the parts and do the driver stuff by itself?

Thanks

 

[CurtCold]

Go to your command console in win 98, and type SFC. This will run system file checker which should solve your missing file problem. The reason win 98 isn't recognizing your cd, and cdrw, is probably a jumper setting problem. If not try to add them in the add hardware wizard in 98. I would guess you have some cables hooked up wrong, or that you may have your slave/master jumper settings wrong. Dunno how far you are, I would just check that and see. WinXP will not solve all your problems if it's jumper related. Yes it does auto detect hardware, but may not work with some of your older programs, but you can check before you install it.