PLEASE HELP!

Jay A

Jay A

Jay A

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Joined
27 Nov 2005
Posts
100
I apologise if this is in the wrong forum area but right now I'm desperate for help, and with the OCUK helpline closed till Monday morning I didn't know what else to do.

I'm trying to get my new system up and running and I've run into a major problem - for me anyway. I've basically got everything plugged in correctly (double checked etc) but with the graphics card plugged I powered it up and everything whirred into life (red leds etc)....but no monitor display. I tried the monitor in my current pc and it worked fine so i swapped it back again. Again - nothing. So I dragged out an old graphics card and plugged that in, powered it up (whirred into life again) and still no display. So I unplugged it all and checked things out - seemed ok - and I powered it on again and this time all I get is blue led's and nothing else.

Has something gone drastically wrong here possibly? I followed the instructions carefully but now I can't seem to get anything.

Now I'm not going to give up this thing - hopefully it's something simple. But if anyone can offer any help or advice, PLEASE do so! This is a beautiful system I have here but so far I can't get it running :( Here's the system specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 "LGA775 Conroe" 3.00GHz (1333FSB)
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit
Sony Floppy Drive
Pioneer DVR-112DBK 18x18 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter
Western Digital Raptor 74GB WD740ADFD 10,000RPM SATA 16MB Cache
Western Digital Caviar SE16 400GB 4000AAKS SATA-II 16MB Cache
Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case
OCZ GameXStream 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Power Supply
OcUK ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT SILENT Heatpipe 1024MB GDDR4 VIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express)
Zalman CNPS9700-LED Aero Flower (Socket AM2/939/754/775) CPU Cooler
Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

EDIT*

I checked things over again and now it's powering up fine. Man - that topcase fan is HUGE!!! Anyway, the problem is that now my monitor light just remains orange - I get no display on it at all. I swapped it over to this pc (on right now) and it's working, so something is wrong with the new system setup, naturally something I'm missing. The cpu/fan were installed, albeit it was a major squeeze to do so with the metal fittings that came with it, but everything powers up ok - just no display...I am stuck... :(

The mobo books:

If you no not see anything with 30 seconds from the time you turned the power on, the system may have failed a power-on test. Check the jumper settings and connections or call your retailer for assistance.

Which jumper settings should I check?
 
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Tried the barebones thing - 1 stick of memory, the graphics card and cpu - still the same result.

Looking at the back of the graphics card as the pc is standing up correctly, I've tried the connector on left hand side (or 1 of 2 as you look at it).

My monitor is a Hyundai L90D+ (19") and runs perfectly normally.

One thing I did notice is that from the jumble of cables (man - that's going to take some sorting out) as I had them connected as best as I could was that for some reason the dvd drive wasn't powered up either. I have (from the psu) the SATA 1 & 2 plugs in my hdd's and the little red cables going to them from the mobo's SATA 1 & 2 connectors - not sure if they've got life either, but I think that maybe till I can get this monitor thing sorted out that I won't be able to get the hdd's done.
 
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I believe so - but this setup doesn't even work with my old Sapphire GTO2 X800 plugged in. I've no idea if the monitor is the problem (imcompatible maybe, but I can't see it being that) - could it be?

I've now reinstalled the CPU, used a single stick of memory and reinstalled the graphics card - still nothing

Any other thoughts or suggestions? I'm getting worried about this now...
 
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Really, so it could be the power supply? Hmm...here's a question - probably a stupid one - but I'll ask anyway. I've reinstalled the cpu (as said before) and done the bare minimum install (just the cpu, 1 memory stick, graphics card and psu) - the question is this: if the cpu was somehow screwed up (I've been SO damned careful with it I'd hope it's not that) would the system still power up to be like it has been with no monitor display? I mean, could the be another possibility - that if it's damaged it affecting things?

NOTE* I just connected one of the hdd's to a SATA connection and I can hear/feel it powering up - I guess that's a good thing, yeah?

NOTE 2* just did the same on the dvd drive - that power's up and opens/closes too. I guess this is a good way of the process of elimination, yeah?
 
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Sadly I don't think the PSU in this pc will work if I swap it out - the main base unit/box has those little ports in it that you plug cables out to the various components inside. I could always go to PC World and pick on up tomorrow I guess...
 
Yep - both connected. But let me check something with you, C64.

You've got the main mobo power lead (labelled in white text as "MAIN") - when you say the 24 pin psu (that MAIN connector) and the 4 pin lead that is the one attached to the same power cable out of the PSU as the MAIN connector, right?
 
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Ok - I've just looked on the mobo and there was a small socket (labelled as ATX12V) but only 4 holes were showing. I noticed a small black cover over it so I removed it and now I have a white socket with 8 holes - sound okay so far? So, a socket with 8 and a 4 pin connector...that goes in there (with 4 holes to spare)? This extra plug has 24 in bold white text on it if that helps. There are 2 other similar connectors coming from the PSU but they have CPU1 & CPU2 on written on them.

And just for the record - whatever the result - I want to thank you guys for helping me out so far. It's nice to know that there's some helpful types out there :)
 
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OK - with the cover where it was the 24 plug wouldn't plug into the current 4 open holes - but it does in the other 4 (on the 24 plug 2 of the connectors are square and 2 have a couple of rounded edges - like in your image) - is it ok to put them into the holes I uncovered?

And I leave those 2 4 pin plugs with the CPU written on alone?

Ooh wait - do you mean the MAIN plug and the one tagged 24 into the same mobo connection (where the main one fits)?
 
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Ah sweet! So the 2 cpu plugs go into that white connector I found with the black cap on it? Any certain order?

NOTE* I got a small leaflet with the PSU - didn't really see anything significant in the way of a diagram or explanation of what was what - maybe once in a blue moon the manufacturers miss packing that thing...
 
I'll give it a try.

As for swapping over the ram I'll try with the spare pc - if that helps (as someone explained it might not boot up with the newer Crucial ram yet) and I can get into the bios, what setting (and to what - if any) needs changing for it to work?
 
Yep - the MAIN one takes up the first (looking from left to right on the mobo) 20 holes in the mobo itself (clips in aswell) and I have the 24 plug taking up the last 4 holes next to that. As per your advice I've now put (in the 8 hole white mobo connection near the cpu itself) the CPU1 plug into the 4 holes nearest the CPU itself with the CPU2 plug next to that taking up the last 4 ones - does that sound ok?
 
Woot! It worked! Thanyou SO much guys - I very much appreciate this help :) Now all I have to do is connect everything back up (man - I had it cabled and tied now I've got to do that again... ;) ) and try to keep it as tidy as possible.

Saw on the bootup screen it registered the cpu at 3ghz and seemed to register the ram ok aswell - I noticed that there was a load of digits (kb's I guess) at the end of it - anyone know what that should read as if the ram is running properly? I'm just hoping it's running as best as it can (for the main install) and that I don't have to tweak anything in the bios to speed it up.

Ah - now I have to look at what power/bios settings I need for over clocking it - would you folks mind if I listed them here for your perusal and maybe advice on overclocking?
 
C64 said:

"First things first get yourself coretemp, or intel thermal analysis tool to make sure temps are ok etc."

Just do a google search for that or something? Or does anyone have a link for these things?
 
Cool m8 - thanks for the links.

Before I sign off for the night, about the stock cooler that comes with the cpu - that's fine for now, right? I mean it'll run smoothly at 3ghz with it - I don't really want to play around with it (overclocking just yet) yet anyway, but it's always good to check things out before hand. The cooler I purchased with the system is apparently good for overclocking with(Zalman CNPS9700-LED Aero Flower), but it's a real bitch to fit in - the metal piece that you thread through the center of it is very tough to fit/screw in - supposedly you screw in one side slightly then the other, but the other side won't even touch near where you can screw in without forcing it down, and I'd hate to damage the cpu with that. Maybe there's a good alternate and less harsh fitting cooler someone can recommend (he asks hopingly...) ;)

NN folks!
 
Nice fans there - I'll check them out over the next few days (sorry for posting again - I noticed that I had a reply in my inbox and just had to check it out :) ).

I just read through the mobo manual again to see if there's anything I've missed and I read a page about thermal sensor connector cables (I've got 3 in a pack with the mobo) - is it worth putting these in before I close the box up, and if so what components should I direct them at?
 
This is quite depressing now...

Fitted everything back in - booted up nicely. Inserted the Win XP install disc and that's where things got weird...several times it just froze whilst checking the system and loading some files, then eventually it got round to the part about partitioning one of my hdd's ready for installing xp. I chose to make the raptor drive the main hdd (on ntfs) and it seemed to do the partitioning ok. But a few mins into the install cd running it start popping message after message about files that could not be copied over. There's loads I managed to list before I got that infamous blue screen of death...now I am depressed. Either my hdd is screwed (and if it is I'll be annoyed), the XP disc or the dvd drive. Not sure if the earlier stated memory issue could be something to do with this, but if you folks can think of anything - and maybe what to do about it - post here! :)

NOTE* if the ram could be it, does OCUK do 1.8v memory sticks that should work on this mobo?
 
It asked about the formatting to ntfs which I chose to do slowly anyway. That seemed to run fine - but I am concerned about all those files being missed copied over during the install - is that a hdd, install cd or dvd drive error possibly?

UPDATE*

Ok - checked the back of the dvd drive - one of the copper pins had been pushed in slightly so I made sure it was level with the others (no idea if this helps) and tried the basic install of xp again - this time it did the partioning and basic install fine - no error messages there. It then rebooted and brought up the XP desktop symbol and went into the next part of the install. That started out ok - I thought - but then it dropped twice to that blue screen (I restarted and tried again) with the following message:

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGE_AREA

(something to do with a file called win32k.sys)

and then I got this message:

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Now to me if the cpu was damaged it wouldn't be doing this at all so I'm hoping it's either the install cd itself or the hdd - I've got spare ones around here so I know it should be ok for those. But if I get the same result on a spare hdd then I'm a bit stumped...maybe it's the cd itself?!

Trying on a spare hdd now - I'll post results in a bit.

UPDATE 2*

Just tried it on a spare hdd - did the format process, started the copying files but then got a blue screen again - had this message:

BAD_POOL_HEADER

This isn't looking good :(
 
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NOTE*

It's almost certainly a hardware error - I tried both an extra hdd and dvd drive - got the same errors. This is really getting me down now. Spent a lot of money on something that isn't working - never had this sort of problem before. I just hope that OCUK can help get this sorted out. Are OCUK good for helping? Never had to ask them before...
 
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