Beep Codes

[DHC120]

And speaking of Beep Codes...
I bought, off eBay, a "refurbished" (New in Open Box) ABIT KN8 V1.1 Motherboard.. Socket 939. I fitted an Athlon64 X2 3800+ Processor.. The PS is an Antec 430 Watt.
I plugged in the Twenty Pin connector (removing the "extra" four pin end) from the PS as the Users Manual states, even tho the PS and the Motherboard both have the Twenty-Four Pin set-up (yes, I plugged the twenty pin in correctly)... I also plugged in the ATX 12V Four Pin and the Molex Four Pin wires to the board..
I plug one stick of RAM into the #1 receiver (as a number of others suggest).
At this point, according to "Zekrahminator's" "How To Build A Computer" (a great "how-to" for an old auto mechanic like me!), the board is to be powered-up.. so I plug in the power cord, turn on the "master switch" on the PS then hit the "Start" button on the case.. All fans are turning (PS, CPU, NB, & two Case). The board Beeps Once! (also, there is no "Post Code" LED on this board, but both the 5VSB & VCC LEDs are lit).
I also tried plugging in a stick of RAM into both the #1 and #3 slots, as it has a Dual Core Processor.. just in case..
"Zekrahminator" stated that: "...your case speaker should be giving you a long set of beeps summing up to 'I have absolutely no hardware plugged into me right now'".
I also plugged in all twenty-four pins to the board (just in case).. No change in the Beep Code.
In the "Basic Beep Codes for ABIT AWARD BIOS Motherboards", there is no "beep code" provision for "testing" a bare board.. a single "one short (beep)" means "System Booting Normally".. I don't feel I should be getting this with no HDD/OS connected.
I don't want to continue with this build only to have to strip it all back down, again.. if "something ain't right".. besides, the "guts" (PS, HDD, CD, ZIP & Floppy Drives) are in my "presently being used" computer..
Bottom line.. Is everything the way it is suppose to be, at this point?
Any help/info appreciated.
Chas.

 

[3991vhtes]

Maybe it's your RAM. Incompatible RAM can cause your PC to act strange.

 

[sneekypeet]

Ok i think after reading 3 times im getting what you are asking.......

Mobo has CPU and RAM and PSU on it......onboard grafix, or VGAcard?????

Mine (fatal1ty 939) will post with no HDD and let you see the bios...but if no VGA it wont boot to ABIT splash screen,and beeps as if nothing were in mobo at all, unless of course you have onboard grafix.

Only way to really tell what the beep code is...hook up a monitor and see if you get the splash screen and option to goto bios!

If I'm way off please tell me where I went wrong and I can try to help further.


BTW beep codes are the same with or without HDD/OS no ram...same, etc.

 

[DHC120]

Sneaky Peet & everyone else;
Sorry to take so long in replying, but I figured I was going to sort out this problem come hell or high water and report back with the solution..
Okay, here is what all transpired after my last post.. I went on the assumption that everything was okay, installed the Hard-Drive, XFX GeForce 7300GS Graphics Card, and connected a monitor.. Okay.. ABIT Logo comes up, enter BIOS, configure the settings and attempt to load Win XP Pro.. It would go thru it's cycle of installing the program files, informing me of the need to format/partition the 200 GB hard-drive, load the settings (again), then load the Operating System.. all this takes about three hours.. then it needs to reboot.. Great.. once it boots, I got a
"Verifying DIM Pool Data.
Boot From CD.
Disk Boot Failure, Insert System Disk and Press Enter" prompt.
Reinserting the Win XP Pro CD and restarting only resulted in the whole cycle starting all over again..
Okay, after every cycle, I changed "something".. a RAM card (four different cards), the PSU (three of them), the Hard-Drive (five different ones), even changed the Motherboard (two times.. one RMAed ABIT KN8, the other a new ASUS).. after every change and attempt to load the O/S, I got the same prompt.. ultimately, that only left the CPU.. I ordered another AMD Athlon64 X2 Processor.. It arrived today, I installed same, loaded O/S and the computer works like a champ!!
The lesson learned here, for me, is buying a "known to be working when removed" processor is false economy.. Of the two computers I built beginning in May (and finishing this month!), both had "removed" AMD processors fitted, apparently neither worked (the other build POSTed a "Check DRAM" or some such) and the new replacements cured the problems..
One would think there would be a "POST Code" or a "BEEP Code" that would tell you if you have a dead/defunct processor.. maybe a "real computer builder" would know what to look for, test for or know that the CPU was bad, I don't know.. But my problems are solved (at least the computer ones are...)
Thanks to everyone who offered their suggestions and advice.. It was (and is) appreciated..
Chas.

 

[ex_reven]

I think the Verifiying pool data is a Operating system thing.

Please Note: Windows is usually picky about you installing it and then changing the hardware configuration a heap (i.e. if you take your hard drive out and put it in another computer).

 

[Darknova]

"known to be working when removed"

That's just an easy way of saying "if it doesn't work, which it doesn't, I'm not liable".

 

[DHC120]

I think the Verifiying pool data is a Operating system thing.

Please Note: Windows is usually picky about you installing it and then changing the hardware configuration a heap (i.e. if you take your hard drive out and put it in another computer).

Ex Reven;
Windows is picky about any and everything ;-}
In my case of trying different hard-drives, two were 20GB units that I was using until I began the build.. one had Win98SE, the other Win XP Pro installed, another was a 250 GB that I had installed, formated and installed a virgin copy of Win XP Pro in the (then) still being used computer.. it worked great, but it wouldn't boot in the build computer. The remaining two hard-drives were brand new 200GB units that I did clean O/S installs on (initially).. only after changing the CPU did the O/S install "take" and worked.. Go figure..
Appreciate the reply. Thanks.
Chas

 

[DHC120]

That's just an easy way of saying "if it doesn't work, which it doesn't, I'm not liable".

Darknova;
Yah, it a "cop out" way to "CYA" and sell DOA parts on eBay.. Live and learn.. but that can get expensive after a while! ;-}
Chas.

 

[Darknova]

I don't buy parts on eBay...but if I have to, I make sure there is some kind of guarantee or returns policy, and if worst comes to worst I just use paypal to get my money back.

 

[DHC120]

I don't buy parts on eBay...but if I have to, I make sure there is some kind of guarantee or returns policy, and if worst comes to worst I just use paypal to get my money back.

Well, I must confess that the CPU problem is partially my fault.. Other than buying off eBay with no guarantee, the chip arrived unprotected in a padded envelope, as a result some of the pins were bent (which probably caused internal damage).. I should have asked for my money back right then and there.. but I carefully straightened the pins and the CPU dropped right into the socket so I thought I was okay.... Wrong!. Also, I had paid $20 for S&H, I did "bitch" to the seller as he actually paid less than a dollar for postage.. he immediately refunded the full shipping charge (that should have raised a red flag!).
Another "lesson learned" is, I ended up buying a brand new, still sealed in it's original packaging, CPU for about the same price as the eBay auction bid.. Although I generally do "my homework" on retail prices, on this deal I let my heart rule my head (auction fever!).. I guess it happens to all of us at one time or another..
Chas.