My Dream Machine Won't Start?

[xUltra]

Okay I just built this puter and I have everything right, or I think and I press the power button and it starts... but nothing on the screen... just my monitor's display saying this monitor is working thing. Here are the specs:

Abit AT7-MAX Motherboard
AMD Athlon XP 2200+
ChainTech Geforce 4 Ti4600
Corsair 512 MB DDR PC2700 333Mhz XMS RAM
WD 80GB 7200 HDD
52x CD-ROM
Plextor 40x12x40x CD-RW
3.5" Floppy
Altec Lansing 641 4.1 Speakers
MS Intellimouse Explorer 3.0
Qtronix USB Keyboard

I don't know what's wrong... I start it up.. you can hear the hard drive start, all the fans going ( LOUD ), you can see the Monitor flicker once which I think means the video card is ok? The processor is warm so I think thats ok, oh and when it starts the keyboard lights don't flicker but when you press any button the Num lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock all light up... anybody PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me!?!?!? Thanks... oh yeah and no beep from the pc speaker.. i dont have my altecs in yet
Chris aka xUltra

 

[CrazySaint]

Make sure all your IDE cables are properly oriented. They can be put in backwards, and if they are, you will get no video. The same thing has happened to me.

 

[DeRusto]

I don't think that your IDE cables are causing the problem. As far as I know, the worst a backwards IDE cable can do is revert your hard drive to ATA33. It is still a good idea to check the orientation of the cables for best performance..once you get it running. As for a floppy cable, I don't know if that would cause your system to not boot..but it would cause your floppy to not work.

Most motherboards have a signal when the video card is improperly seated(usually several beeps in succession), but even if you arent getting the warning signal try reseating the card or wiggling it in its slot to make proper connection.

I haven't worked with an AT7-MAX, but there may be some jumpers or dipswitches on your board that have been overlooked, check to be sure all jumpers are properly set. I know I have had this problem at least twice..once switching from a Athlon on the board to a Duron. I needed to change the jumper to tell what FSB to use.

Another thing to try, try taking out any unnecessary cards like..sound card, network..whatever..sometimes if the board has a bad slot or the card is bad, the board will not post. Good reasons for an RMA.


Hope this helps you out.

 

[vetteguy]

In my experience, inverting IDE cables will cause the symptoms you describe. Any time I've done that I get power but nothing else. I'd check there first. It's a simple mistake to make. (Why oh why don't all cables have the little notches???)

 

[gf4200isdabest]

definitely a ribbon cable issue...i had the same problem with my Goliath...its always the god forsaken cablez

 

[DeRusto]

Oh, I get it now.. turning the cable connector upside-down...yes that would be a problem.

I was under the impression the the cable was installed on the wrong end

 

[Steven the Leech]

I would----check all cables and connections. Read the manual and check all jumpers/settings and Clear CMOS. If it doesnt boot then I would remove everything but necessities agp/ram/cpu/hd after reseating all of those, and try to boot. If no success i would take the MB out of case and try to boot with just the HD/CPU/RAM/AGP.

 

[Demonicon]

It's been a long time since i've seen an IDE cable that is not keyed.

I say reseat your video card and memory, this should resolve the issue. Also check the monitor connection to your video card.

Try resetting CMOS

Still an issue, prolly DOA video card.

 

[kursplat]

Demonicon

It's been a long time since i've seen an IDE cable that is not keyed.

Still an issue, prolly DOA video card.

good place to start if it still not workin' strip it down to the basics . out of the case. vid card. 1 stick mem. chip w\cooler. no drives . see if it will give you a post screen.

 

[littlegohan]

nice comp

except i think u should have gotten a dvd rom

 

[Def]

Are you sure you installed the heatsink properly? Not sure if your board supports monitoring of the XP's thermal diode, but you could have toasted it if you didn't mount it right.

 

[FluxCapacitor]

Actually, I own a AT7 and I can tell you it's probably an issue with the 2200+ you are trying to use. You have to flash the BIOS to the lastest update in order for it to work properly with it and recognize it. I don't know how you are going to do that unless you have access to an older Athlon/Duron to use temporarily.

The AT7 has keyed plugs and comes with 3 IDE cables that are clearly marked with "which end goes where" so I doubt that is the problem.

 

[bocamojo]

xUltra,
The advise I give to anyone who builds a computer and turns it on, to find it doesn't work is this: "When in doubt, rip it out". Which means simply, take the machine apart, and start over. Make sure you're properly grounded (touch the PSU in your comp case), before handling your vid card, ram, etc. Do as others have suggested here, and check your mobo jumper configurations, make sure you are plugging in your IDE cables correctly, make sure you have properly seated your video card, RAM, etc. If you have another PC around, and you still can't get your dream machine to work, then start testing pieces one by one on the other PC. If you find that a particular piece of hardware will not work with your other computer, then that likely is your issue. I have had to take a machine apart 2 or 3 times before to finally get it to work right. Just like in the x-files, the answer is out there, somewhere. You've just got to keep working at it. Good luck.

 

[majewski9]

yeah ur board probaly needs a bios flash!

Do u have any other ram? NO beep problems are the worse. I had a vid card that went bad that gave me no beeps. I think it shorted out or something. Try stripping ur board of everything except processor and ram. Secondly I'd try to some how falsh ur bios and that is probaly the problem.

 

[Snoop]

The processor is warm so I think thats ok, oh and when it starts the keyboard lights don't flicker but when you press any button the Num lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock all light up.

I hope you mean the 'heatsink on the processor' is warm.

 

[xUltra]

 

[xUltra]

Yeah, I have tried all of that.... and I mean ALL of that.... ty for complimenting my machine I didn't put a DVD-ROM on it because I have one on this computer and I have never touched it... so I figured no use for it! What I did was I RMA'ed the Board to Abit and it seems to be that they want you to buy the board and RMA it... because in the Manual it says it supports the new Thorough Bred 2200+ but really, it doesn't. On the back of the motherboard you can see the version of the motherboard it came with... and yes it wasn't the newest one. From what I have hear you can not simply but in another Socket A Proc and then flash the bios, because the motherboard needs some sort of Physical mod... this all happened supposedly because AMD changed something about their proc's in the last minute, and the motherboard were already made.... if you log on to Abit's website they have in a note of what 2 items can be RMA'ed, probly the ones they are expecting to be RMA'ed.
Yes I did install my heatsink properly...
Yes I did install/check my IDE cables... its impossible to screw up on it because there is a little tab in the middle of the socket and the cable which make it impossible to put it on the otherside...
I have took it apart and put it together again...
When I put a Duron 700 in the motherboard it worked perfectly...
There are no beeps when I start the computer....
Which the thing can ONLY be.... the Motherboard!

Orginally I thought that the proc must of been defective... because it clearly states in the manual that the motherboard DOES support the AMD Athlon XP 2200+ but in reality it doesn't ... so I guess this is really just AMD's/Abit's fault. Sometimes I regret getting the 2200+ Thanks for your time and support

 

[FluxCapacitor]

So, did you ever flash the BIOS just to check?

I mean, you might as well. I haven't heard that you need to put a certain processor in when you flash. That doesn't really make any sense.

 

[kursplat]

if you log on to Abit's website they have in a note of what 2 items can be RMA'ed, probly the ones they are expecting to be RMA'ed.

couldn't find that at their site. how about some LINKage ?
good luck