Need serious help!!!!

Kenshin8518 · Post by **Kenshin8518** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 6:00 pm

As you all probably noticed, I have not been on for a while. That's because my old computer is down, and I'm building a new one. I am on a friends computer for now, but need help on the following:

My new computer has everything installed (I built it myself

), but whenever i turn on the power, I get no screen comming up (not even bios). On top of that, My dvd rw and cd rw drives don't stop spinning. It seems that my dvd rw does nothing (no lights are on) and my cd rw keeps spinning (light is constantly on) Here are my specs:

Motherboard: Via P4 ready motherboard- can run a max of 2.2GHz on a socket 426. It can also hold a max of 3 gb of ddr266.
Processor: P4 @ 1.7 Ghz
Ram: 1gb of DDR (426 Mhz)
Video: Nvidia GeForce FX 5200- 128 MB DDR
CD-RW- Sony CD R/RW- max 52x read/write
DVD RW- Lieton DVD R/RW- max 24x read, 16x write
Hard Drive: Maxtor ultra series 120 GB (8mb cache)
Samsung 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy drive
If there is any more info you need, post it here. This is a desperate plea, cause I have everything, it just won't work!!!!!!

Anime2Envy · Post by **Anime2Envy** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 6:34 pm

Your not even getting post beeps? It sounds like a bad mobo, CPU or RAM to me. Go though and check all the components to make sure they are in nice and tight (PCI, AGP, All 3 ATX connecters). Check and make sure the RAM is in slot #1 (some mobo wont work if its not). Finally try resetting the bios.

If none this works then you have something that is bad. You will have to test the CPU and RAM in another computer to see if they work, if they don't you found your problem; if they do then it is your mobo.

One last thing, you didn’t forget the CPU fan did you? I know stupid question.

Kenshin8518 · Post by **Kenshin8518** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 7:00 pm

yeah, I do get a beep. The DDR Ram is in slot 1, and I have the connections tight on. And lol, yes i do have the fan, although I am curious as to how that makes a difference. I have a front end fan that conencts to the power supply, My CPU heatsink, A fan on the Power Supply.

Anime2Envy · Post by **Anime2Envy** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 7:13 pm

Is it a series of beeps? If so you should be able to look up the meaning of the beeps in the users manual to see whats wrong.

As for the fan, without a CPU fan on a P4 it would only take a few seconds to burn up the CPU

Gaikotsu · Post by **Gaikotsu** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 7:40 pm

Oh boy, that sounds almost exactly like what happened to me on several occasions. It's probably either a bad CPU or motherboard, as was mentioned. However, you said you built it yourself? You did use thermal paste of some kind on the heatsink which the CPU fan is attached to, right?

I cannot stress just how important that is. If even a little bit of the chip on the CPU isn't covered, or if the heatsink isn't mounted perfectly flush against the CPU, it'll burn out. It happened to me twice, which is the reason why I will never build my own computer again. But yeah, it sounds like something's dead, probably the CPU if you're getting beeps.

Kenshin8518 · Post by **Kenshin8518** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:02 pm

yeah... it might be the p4, but then again, it seems to work.

btw, do any of you know about those socket 423 to 478 converter's? are they any good?

Also it is only 1 beep, like what you get when you first boot a computer that works.

I was using the Antec Jet Cool Alluminum Foil Heatsink (came with heatsink fan). It says on it this:

NOTE: For great cooling, we reccomend using the Antec Silver thermal compound, but is not required.

So I did not use the Thermal paste. *blinks eyes widely* so, you think that's the prob. Lol, in way it's a good thing. I got the p4 w/ my motherboard, and it was not the high. I could go higher.

Gaikotsu · Post by **Gaikotsu** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:14 pm

Hmm...well was there a square patch of stuff on the bottom of the heatsink? That'll usually do the job; the silver compound is just higher quality. However, if there wasn't a square patch of pre-applied thermal stuff already on the heatsink, then basically all that's there to conduct the heat from the CPU to the heatsink is air. Air is a horrible conductor of heat, and if this is the case then your CPU is probably damaged from overheating. If it got hot enough it also could have feasibly damaged the motherboard, although that is unlikely.

Best bet: try the CPU in another computer and see if it works. Good luck, and I hope you manage to get everything fixed.

Kenshin8518 · Post by **Kenshin8518** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:18 pm

first off, there was a black patch on it. 2nd, the only other computer i have to try it out on is my home computer, but I'm not even sure if my computer suppourts it. This is becomming so frustrating!!! Well, when i bought it, the man said that the Motherboard and cpu work fine. Hmm....

Gaikotsu · Post by **Gaikotsu** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:50 pm

Believe me, I feel your pain. I've had more computer problems than anyone else I know. I'm seriously going to take my old one out back and reinact that scene from Office Space on it.

Anyway, that black patch should have provided enough conductivity to keep the CPU from overheating. Ideally anyway. Well, if there isn't another computer available that you can use to test individual parts from your current one, then the only thing I can suggest is taking the whole thing to a computer repair shop. Unfortunately they're usually pretty expensive, but they should be able to pinpoint the problem for you.

Anime2Envy · Post by **Anime2Envy** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:52 pm

Is it only one beep then? If so then maybe it is a bad video card.

What is the model of the mobo? I want to look at the online guide and see what it says about error codes. It may use LED's to tell you what boot stage it is at.

All in all it could be about anything other then IDE and PCI devices.