Won't load windows.......can't access bios.

[Skydiver]

I've recently upgraded my computer after a lightning strike fried the mother board.  The computer is an HP 754n.  I installed a Asus P4S800-MX mother board, a P4 3ghz processor and upgraded the memory and graphics card.

I had to reload windows, then it was working fine.  But now, it won't go past the boot up screen where you access the bios.  It's frozen right before it would show the computer detecting the hard drive.  It won't let me access the bios at all.  I've tried resetting the CMOS, but that didn't do anything.  It's frozen right after it detects the plug and play bios extension v1.0A.  

Any suggestions?

[squirrel]

!) What OS?
2)Does it freeze BEFORE giving you the option to enter set-up or AFTER? (If it's AFTER, then enter setup right before it freezes)
3)Do you hear any beeps?

[Skydiver]

It's Windows XP home.

Not sure about when exactly it freezes, but I've even tried hitting Del to enter bios numerous times right after i hit the power button and I can't get in.

Don't hear any beeps, mother board sound isn't hooked up, cause I don't have a case speaker.  I have sound hooked up to the jack on the outside.  If it beeps, it's not coming out there.

[Frankie]

Is the cpu Heatsink and fan seated correctly. Take out and reseat making sure you use the right amount of compound and is the Heatsink fan spinning. Is the Ram seated properly, take out and reseat.

[Skydiver]

Even if the computer was working good before, could the cpu and memory not be seated properly?  

The cpu fan is running.  

[Frankie]

When you say Frozen do you mean its just stopped at this screen do you not get a blinking cursor. May of developed a fault. Fan may not be running properly causing heat build up. But lets try a few things to see. Disconnect your Hard Drive and other drives from the motherboard including there power leads. Now boot up tell me do you get any error message on screen hear any beeps and is the cursor blinking. allow a couple of minutes for the computer to detect these errors.

If you get Erros come back that say somthing like A: drive Error.=(floppy Drive) Primary HDD error=(Hard Drive) Then connect you floppy drive reboot and wait to see if the  Primary HDD Error pops up. If it still comes back A: drive error then you need to replace the floppy drive for a new on. If Primary HDD Error come up connect your Hard drive reboot and see if you get the meassage Primary HDD error. if you dont go on to do the same with your DVD CD Drive rebooting each time to see if you eliminate the error massages. if you do get the Primary HDD Error with your Hard drive attached then its your Hard drive. Let us know how you go on its always good to hear an udate as to what the problem was so that others can find out.

[Skydiver]

It stops on the screen where you can enter bios.  I do get a blinking cursor at the end of the plug and play bios extension sentence, but can't do anything.

I disconnected all the drives and i get no error messages.  

There is one beep right after I turn the computer on, right before the bios screen comes up.  It also did this before I disconnected everything.

[Frankie]

Your Bios is Award Bios am i Right?. You say you get one beep. if this is a short beep?. On this Bios, it means it has passed the post is it a single short beep?.

But ok you still having problems, now try pulling out all the cards in the pc and see if you hear diffrent beeps, some can be short others long. Now put your Graphic only back in see if any message on screen come up or if somthing has changed, like you hear different beeps or see Different errors on screen. Replace the cards one by one rebooting each time looking for changes. If you dont have any look at doing this. Can you Find a diffrent Graphics card to try. Maybe borrow one of a fried just to try.

ONLY TRY THIS IF THE ABOVE DOESNT WORK
If you still have no luck after trying another Graphic Card, there is one last thing you can do to see if its the Motherboard, Ram, Cpu, Heatsink Fan. That is to disconnect everything from the back of your computer, except for the power lead. Now disconnect all your drives, Hard Drives DVD the lot. Now take out all your cards Graphics sound the lot. Now reboot the computer so there is only the Motherboard Ram And cpu heatink and fan. Do you hear any beeps how many short or long. Let me know how this has gone. Also if it works.

[sm]

I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ONLY NOW IT WONT TURN ON THE MONITOR.IT TRYS BUT CLICKS BACK OFF IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS.SWITHED MONITORS BUT SAME PROBLEM.NEVER COULD GET PASSED THE BIOS SDREEN BEFORE THAT

[Skydiver]

The only card I have is a graphics card.  I removed that and with still all the other drives removed, it booted right to bios.  I tried a different graphics card and all I get is a blank screen.  Also sometimes, now, it will go to bios and sometimes all I get is a black screen.  

I have noticed that when is doesn't go to bios, the keyboard lights will flash when I initially turn the computer on, then they will flash again and the light under the power button will go off and the computer will do nothing.

I've tried different times booting up with everything connected then with all but the HD connected.  Still sometimes it will go right to bios and sometimes it will do nothing.  

It is Award Bios.  And now I get no beeps whether the bios comes up or not.  Also, during all my attempts with different stuff unplugged and plugged in, I get no errors.  It will either go right to bios or do nothing.

Could my problem be a bad motherboard??

[Frankie]

Its either your Motherboard, Ram, or cpu Heatsink and fan. Eliminate the Ram by trying in another computer, or asking a computer shop to test it. reseat your CPU Try a diffrent heatsink and Fan because the one you have may be at Fault, even though it is spinning i have seen this fault alot on computers. If the above things dont work then i suspect it has got to be your Motherboard. But check to see that nothing has fallen onto the Motherboard that is making it short. Get back let us know how you went on.

[Skydiver]

Well, looks like I figured it out.  I replaced my ram with one that was in the fried motherboard.  Now the computer seems to work fine.  It's booting everytime.  The faulty ram is brand new, Corsair Value Select, PC3200, 2x512.  Has this ram been known to go bad?

I do have something else I've noticed.  Sometimes it won't recognized the HD everytime.  It's the factory HD that came with the computer before I rebuilt it.  Could it be a bad HD or could the motherboard just not like it?

[Frankie]

Yes looks like we worked it out. Thankyou. Ram can go bad at anytime, I have had new Ram sold to me thats been bad. I havnt heard of any issues about the make of Ram apart from when Ram has gone bad, but thats just RAM can be working fine one day and the next its gone bad. I wouldnt worry about it.

As for the Hard Drive i presume you have checked your IDE cables are properly connected, If you have a spare one try that in its place. do you have set as Primary Master. I must admit im not a lover of Factory built computers and there Parts, I like to know what im putting in. Since you have got the computer booting up now might be a good idear to set the bios to default settings now. Give that drive abit more testing to see if it looks like its worth replacing. Like scan it for bad sectors.