new build (sorta) - can't get signal from the monitor

[mitchafi]

I've had some spare parts lying around so today I picked up an Antec SLK2600AMB w/ 300 watt SmartPower on sale at BB. I threw in a Pentium 2 333 and a mobo as well as an old cd-rom drive and 2 HD's: A 20GB Western Digital and a very old 4.3GB Seagate. The video card is very old - 2MB I think and the system memory I am using was taken from a Compaq P2 266. The problem is when I turn it on everything spins up (CPU fan, PSU, HDD's) but the monitor stays blank. When I first turn the PC on, the monitor LED turns green for a second but then goes orange without displaying anything. I've tried using another monitor and have the same problem. I have a mouse hooked up the computer but moving it does nothing, nor does pressing keys on the keyboard. Any ideas on how to fix this or what could be causing the problem?

 

[DyslexicHobo]

Just wait for about 3-5 minutes after you boot the computer. I know for some reason with my old computer, when I put in my older video card, it wouldn't show the BIOS and startup screen. It only turned on once windows was fully loaded.

It's probably not the same problem, but who knows. It can't hurt to try.

 

[mitchafi]

Interesting...I'll give it a try.

 

[mitchafi]

Got tied up but just got around to trying leaving it on for a while, no dice after about 10 minutes

 

[mechBgon]

Could it be that the motherboard needs some jumper adjustments to correspond to the P2 333's bus/multiplier settings? That would be 66MHz bus and 5.0 multiplier. If it doesn't have jumpers or dipswitches, try resetting the CMOS.

 

[mitchafi]

Got past that problem, although I don't know exactly how. I think the 4 small white pins might not have been in far enough if that could have been the cause. Now that I am receiving a display, I can't get the bios to detect any of my IDE devices. I've taken out all of the devices except 1 20GB WD drive to try to eliminate the problem. I've tried using the primary and secondary IDE channel with every jumper setting so i'm thinking it has to be some bios setting i'm missing. I'll be back...going to try some other stuff.

 

[mitchafi]

Seems that It was a bad IDE cable. With a new cable it detects the HDD although regardless of which connector I have inserted it registers as a slave. Anyone know why that is?

 

[cubanx]

Originally posted by: mitchafi
Seems that It was a bad IDE cable. With a new cable it detects the HDD although regardless of which connector I have inserted it registers as a slave. Anyone know why that is?

Becuase the jumper on the Harddrive itself(usually near the power connector) is set for slave. Most harddrives have a jumper diagram printed on them.