ACK! No POST! Please help

[cracksmack85]

Hi, I'd just liekt o say thanks in advance to anyone that replies to this, because I'm really desperate.
Okay, first of all, this is about the computer I'm building/built. Yes, it is my first home-brew computer (I'm 16), but I don't really think of myself as a n00b- I've done lots of stuff with computer hardware before, and I'm actually the current tech guy for this local charity organization where peopel bring in old #### (and yes, I mean ####, PII's are a regular) computers, and I have to fix them up/mix and match parts together to put them into working conditions to give out to local needy families.

Anywho, I finally got aroudn to getting together all teh parts for building MY computer:
MB: Intel D875PBZ
CPU: Presc(h)ott 3.2 GHZ 478 pin
Heatsink/CPU fan: Thermaltake Spark 7+
Video card: ATI Radeon X800 Pro
Ram: 512 mg Infineon (from a friend, to be upgraded to 1 gig matched kingston/crucial when I get some money. which should I get?!?! kingston or crucial?)
Soundcard: when I get some money
Monitor: 19 CRT from local charity I work at! (who says charity work doesn't pay)
Harddrives: 2 80 gig SATA Seagates barracudas to be set up in Raid 0
Case: Antec Solution series SLK2650-BQE w/ 350 watt smartpower supply
(and 1 floppy drive + 1 CD drive)

anywho, I got all teh parts assembled, plugged everything in, etc etc etc (I'm fairly confident I did everything right...)
I plugged in the monitor and PSU, yada yada yada, and turned on the switch on the power supply, which cased a little green light on the MO to light up and stay lit, if thats of any importance...then the moment of truth-
I popped the power button on the front of the computer, and all the fans and everything started whirring for about 1-2 seconds, and then died off. I tried againa dn again, and everytime they would start up and then die down right away. So then I tried the standard approach- I stripped it down to just the CPU, RAM, and MO. same thing. Then I even tried taking out the ram. same thing. I plugged the video card back in, no good. I even tried this old TNT2 video card I had kcikin around, and no go again!. After toying around for a really long time, plugging stuff in, unpluggign stuff, turning on and off, all of a sudden it started up! The fans started and CONTINUED running happily. And BTW I'm about 99% sure that when it started up, it was in a configuration I had already tried...but whatever. Anyways, after it started up, nothing appeared ont eh monitor still! It jsut sat there glaring at me, and I know it isn't the monitor, because after that I tried hooking up all sorts of different monitors, and none of them wokred. I even tried the monitor that I'm looking at RIGHT NOW as I type this (on the family computer). Anyways, I turned off the PSU, and plugged some more stuff back into the power supply...and got the orginal deal. started up, then went dead again. So of course I disconnected all that stuff again, and rebooted...but still the 1-2 secs then nothing. Ugh. After tyoing around for about 1/2 an hour, all of a sudden it started up agian! fans whirring and everything! This process has repeated itself at LEAST 5 times now, not working, then working, then not working, then working. I think It has SOMETHING to do with me turning on and off the power supply, because if I just turn off the computer with the power button on the front, if it previosly didnt work, no matter what I do, it still wont work, whereas if it previosly WAS working, and I dont kill the manual switch ont eh power supply, and use the front power button, it'll continue running after I reboot, even witht eh beastly video card and everythign else hooke dup, soi it DEFF isn't just a lakc of power. Anyways, I've tried everything, poppong out the CMOS battery , changing the BIOS jumper, all that ####, and I STILL cant get anything to come up on screen! and soemtimes the computer wills till go back to the original state if I kill PSU power, but soemtimes it will stay happy! I have NO CLUE whats causing that.
ACK! HELP ME GET A BOOTUP SCREEN!
Oh, and on top of ALL that (ugh, you're really going to kill me), at one point When I had power up and running and everything to the comp, I decided I didn't feel liek powering down (even with the fornt panel power button) before plugging the molex power into my CD drive again...so I bring the connector over towards it, and when they're about to touch, or maybe just had, theres a big ZAP, and a mini blue lighting bolt...uh-oh. The whoel computer dies down, and I kill PSU power....wait a few minutes, and boot back up...case #1, 1-2 secs fan power, and then dies down. after fiddling around soem more, I actually managed to get the fans to keep going, so it at least APPEARS that all systems are go still, the box will sit there happily running for as long as I want until I shut it down, but still NOTHING ON SCREEN! ON ANY OF THE MONITORS. NO POST, NO BIOS. NOTHING.
P.S.- it just occured to me, after another hour of searching online for a solution prior to posting (yuk yuk) this message and bugging you all to unplus the CMOS battery and leave it that way for like 20 mins. previosly I always just popped it out, waited like 5 secs, and put it back in...I'll come back and reply after I see how that goes.

P.P.S.- no beeps ever.

Now to just hit the big POST button...ah the irony...

 

[Nubius]

pull the mobo completely out of the case if you haven't tried that already. Set it on wood, or a mobo box with an anti-static bag on top.

Then do like you've done and plug in only one stick of RAM, keyboard and video card.

See if it works.

Then pull out the video card...does it beep? If not, then it's probably not the card, put the graphics card back in.

Now pull out the RAM. Does it beep? Same thing with the card, if it doesn't, then it's lookin to be something else. If you pull out both the RAM and the graphics card, and just have, mobo, CPU, and keyboard and you still get no beeps you can pretty much safely assume that either the mobo or CPU is dead.

If you get the system working and it POSTS while it's outside of the case, chances are there was a grounding issue while in the case.

Also if anything that zap might have killed your drive, and/or done something bad to the PSU but it's sounding like the PSU is fine otherwise it might not have even powered up.

BTW: If you're using that 350w PSU you might want to take that into consideration especially with an X800 video card. You need to have a strong +12v rail, so if your PSU shows 15a on the +12v rail I'd suggest getting a more powerful PSU

I hope atleast now you have learned to never be lazy and decide 'you dont feel like powering down' to plug in an electrical component

 

[bigstanklo]

Had the same problem. Ended up installing small rubber washers (probably not the best idea but it worked) behind the points where the MOBO bolts to the case. Fired right up and works like a charm now. Usually the case shorts out the MOBO when there is nothing appearing on the monitor but everything else seems to run fine. Hope that helps.

 

[Nubius]

Ended up installing small rubber washers (probably not the best idea but it worked)

Actually plastic or rubber washers would be a fairly good idea for further prevention of shorting it out.

Usually the case shorts out the MOBO when there is nothing appearing on the monitor but everything else seems to run fine. Hope that helps.

Not really. It can be anything from CPU, mobo shorting, RAM, graphics card, to a bad hard drive. Lots of factors to consider with something like the comp not even posting.

 

[bigstanklo]

Ok, LOL, i should have clarfied and said that after removing everything but the processor, ram and vid card that taking the mobo off the case is probably the next simplest thing you can do. It happened to me in both of my PC builds and it just so happened to be the same problem. Nice easy fix tho.

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

You forgot to plug in some mobo power.

I do this almost EVERYTIME i unplug the 4 pin molex on the mobo. Exact same scenario.

 

[Nubius]

I do this almost EVERYTIME i unplug the 4 pin molex on the mobo. Exact same scenario.

Hmm, perhaps yeah due to the weak PSU. I've left that unplugged once and even with my CPU OC'd the machine still ran fine.

 

[cracksmack85]

pull the mobo completely out of the case if you haven't tried that already. Set it on wood, or a mobo box with an anti-static bag on top.

Then do like you've done and plug in only one stick of RAM, keyboard and video card.

See if it works.

Then pull out the video card...does it beep? If not, then it's probably not the card, put the graphics card back in.

Now pull out the RAM. Does it beep? Same thing with the card, if it doesn't, then it's lookin to be something else. If you pull out both the RAM and the graphics card, and just have, mobo, CPU, and keyboard and you still get no beeps you can pretty much safely assume that either the mobo or CPU is dead.

If you get the system working and it POSTS while it's outside of the case, chances are there was a grounding issue while in the case.

Also if anything that zap might have killed your drive, and/or done something bad to the PSU but it's sounding like the PSU is fine otherwise it might not have even powered up.

BTW: If you're using that 350w PSU you might want to take that into consideration especially with an X800 video card. You need to have a strong +12v rail, so if your PSU shows 15a on the +12v rail I'd suggest getting a more powerful PSU

I hope atleast now you have learned to never be lazy and decide 'you dont feel like powering down' to plug in an electrical component

hey two things:
first of all, when you say to pull out all those parts, im assuming you mean power down, pull out, then power up. Why would beeps after yanking it out mean that that solves the problem? Don't beeps represent a problem? Whatever. Also, I'm not even sure if I CAN get beeps- you see, my case has a connector for the Speaker, but my MB doesn't have any plug for it! theresa little speaker in the corner of the MB though- does that mean its not a problem that I can't plug it in??

Secondly, in between installing/taking out diff parts, should I completely kill the power from the PSU, or is it okay just to kill power from that front case button? (Obviosly, I've learner my lesson about pluggings tuff in when everything is on, thoguht I don't think that shock did anything other tyhan possibly fry the CD drive...thank god it was just a shitty 52X CD drive I got for free....)

Thanks a bunch, when I get home (at school now) I'll try taking it out of the case, as I've deffinitly tried unplugging and then booting already with no ram, or video card. (it tried with nothing but CPU and MB, and astill Ig ot the same thing- soemtimes it turns on, sometimes it doesnt...) (and still no beeps)...hopefully its jsut the case shorting out the MB.

 

[bigstanklo]

You have no need to hook up a speaker to get beeps. MOBO does that on its own for this situation. Beeps signal that the slot is working and the MOBO is expecting something to be in there.

I would definetly completely kill the power to the PSU. One little jolt of power could fry more stuff. Just takin a few second to completely kill power could save the PC.

 

[cracksmack85]

well you see, the issue with killing PSU problem is that then when I repower it, soemtimes everythign will boot up, soemtimes it will just start to get going, then all the fans die again, like I menione dint eh oringinal post...

anywho, I completely removed the board today, sat it on my desk (thats okay, right? its fake wood) adn connected only the absolute essentials- 2 main power connectors to MOBO, CPU, heatsink, and heatsink fan. everything else was completely disconnected, but still, even on those rare occasions when I manage to make it boot up and stay running, no beeps!