No Video Output

[deltapilot]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum, and I recently decided to build a PC for the first time. I powered it up this afternoon, and I get no video output - just black screen. My troubleshooting so far has been to check all connections, swap monitors, and swap video cards (these last two from my other computer). I'm booting with a Windows 98 Start-Up disk in the floppy drive. When I power up, there is one long beep followed by two short beeps (indicating a video problem), then I can hear the floppy drive access the disk, but nothing happens, and there is never any output to the screen. My components consist of an Antec SX-635 case with 350W p/s, ECS P4ITA 'Socket 423' board, P4 1.7 GHz processor, 512 MB RDRAM, and ATI Radeon 64 MB DDR video card.

Any Ideas?

[mike breck]

Hi deltapilot,

Strip the system back to basics ala Hal's tip

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12753

Try a different Monitor cable.

Make sure that the AGP card is firmly pushed down into the slot. It sometimes takes quite firm but gentle pressure until it clicks down. There should be very little of the AGP connector metal showing above the AGP slot. Try it again a few times.

Try putting in PCI video card (any one will do). If it boots, go into the Bios and make sure that the AGP card is the Primary Video card and is detected first. This setting is something like "Primary VGA Bios Sequence" or "Primary Display First".

HTH

[deltapilot]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for taking the time to post suggestions. I tried putting the video card in my other computer and it works fine. I don't have a PCI video card, but my AGP card from the other computer doesn't have any effect when I put it in the new mavhine. I've disconnected everything except the floppy drive, and there are no other cards installed except video. I've also tried removing the floppy and plugged it into my other computer and it works fine there. Also, I booted my other machine with my start-up disk (Win98se), and the disk works as advertised. In this configuration (only a floppy and a video card), the new computer powers up and tries to access the floppy initially, but then everything stops. It sure sounds to me like its trying to boot, but can't get past the floppy drive.

[mike breck]

I really recommend that you follow Hal's advice and take the mobo out out of the case and then try with just the CPU with HSF, memory, and video card. We don't need the floppy drive at this stage. We just want to see if we can get a bootup with the bios on the screen.

Please humour me and try it that way. Then post what happens.

[glc]

Have you taken the motherboard out of the case and tried it on the table yet (with only the CPU, video card, and one stick of ram)?

As a note, ECS is not known for their quality control - its very possible the board is defective.

[mike breck]

My fault glc,

I've given him the wrong link!

deltapilot: Try the link above again. That will take you to the right thread by Hal. My apologies.

[deltapilot]

Thanks fellows,

And thanks for the revised link, Mike. This will take some time this evening - seems my sons, 19 and 23, are working overtime to come up with new problems of their own. I'll post the results as soon as they're in.

[deltapilot]

Ok, now we're getting somewhere. I've stripped it down and booted it, and here is the resulting screen:

Award modular BIOS v6.00PG

P4ITA v1.0 06/14/2001

Main processor Intel Pentium 4 1.7 GHz
Memory testing 524288K OK

Direct Rambus/Host freq is 400/100
Prim master - none
Prim slave - none
Sec master - none
Sec slave - none

Floppy disk fail (40)
keyboard error or no keyboard present
CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded

Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter setup
06/14/2001-i850-W83627-C-00

So far, so good. Now what?

[glc]

Now mount the motherboard into the case with only the same components hooked up and try again - if it fails you have mounted the motherboard incorrectly and something is shorting out or the video card is not seated correctly. If it works, hook up the floppy, hard drive, and CD and install your operating system. Then add the rest of your components one at a time and get each component's driver sorted out, press on to the next one till done.

I am laying odds that you may have an extra standoff under the board without a matching screw hole, or you are using too many plastic standoffs and not enough metal ones.

[deltapilot]

All right, we're off to see the wizard! I'll let you know if he can give me a brain...

Thanks again

[deltapilot]

To glc & mike breck -

thanks a million. The problem turned out to be a video card that wouldn't seat completely while the mobo was installed unless I really jockeyed it around. And I'm only talking about 1/16 of an inch, but you know how big a difference a small tolerance can make.

At any rate, I'm sending this post from my new machine, and I feel like Frankenstein, having sucessfully breathed life into it, and transplanted the brain (HDD) from my other computer.

Thanks again guys.