1st boot - hardrive beeping?

[mark921]

Built a new PC and all new components- Installed Soyo motherboard, Kingston RAM, WD Hard drive, GEF videocard, Mit. floppy, and Lite-On CDROM for first boot to install Windows Me. PC powered-up fine - cpu and power supply fan kicked-on but after a few seconds, the hard drive started beeping at about 3-4 second intervals. Checked all the connections - seemed OK. Any suggestions as to the problem?

Thanks.

 

[fiezk]

Are you sure it was your hard drive that was beeping? It's usually the motherboard (through your pc speaker). Several beeps is often a sign of cpu over heating. Check your mobo manual. Did you install your cpu fan correctly?

Win ME also has some problems with cpu's faster than 1GHz, when does the beeping occur, during post or later?

 

[mark921]

Beeping starts within 5-10 seconds after I turn on the power switch - I'm guessing its the hard drive by just listening, but I guess it could be from the speaker and I can't tell the difference. I don't think its the CPU overheating since the CPU fan starts right-up. I have yet to install Windows Me (or any operating system) since this problem started on the 1st boot of a PC that I built - once the beeping starts, PC does not boot further, fan just keep running but nothing comes up on the monitor.

Thanks.

 

[mikesgroovin]

Could you go into a little more detail on the beeping? How many consecutive beeps and how long in between the consecutive beeps?
Also, more detail on just the video card and the RAM please.
Be as detailed as you can.

-Michael

 

[mark921]

I'm using 512mb pc2700 Kingston Hyper X RAM and a BFG GeForce TI4600 videocard on a Soyo DragonLite motherboard. Offhand, I assume the videocard was a 1.5v card and not a 3.3v card (as the mobo does not support the 3.3v videocard - could not find much info on the voltage for the Ti4600 card, although I do remeber hearing it was a 1.5v).

The beeping happens at about 5 second intervals, each beep is short (about 1 second) and just continues until I shut off the PC manually. While it is beeping, the case and cpu fan continue to run but no other boot-up contines, just the beeping.

Thanks.

 

[mikesgroovin]

Ok, well right off the bat it smells like the RAM. However, I would need to know the type of BIOS you are running. As soon as you turn on your PC the BIOS manufat. name should appear at the top.
Also, have you tried placing the RAM into a different bank (slot)?

-Michael

 

[mark921]

No, I haven't tried to put the RAM into a different slot - I will try that next. Regarding the Bios, I don't even get that far - the monitor does not even come on.

 

[mikesgroovin]

Well, in that case, it could be the video card as well. But first I would test the RAM.

-Michael

 

[ekÆsine]

this brings back bad memories, i dislike soyo very much. i agree your problem is either the mobo doesn't like the video card or the memory. i would test a different video card first from another computer.

if you get the interval beeps i think that means video error. a continuous beep is memory error, i cannot remember correctly. check your mobo manual for beep codes. what is your motherboard chipset? KT400 dragon lite?, i've set up 2 of those boards without a problem.