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Newly build computer won't turn on

RicKuRuKuS

RicKuRuKuS

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 21, 2003
Messages
1,409
Hey guys, I just built a computer for a friend and I can't figure out why it is not turning on. We are using SYSTEM SPECS:

: Abit NF7-S :
: Corsair 512MB XMS DDR2700 :
: AMD Athlon XP 2500+ :
: 160 GB WD HDD 8MB Cache :
: XDreamer 2 Case:
: Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600 XT 128MB :
: LiteOn DVD / CD Writer :

and I can't find out why it isn't turning on. I could swear that everything is plugged in the right spots because I built this same computer myself for myself! When we plug the power cord into the power supply the red light comes on the mobo indicating that power is going to the computer, but when I hit power button, NOTHING happens... Help?

-warsaw
 
Well, before you drive yourself nuts, make TRIPLE sure the panel/switch connectors are on the correct pins.

*edit.. make sure you don't have a bad switch while you're at it.

(I'm guilty of this one after dozens of built machines.)

Are you getting any beeps? Tried re-seating everything?
 
ill keep trying the front panel switch stuff, but everything is in good and solid and i dont know what it could be...

-warsaw
 
ok now after switching some of the things on the pwr switch and stuff, the red light on the mobo wont turn on... what the heck? is it even receiving power now? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

-warsaw
 
Im sure youve already checked but make sure you power supply is turned on in the back ;)
 
yes the power supply is on, and now, we get the red light on the mobo at times, but when we plug in the switches, it turns off and on and stuff.. this is so odd, i dont know why it isnt working!!!

-warsaw
 
I'm not really positive, but it's worth a try..

Try unplugging the Power Supply from the motherboard, then plugging it back in. Also try this with your hard drives and all hardware that connects to the power supply.
 
make sure its grounded properly, put the piece of foam the mobo came packed with behind the mobo between the case screws and the back of the mobo.
 
alright, i think it might be something with being grounded because i had to press the mobo down a little to get it to screw in... i dont know what im gonna have to do tho, because the screws are kinda long but some still dont reach, it is like the holes in the mobo tray are too big or somethin...

-warsaw
 
make sure all the motherboard mounts match the holes in the
motherboard. if you have one out of place it will short the mobo.
 
Check that the ATX power (20-pin molex connector) is really in there. It should make a noticeable click. On new mobos it often takes quite a push.

If that doesn't work, take out everything and put it all back in. Never hurts.

After that, try the PSU with a different motherboard.

I guess an RMA is next...
 
It sounds like your power supply to me, try using a diffrent one.

I had some offbrand PSU give enough current to turn the LEDs on my mobo on, but when I went to turn it on the leds went off then came back on (on the board its self)

The first thing I did was pull the power supply, rig it up to a fan and jumped Green and Ground, at which point the Capacitor blew scaring the shit out of mom.

Just a little food for thought
 
Need info to help. Have any of these components previously been installed and proven to work? I.E. you salvaged some stuff out of an old computer or just replacing some stuff? Memory, CPU, PSU, and HDDS etc. Also, you are using mobo standoffs when screwing in the mother board? You should have about 8 totall screws holding down the mobo, do you? Do you have any fans connected, CCFLs, or Fan busses? Disconnect anything that isn't important to start, I.E the ccfls and stuff, just leave your HDD that has your main OS installed on it plugged in. If that works, then probably your PSU. If not then probably something else. I would check your mobo compatability with a 160gb hardrive. Some IDE controllers on motherboards won't support the HDs larger than 120gb(I'd bet on this one more than the others). To test this, get a drive smaller than the 120gb and try it. See if it boots, if not get back with the info when you can. Hope it gets fixed.

-edit- found this what bios is in the board? If it's anything under the bios version 15 it probably won't have support for the 160gb HD.


I'll be digging around a bit more.
 
everything is brand spankin new from newegg... i iwll be going back to friends house to try these tomorro and get it working hopefully, anymore suggestiosn?

-warsaw
 
Make sure the power supply is running at 120v not 210v (i think those are the correct numbers)

I did this once, and the red light came on on the mobo, but nothing turned on.
 
Unplug everything you can from the motherboard. Remove the memory and the video card and all I/O cards and power on listen for the beep for no video or no memory. Install video card. Power on. Beep different? Remove video card install memory power on. Same thing?? Different? Check resources for what beeps mean what. Make sure that they jumper map you have for your motherboard is correct. I have had to figure out that the book was wrong but the board was labled correctly before.

Short of all of that not working build outside of the box and test. When peoblems get this basic time to do the basic testing. Also make sure voltages are set as required for the proc.
 
Originally posted by d03boy
Make sure the power supply is running at 120v not 210v (i think those are the correct numbers)
Click to expand...

I'm in software development now, but in a previous life I did hardware support.

Over 2 dozen of my geeky peers at work have decided to build their own systems. Of the 15 or so tech support requests that I've gotten from them, 5 calls about systems not booting after they were put together have been the direct result of not having the power supply voltage switch set correctly.

This is a simple issue, but one easily overlooked.
 
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you probably didnt catch that one post about making sure the motherboard stands are not shorting the motherboard.

TAKE OUT THE MOTHERBOARD ... unscrew everything and try to power up the board with it sitting on the table -- NOT IN THE PC CASE.

if one of the motherboard stands is in the wrong spot your computer will not boot up -- it will just sit there with the red LED on.

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i really think it has something to do with motherboard, because if we move it around a bit, the red light comes on, and sometimes off... so what do i do with the standoffs? where exactly do i put these? i never used them in my last computer i built because my mobo fit perfectly in my case... i need to know what to do with teh standoffss :)

-warsaw
 
The concern here is that your standoffs are shorting out the board (because they're touching a tracer or something other than the grounded part).

So, as someone suggested, remove the board entirely from the case and try.

You may need to get a non-metal washer to put between the standoffs and your board.
 
i never used them in my last computer i built because my mobo fit perfectly in my case... i need to know what to do with teh standoffss
Click to expand...
If you didn't use the standoffs on your last computer, you are extremely lucky the mobo didn't short out on you!
The standoffs are not there to make the motherboard fit in the case.
The standoffs are for the purpose of keeping the bottom of the motherboard from contacting the metal of the mobo tray and causing a short circuit. In addition, they support it so when you push in the RAM, cards, and such, you won't be grinding the back of the board into the side of the case, or put uneven stress on it which might cause it to crack.
You should line your mobo up in your case, look through the mounting holes in the board. If you see a hole in the mobo tray below it, you need to install a standoff in each corresponding hole in the tray.
Then install the mobo with a screw for each standoff.
Make sure if you lose a screw that it is not under the mobo. It's a good idea to count the number of standoffs, and start off with the same exact number of screws when installing them. That way if you end up with an extrra screw, you probably missed installing it in one of the standoffs. If you end up short a screw, you need to make sure it didn't end up under the mobo.

First though, as others have said, you should try it out of the case first.
 
Ok seriously if you don't know what to do with the standoffs put down all of your tools <plyers and phillips head taken out of dad's toolbox> and go find a friend who knows just a little bit more about what they are doing. Perhaps the person who first directed you to hard OCP and tell them what is going on. Explain about not understanding what standoffs do. Then ask them to help you get your system working. But make sure you can ask questions and watch as they work. Young geeks <ie expirence young> need to learn and be nurtured. So ummm that is my advice.

Oh and PLEASE get an antistatic wrist strap. It can save you YEARS of problems down the road.

Not many here commonly use them but they do help. ESPECIALLY during winter with the heater running.
 
Originally posted by Grimlakin
Ok seriously if you don't know what to do with the standoffs put down all of your tools <plyers and phillips head taken out of dad's toolbox> and go find a friend who knows just a little bit more about what they are doing. Perhaps the person who first directed you to hard OCP and tell them what is going on. Explain about not understanding what standoffs do. Then ask them to help you get your system working. But make sure you can ask questions and watch as they work. Young geeks <ie expirence young> need to learn and be nurtured. So ummm that is my advice.

Oh and PLEASE get an antistatic wrist strap. It can save you YEARS of problems down the road.

Not many here commonly use them but they do help. ESPECIALLY during winter with the heater running.
Click to expand...

Take it easy on him, everyone started out a noob at some point in their PC building careers...lol

As for the standoffs, yes you need them. There will be holes that have a gap between where they are and the mobo, so that you can't fit a screw in them. that's when you use the standoffs. There are sometimes raised screw holes that don't require the standoffs, but it's pretty easy to tell which those are.

Just keep yourself grounded, using an anti-static wrist strap or just hold onto the case chassis at all times, and don't slide the mobo around in the case. Just be easy, and take your time. :)
 
thank you incredibly much for your help guys, i admit that i have built only one computer, but this is my second, hopefully of many for my friends :)... i am positive that is the problem because I was having a hard time getting screws to go in cause they wouldnt reach... thank you all!

-warsaw
 
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