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MSI K7 Master/AMD Athlon 900Mhz won't post!

GTaudiophile

GTaudiophile

Lifer
I'm here in Sacramento, helping my cousin troubleshoot his machine. It's quite random as to when it likes to complete the POST sequence, and I thought it had something to do with either the videocard or the AGP PRO slot itself.

So I bought a "cheap" GeForce4 MX440-SE PCI card to replace the GeForce2 GTS AGP card that was in the machine to see if the problem was the AGP card/slot. The new card did NOT fix the problem; it still doesn't POST regularly.

Every so often it will get through different points of the POST sequence. (The K7 Master has the D-LEDs, so I can see where it's getting in the sequence.) Most times, though, it hangs with the D-LEDs at GRGG, which according to the manual means, "Boot Attempt: This will set low stack and boot via INT 19h" and is accompanied by single, constant beeps (G=green/R=red).

Once the thing boots, it seems to run okay. Sometimes it will run for a day and other times only for a couple of hours before it cuts off on its own. When I was able to get it to boot, I entered the BIOS settings and was able to see that the CPU was running at 38C with steady voltage. I also ran Scandisk in DOS (he runs Win98SE), and the HD seems okay.

I am still stumped. My next move will be to replace the mobo. If it was the CPU or the RAM, I don't think it would have posted/booted at all before. Clearing the CMOS didn't improve anything. What I hate about this is that it's kinda random.

 
Originally posted by: Willoughbyva
Try running a memory tester like memtest86.
Click to expand...

I wish I could, but how do I do that if it won't post? I don't have another DDR-capable machine around to stick the memory in nor do I have another DIMM.

So the question is, what do I buy tomorrow? RAM, new mobo, both? The damn beep codes aren't telling me anything. What does a repetitive, single beep mean?
 
It doesn't usually post and when it does, it's quite random.

Usually it doesn't even kick the monitor on. I just turn it on, the LEDs come on, the fans spin, and it beeps.
 
Look at the capacitors on the motherboard and see if they look like they are shot. I think if they are bad they would be bulging at the tops of them. Also do a google groups search for your motherboard. I remember people posting on the MSI newsgroup about certain motherboards dying all of a sudden. Don't remember what the problems were with them.

Will
 
Originally posted by: Willoughbyva
How many/what kind of beeps?
Click to expand...

Beep, pause, beep, pause, etc.

Edit: I get the same result no matter if the videocard or RAM is installed:

CPU, Mobo, RAM, Vid: Beeps
CPU, Mobo, RAM: Beeps
CPU, Mobo: Beeps
 
The RAM is generic PC266 DDR RAM. Maybe I should replace that first...

We're having to use CompUSA since it's the closest place at about 15-20 minutes away from where my cousin lives. I need to fix this by the 26th...so do I get mobo, ram, both? Hmmm
 
Personally it would depend on how much money I had to do it. If I was strapped I would try with the memory first. What kind of selection does compusa have for motherboards. We have one in Richmond, but I never see motherboards in it. Check out hotdeals and see if there is any deals on memory, motherboards etc in a store near you. Might save you some money.

Will

 
Looking at those threads at that MSI google group, some people had similar problems as I'm having and attributed it to faulty RAM.
 
Yeah bad memory causes stuff like that a lot of the time. I guess without another board to test it with it would be hard to know for 100%, but it seems logical. That type of ddr memory should be cheaper than some of the newer stuff out now. What I would do is leave early get some memory and try it, if it doesn't work go back and get a motherboard. Don't forget that some sto5re close early on Xmas eve.
 
Well, thanks for your help. I'll try to get an early start tomorrow and try replacing the RAM first.

I'll let you know how it goes. I really hope it's not the mobo or CPU; I hate installing/uninstalling CPUs, especially those without heat spreaders.
 
I kinda forgot to mention it, and I figured you had already done it, but try just the cpu and heatsink/fan, memory and video card and see if it will work. Reading your post about the beep codes I figured you already tried that, but thought I would throw it in as a long shot.

I gotta get some sleep, hope it works out ok.

Will
 
Well, I set out today thinking that either the mobo or RAM was faulty. I first went to CompUSA to return the PCI videocard I bought yesterday. While there, I asked their "Tech Support Rep" a few questions, and almost smacked him for some of the BS advice he was giving me.

I left CrapUSA and headed for Fry's. I let the salesman there convince me that the mobo was faulty and not the RAM, so I bought a Soyo KT333 Dragon-Lite. I brought it home, conducted a "transplant," and got the SAME EXACT errors as before.

So, that left the RAM and/or CPU as the problem. My gut told me it was the RAM, so I ran out and got a DIMM of Samsung PC2100 DDR RAM. I plugged it in, and bahm, it worked! It was the simplest thing all along, and I'm smacking myself on the head now.

The old DIMM he was using appears to be ECC RAM, but I am not sure as I've never held ECC RAM in my hand before. It looks like a typical DIMM of DDR RAM except that it has three smaller chips below the memory chips and the DIMM is slightly larger.

Oh well, it's fixed. Thanks again for your help.
 
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