Initial Bios reads CPU, RAM, but on restart nothing happens

[Germs]

This is a new computer I'm building, the Athlon 64 bit!

Case: Artec 868W
Motherboard: K8-800T
CPU: AMD Athlon 64
Memory: Double-sided Kingston 1024MB PC3200 (2*512)
Heatsink/CPU Fan: Thermaltake Venus 12
Powersupply: ATX 400W

all of that stuff is brand new from TigerDirect.com

Old stuff from my old computer:
HD: 40GB (installed WinXP on this already)
HD: 160GB (backup drive, accidentally touched a magnet while instaling thisl new computer so I hope it still works)
CDRW: whatever
DVDROM: whatever

Alrighty. I installed everything correctly I think. I had the motherboard sitting on the foam padding, which sat on the carpet while I was working on it. After it didn't work, I removed almost all the extra stuff to keep it simple. Here's what I have connnected:

PowerSupply
Motherboard
CPU
CPU Heatsink/Fan
1 stick RAM
Video Card
floppy disk drive

The first time I started the computer, it said that CMOS error, so it gave me the BIOS settings and all that stuff. HOWEVER! On the bios screen, it told me exactly what kind of processor it detected and what speed it ran at. It could also tell me how much RAM I have and what speed they ran at. Of course, since it's being displayed on the monitor, the monitor works fine. After reviewing all the settings, I pressed the save buttong and it restarted.

After it restarts, nothing happens. Everything has power, the HD spins, the disk drive spins, the fans spin. The monitor's LED just flashes (no incoming data). Evern after I try several different sets of BIOS settings, it never works. (Each time I want to change the BIOS, I have to clear the CMOS first). If I try to press DELETE or something right after pressing the restarted button, it won't show me the BIOS. THe only way to get there is by clearing the CMOS before powering up.

I'm getting no beeps of any kind, even after plugging in my speakers and stuff.

What's wrong? Why won't my computer run my boot-up floppy disk? Or a boot-up CD? Or my old system Hard drive with XP on it? It just sits there with the fans spinning.

Thanks

[Andrew Downie]

First thing i would do is double check that all the settings in the BIOS are correct.
Secondly i would try if possible, a different video card. I had a problem like this only yesterday. Nothing would happen at all, no beeps, no nothing.. then i realised, after replacing it, that the Vid Card was knacked.
The only other thing i can think of is that you may have a serious hardware fault that requires your parts or some of them to be sent back.
Try the vid card one if you can, and keep experimenting.

I know it's not much to go by, but i hope it helped.
AD :-(

[Markoman01027]

Follow these steps here:
http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=12753

[Germs]

I know the video card works because I used for for about 4 months in my old system. Also, I tried many different sets of BIOS setups, including the "Fail-Safe Defaults." I really don't want to do all those steps about building it outside of the case, but I guess I'll go ahead and do it right now.
What I don't understand is, if the BIOS can detect the CPU, RAM, CPUFan, HD's, CDROM's, etc, then how come the computer won't start? Is it possible for it to detect them and tell me info about them, and still the parts be broken?

[Alfie]

Disconnect the hard drives and see how it boots and if you can get in to bios that way.
As you've changed motherboards and chipset,XP may not boot.
Are there any jumpers on the motherboard?
I would try the method listed above,but disconnect the floppy drive.

[Germs]

I tried to start it without hard drives. I tried to start it without floppy drives. I tried to start it without CDROM. i also tried all combonations of these. The only way to get to the BIOS is if I set the CMOS jumper on the mobo to clear the CMOS. when I start the computer and it detects that the CMOS has been cleared, THEN it will show me the BIOS. no other time.

[Cricket]

Take the motherboard off the foam padding and place it directly on the motherboard box. Some foam padding is anti-static which means it conducts electricity and you're actually shorting out the motherboard by placing it on that foam padding.

Cricket

[Germs]

I never RAN the thing with the mobo on the foam. I just sat it there while I was building so it wouldn't be directly on the carpet. The only time I turned the comp on was when the mobo was completely installed in the case.
~Jer

[Cricket]

Follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in the first post of this thread and let us know what happens. You must remove the motherboard from the case when doing this procedure.

Cricket

[diver203_98]

What is the make of PSU?

1. your HD accidently touched a magnet during installation, which is not a good thing.

2. You were also working on carpet, which is also not a good thing. As Cricket says, some foam is conductive, and carpet causes static, so any static you "stir up" while working on carpet will be transfered to your MB.

These are two things I would be concerned about. Even just a touch of a magnet can damage your XP install, but it was also in another system as well, so you should probably either do a repair or reinstall of XP. And the static possibility could have also ruined your MB, which may cause your system not to start.

[Germs]

The harddrives still work perfectly. I put them back in my old system and both of them have no errors and load the OS fine. Like I said before, the mobo was not powered up when it was on the foam, which was on the carpet. anyways, thanks for everyone's suggestions. I sent the mobo AND the CPU back to TigerDirect. I asked for the same type of CPU back but now I need a mobo. What kind of mobo should I get and what kind of memory? I want 1GB of memory. Remember, it's a 64-bit CPU.
Thanks everyone