Help! New system won't boot :(

[brikis98]

System specs:

- MSI K8N Neo4-f
- AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (Venice core)
- TR2-M6 (K8) HSF
- Kingston 2x512MB DDR400 Value Ram
- ATI X800 XL
- 160GB Maxtor 7200rpm 8mb cache IDE HD
- NEC 3520a
- Antec True 430w

Originally, I hooked everything up, and pushed the power button. The computer began to run, and the screen listed that I had an A64 3000+ and at the bottom there were some dates (I think BIOS version), and then something along the lines of "push DEL to run BIOS Setup or F11 for startup options".

These are the only things that appeared on the screen (following one beep of the system speaker), and after that NOTHING happens. moreover, pushing DEL or F11 has no effect. I thought this might be because I was using a wireless keyboard/mouse and the USB hub was getting no power... i switched to a PS2 keyboard, and still no effect - the system hangs, and pushing DEL or F11 does absolutely nothing.

so, i took out one stick of ram, leaving just 1x512MB. didn't help. i moved the stick to a different slot. didn't help. then i unplugged the HD and DVD burner. didn't help. i removed all RAM and then got a slow beep code, which I guess means no RAM (nothing comes on screen when this happens). so, i put the RAM back and kept trying, but with no luck.

The heatsink fan spins as it should, as do my case fans (which i've also tried unplugging, just in case), as does the video card fan. however, everytime it got to that screen, NOTHING else will happen.

the MSI Neo4-f has a D-bracket connector in back which has 4 LED's that encode system errors. Each time I boot, the LED's output the code for "BIOS Sign on"... not very helpful.

so, i decided out of desperation to try a CMOS reset. this mobo has a CMOS button on it, and i pushed it. now when i turn the computer on, i get a screen that says "Platinum" in big gray letters (wtf? this isn't a platinum MSI board??) and has this text on the bottom:

"Press <Tab> to switch to POST or <DEL> to run BIOS Setup"

as you might guess, pushing either key does NOTHING, and the system just hangs there.

wtf is going? is the mobo dead? CPU? BIOS? please help!

 

[brikis98]

anyone???

 

[Stumps]

have you checked the revision of your board?, it may requirer a bios flash before accepting the venice core A64, this is very unlikely as it should still boot, have you got your HSF unit on correctly?

 

[brikis98]

i can't check anything! it hangs, and I can't get into BIOS or see it try to POST or whatever. even if i wanted to flash the bios, i'm not sure how i'd do it

i believe the HSF is on correctly, and the CPU fan is def. spinning...

 

[Stumps]

have you made sure that when you mounted the MB in the case you lined up all the brass risers correctly, if you have one that is in contact with the PCB it will cause all sorts of trouble, as for the revision it should be stamped on your MB near the model number.
have you used thermal paste between the cpu and HSF, sometimes too much will cause the cpu to over heat and cause lockups at post

 

[Stumps]

if your board requires a bios flash to support your cpu you would probably have to take it to the place you bought it from to get it flashed

 

[brikis98]

thx for the help stumps.

I'll try the motherboard out of the case (on a non-conducting surface) when I get home from work to make sure it's not shorting out.

i used the thermal paste that came on the HSF, although i smudged it a little before putting the HSF on... but could it really overheat that quickly and freeze up because of a little smudging?

i guess i could try to reseat the CPU and HSF again as well, although w/ thermal grease everywhere, i'm sure that won't be too fun.

any other suggestions are welcome

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Stumps
if your board requires a bios flash to support your cpu you would probably have to take it to the place you bought it from to get it flashed

i bought it from a user on these forums... would any stores be kind enough to do it for free, or at least very cheaply?

and is there a chance the socket 939 neo4-f motherboard wouldn't support the venice core?

 

[Stumps]

umm usually if it is a fine layer (less than a mm thick) it should be thin but any more and it can cause trouble, same goes for a lot of the "silver" types too much can cause the cpu to short out.
as for the bios flash, any reasonable store would probably not charge you or will charge to minimum fee(the place i work will charge about AU$10 to flash a bios if you didn't buy the board from us etc)
be very careful when testing the board out side the case, sit it on it's box with the antistatic bag between the two, that should be good enough.
your board should support the venice core chips but an early revision my not have bios support.

 

[brikis98]

how do those stores flash the BIOS, provided the system doesn't even begin to POST? is there special hardware that connects directly to the mobo's BIOS ROM?

 

[Stumps]

usually we have an older cpu that we can plug in and flash it, it also allows us to check the board cause if it don't work with an earlier A64 chip you board don't work fullstop, the store will have a cpu, memory,vidcard,psu that will work 100% so we can tell if your board works good or not

 

[brikis98]

Thanks again stumps. if nothing else works, I'll try my local Comp USA or Best Buy for a BIOS flash.

anyone else have any ideas of what this could be?

 

[Stumps]

maybe an incompatitibilty between your vidcard and the board(very unlikely) dodgy harddisk(could be if the pc locks up at the bios screen)
or PSU (antec are usually pretty good) or your memory(very common, memory is the natural enemy of the DIY pc builder), i can't think of any thing else..or it could just be a dodgy cmos battery, I had an ASUS super socket7 board(P5AB) that refused to go past the HDD detection phase a few weeks ago, i spent hours trying to sort that one and in the end it was the cmos battery had gone flat, bloody thing

 

[Serpentor]

These are just random thoughts, but when you tried the PS/2 keyboard, you plugged them in when the system was off correct? I know that certain BIOSes won't recognize the keyboard if it's plugged in after start-up.

As soon as you turn on the power switch, hold down the DEL key. You should hear your speaker making noises at you b/c you're sending too many key signals, that's fine, I just hold it down to get into BIOS because my system flies from power on to XP in about 5 seconds, so I usually miss the window. If you don't hear your speaker making the too-many-key-presses sound, chances are your PS/2 keyboard is not being recognized, so I would try a different one.

The Neo4-F should support the Venice fine as long as it came with at least the 1.2 BIOS. And don't worry about the Platinum screen, as the -F and the Platinum both share the same BIOS. You can disable that splash screen later on. Did you plug in the 4-pin power supply connector next to the CPU in addition to the 24-pin PS connection?

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Stumps
maybe an incompatitibilty between your vidcard and the board(very unlikely) dodgy harddisk(could be if the pc locks up at the bios screen)
or PSU (antec are usually pretty good) or your memory(very common, memory is the natural enemy of the DIY pc builder), i can't think of any thing else..or it could just be a dodgy cmos battery, I had an ASUS super socket7 board(P5AB) that refused to go past the HDD detection phase a few weeks ago, i spent hours trying to sort that one and in the end it was the cmos battery had gone flat, bloody thing

I also doubt the video card incompatability. And, since the same problem happens with the HD unplugged, I doubt that too.

The Antec PSU should be good, although it was also bought from a user on these forums. It's a 20 pin PSU (not 24 pin), but the Neo4-f says this should work fine. I have an Acheive 500W PSU (not the best brand, but I know it works at least) at home which I should try out too.

It might be the memory, but I don't have any other DDR memory, so I'm kind of screwed there. Same goes for the CMOS battery. I guess I could ask the CompUSA folks to check these two, if I go.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Serpentor
These are just random thoughts, but when you tried the PS/2 keyboard, you plugged them in when the system was off correct? I know that certain BIOSes won't recognize the keyboard if it's plugged in after start-up.

Yeah, the machine was off when I plugged in the PS/2 keyboard. I'm positive the PS/2 keyboard works - I pulled it from a working system seconds before trying. I also know my wireless keyboard works, as I had been using it less than 10 minutes before. So, if anything is malfunctioning in the keyboard area, it is on the motherboard end.

Originally posted by: Serpentor
As soon as you turn on the power switch, hold down the DEL key. You should hear your speaker making noises at you b/c you're sending too many key signals, that's fine, I just hold it down to get into BIOS because my system flies from power on to XP in about 5 seconds, so I usually miss the window. If you don't hear your speaker making the too-many-key-presses sound, chances are your PS/2 keyboard is not being recognized, so I would try a different one.

Good idea, I'll give this a try.

Originally posted by: Serpentor
The Neo4-F should support the Venice fine as long as it came with at least the 1.2 BIOS. And don't worry about the Platinum screen, as the -F and the Platinum both share the same BIOS. You can disable that splash screen later on. Did you plug in the 4-pin power supply connector next to the CPU in addition to the 24-pin PS connection?

Yea, the 4-pin CPU connector is plugged in, and the CPU fan spins. In fact, before the CMOS reset, the system even recognized my CPU properly at what looked like the beginning of a POST.

And, as I said, it's a 20 pin PSU, but the MSI manual said this shouldn't be a problem. I've also read other posts online where the exact same mobo/PSU combo worked fine. Of course, the PSU might be somewhat busted (I doubt it, since all the fans spin and the system begins to boot), but I'll try with my 500W PSU just in case.

thanks for the replies folks, please keep them coming so I have lots of ideas to try when I get home from work

 

[DoobieOnline]

The True430 should have enough power so I doubt that's the problem. Some people do have problems using 20-pin connectors with 24-pin mobos, though. Are you using a 20-pin to 24-pin adapter? Have you tried pulling the psu power cord, turning off the switch on the psu, pulling the battery on the mobo, and then hitting the cmos reset switch? Try that, put everything back the way it was, and see if it helps.

Also, make sure you have the PS/2 keyboard plugged into kb port and not the mouse port. I know that sounds stupid, but I've done it before!

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: DoobieOnline
The True430 should have enough power so I doubt that's the problem unless it's starting to fail. Have you tried pulling the psu power cord, turning off the switch on the psu, pulling the battery on the mobo, and then hitting the cmos reset switch? Try that, put everything back the way it was, and see if it helps.

Also, make sure you have the PS/2 keyboard plugged into kb port and not the mouse port. I know that sounds stupid, but I've done it before!

will try the CMOS suggestion, and yes, I checked the keyboard 3 times

thanks and keep the ideas coming!

 

[lytalbayre]

I'M THE SELLER:

I bought the board from MonarchComputers as a combo with an X2 CPU. They test the board and the chip and since it was an X2, they should also have updated the BIOS to the latest revision (to recognize the x2). This makes me believe the board is in perfect working order and there is some kind of user error....

I'm sure your power supply has enough power, but I would definately recommend either trying a 20 to 24 pin adapter or a 24 pin PSU and see if that helps.

You might also consider your ram is messed up (it's hard to tell).

The msi d-bracket code says what?? The manual should explain what the light codes mean... Please get back to me and let me know as this info will be really helpful.

I also wanna hear your results about using the motherboard outside of the case...

I would start from scratch. Take everything out, remove battery and power from motherboard for at least 30minutest, and then re-assemble.

By the way, I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties... please try everything you can to get this board working as I do think it's user related... if in the end you can't seem to get it to work, perhaps we can arrange a refund or something.... (Though I'd rather avoid that)...

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: lytalbayre
I'm sure your power supply has enough power, but I would definately recommend either trying a 20 to 24 pin adapter or a 24 pin PSU and see if that helps.

i've read that the adapaters tend to be a bad idea, unless the 20pin PSU has a very large amount of amps on the +12V line... otherwise, it becomes too much of a stress to split it...

Originally posted by: lytalbayre
The msi d-bracket code says what?? The manual should explain what the light codes mean... Please get back to me and let me know as this info will be really helpful.

The light pattern on it corresponds to the following entry in the manual:

BIOS Sign on
This will start showing information about logo, processor brand name, etc...

Originally posted by: lytalbayre
I would start from scratch. Take everything out, remove battery and power from motherboard for at least 30minutest, and then re-assemble.

I'll be starting a new tonight, once I get home from work.

 

[lytalbayre]

That's a weird error message... I guess you're right and it is freezing at or before post.... There are so many variables I think I'll have to see your results from tonight before I speculate...

Thanks.

 

[brikis98]

just had a thought: does the MSI Neo4-f have any jumpers that need to be set or that may have been unset accidentally?

 

[lytalbayre]

Not to my knowledge. I think the CMOS jumper is the only jumper to be concerned with (The others are for I/O stuff)

 

[brikis98]

ok, a quick post before i go to bed:

i'm happy to report the system is up and running. i'm still not quite sure what the problem was, but everything is running smoothly now (knocks on wood)

i'll post more details tomorrow morning. thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Stumps]

thats good to hear..I hope you enjoy your system