Keyboard not working, can't enter CMOS, boot error, :(

[idiot_y]

I finally got my cdrom to boot 98se, got it installed, installed my radeon 7000 32mb drivers..no problems. Then I installed the drivers for all my onboard components for the gigabyte.
chipset drivers
serial ATA
usb 2.0
ata 133 raid
network
audio
and when I restarted my keyboard didn't work at all and I get a boot disk error. so I turn off manually (my restart button hasn't worked since i put the case together, but not worried about that right now.) and then windows starts in safe mode as I can't enter any other decision at the prompt. Then in windows it doesn't register any problems for the keyboard in CPanel system, but it still won't work.
What the hell is going on?? I was just trying to make sure everything was working properly so if I had something defective I could return it. My XPhome should arrive tue. or wed. and now how am I going to format my HDD to install that? I checked to make sure it was plugged in all the way.
the bios is set only boot hdd other 2 disabled. I'm thinking it must be my motherboard is incompatible with 98se, but it doesn't list os compatibaility anywhere in the manual or on the box...... Oh yeah, if you're new to system building don't buy a board from a company based in TAIWAN!!!! manual is near impossible to understand.

I almost forgot, i also changed the cas latency on the geil ultra to 2 from 2.5 that might be a problem also......got a little ahead of myself on that. Should have waited till everything else was working, but how would that affect the keyboard, that's probably not the problem. It posts fine, if that was the problem it wouldn't get throiugh ram check right? And i just figured the 3500 ultra coiuld probably handle cas 2 at 3200 which it's set at.

thanks to anyone that can help ahead of time.

specs below

[mairving]

Windows 98 doesn't have anything to do with it since the BIOS loads before the OS. A couple of things come to mind. First I would make sure that you know the correct keystroke to get into the BIOS, usually F2 or DEL. Most of the time it tells you. The second thing would be to try a working keyboard to see if that solves your problem. Third I would try using a USB keyboard if the PS2 ones don't work.

About the Taiwan motherboard thing. Nearly all are made in TW or that area so get used to it.

[idiot_y]

all the manuals aren't written there though......here's a good excerpt, "cpu installation: 1. angling the rod to 65-degree maybe feel a kind of tight, and then continue pull the rod to 90-degree when a noise "cough" made"
and the keyboard works fine....I'm using it right now. Just not in my new system. and I know the right keystroke....the keyboard just doesn't register or something....even when I can get into safe mode 98se, the keyboard will not give any input, but is "working correctly" according to control panel
it doesn't matter much. I should have xp home soon and will just re-format everything.

what's a cmos jumper? I read in the bios b4 changing the ram's cas latency that if the system didn't boot I could reset the settings with the cmos jumper??

another thing i read somewhere that 98 through ME operate strangely on anything over 256mb ram, something about overall system performance going down because they just weren't programmed to handle that much memory, is this true?

[Panama Red]

Originally posted by idiot_y

another thing i read somewhere that 98 through ME operate strangely on anything over 256mb ram, something about overall system performance going down because they just weren't programmed to handle that much memory, is this true?

The memory glitch with 98 is with anything over 512. There's some workarounds for it, tho'. I have 98se on a dual boot system running 1Gb of Kingston HyperX without difficulty.

[glc]

Time to use the cmos clear jumper. Unplug the computer from the AC power, find the jumper, and use it. This will return all bios settings to defaults. The manual will locate and describe it, just be patient and you will figure it out.

[mairving]

The CMOS jumper is used to reset the BIOS to it's default settings. It will not help you get into the BIOS. Again the BIOS is totally separate from the Operating System. It doesn't matter whether you have Windows 98 or XP or Linux, getting into the BIOS will still be the same and is independent of the OS.

[idiot_y]

my manual doesn't say anything about using the coms jumper just points it out on a diagram as clr_cmos

[idiot_y]

I cleared the cmos, or atleast think I did. probably didn't because now when I go to turn on the new build, nothing happens! nothing. I took apart the front bezel to make sure the power button was making contact, check, made sure the pw_switch was plugged into the right spot, check, made sure the psu is plugged into the mobo, check both main power and 12v 4pin, WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE!!!!!! please help me I'm at my wits end with this thing. oh yeah, I did already remove the jumper from the clear cmos switch (I'm not a retard, just an idiot)

[glc]

Did you unplug the computer before using the jumper? Did you put the jumper back the way it was before plugging it back in?

[idiot_y]

no i just powered down.....
connected the jumper, pressed power, nothing happened (which I thought nothing was supposed to) then reset jumper to normal, and tried to power up without succesI

Is that a catastraphic thing, to clear cmos when it's plugged in still??? I hope not.

[glc]

Originally posted by glc
Time to use the cmos clear jumper. Unplug the computer from the AC power, find the jumper, and use it. This will return all bios settings to defaults. The manual will locate and describe it, just be patient and you will figure it out.

Not following instructions may have just cost you a motherboard.

[idiot_y]

I guess I'm lucky.....I might have switched polarity on the pwr_switch circuit though. I tried turning it around and it powered up fine. Installed xp and everything's is working fine.

I don't know if that's possible to switch the polarity but I can't explain it powering up fine 1 minute, then not working at all, and then switching the pwr_switch jumper around and it working again. anybody that can please jump in.

Oh yeah, WHEW!!! :)