I have just built up a PC but it shuts down after running a couple of seconds. Does not get to POST. Motherboard is Gigabyte GA-7VAXP and CPU is Athlon XP2000. Problem exists even with just MB and CPU connected. Please HEEEEELP.:confused:

Hello Kevin

I'm no great expert on this but I think you'd need a certain minimum of hardware.
Like CPU & fan, memory, video card & monitor, keyboard.
You should get a single beep when POST completes; it will display your video card info; BIOS details; memory check. Don't let it get any further. Go into the BIOS setup and look at the BIOS configuration settings. Note them down [on the motherboard manual]. If you haven't a clue what you're looking at you have two courses of action available:
1. Go read up about the bios settings before coming back to them.
2.Just proceed in hope and:
a. Shut down, add one item of hardware, boot and if post completes switch off.
b. Repeat 2a [but disconnect any hardware that causes POST to fail] until all hardware is connected and POST completes.

Read this
http://www.pcguide.com/proc/setup/index.htm
and this
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/bios/setup.htm
and this
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/bios/set/index.htm

Sound like one of two things to me. 1) a power problem. does the fan on the PSU run when PC is booted? or 2) A heat related issue. I am a novice but thats my penny's worth. Also it is possible to run the motherboard with just the Graphics card in and no CPU or memory. If its stripped down in such a way it can be used to test the motherboard. The reason being even with nothing conected you will still get the CMOS, thus elimintaing the motherboard as the source of the problem or confirming it .

P.S Could the board me shorting some where? If so would it /should it boot at all? Im not sure on that one my self.

To successfully complete the POST routine the board must have three minimum peices of hardware...CPU, RAM, video...and often a keyboard.

But it it does not at least indiacte an error without RAM and CPU then it pretty safe to say there is something wrong with it...

Check for a gropund problem. Try it on a tabletop with only the becessary items listed by mjc...motherboard, CPU, RAM and video. If it runs you have a ground problem, something grounding the motherboard against the chassis. If not, I'd think the motherboard is bad.

Also verify other components on another motherboard, or have a shop test them.

Hi

R u getting any beeps out of the system on power up?

I am having a similar problem with PIII system on a BX motherboard.

Try booting up the system as suggested by the other guys with only a video card, then add CPU, then add RAM and listen out for beeps etc.

The other common problem, again as mentioned, is the power supply. Is it giving out a true 5.5v etc? The motherboard will not allow power-up unless it verifies the power supply is good.

If its a power problem - at least its cheap! The system I'm fixing gives 4 beeps - indicates timing problem on the motherboard -and its only intermittent!

Good luck

Sach