Urgent - Need Help!! Plz :(

[Omnious]

Ok, I'm setting up my computer. Everything is connected. Now, when We did a bootup test, the comp starts to boot up, and about 5 seconds later, it shuts down. I'm using an NF7 nForce 2 Ultra 400 Mobo and an XP+ 2500.

There are the pin connectors on the bottom right of the motherboard, where you plug in the computer speaker, etc. The light is right above the speaker pin, one red, one green. The green one shuts off, with the computer, while the red stays on for another second or two. We've taken out the pins, re-did their positions, etc. And nothing's working. Serious help would be appreciated, as this is my second time working on computers, and I've never ran into this problem before. Thank you.

By the Way - System Specs

Abit NF7 nForce 2 Ultra 400
VisionTek Xtasy Radeon 9600XT 256MB DDR
512MB Corsair XMS DDR400 PC3200C2PRO(SP?)
Amd Athlon XP 2500+ W/ Barton Core
420 Watt PSU

Thanks...

Any help is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

[Knoxville]

Is it overheating? have you checked that the hsf is well seated etc?

[Omnious]

Everything is on correctly. We added the thermal compound, and reinstalled the processor. It's all in perfectly. BTW, I'm using a Thermaltake Volcano 11+

[Theo]

I had that same problem too, chap... although I seriously don't know how I corrected it (I surprise myself sometimes with autopilot mode). Have you cleared the cmos/checked the jumper is in the correct position, etc?

[BUFF]

1) is this a clean Windows install or is it 1 from another system setup?
or do you mean that it won't POST?

2) if you can get into BIOS try upping the Vcore slightly

3) have you got the 4 pin power cable connected as well as the main 1 (not essential but it helps stability)?

[Kezzer]

reset the CMOS

[TiG]

I'd agree with Knoxy that sounds like a overheating issue, nothing else would cause the computer to be like that. To check Omnious go into BIOS as quick as possible from it being cold start, i.e you've not used it for 6 hours or something, go and watch the CPU temperature climb and keep climbing. It it keep climbing then you know you've got an issue with your thermal compound and how you have applied it.

Lets hope it is that as its easy to resolve this.

Good Luck
TiG

[Kezzer]

Can the system overheat this quick? If it has a HS and thermal paste applied then it shouldn't overheat to the point it has to shut down. Try resitting the HS and reapplying the thermal paste if it is an overheating problem. You should be able to tell if you put your hand on/near the HS. If not just try resetting the CMOS.

[Nox]

yes, it can overheat that fast, very easily. I'm still a little confused with this though, does it even get as far as 'starting windows' or does it stop on the POST and reset earlier?

Nox

[silent]

sounds like my prob, but didn't automatically shut down.

i booted from xp disc and re-installed windows and it worked. mine frooze first due to my o/c'ing greadiness, then because of windows and format issues.

[BlackSheep]

Can the system overheat this quick? If it has a HS and thermal paste applied then it shouldn't overheat to the point it has to shut down. Try resitting the HS and reapplying the thermal paste if it is an overheating problem. You should be able to tell if you put your hand on/near the HS. If not just try resetting the CMOS.

Yes the processor can cook in only a few seconds if a heatsink isn't properly seated.

In this case you probably wouldn't be able to tell by simply touching the heatsink as if this was doing its job properly there is no way it would shut down after only 10 seconds from a cold boot - the idea of a heatsink is to conduct heat away from the processor, if however, the heatsink isn't properly touching the processor then the heat has no-where to go (other than into the air which isn't a very good conductor of heat) and so very very rapidly becomes overheated - Tomshardware had a nice video illustrating this point.

Because the heatsink takes a few minutes to get warm/hot it's not going to provide much of a clue as to whether it's working properly or not - however, I would go with what TiG suggested and try to see in bios what the CPU temperature is reported as ... also try gently pushing onto the heatsink to ensure a contact is made (obviously don't push directly onto the fan) and see if this stops the temperature rising and prevents shut down so quickly ... if it does then you need to assess the heatsink fitting.

GL

[Pita^Norf]

One possible explaination for the problem (and it is a well documentated one with the NF7 series) is that you are not using the 3 pin fan header for the CPU fan ? (I read OP and cannot see any reference to this).

If this is the case, then what you need to do is alter the BIOS settings to disable "shut down on fan failure" - the absence of a proper fan feed is maybe flagging up as a fan failure ?

[Omnious]

Sorry for the wait. Thank you for all your input. Me and my dad took the computer into Excel Computers here in sacramento, and the guy said we had the Volcano fan had been applied wrong by 180 degrees. He said the fan metal had touched the metal to the side of the DIE on the AMD processor, and completely fried my system. The only things that made it out where my 9600XT and my Corsair XMS ram (Thank god..the most expensive parts.) We're just going to take it into Excel and have him assemble it once we get the parts replaced.

[Agent]

Your motherboard would not fry from that. And you said it was starting up.
If it was starting up and then shutting down, then the CPU wasnt dead either.

You could have possiably been done there mate.

Cant belive i missed this post, the heatsink being on the wrong way was the first thing in my head when i read it

[Skeps]

Yes the processor can cook in only a few seconds if a heatsink isn't properly seated

Tell me about it, I have experience of this first hand when I managed to incorectly fit my hsf after puttin a new coolermaster shim on to protect the core, so much for protectin the core from bein crushed, that was fine, must have had the hsf on incorrect in some way. Oh and it did only take a couple of seconds to fry . Ah well had to go and buy a lovely new 2500 barton instead which is happily runnin at 3200+speeds

[acidrainy]

Yeah, have to follow Agent, your mobo should be fine!

The only thing that is damaged, imho, is the CPU...