New machine, hangs after POST

I'm building a new computer for a friend, and I'm stumped. Here goes:

(no-name) ECS K7VZM mainboard
AMD Duron 800
128M RAM

Here's what happens:

I turn on the computer, and it gets past the POST, displays the "Press DEL to enter setup ", and then just...hangs. No keyboard activity (no lights when I hit NumLock, etc.) and nothing will rouse it.

This computer has the CPU, mainboard, RAM, video card, and keyboard connected. That's it. Once and only once, one of my "Del" key presses got through and I saw the opening screen of the BIOS setup, but then it hung just as hard as before.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this? I am, frankly, stumped. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

does the screen show that it has found devices, "primary master, primary slave, secondary master, secondary slave" , or something like that. does it get that far? I'm wondering if it stops right when it looks for the "A" drive. is the light on your "A" drive on all the time, never goes out? That would mean the wiring is backwards on your "A" drive. And it might cause it to hang there. But i need to know more about what the screen looks like right before it stops. Or are you saying you don't have an "A" drive hooked up? I'm not sure, but i think if that was the case, you would have to go into bios setup, and change your boot sequence to ingore the "A" drive. otherwise it will look for the "A" drive unsuccessfully and hang. not sure, i've never tried to start a computer without the "A" drive.

 

Have you tried using the jumper to clear the CMOS?

 

I am betting on a backwards cable or jumper set wrong.

If you can't get ot the CMOS setup you may not be able to verify the hard drive set to auto.

Also check the jumpers on the HD and CDROM ( if there ) are set correctly fo the position they are in.

Also some Hard drives have three jumper settings.

1 for Single drive ( only 1 HD )

Another for Master with Slave

And another for Slave.

Also the CDROM has settings for Master and Slave.

If the jumpers on both are not set correctly it will hamper bootup

Will the machine boot from a floppy and allow you to get to the CMOS setup ?

BillyBob

 

Thanks for all of the replies! Here are the answers....

I don't even get as far as the machine looking for devices (and this was BEFORE I removed 'em all)...Here is what the screen looks like:

Code:

(bios information)
AMD Duron 800 (8 x 100)
134217728 OK








Press DEL to enter Setup

Usually, you should be able to get into the CMOS setup BEFORE it tries to detect any devices, that way you can specify 'em before it tries (and fails) to do anything.

I have not, however, tried clearing the CMOS. I'll try that.

I am pretty sure that the cables were in right...after all, everything is pretty clearly labeled, and I've ensured the red stripe lines up with the clearly-labeled '1' pin on the floppy (the hd's are all keyed). I have also ensured that the jumper settings are all set correctly (and yes, it's a Seagate hd which has different settings for "master only" and "master with slave" ).

My biggest difficulty here is that the machine doesn't even get to the point where it will try to check for devices before it hangs...

Thanks for the suggestions, and I'd love to hear more!

--J

 

Just one question about an mess up that I have made.

How about the cables where they plug onto the MB.

I have had at least one case where I had one of them wrong.

Some of them are also keyed but some aren't.

And it stopped booting right where you are.

 

Hi Jynx,

Is the cpu heatsink installed properly?
Is the fan on the cpu heatsink spinning?
Do you have a known good vid card to swap?

Tin

 

BillyBob: Good idea, yes the cables are keyed.

Tinknocker: Yes, I believe so. In addition, I think I'll try to find some thermal paste and slather that puppy down...just to be sure. And yes, I'm positive the vid card is good -- it's one of those old ones with no 3D support, a rock-solid Trident.

Thanks for the ideas - I'll be working on this machine today (Monday), hopefully, and we'll see how things go...

--J

 

Please, don't "slather ". Use it like Brylcreme (sp) "a little dab'll do ya ". Showing my age with that. How many people here don't know what that is?

Tin