[Cialug] New Computer Hardware Issue

[Nathan C. Smith]

Hi Todd,

Does the mobo have a VGA-out on it or are you using VGA on a card?

You might want to try/check the bios reset switch on the motherboard - also
make sure it is in the correct position for boot.  some mobos act like yours
is when that jumper is set wrong.  Is the FAN for the CPU connected
correctly, is the CPU seated correctly?  Will the heatsink fan spin freely?

Disconnect everything from the mobo except the power supply.  Try jumpering
the power on pins with a screwdriver (or reinstall power switch) - does the
machine boot?   
Is your RAM installed correctly and in the correct slots?  Recheck install
config and re-seat RAM chips, jumper power on pins again - does it boot?
Try pulling RAM chips to the minimimum usable to boot, try different RAM
chips.

Try another video card?  Does the video card require power from the PSU,
make sure the video card is receiving power.

if the mobo won't start with nothing attached I would start to suspect the
mobo/CPU, but also be suspicious of any reminaing components - RAM, PSU, and
video card.  Rule them out by trying them in another system.

-Nate

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Todd Walton [mailto:tdwalton at gmail.com] 
> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 12:24 PM
> To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group
> Subject: [Cialug] New Computer Hardware Issue
> 
> Summary
> I have a newly built computer that won't boot.  I have everything
> installed.  It has one hard drive and one DVD drive.  I hook up power
> to everything and press the power button and...
> 
> Good
> It seems as if the mobo powers up.  The CPU fan spins and the PCI
> Express video card lights up and its fan spins.  The front LED lights
> up red.
> 
> Bad
> The front LED being red probably means bad.  The hard drive and DVD
> drive don't power up at all.  I can't eject the DVD drive and none of
> it lights up.  The hard drive isn't vibrating or making noise.  The
> computer doesn't even get to BIOS.  At least it doesn't show on the
> monitor.
> 
> Troubleshooting
> I've used different power connectors and even swapped out the power
> supply to no avail.  It does exactly the same thing.  So it can't be
> the power supply.
> 
> I've disconnected and reconnected all cabling to the 
> motherboard and the drives.
> 
> Funky Thing
> When I disconnect the IDE cable to the optical drive, but leave power
> plugged in, it'll turn on.  I can eject it and it winks its LED at me.
>  So they must build drives to take input from the motherboard on
> whether it's okay to power up or not.
> 
> Question
> Any ideas what could be happening?
> 
> Signature
> -todd
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