Hey guys, I really hope one of you here will be able to help me find the problem with this rig. A sys I built for my family's office died over the weekend. I've tested the mobo on other PSU's and it won't even give me the standby light.... so that's screwed.

Now, as for all of the other components, Each one will work in another system, but not together... WTF? I've tried the RAM in two different machines, it tests out fine, I've tried the DVD ROM in another machine, works fine. Tried the HD in another machine.....fine.... CPU, fine.

Now I put all the pieces back together in the old case with a good mobo..... not so fine. It'll POST, but it doesn't see the HD, and the CMOS keeps clearing. I've replaced the battery and cleared the CMOS. I should add that this is my old P4SDX which I was using 24/7 up until last Thurs. I shouldn't say that it doesn't see the HD, because after it posts, it lists the DVD and HD and then the number "40".... I'm assuming it doesn't want a beer. Oh, and Ive also tried it all with a different PSU and CPU.

Is the HD screwed too? It loads fine on my main rig but I didn't try booting from it. It doesn't seem that it's even trying to read, which can't be the HD since I can read it fine on my rig.

Help, I'm at my whit's end and I'm loosing my patience.

Oh! Almost forgot to mention, does the same thing with just the DVD attached and a boot disk..... nothing. Unless you count the beer request.

Thx, CRE

I'm sure you've been in the BIOS and done restore defaults followed by fixing only a few things (RAM timings, CPU speed, voltages). Sometimes some crap in there gets funky. Also make sure you aren't accidentally shorting the BIOS clearning jumper.

Besides that try a new hard drive? maybe offer us a full component list too

Yeah, reset the CMOS (BIOS) made sure the timings were at spec., same for voltages. Made sure everything was properly seated (ie: RAM, CPU, Vid Card). Had to check the CMOS jumper to clear it.... so it's fine.

I went ahead and picked up a new PSU just in case. I'll try it tomorrow. As for the HD, I thought about that, just gotta try and find one I don't mind loosing (worst case scenario).

Here's what the rig started with:

Enlight Case w/ generic PSU (yeah, I know.... but I figured with no O/C it'd be fine if not I'd just replace it)
Asus P4P800-VM
Intel Celeron 2.4
Western Digital 80GB 2MB cache (WD800BB )
LiteOn DVD/CD-RW Combo
Kingston PC-2700 512MB

Parts used for testing (testing everything except the mobo):
Asus P4SDX
AOpen AX45-8XN (wouldn't POST at all, gave me a mem error with either sticks of RAM)
Intel P4 2.4B
Intel Celeron 2.4 (a different one)
Geil GD PC-3200 256MB
Antec True430w PSU (edit: I take back the statement about everything but the mobo, I tried to power up the mobo with this PSU.... nada)
Old PCI VGA card (Trident I think, works fine, tested it in my P4P800-E Deluxe)

All of the parts used for testing are running fine back in their own rigs.... except the antique vid card, but I did run it in my main rig before and after trying it in the hurting unit. I'm gonna try an AGP card from one of my rigs and dig up a HD to test with in the morning, I'll post back with the results. If anyone else has any ideas, please lemme know!

Thx!!!! CRE

So neither the Asus P4P800-VM or P4SDX work?
Have you tried using all components of the non-working system minus the motherboard, using your P4P800-E Deluxe instead?

Quote: Originally Posted by TekXoID So neither the Asus P4P800-VM or P4SDX work? Have you tried using all components of the non-working system minus the motherboard, using your P4P800-E Deluxe instead?

Nope, neither works.... the P4P800-VM is dead.... and the P4SDX won't go beyond POST.I tested the two drives on the P4P800-E Dlx, and both work fine. I'm trying to avoid installing any of the other components on that rig since I'd hate to find that whatever's killing things just killed my new mobo.

I have however tried the components (singly) on another P4SDX rig I've got and each component ran fine.... although I didn't try booting from either. I'll try that later this morning.... still early and I don't want to wake anyone up to the joyous sounds of me drop kicking hardware across the room.

I do hope that my P4SDX is ok, but I dunno..... hell of a coincidence that neither the HD nor optical will attempt to boot combined or one at a time. I might try re-flashing the BIOS.... just fer giggles.... I guess stranger things have worked before.

Thanks for the help! I really need to get this rig running, at least until I can replace the bad components. Hopefully, it's just the P4P800-VM and the PSU that died..... and something *correctable* with the P4SDX. Can't really afford to replace everything (neither time nor money).

Wish I was there to diagnose every component individually myself...
I'll just throw out the possibility that it's either:
1) Dead motherboard.
2) Bad IDE cable(s).
3) Inadequate PSU(s).
4) Motherboard is grounding out.

Quote: Originally Posted by TekXoID Wish I was there to diagnose every component individually myself... I'll just throw out the possibility that it's either: 1) Dead motherboard. 2) Bad IDE cable(s). 3) Inadequate PSU(s). 4) Motherboard is grounding out.

Thanks, I did try /consider those items. BUT! I finally got it running!!!! I decided to flash the BIOS. Ver. 1004 wouldn't take, so I tried 1003..... still had problems... so, I figured "what the heck, I'll go all the way back to 1002". Well, halfway through the flash it nags me three times about rewriting the boot block, etc...... And well.... IT'S ALIVE!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........HEHEHEHEHE..........huhuhuhuhuhuh.....

Great! Not the first time I've seen asus boards with bios revision issues...

Well, the board WAS stable, somehow it got screwed..... anyway I think that versions 1003 and 1004 used the same bootstrap (is that the right word?), so if the version matched it didn't flash it. AFAIK if something goes wrong during a flash that's the most serious point where it could happen.anyway, I'm quite glad to be done with the monster... now I just gotta send in the P4P800-VM for repair.... had it about 2 mos. so I doubt Newegg'd RMA it.

Thanks again. The suggestions helped keep me on my toes.