Computer will not post

Need a little more information to do some specific trouble shooting.

Do you get any beep codes?
Is your HSF getting hot?

Do you have any diagnostic lights on your motherboard, or anything else that will help isolate the problem?


Recomendation:

Strip everything out of the pc except what you need to get it to post.  Leave in Processor, ram, and video card.  
Did you observe all the correct static precautions during installation?
Did you purchase your hardware brand new, or refurbished, and did it come from a reliable source?

I bought it from pc club brand new. I was very careful on instilation. I do not get any beeps. Video card s on board. nothing seems hot. what do you think i do have a new hard drive not with a new connector on the back i have never used before it is not ide and not scusi? any help thank you so much

If you get no beeps, and nothing is getting hot, it sounds like either your processor is dead, or improperly installed, or your motherboard is a DOA.  It happens sometimes.

Few things to check would be, to make sure all your monitored fans. (3 wires) are plugged in, in the correct places.  Alot of times systems will never initialize the processor if they detect that the processor fan is not spinning.  Make sure you have a working KB and Mouse pluged in.  See if your keyboard lights flash when you power the system.

If at all possible, try that processor in another motherboard.  Whatever you do, dont put another processor into that motherboard till you verify it's not a bad motherboard.  Also, try connecting a different power supply.  I've seen all kinds of wierd things caused by bad power.

i will try that later tonight and post thank you

heh, sounds like a SATA HD...

But enough on that... Resit everything you've plugged in.
_make sure the RAM's clean and all in the right way around
_the same with the CPU
_blow out the slots with air to get rid of dust
_most importantly make sure everything is deep in its slot... you shouldnt be able to see the contacts on the PSBs...

I dont want to patronise but you have got at (least): a cpu, a CPU fan, RAM and a video card?

Do you have dual channel DDR memory? if so, make sure you have 2 of the same size ram chips in the 2 correct slots on the MB.  A common mistake i have had people make when building newer MB's.

A common thing that happens on new installations is that the motherboard shorts out on the case - take it out of the case and set it on a piece of wood or a cardboard box.  AMD motherboards also require that the cpu fan works and is plugged into the cpu fan header on the motherboard.

the sata hard drive is there a special way to install? it came with a power do I plug that power, teh reguler power etc? please help :)

You have to use a special SATA power adapter, and the signal cable is much smaller and connects to a separate controller.  But it's not going to do you much good if you can't see the machine POST.

I completely agree, dont worry about the HD's until you've sorted your motherboard...

i bought to complete systems to put together, and tried teh second complete install, and this one turns on and posts, but after it is on for a few seconds it shuts down, why do you suppose that is?

I tried to install netware 6.5 and it shuts down, and I tried tio install windowws 2003 server and it shuts down, it looks liek it shuts down at the point of accessing teh hard drive. any ideas?

On the first system I would check that the CPU is inserted correctly, and that there are no bent pins, I've put together hundreds of systems and seen only a few dead CPUs.

On both systems I would disconnect all plug-ins and perpherials but CPU, RAM, Display Adapter & Unplug all PS connectors except for the Moherboard and see if the system posts.

If it does, then the MB+CPU+Memory are OK and you can start plug-in all perpherials one by one (turn the system off each item) till you find what causes the problems.

Good Luck,
Zvitam.

Maybe you HDDs are not connected correctly...

that might be true I guess the hard drive is SATA HD why after about a minute would it shut down is it maybe becuase the power supply is not strong enougth. any help on the hard drive etc. thanks

do i need the special power plug connected and the reguler power to the hard dribe or just one

could it be the power supply is not strong enougth it is a 300W

for the power supply, we would need to know what is in the system; you can calculate what you need, but 300W is very low nowadays  :

http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/      

You just one power plug connected to the Serial ATA drive, connecting both connectors may cause a mess.

I will take a look at this iste later, but would this be a reason why the computer shuts off after a minute?

CPU overheating is a common one on that front....

why would it over heat brand new processor, brand new fan?

Perhaps no thermal paste between cpu and heatsink, or improperly applied?  Check also that the cpu fan is spinning and plugged into the right header on the motherboard.

It could even be on the wrong way around...

You also need thermal paste or thermal pads to make the whole process of heat transfer from CPU to heatsink efficiant... As callandor has said... But you may have put too much on....

What make and model of CPU have you got because AMD XP chips have exposed contacts on the topside of their CPUs... too much thermal paste (which does conduct electricity) and you may have shoted some of the contacts...

i got it working it was the wrong way. I am having a hard time with the sata hard drive. the system does not recognize it? I was todl to go into bios to get the drive to work, but I doi not see where?

Everything good and dandy now?

sounds like to me you have the processor working too hard, try reseting the CMOS (see your motherboard manual) it seems that nothing has been damaged.

Dude, not only have I answered the question, but point were assigned...

Please dont waste peoples time by posting in PAQs, or at least read all the posts...