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Need some gigantic help..

P

Porphyria

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
288
Ok, all my parts came today, and I started building.

Well, I basically have everything set up but a few things. All of the connectors coming from the front of the case where the power-on, reset, temperature, etc are (the name escapes me right now) are not plugged in. I can't seem to find the right configuration even after reading my mobo manual (they are much different than what they are in the manual)
So here are my questions

1. Is "ground" the white cable?
2. Well, I'm just really being cautious right now.. and I don't understand why my harddrive or fans aren't spinning whenever I turn on the power to the motherboard. I'm positive my CPU isn't damaged... and I thought that whenever you plug the chord in, a brief powersurge goes through, and hd spins, fans spin, etc. this isn't happening. Shouldn't it be? Or is this not the case on newer cases and power supplies? The LED on the motherboard is lit up.
3. I have never experienced these fans with two P-controllers on them before. How do I set this up? Just attach the P-controller from the fan that has the 4 rods to just any old p-controller? I'm a little flummoxed.


Thanks for help
 
I really can't understand why it won't power on damnit.. I got the correct plugs in I think ( all it should matter is if you have the power switch on the right slot right? ) and it still won't work.. how the hell could my processor be dead on arrival.. I just don't think it's possible.. argh and I don't have another comp to test it on...
 
What parts? case/mobo/fans/processor/HSF

Plain white or plain black wires are always grounds.

Did you plug in the 4 prong "box" 12V power for the Processor?

Did you plug the CPU fan into the CPU Fan header (and not a case fan header)? I once put the fan on the wrong header, and the motherboard didn't recognize the fan and therefore did not start.

Are the drives all in? Though that would give you a post/no disk error, not a no-boot - just throwing out a shotgun of ideas.

BB
 
Originally posted by BB Gun

Did you plug the CPU fan into the CPU Fan header (and not a case fan header)? I once put the fan on the wrong header, and the motherboard didn't recognize the fan and therefore did not start.
BB
Click to expand...

That sounds like the problem. The comp turns on and the fans and hd spin up for a few seconds, then they power down, right? If thats what is happening, then it is probably the cpu fan malfunction protection thing from yer mobo.
 
what kind of mobo is it? this sounds exactly like the proble i had with mine

also did you test the psu to make sure its good?
 
if you're building Intel, do you have that extra power thingy plugged in for the CPU?

I, too, think it's the CPU Fan not being connected specifically to the CPU FAN Header on the motherboard that's causing the motherboard to "protect" itself and not turn on.
 
No, heres the things :

The power supply is working because the LED on my motherboard turns on when I flip the switch. Nothing else happens when I flip the switch. Drives don't spin for a sec, fans dont move, or anything. CPU fan is in CPU fan spot. I don't have the front panel system connectors plugged in because, for some reason I suppose I'm not doing them correctly.. (buttons aren't working.. even though I'm nearly positive I did it correctly)... this is starting to sound like a dead on arrival CPU for me :(. But no pins are bent or anything.. I just don't have another motherboard that has a 478 pin slot to try it out on.

ASUS P4PE-X 845PE FSB800 R is my mobo

ASPIRE|XDREAMER BK WNDW 350W is my case

P4/2.4BGHz 533M 478PIN/512K RTL CPU

PSU is power supply right? Well the XDREAMER's power supply is certified to work with a p4.

Yes I have the extra 12v connector required to work with pentiums plugged in
 
Originally posted by Carnival Forces
if you're building Intel, do you have that extra power thingy plugged in for the CPU?
Click to expand...

Yep, 'tis required.
 
Originally posted by Porphyria

Yes I have the extra 12v connector required to work with pentiums plugged in
Click to expand...

EDIT: @theBro

My computer should atleast be able to turn on, or get a slight power surge when I turn on the psu, but it doesn't. This is how far I am in building:

Motherboard with CPU, ram, firewirecard, soundcard, video card (basically just populated), screwed into spacers, with the power adapters connected. 2 Hard drives installed, and a floppy. I am getting power to the motherboard because when I turn on the Powersupply the green LED turns on, but the cpu fan doesn't whirr, the harddrives don't spin.
 
well, then i guess it's your PSU. maybe try the PSU w/ a different system? or try a different PSU in your system?
 
can't be the PSU.. the pSU is made for the p4... it should work fine..

I'm starting think my processor is dead...t his is what happens when proc dies.. heh.. power to mobo, but no power anywhere else..

ARG
 
just a long shot .... check the CMOS reset jumper ... make sure it's not on the reset position ....
 
Originally posted by Porphyria
can't be the PSU.. the pSU is made for the p4... it should work fine..

I'm starting think my processor is dead...t his is what happens when proc dies.. heh.. power to mobo, but no power anywhere else..

ARG
Click to expand...

It CAN be the PSU. It can just be bad. The fact that it makes the LED light up means only that there is SOME juice running through it.

STrip your system down to cpu, vid card, and ram. try starting it. In order to keep the power switch out of the equation, you can bridge the two power switch pins with the tip of a screwdriver briefly to get it to start.
 
I'll try to find another PSU to try in it, but heres what I just did.. still nothing


I took off my processor and had a mighty look at it. No bent pins, nothing. Except ofcourse that aluminum-overtop came off onto my heat sink ( I put thermal compound on it , so it was a bit sticky ), but that shouldn't matter at all.

Unless the processor is somehow mystically "dead" there is no reason it shouldn't be working.

What do you mean 'bridge' the two power pins?
 
well.... green and black on the atx mobo power line will turn on the psu

try a barebone set up with it out of the case and like the name BAREBONE only the basics no extras
 
I just took the my power supply out of my dell case (The dell was also running a 2.4 ghz p4). I plug it in, and same thing. LED lights up, but it won't turn on, no fans whirr, nothing.

115, 230 volt..
 
Did you try turning the system on using the tip of a screwdriver as someone else said, rather than using your power-button?

That's what he meant by bridge the connection to start it up: find the two pins you connect your power button to, and just touch them with the tip of a screwdriver so it closes the bridge. Power buttons, like doorbells, use an intermittent connection to turn your computer on. I would think it far more likely for a power button to be broken than a just-purchased pentium. You can also try powering up the system using the reset switch as well if you don't want to use a screwdriver --just connect the lead from the reset button to the two power button prongs. Again, same type of button is used for both.

EDIT: And MAKE SURE you have the power button hooked up right, because really it's just not gonna start if it's not. I know it's annoying how many manual's don't accurately represent the things: remember, it's not going to hurt anything if you just try hooking the lead up in every possible combination.

Make sure you are in fact hooking the button up to the section on the motherboard for such connectors --some motherboards have other prongs that are unrelated that are in the same area, and you might just be hooking your power button up to something else altogether.

ASUS motherboard's should all have a silk-screening on them (writing) indicating what prongs are doing what. Look for that writing to be sure you're in the right area of your motherboard.

Also: a short can cause a system to refuse to power up, even with power going to the mobo. Disconnect everything but video, memory and the CPU, then try it. This includes floppy drive, CD-ROM, hard drive. This includes the power connectors from the PSU to such devices.

EVERYTHING but video, memory, cpu: take it out.

You did verify the CMOS jumper isn't set to clear the CMOS? Mind you, the system should beep all to hell if that were the case.

If that doesn't work, the next step would be to remove the motherboard from the case, and try turning it on with the motherboard set on a towel rather than in the case, to be sure you don't have a short there.

Hope some of this helps,

Erik
 
I think I'm just going to take it to COMPUSA , sigh, (after I remove and try what you just said), simply because I don't have the time for this right now. Probably have to dish out 100$, maybe more, but ah well. Learned a lot from this, but I've just never had to deal with some of these wires before.
Unless the motherboard was damaged from newegg, I've been taking huge precautions when handling it. All spacers are in, I always touch something to remove static electricity before handling anything, etc, etc. Maybe I'll call up ASUS.
 
Just edited my post, so please take a look at what I wrote about looking for the writing on the motherboard indicating where buttons should be plugged in :). If the buttons aren't plugged into the right place, the system just isn't going to turn on no matter what you do.

For the record, I've probably built a hundred computers by now, and I NEVER enjoy plugging in the power/reset buttons and LED lights. Wish motherboard and case makers would just make a standard 'bracket' (like the PSU to motherboard cable) that can only be plugged in one way.

In a perfect world...

Erik
 
Try connecting the power switch on the case to the motherboard and trying again. In my experience, some motherboards will start up when you turn the PSU on, others won't. So try connecting it and see what happens.
 
Yes I am pretty much 100% sure I was plugging the power button etc into the right spot.

I noticed this on the mobo (the writing), and therefor I was sure. I put the ground of the power switch on the fourth pin in from the right.

it said something like this under the pins I had on
i i
|__|
pwrbin (so I knew thats where to put it, my manual also showed that.)

I am really damn confused :(.
 
Welp, don't be afraid to just connect your power button in every combination possible in that set of prongs: there aren't that many possibilities, and you AREN'T going to hurt anything (as long as you stay in that general area, haha).

That silkscreening, like motherboard manuals, is often not perfectly accurate, but it DOES tell you you're in the right area.

Keep trying, you'll feel a lot better if you figure it out yourself than if you end up taking it into CompUSA.
 
Well see, I'm just worried that something in the case is defective.. i Mean this SHOULD WORK!

Anyone with EXPERIENCE with this case, shed any light?
 
If you just think it's the case (ie, power button), try connecting the reset button to the power button prongs, and then powering it up with the reset button :).

Erik
 
Or I'm worried that my motherboard is somehow dead (unlikely) or my powersupply.. arg.. or my CPU (really really unlikely).

Anyways, if I plug it in and just touch all the pins with a screwdriver, will that "stimulate" it to start?
 
Touch all the pins at once? haha, I don't know: just touch two pins at a time.

If ya do that and go through the combinations (as long as your screwdriver conducts electricity;)), it's going to let you know whether the problem is the button or not.

Erik
 
omg omg I don't know what the fuck I just did but listen.

I took out my chip, put it in an old dell motherboard (478 pin), didn't work, put it back in my motherboard now, plug in the reset button isntead of power button, BAM I HIT RESET THE CPU FAN IS ON! YES BABY! OFF TO GO FINISH!!!
 
argh okay so I had it all hooked up, and its running and the LCD is on temp is up omg woot, and then It brings me to the "start windows from last default configuartion" I hit okay ( i heard this auto-updates the BIOS on the HD ), it gives me the loading winXP screen, then the comp gives a blue screen and shuts off. Now when I turn it on the monitor doesn't turn on, and it auto-shuts off after about 10 seconds. I need a new power supply?
 
Hold up, this is a new motherboard/cpu for you, right?

ie, you had windows installed on the hard drive already, and are trying to just swap the motherboard/cpu but keep the same windows installation?

If that's the case, it's probably gonna be a no-go: you need to reinstall windows, because your current windows installation is trying to use your old motherboard drivers to run your new motherboard. And it doesn't like it.

There IS also some directory full of drivers you can delete completely if you REALLY want to keep your installation (at which point the system is gonna have to install all the drivers from scratch as it detects mobo components), but I'm afraid I don't know what directory it is: I always consider a fresh installation with a new motherboard/cpu to be the best idea.

Let us know what happens...

Erik
 
Ok updates:


I figured out why my comp wouldn't turn on. For some reason when the "retention mechanism" is pushed fully down ( to lock in place ), I suppose it puts too much pressure or the likes on the CPU, and the computer won't start. Now, if you take it off so the heat sink isn't pushing down on the CPU, the computer starts fine.

PRoblem is, the CPU idles at 150, and the comp shuts off after about 30 seconds.

Any ideas?
 
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