I tried building a computer out of some old parts i had and when i turn it on i get a BEEEEEEP... sound. on the screen is the regular crap that is normally there when turning on a computer, CPU type and speed ect... it says to push DEL to enter setup but when i push it nothing happens, it continues to beep. its just one really long beep. if i disconnect the keyboard it dosnt beep. but from what i know about POST the one really long beep means its eather my video card, bad memory, or the motherboard itself. I dont think its the video card because i have visual and ive used it in other computers, i know it cant be the memory because i tried some that i know is good. I even tried a different keyboard and it still did the same thing. So im left with thinking its the mobo. but if it was the mobo why would it only do it when the keyboard is pluged in?? shouldnt it beep anyway?? im hoping its something stupid like the PS/2 adapter.(I doubt it. i never heared of anything like that) What do you think it is?? I havent tried a new adapter yet because i dont have another one, and i cant test the adapter in a different computer because all my other computers are PS/2.

CPU = Pentium 200 Non-MMX
MOBO = unknown but has a sis 5582 chipset
BIOS = american megatrends
Video = 3DFX Voodoo Banshee
Mem = 96MB DIMM (Idea: could it being PC100 cause this??)
Drives = I didnt get that far yet. (Idea: could no drives cause this??)

Hi,

Just a shot in the dark here, but a keyboard error usually requires that you hit F1 to continue. Try that and see if you can get into BIOS. Don't change anything, but choose to save changes and exit. It will then hopefully recognize the RAM. The fact that it's PC100 shouldn't make a difference. PC100 is usually backwards compatible with a 66Mhz FSB motherboard. It will just run at 66Mhz instead of 100Mhz.

I don't think there's any problem with adapters at this point. You need to get the board to recognize the RAM first.

I am assuming that you don't have the motherboard manual. If you did, you could maybe find which jumper it is that clears the CMOS. Another way you can clear the CMOS is to remove the battery (about the size of a quarter and looks like a watch battery) for fifteen minutes and then reinstall it and boot up. However, if your CMOS battery is a Dallas chip, (looks like a silver root beer barrel sort of) then you're out of luck for clearing the CMOS. Dallas chips are usually soldered in.

Sometimes, you have to continually hit the Del key while booting for it to go into BIOS. Try F1 first, if nothing, then reboot and try hitting the Del key repeately until it lets you into BIOS. Then, follow the above advice for exiting. If you can't get into BIOS, then maybe you could "borrow" some memory from someone to see if that's the problem.

Are you using a floppy boot disk to boot up? Post back with any successes or failures. Don't give up, somebody here will get you going, I hope. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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Woe is me.

When you turn the PC on and it says "the normal crap", does it accurately identify the amount of RAM you have installed? PC 100 shouldn't be an issue for any of this. I have to figure you are using an old socket 7 (or maybe a socket 5 but I didn't think they had a multiplier to run a classic pentium 200) board that might have memory slots for DIMM's and SIMM's. Sometimes the boards can use both, or there may even be specific memory limitations on what size you can use in the DIMM slots. There can even be a jumper steering you one way or the other.

Try booting with only one memory stick in a DIMM slot, and make sure it is the first of the DIMM slots (they are usually maked 0 and 1 or 1 and 2). And while you are in the case, make sure as hell that you have everything plugged in nice and tight and that none of the pins on and device are bent.

I have cleared the BIOS and nothing. the F1 thing does nothing. and i tried to use memory out of my good computer, nothing. DEL over and over does nothing, i tried that too. another reasion im thining its the adapter is because when i press numlock or capslock the lights dont go on.

Originally posted by psabi:
When you turn the PC on and it says "the normal crap", does it accurately identify the amount of RAM you have installed? PC 100 shouldn't be an issue for any of this. I have to figure you are using an old socket 7 (or maybe a socket 5 but I didn't think they had a multiplier to run a classic pentium 200) board that might have memory slots for DIMM's and SIMM's. Sometimes the boards can use both, or there may even be specific memory limitations on what size you can use in the DIMM slots. There can even be a jumper steering you one way or the other.

Try booting with only one memory stick in a DIMM slot, and make sure it is the first of the DIMM slots (they are usually maked 0 and 1 or 1 and 2). And while you are in the case, make sure as hell that you have everything plugged in nice and tight and that none of the pins on and device are bent.

i tired with 1 32mb stick and nothing. it dosnt count the memory but if i change the memory it says Update OK. the jumper is set for the DIMM. i tried using SIMM (after changing the jumper over) and i get no display at all.

YAY!! I guess it just didnt like the memory. The first set of SIMM i used was EDO. the memory i put in now was from my old ass 486. and it worked! The only thing i dont like about this whole thing is going from 96mb to 24mb. but atleast i got it working. thanks for all the help you guys. i feel like an ass with the whole KB adapter thing http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/redface.gif

hey Doc

Glad things are up and running. I am surprised that EDO didn't work and you had to use FP. In any case, the KB adapter would have been a first if it was the problem. If it helps at all with your sanity, I have seen it where the mouse adapters (serial to PS/2) did not work across adapters.

It still seems strange about the memory. I have 5 socket 7 boxes (2 that only support the classic pentium, the rest are MMX, K6-2 and "beyond"). None of the boxes care whether I use FP or EDO as long as I pair them correctly. And they are all different brands of mobo's.

Good luck with your p200 24mb monster...

uhhh scratch all that! i found i have lots of bad memory! im ending up with 7mb! and the EDO didnt work because it was proprietary to the Acer it came out of. but now what i wanna know is, why isnt DIMM working?? i know for a fact that the DIMM i have is good.

Hmmmm, well, maybe the DIMM slot is just on there for decoration. Just kidding.

But seriously, maybe for some reason or another, the jumper or motherboard is just not working correctly. Maybe you should set it for SIMM and then try the DIMM. Maybe it's reversed or something. Just shooting in the dark again.

It might be a chipset limitation as well. Don't know much about that particular chipset, but maybe you should look it up and see what it says for types and amounts of RAM it supports. It could be that the chipset won't recognize memory sticks above a certain amount of RAM.

That must be a really old board if it doesn't support EDO as well as FPM. And, if it will only support FPM and not EDO, then I wonder if it will SDRAM at all.

Whoops, just saw where you said the EDO you used was proprietary to another board or something. I don't quite understand that bit of it, but it could be that your motherboard is one that covers many different models of it and for that model, the SDRAM jumper was disabled or something.

Good luck.

BB 66


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Woe is me.

[This message has been edited by BigBlue66 (edited 07-03-2001).]

Hi,

I ran into this with a PC Chips AT mobo with a similar config. It seems that the board is designed to only run with certain types of SDRAM config. usually only 32 mb or 64 mb chips max, unbuffered, non-parity. A bios flash upgrade may help, if you can determine the mobo ID. Also, you may want to try www. crucial.com and run the memory config. utility to see what types of DRAM your board will take.

Hi,

I ran into this with a PC Chips AT mobo with a similar config. It seems that the board is designed to only run with certain types of SDRAM config. usually only 32 mb or 64 mb chips max, unbuffered, non-parity. A bios flash upgrade may help, if you can determine the mobo ID. Also, you may want to try www. crucial.com and run the memory config. utility to see what types of DRAM your board will take.