BleepingComputer.com: new build doesnt work

i just built my first computer, but i was really dissapointed when i turned it on and it doesnt do anything. the screen stays on standby, and the hard drive wont start running unless i pull out the IDE cable andd plug it back in while the computer is on. its a newer motherboard, so it only has 1 IDE connector, and i have a cd drive and the hard drive hooked up to it. i think im going to get an IDE to SATA converter and try that, see if i can get the hdd to work any other ideas?
thanks,
mike

Hi .

I have two boards with only 1 IDE connector...it's OK to run 1 hard drive and 1 optical drive from such. I believe that newer IDE cables support this, so I'm kind of perplexed by the fact that you even dared to remove the IDE cable from the hard drive while Windows was running...let alone that it allowed the system to function properly.

Are the jumpers set properly for both devices (either Master/Slave or C/S for both)?

Did you check your BIOS settings?

I fail to see where adding a hardware item...will solve anything.

Try reseating the RAM and video card (if installed) and check all connections.

Louis

the jumpers are set correctly, and i cant check the bios because nothing appears when i turn on the computer. ive checked all the connections lots of times... no clue whats wrong with it.

The motherboard may be bad and just received an Asrock motherboard and it was DOA. Remove any non-essential components. You could also remove everything and see if you can get to the BIOS, if you cannot RMA the motherboard.

Don't waste money on a SATA/IDE converter just yet. Many are buggy, and a new SATA DVD Burner is down to $25 now.

Unplug everything except motherboard power, videocard power and the on switch (or short mobo "power" header with a screwdriver). Don't have any power hooked up to any other components. Verify CPU, cooler fan, memory, and videocard are installed correctly. Unplug the IDE/SATA cable from the MOBO. This is enough for the motherboard to post if the above components work. If it posts, connect one component at a time, keyboard. mouse, hard drives, optical drives fans etc. until you find your problem child. If that doesn't work, get a DVOM and check voltage at a molex connector, yellow to ground=12V, red to ground=5V, just to check for gross errors.

If voltages are OK, remove MOBO from case, lay it on something nonconductive, plug in power supply, videocard, and see if it posts. Sometimes you have a standoff in the wrong place that shorts the board, or a screw that fell behind it during assembly (guilty on that one), or the shorted optical drive etc.

Good luck sir.

This post has been edited by dpunisher: 13 November 2008 - 10:59 PM

ok ill try that now, sounds liek fun. the mobo is most likely DOA though, so ill see if i can replace it if running it by itself doesnt work... do i need the processor and ram for that, or should i leterally take everything off?

yeah, i tried setting it up on the table(wood surface, fairly non-conductive) and still nothing popped up. any ideaas, or is the mobo shot? thanks for the help.

You might hook up a speaker and see if there any beep codes. If your power supply/voltage are correct then the only thing I have seen cause a no post in those circumstances is a bad motherboard or a bad processor. From experience, I lean 75% towards the mobo being faulty. Being in my line of work, I usually have lot's of spare parts to confirm a daignosis with.

ok ill see if i can get a new one...i hooked it up with speakers and didnt hear anything so i guess somethin is shot...thanks for helping guys.