few probs with new build

[japc]

hi everyone, im having a few probs with my new build, some help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated from you guys.
Here are the specs of my build:
Intel® Desktop Board DG965WH,
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40GHz / 4MB Cache / 1066MHz FSB / Dual-Core / OEM / Socket 775 / Processor

Sony DRU810A / 16x8x16x DVD+RW / 16x6x16x DVD-RW / 8x DVD±R DL / Interchangable Bezels White or Black / Internal DVD Writer

Maxtor 80GB EIDE HD 7200/8MB/ATA-133

Ultra / X2 / 550-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SLI Ready / SATA-Ready / 20/24-Pin / Modular Power Supply
Ultra Dual Channel 2048MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB)

All the parts have been connected and the computer starts up. I can get to bios and it picks up everything. first problem is when i plug in the power cord at the back the computer lights up, fans, everything then goes off in a second, then when i press the power switch on the case once, nothing happens, press the power switch the 2nd time it turns on and stays on. for every subsequent power up it turns on when i press the power switch on the case once, it only goes on and off when i initially plug in the power cord at the back. all lights on, fans fine, i can get into bios and it picks up the hd and the cdrom drive. but after i get into bios it says intel boot agent, media test failure, then it asks me to put in a startup disk. i put in the windows xp installation cd and trried booting from it, still the same thing. i have also tried booting it with one stick of ram, get the same probs.
any suggestions as to what i can do about the first power up and the boot issue? i dont have an internal floppy drive, though i do have an external usb floppy drive..
thanks for your help.

[newbuilder14]

Power supply. I'm quite surprised it even started up. Ultra power supplies are low quality and shouldn't be used to power a system as nice as yours.

[japc]

so you suggest returning the power supply? what about the media test failure, any ideas what i can do about that. whats a good brand power supply to get? i thought the 550 W power supply shouldnt be an issue since its a pretty high wattage for no added peripherals or other devices.
thanks for your help.

[newbuilder14]

Wattage makes no difference. The quality does make a HUGE difference, and if you ask anyone in here they would also recommend that you take it back. About the media test failure, I got that in my first build but it simply meant that there was nothing on the disk drive. Can you get past it by inserting a Windows Disk? That's what I did. Also, is this an OLD HARD DRIVE WITH DATA? That may be the problem.

[japc]

no its a brand new hard drive, everything is new, i can get past the media test failure part to where it asks me to put in a startup disk, iput in the windows xp cd but the same msg comes back again, i dont know why it wont let me boot from the windows xp cd. i got a floppy with the board that said INTel matrix RAID storage drivers, does that floppy need to be used for the first boot, its the only floppy i got with the system. i have an external floppy drive that i havent tried using with it, its a usb floppy drive. what brand of PSU do u recommend getting this time around?

[newbuilder14]

Okay, as for the PSU get one of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104934
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817194003
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151024
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954

^ The last one is good for you with no video card.

What's the jumper on your hard drive set to? Should be cable select if it is the only one on the line. Also make sure there is power connected to it and that it is set to the first boot device.

[glc]

HOLD IT - the power supply is NOT the cause of these problems.

Your plugin/startup sequence is normal for Intel boards, you do not have a problem there.

The 965 boards only have ONE IDE channel and you should not have bought an IDE hard drive, you should have bought SATA. However, what you must do is this:

Use the 80 wire IDE cable, plug the correct end into the motherboard. Jumper BOTH the hard drive and DVD drive to CS (cable select). Connect the hard drive to the END connector and the DVD drive to the MIDDLE connector. Go into the bios and set the DVD drive FIRST in the boot order.

You MIGHT have to get a SATA optical drive to install Windows - the 3rd party IDE controller on those 965's can be problematic getting an IDE optical drive to boot - and you may have issues with that IDE hard drive without a driver disk. You may have to dig around on the motherboard CD or on Intel's site to get a floppy driver for that controller. Yes, you can use a USB floppy drive to install the driver during setup as long as it gets recognized as the "A" drive.

[chuck4456]

And another thing - shouldn't he be using DDR2667 with that board ?

[glc]

Chuck, that will NOT stop it from doing what he needs. It IS compatible.

[japc]

thanks for ur response glc i appreciate it, initially when i connected the HD and the DVD drive to the IDE cable the mobo wouldnt pick up the dvd drive, then i realized that since it was one IDE cable connecting both the jumper on the dvd drive needed to be set up to slave, so as is right now the jumpers are set to master on hd with the first end on the hd and the middle end on the dvd drive with jumper set to slave.
so ill change the jumpers to CS on both and then try boot, then the 2nd thing ill do is try digging around for IDE controller drivers on the intel cd ( is that right, IDE controller drivers? are the ones i shoul dlook for right?) and then use the usb floppy drive and try booting from it.
as for the power issues, i actually dont think its that either, cuz first time i ordered a mobo that wasnt compatible but when i press the power switch on the case it would turn on right away, but what do u think could be causing the initial one sec fan spinnin as i plug in the power cord? and then it doesnt turn on the 2nd press either, turns on on the 3rd press,, but stays on after that, no beeps nothing. and for every subsequent turn on it turns on on the first shot, only wheni initially plug in the power cable.
once again thanks for ur response.

[newbuilder14]

"problem is when i plug in the power cord at the back the computer lights up, fans, everything then goes off in a second, then when i press the power switch on the case once, nothing happens, press the power switch the 2nd time it turns on and stays on. for every subsequent power up it turns on when i press the power switch on the case once, it only goes on and off when i initially plug in the power cord at the back. all lights on, fans fine"

That's what gave me the impression it was that Ultra unit. I'd replace it just because it's an Ultra and they are unrelaible.

[glc]

You don't boot with the floppy - it's used DURING the XP install process to install drivers - you boot with the XP CD.

Again, that plugin/powerup sequence is quite normal and is not a problem.

I did some research - I don't think there ARE any drivers for the IDE controller - your floppy is only needed to install SATA RAID drivers. Once you get it to boot from the CD, go into Setup - and if it finds a hard drive you have it made.

No doubt - I'd replace the Ultra too - but if it powers up and you get a display it's probably okay to proceed.

[japc]

thanks once again for ur suggestions and help. im not near the pc to work it now, but i should be working on it tonight. so since therre are not ide controller drivers, ill set both drive jumpers to CS and then try booting. and ill also replace the psu. ill let u guys know how it went.
thanks

[japc]

glc i tried the cable select. worked like a charm.. its all booted and installed all the components. thanks for all ur help. my first build has been successful.. i greatly appreciate it.. abt the PSU, since i cant return the ultra PSU. i spent $ 80 on it, should i get a new one, cuz i cant return the old one, or i could go ahead and use it for now and if anything happens get a new one? or is it took much of a risk to continue using the ultra PSU with such a nice configuration? let me know what you think, if its not a big issue then id rather not waste this $ 80 that i spent on the pSU, if it will cause probs later that may cost more to fix then i can go ahead and use a better one from the start..
once again thanks

[glc]

Load up the Intel monitoring software, put the computer under a high CPU and graphics load, and monitor the voltages. If they are stable and within 5% of spec, you should be okay.

[japc]

okay so since this is my first build. i know i installed the intel monitoring software. i can load up the graphics by running a high res game, how do i check the voltage and what are the spec (im assuming i mean spec for powersupply, what kind of spec am i looking for ?) so what do i know is within 5 % of the spec.. how do i check the voltage, do i need a sort of a voltmeter or would the intel monitoring software tell me that ?
thanks..

[newbuilder14]

Check Hardware Monitoring in the BIOS.

[japc]

thanks.. ill try that and let u guys know...

[glc]

I haven't used the new Intel desktop utilities, but in my old Intel Active Monitor I can read out voltages. The nominal voltage is listed (i.e. +12v) and if the actual reading is within 5% of that figure and STABLE you are okay.