My tale of woe

[KRSESQ]

This would probably be more at home in General Hardware, but oh, well...

I'm trying to build a new system for my first *official* client, a local retired minister who's been running a Compaq 233 with Win95 for the past 5 years or so, and its starting to have some problems...

I put it together first with an Asus A7S333 mobo and an Athlon XP 2000+, 256 MB DDR, Radeon 7000, WinXP, and it ran okay, but he didn't care for the case. Too big for his desk. Okay, so I order a new case and switch everything over...

And the @%#$&$%^ refuses to POST. So I found out that the Asus MB sometimes has this problem, and I replace it with a MSI 745 Ultra. Now it POSTs...about HALF THE TIME!!! The rest of the time it just sits there, flashing the drive lights at me!

When it does POST, the POST screen IDs the CPU as an Athlon 1250, with FSB 100. No matter what I set the FSB or multiplier to in setup, it ALWAYS IDs as Athlon 1250, FSB 100.

I'm not really looking for answers here. If I were, I would have posted in General Hardware. This is just so freaking FRUSTRATING I'm ready to either give the good Reverend his money back or go buy him another damned Compaq!!!

I've built plenty of systems for myself and my family with no problems. Why all this NOW?

I must have been Hitler or Stalin in a previous life, 'cause I'm sure paying for it now!!!

Kevin

[KvHagedorn]

The only thing you changed was the case/psu and you started having problems? Maybe you zapped something inadvertently while switching around.. did you try with the old psu again?

[Marshmallowman]

power supply not up to the task?
what PSU are you using (ratings), do you still have the previous PSU?

[Roark]

did you remove all the extra standoffs from the new case and make sure its not grounding out anywhere?

[Technoid]

Wich Bios are you using?

[The PIT]

Power Supply, Bios and is everything seated properly.

[Gurm]

ok...

1. Check the PSU

2. The MSI745 will do EXACTLY what you're describing with several early revisions of the BIOS. Try BIOS 1.3 or 1.6, and MAKE SURE to flash EVERYTHING (the flasher for that board is not real obvious, you have to fiddle with the settings and make sure to flash the boot block, nvram, EVERYTHING).

- Gurm

[Jammrock]

The second the system comes on, constantly hit Del to get into the BIOS. Go in and do the folowwing.

1) Disable 'Halt on All Errors'

2) Turn off the Logo Screen.

3) Disable 'do not boot when CPU fan is stopped' (can't remember the exact name)

I had the exact same problem. The BIOS was not recognizing the CPU fan and stopping the boot, waiting for a response, but the logo screen was up and blocked it. Making those changes fixed it. You may want to disable the CPU fan detection, too.

Jammrock

[KRSESQ]

Thanks for letting me vent, guys.

Last night before I turned in I pulled the bios battery and left it set. Then to make sure there were no grounding problems, this morning I assembled the whole thing outside the case, on my workbench. After I loaded the bios defaults I was able to go in and select the correct CPU settings. Then I reassembled the whole works inside the case and have spent the whole day burning it in. Seems to be working okay now (fingers crossed).

(And I didn't even have to re-install or re-activate XP!)

Now all I have to do is RMA the Asus and hope the supplier doesn't insist on an identical-model exchange.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Kevin

edit ALSO have to get Antec to send me replacement front-usb plugs. The case they shipped didn't have any. Aside from ONE response to my email, they've been ignoring me. Pity, because its a nice case.

[Technoid]