[Xenotron]

Hello everyone,

I have a problem. I recently put some computer parts together to build myself a cheap temp computer. I will get straight to the problem.

I turn on the power, the computer starts to boot up, the HDD's spin, the CPU fan spins, the case fans spin, the LED's light up, I can see it starting to boot up on the monitor, I know I'm getting power. Here's the problem, it reads my CPU, my RAM, my HDD's and my DVD-RW; after that it does nothing. It tells me to hit "DEL" to enter the BIOS or "ESC" to skip memory count. I try to hit "DEL" and I get nothing, no beep, if I keep hitting "DEL" or hold it down it starts to beep at me every time I hit it, or if holding a rapid session of beeps. I've tried using both "DEL" buttons, and tried "ESC" to skip memory count. I've tried 2 other keyboards thinking my new one was Kyboshed. I've tried setting the CPU jumpers to exact speeds instead of auto's, that didn't help.

Can anyone give me a hand here? I've never had this problem before and don't know where to begin. Thanks in advance for the help.

*edit* Forgot to mention my mobo is a Gigabyte GA-7VAXP with a AMD Athlon 1.33. I can post anything else if you think that will help.

Edited by Xenotron, 08 August 2005 - 07:11 PM.

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Hi,

Sounds like the post is hanging on the memory count try using one stick of ram if you have more than two

Try another stick of ram or try another dimm slot.

If this don't help try troubleshooter

What ram do you have?

Rick

[Doby]

Hi,

Sounds like the post is hanging on the memory count try using one stick of ram if you have more than two

Try another stick of ram or try another dimm slot.

If this don't help try troubleshooter

What ram do you have?

Rick

[Xenotron]

I have 2 sticks on Memory:
1 - 256mb DDR400 Corsair Value Select
1 - 256mb DDR266 Kingston

I tried using each stick seperately in all three of the DIMM slots, I still can't get past the memory count.

If it's the memory count that's my problem then why does it say my RAM is "OK" and shows how much I have but then has to count it again after it displays my drives connect via IDE.

I have tried erasing CMOS, I did at first and it let me in to reconfigure everything. After I saved and quit, it started doing it's normal problem. I can still enter my BIOS if I enter after the CPU check and before the memory check.

If I use CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot after the freeze, it doesn't show the CPU check or the memory check, but it shows the checks for my HDDs and DVD-RW, but it still freezes after that.

Thank you for your help so far and the quick reply.

[Xenotron]

Okay, I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what I did. I figured there was a 90% chance it wasn't the CPU so I left the computer running for the past 6 hours or so, to start the break in period of the thermal paste. I would leave the computer on the BIOS performance screen, so I could monitor the temps, speeds, and voltages, just incase something went haywire and was about to fry itself.

Anyway, I just went back to it now and it finishes its memory count and tries to finish it's boot up. After it goes through the memory count and IDE checks, it shows me another screen saying "Detecting".... It then says "MBULTRA133(PDC20276) Bios Version 2.20.1020.13 is not installed because there are no drives installed. It then goes to the next screen which looks familiar. The screen it's at now displays the IDE devices, the HDD S.M.A.R.T. status, and the rest of the displayed stuff below (differs from each mobo and drives). Then it says "NTLDR is Missing" "Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart computer".

I thought this meant it's trying boot from my HDD... which has no OS on it because it's reformatted. I went back in the BIOS and tried to get it to boot from my DVD-RW which is plugged into my IDE slot 2 (both HDDs are in IDE slot 1). In the BIOS I've tried telling it my DVD-RW was CD-ROM, HDD-1, HDD-2, HDD-3. I believe HDD-0 is my Hard Drives. I think it either means the HDD's are the IDE slots (there are 4 on the mobo) or it's refering to each device on IDE slot 1 and 2. Either way, it wouldn't boot from my DVD-RW. Unless this NTLDR is stopping it from even getting to the point where the BIOS can boot from the DVD-RW.

On another side note, can someone explain to me why it gives me the Floppy Drive Error when I enable Floppy Boot Seek? The connection is good, and the floppy is brand new. Thanks again for the help so far.

[Tyger]

Okay, I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what I did.  I figured there was a 90% chance it wasn't the CPU so I left the computer running for the past 6 hours or so, to start the break in period of the thermal paste.  I would leave the computer on the BIOS performance screen, so I could monitor the temps, speeds, and voltages, just incase something went haywire and was about to fry itself.

Anyway, I just went back to it now and it finishes its memory count and tries to finish it's boot up.  After it goes through the memory count and IDE checks, it shows me another screen saying "Detecting"....  It then says "MBULTRA133(PDC20276) Bios Version 2.20.1020.13 is not installed because there are no drives installed.  It then goes to the next screen which looks familiar.  The screen it's at now displays the IDE devices, the HDD S.M.A.R.T. status, and the rest of the displayed stuff below (differs from each mobo and drives).  Then it says "NTLDR is Missing" "Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart computer".

I thought this meant it's trying boot from my HDD... which has no OS on it because it's reformatted.  I went back in the BIOS and tried to get it to boot from my DVD-RW which is plugged into my IDE slot 2 (both HDDs are in IDE slot 1).  In the BIOS I've tried telling it my DVD-RW was CD-ROM, HDD-1, HDD-2, HDD-3.  I believe HDD-0 is my Hard Drives.  I think it either means the HDD's are the IDE slots (there are 4 on the mobo) or it's refering to each device on IDE slot 1 and 2.  Either way, it wouldn't boot from my DVD-RW.  Unless this NTLDR is stopping it from even getting to the point where the BIOS can boot from the DVD-RW.

On another side note, can someone explain to me why it gives me the Floppy Drive Error when I enable Floppy Boot Seek?  The connection is good, and the floppy is brand new.  Thanks again for the help so far.

You might want to install an ordinary cd-rom, maybe borrowing it from another machne, to do the installation of the OS. It might be easier than fighting hardware recognition problems and installing the software at the same time.

[Doby]

Ok I think you have some config problems with the bios, for one thing mixing the two different speeds of ram could be messing things up so for now just remove the corsair DDR 400 ram and run the kingston DDR 266. Your board don't support DDR 400 ram as far as I know ( I am downloading your manual now) you maybe able to use it but you will have to lower the ram clock to do so but lets get the computer stable and the OS installed and we will worry about that later.

I need to know the exact cpu you have, you mentioned a Athlon 1.33 so is it the Athlon 1500+ XP polomino core?

With this info if you can then get into bios we will check some settings and manually set them up as needed.

Also Tyger is correct some times a dvd will have problems installing a OS and its easier to use a cdrom so after we set the bios up you may need one but we will see

Rick