NEED SERIOUS HELP! - No Boot/No Post/No Beep/No Video!

[hevnsnt]

Sorry for the yelling in the subject but I am at my wits end.. To start I consider myself very savvy at building systems, but I might have overlooked something, so I am turning to you, HELP!

Here is my situation:

I am trying to build a freaking pIII system. Everytime I put everything in (everything being Mobo Mounted, CPU, Ram, and Video Card only) and I turn it on, all the fans spin up but I dont get any bios beeps or any video. I have tried everything I can think of to find out what the problem is. Everything has been reseated a 100 times.

Here is what I have done:
1st Thought)
Bad ram, so I tried the ram in another system, worked fine

2nd Thought)
Bad power supply, so I took all the guts out of my existing working system and built it into the new case and started with a case/ps that I new worked. Nothing

3rd Thought)
Bad CPU, so I tried my piii 700 in a buddies computer using the same slocket and everything that I was using, booted fine.

4th Thought)
Bad mobo, light on the mobo shows a green led, but I thought what the heck lets RMA it, so I sent it in, it came back saying working fine, called up the tech and told him that it is still not working, he suggested that I send it back in, sent it back in and once he got it he put a processor in and called me when it was running, he got it booting and called me to gloat.

4th 1/2 Thought)
Bad mobo, bought a Asus P3v4x here on the wonderful anand forums and gave it a go, SAME EXACT PROBLEM.

5th Thought
Cpu not making connection, took the slocket apart (the guides) and inserted it in the slot, no change..

Now I have to be doing something wrong here, I have replaced every component and cannot get it to work. The only thing I can come up with is both mobos are using the Via chipset
and the other mobo I have tested it on (my buddies) is a bx chipset. ARRGH!

Please I am at your mercy, I am pulling out hair over this one..

 

[zzgreeneagle]

Sorry to hear that man. I got the same problem before with my p3v4x, and I changed the video card and mb battery, then it worked. I still dont know why cuz the video card still works in my other computer.

 

[witty]

just my two cents, have you looked on the back of your new ps and see whether it was set for 230v or 115v. It could have been the problem. The reason I'm saying this is because it did happened to me before when I was building my system.

 

[hevnsnt]

both are good suggestions, I have also tried 3 different video cards.. I have not tried replacing bios battery but the RMA guy said that he got it working... I will try that tonight.

Thanks

This is so frustrating, AARRRGH.

 

[CollinsCollector]

Greetings "hevnsnt" - you did a very good job of describing your problem and outlining what you have done in an attempt to correct it.

I haven't played with a Pentium mobo for quite awhile now; but your problem doesn't sound as though it's Pentium specific.

To cut to the chase, the problem you describe is a "classic" indication of an inadequate power supply. While not a 100% certainty, I'd say it's at least a 50% probability and well worth trying a higher wattage supply.

Also, the fact that any given "plug-in" component will "work" in one mobo DOES NOT guarantee it will "work" in another.

If we can conclude that your initial mobo was in fact in working condition, and you then tried a second (new) board and obtained exactly the same negative results; then I suggest, by deduction, the cause must be a component you are using.

Having said this, I'm guilty of assuming it's not a matter of your "technique." I'm assuming you have connected all of the case LED and switch connectors properly, have connected the processor HSF to the proper connector on the mobo, and have verified there are no metal standoffs on the mobo mounting tray which do not have corresponding mounting holes on the mobo.

Best of luck. Please let us know how it turns out!

 

[lispro]

I am a little new at this, but what about your case? Specifically, could your mobo be grounded or touching somewhere where it shouln't be? Just a thought

 

[hevnsnt]

Perfect questions you guys.. This is exactly what I needed.. (some more)

I have tried 3 different PS, currently I am using a 300W that has been powering my athlon system for over 3 mths... I am pretty sure the ps is pumping out enough to cover cpu/cpu fan/ram/and video..

Regarding the Case: I gutted my Athlon system and rebuilt it in the case I was originally using to check to see if it was a strange problem with the case, athlon booted fine.

Here is my question:

If my ram was not working, and my speaker was connected I would get beeps correct? If my Video Card was not working, I would get beeps correct? I tried booting without video no beeps, so would I get beeps if the CPU was not inserted.... I think not, so that is more than likely the problem, however I have verified that my CPU and slocket both work, I have even take the case off the slocket so I could verify that it was making connection in the slot. All I freaking want is another computer!!! I have my website running (well not right now) on my system, and I want a system I can reboot whenever I want.. hehe.

Again, thanks for the help, keep it coming!

*PS* The ram I am using is that High Density ram or whatever that only runs on Via chipsets.. So this morning instead of getting ready for work I pulled a 256 stick of micron ram out of my buddies system with same result..

 

[ericboo]

I have had wierd problems like that before. When the video card is not seated, you would get beeps. What I had to do to "cure" the problem was remove and reinstall everything including the mobo (just to make sure I did not miss anything or ground the mobo anywhere like those little metal tabs on the I/O plate (if that is what you call it) on the case, and then jumper the bios to reset.

Sometimes I really hate computers, like now where my system is just crashing and killing my hard drive, even after changing everything except the mobo, and a new one is on its way. Asus told me to send it in and let them check it; like I could really be down for two or three weeks without a computer.

Good luck.

 

[Killrose]

Motherboard mounting standoff not correctly positioned and shortng out maybe?

 

[MooShoe]

Two thoughts... Maybe you've already tried this, but it can't hurt for me to mention these...

First, try taking your mobo out of the case and see if it will boot up. If you can turn it on when it's not mounted in the case (which is probably what the RMA tech guy did), then you are definitely shorting the board on the case somewhere.

Second, I have had many mobo's fail to post (no beeps even) if the memory is not seated correctly. How many DIMMs are you using in your board? If you have more than 1 DIMM, have you tried using just one? In the different DIMM sockets?

Ok, so more than just 2 thoughts...

 

[hevnsnt]

mooShoe:
I will try and pull it out tonight and see if that works, I have not tried that..

Killrose:
I have pulled the slocket apart and stuck the bare slocket board in there no change..

Again, thanks guys keep em coming!

 

[Killrose]

Actually what I was talking about was the brass standoff's that the motherboard sets on, then your mounting screws thread into these.

 

[RustyNale]

Killrose, that was my thought as well, something is grounding his mobo to the case. hevnsnt, definitely try taking the mobo out of the case and try to get it to post that way. If it does, you've got something screwy with your case, or a standoff in a place where it shouldn't be.

 

[undercover]

Your "PWR SWTCH" cable ......... is it in the right spot?