Sound card no longer recognized

[Banli]

I took apart my computer, put in a new heatsink for my north bridge (a8n-e northbridge stock cooler sucks) and when I put everything back together, my computer no longer recognized my sound card. I had to unplug everything in order to install the heatsink as I broke off the bottom pins. My rig:

AMD 4400+ x2
A8n-e Asus Mobo
2 1gb PC 3200 G.Skill RAM
1 74 GB Raptor
1 250GB WD
1 40GB WD
7800 GT


I already tried the sound card in another computer, and it worked fine, and I tried a different sound card that I know works in my computer and it didn't recognize it. What can I do?

Thanks
-Banli

 

[Fardringle]

Did you try a different PCI slot (or at least make sure the slot you are using is clean)? You may have damaged the slot when you were removing and reinstalling the sound card.

 

[Banli]

I did try all my pci slots. As far as cleaning goes, is that just using compressed air/blowing in the slot itself?

 

[robisbell]

what pins did you break off ewxactly? a heatsink should have a flat surface, if it had pins, it was not your northbridge.

 

[Banli]

The northbridge fan had two push pins kind of deals, I don't know the precise name that went through the motherboard and caught on the other side using a mushroom-shaped head. I broke the two little plastic bits off that held the heatsink on, and installed the new one in the holes that the old used.

 

[robisbell]

hmmm, there may have been a plate on the backside those attached to, and when you did that the plate may have shorted out the motherboard.

 

[Banli]

The motherboard works though. Is it possible that I shorted only the pci slots?