Motherboard not detecting RAM?

[Andeh13]

I am trying to build a carpc, using bits from a 7 year old PC. Its an P4 setup to keep power consumption low.

It's been working alright so far, minus a broken HDD but now it's decided to not boot. It worked fine earlier, when I installed windows 7 and restarted it, but having just finished installing the updates & the carPC software it has decided to just stop.

At the start of the BIOS where it counts up the RAM and detects the IDE drives, it hangs just before it counts the RAM. It has detected the processor but then just sits there, doing nothing.

As far as i can tell I have the latest BIOS, and I have tried different RAM (different configurations of each) and i know the HDD works (sent from Baker - a fellow hexite) but I still can't figure out whats wrong with it?

Can anyone think of any suggestions?


edit: After around 20mins the PC seems to get past the above feature, but then it comes up with 'DISC BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISC AND PRESS ENTER'. Now I had this before, and reinstalled windows 7 and it works fine again for a few boot ups before failing and displaying that error message above. I am utterly stuck for ideas


edit2: Having just turned it off & on again (removed jumpers from HDD) it now boots into windows? I know when i restart it I will be back at the beginning though!

[mycarsavw]

Assuming you haven't, can you connect a speaker to see if there are any POST beeps?

[kalniel]

Its an P4 setup to keep power consumption low.

*Splutter*

I have a p3 system that might be more suitable on that front.

[Andeh13]

*Splutter*

I have a p3 system that might be more suitable on that front.

I am already monsteriously over budget so making do with what i can. I have another computer I can cannibalise, but it is an Asus A8N-SLI, AMD 64 3400 jobbie i think, and whilst I can't find any power requirements for the board I am guessing its over the 160w I am limited to.


PC still boots up, but it doesnt half get stuck at this IDE/Memory checking stage

[mycarsavw]

In the BIOS turn off IDE auto-detection on all unused devices. ie if you've just got the one HDD on Primary Master, turn off the other one/three.

You should also be able to turn on quick POST/BOOT. What motherboard is it?

[kalniel]

I am already monsteriously over budget so making do with what i can. I have another computer I can cannibalise, but it is an Asus A8N-SLI, AMD 64 3400 jobbie i think, and whilst I can't find any power requirements for the board I am guessing its over the 160w I am limited to.

If you're ever over my part of the country (south east, occasional midlands visits) you can have it for free. (complete DELL system minus hard drive: pIII 1gz, 512mb ram, gf3 ti500 etc.)

[Andeh13]

Thank you very much, that sounds perfect for my needs! . That will mean 75% of my carPC will have been Hexus donated, i love you guys!

I go to Coventry quite regularly but am happy to meet you at your convenience wherever you like, when are you next near the midlands?

[ehhhhhhh]

I have another computer I can cannibalise, but it is an Asus A8N-SLI, AMD 64 3400 jobbie i think

I would be interested in the mobo and CPU. Could you please pm me if you want to sell it?




on the subject, it usually hangs on post if it has problems with the HDDs or jumper configuration.

some old mobos don't like if you use the 'cable select' position on both ide drives, so make sure if you use 2 devices on the same IDE channel then configure the HDD as 'Master' and the other device (eg ODD) as slave.

Also, many motherboards allow to tweak the IDE settings, like dma, transfer mode, etc...I would double check those settings too.

and resetting the cmos settings could help too.

[Andeh13]

I will do mate!

Thanks for the suggestions, they sound promising. Does the location on the IDE cable make any difference, or which of the two (black & blue) IDE sockets i use on the mobo?

[GoNz0]

no you can use any

[kalniel]

Thank you very much, that sounds perfect for my needs! . That will mean 75% of my carPC will have been Hexus donated, i love you guys!

I go to Coventry quite regularly but am happy to meet you at your convenience wherever you like, when are you next near the midlands?

I haven't arranged my next visit, but certainly around Christmas time, but I'll try and do one sooner than that - it'll be somewhere just north of derby. I'll just give you the whole base unit and you can do what you like with the bits you don't need.