Elwood P Dowd's Journal: PC troubleshooting help please. (Fixed)

(Edit: My front-panel USB connection was reversed. One of the few non-idiot-proof connectors. I figured it out by disconnecting just about everything and then reconnecting one by one. Shoulda been my first step before asking, so thanks for indulging :)

I'm sure I just forgot something braindead.

My newly built computer will turn on. The fans start. The on-board VGA turns on. It displays the mobo logo and does nothing else. No post, as far as I can tell. The keyboard seems to have no effect, PS2 or USB.

It's an MSI RS480M2-IL

No idea how to tell if it's a CPU installation problem or a RAM installation problem. There's no spot on the mobo for a PC speaker, so there are no beepy clues. Also mildly strange is that the power switch will turn the computer on, but not off in this condition. Have to hit the switch on the back to kill power to try to post again.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Can you get to the bios?

[sam_handelman]

This is a reasonably new machine? AMD, Intel or other?

Try hitting del or various function keys a bunch of times at startup.

Then, try lowering the clock-speed on your CPU to the minimum allowed in bios configurations, see if it will start then. If you can't get into the bios, the problem is likely to be with the mobo itself.

Re:Can you get to the bios?

[Elwood P Dowd]

I just see the BIOS logo, no POST, and it doesn't respond to del or other function keys as far as I can tell.

I can't imagine what configuration error would cause a problem between the logo and the POST.

Re:Can you get to the bios?

[Elwood P Dowd]

And it's a brand new Athlon64 socket 939 micro-ATX board. None of the components are known.

Check

[smittyoneeach]

Power supply
CPU jumpers
Seating of all removable components.
Swap components, e.g. power supply, with known good but expendable hardware until problem isolated.

Re:Check

[Elwood P Dowd]

Boy, does that sound like a chore.

The lack of PC speaker is really wearing on me.

Try...

[grub]

... removing all non-stock parts. Even hard disks. See if you can get to the BIOS.

If that doesn't work: Yank the battery and leave it out for a night. I know it's a new machine but that clears up loads of weird problems at work. Then you'll have a "virgin" setup.

As to your power on/off thing. Some machines come set up so you have to hold the power button down for ~4-5 seconds before it turns off.

That's a start ;)

Re:Try...

[Elwood P Dowd]

I had my front USB connector in backwards. Everything is good now. Doom III is nice.

Re:Try...

[grub]

Ahhhh sheesh, I read that edit before I posted but thought that wasn't the complete issue. So booting with no USB attached worked I'd guess. (See suggestion #1 of mine) heh.

Enjoy Doom 3! If you like stealthy stuff check out Thief: Deadly Shadows. It has a great story to it.