Abit IC7-Max 3 Troubles

Right. So my buddy just finished getting all the parts for his new rig. The thing is going to kick some serious ass once it's done. However, we can't seem to get it to start, which is quite an inconvenience. The problem is we install windows, it seems to install fine. It then reboots and when it goes to load windows all we get is a black screen. Very irritating. His system specs are as follows:

Abit IC7-Max 3
P4 2.6C
1 GB OCZ PC4000
Sapphire Radeon 9800XT
SB Audigy 2
WD 36 GB Raptor
WD 120 Gig IDE with PATA to SATA converter (Abit's own)
Lite On DVD ROM
HP DVD Burner
Antec 430 Watt true power

The way it's set up now is both optical drives are on there own IDE channel, with each set to master. The 2 hard drives are on Sata 1 and Sata 2 (currently, they've been tried on the other SATA connectors). I don't know what we can do to get it to work, and that's where you fine folks come in :D . Hopefully you guys can do your magic yet again, I know it'd be greatly appreciated. In the meantime I'm going to go and browse Abits forums and see if I can't find something there. Wish me luck :D

Try unconnecting everything you dont need, soundcard, extra HDDs, all the optical drivers etc. see what happens!

Check all the power connectors are plugged into the MAX3 firmly, reseat the cooler ... anything else?

Sorry, I shoulda said that. We've already tried ruling out everything else. Swapping components and the like, removing everything but the bare essentials, etc.