I don't know where to post this so I'll put it here.

I'm trying to build a computer but I've run into a few problems.

I bought a 1 ghz duron and a 15" LCD monitor. The computer worked fine for a few weeks. It was slow so I wanted to upgrade it. I buy a 1.1 athlon processor. Okay thats all fine and good but when I put in the processor and turn the computer on, it doesn't show anything on the monitor but everything is getting power, I figure that I must have broke the motherboard or powersupply. I didn't know what it could be since I could hear the hard drive turning, the CD Rom and Floppy light were on etc. I test the computer on another monitor and the same problem, it isn't connecting and I know its not the video card since I tested the computer with another card. Then I test another computer on my LCD and it works. Okay, I take out the parts that work (hard drive, cdrom, RAM, floppy and video)and sell the computer cause I don't know whats wrong and I'm too tired to pay anyone to figure it out.

Now I buy another computer, 1.8 celeron barebones. I install the parts and boom, it works. It loads up to the hard drive where I get a STOP error that tells me to fun fdisk. Okay no problem. I turn off the computer, turn it on and BAM!! again it shows nothing on the monitor. I play with all the cords and wires and still nothing. Sometimes it gives me 4-5 beeps in a row and sometimes it doesn't before loading up. Other times I can press the power button and it shuts off, and next I have to hold the power button for a few seconds before it shuts down. I can't figure out what it could be. The video card works cause it showed up when I first turned it on. Can anyone give me an idea as to why the computer isn't connecting to my monitor? Everything seemed to work fine, and then it didn't. It won't show anything on the monitor even though its all plugged in and connected.

Hello FiresEdge.
You could use a copy of my Diagnostic Flowcharts [and also my document on “The BIOS Setup Programme”].
Send me a personal message requesting them and giving an e-mail address to send them to.

Here’s one possible route through them:

START UP TEST
1. Is the PC dead? No.
2. Did POST appear to complete? No.
3. Were there any audible beeps? No
4. The Power-On Self-Test failed to complete. [NO POST]

NO POST
1. Are the PSU voltages correct? I’m inclined to assume they ARE ok so:
2. [Switch off and] Disconnect all peripherals and system adaptor cards except the keyboard and video card/monitor.
3. [When you switch back on] Does the POST now complete (as evidenced by a single beep)? If it doesn’t then your system board [or something on it (most likely your BIOS settings, but possibly video card, CPU, memory)] is faulty. If it does run then:
4. Enter the “BIOS Setup” and make certain that the settings are appropriate. [This is not an easy task unless you know lots about the significance of the settings. This is where my document will be useful.]
4. [Switch off and] Re-connect the floppy disk drive and run advanced diagnostic software from a floppy disk. Get “TuffTest-Lite” from http://www.tufftest.com/free.htm or better if you can. This is simple and basic.
5. Does the system board pass? If not then it is faulty. If it does pass then:
6. Switch of and re-connect ONE peripheral/adaptor card.
7. Does POST now run? If it doesn’t this last device connected is faulty and should be disconnected. If it does run the device should be tested using the diagnostics and if it fails is faulty and should be disconnected. If it passes it's ok and should be included.
8. Repeat from step 6 until all devices are tested, all faulty are excluded and all working are included, then re-test the system.


The above is [a slight modification of] the usual procedure for dealing with a failure to complete the “Power-On Self-Test”. You can simplify matters by not running the diagnostic software. Just connect the items and see if they seem ok.

However,
I suspect your problem is caused by:
Your BIOS’s configuration settings are inappropriate for the hardware connected.
The BIOS must correctly operate and control this hardware while under the command of the drivers, which in turn are given their instructions by the Operating System, which handles requests from the Applications Software.
If the settings are such that to enable the hardware would be liable to cause damage then the BIOS will protect the hardware by not completing the POST [and not enabling the hardware].

One important setting is that all drives be set to “Auto”.
This means they will be “Dynamically Auto-Detected [and configured]” at each and every startup and the detection displayed on screen so you can see all is well. Only by doing this will the system cope with you swapping drives around.

Another important setting:
“PnP/PCI CONFIGURATION”
“Reset Configuration Data : Enabled”
This allows the BIOS to detect the hardware connected, select a non-conflicting allocation of resources and then it automatically resets the setting to:
“Reset Configuration Data : Disabled”
so locking the resource settings once again.
This must be done every time you alter your connected hardware because the resources allocated must match the hardware connected.

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

It would help if you would give us the specs for the system, what you have installed, what you have done to problem solve, whether you are getting a POST beep, and so on. The more details you provide, the more likely we can help.

That said, if the first case I would wonder if the CPU was compatible, if it was installed properly and so forth.

In the second case, I would wonder if some connections came loose while you were installing parts, if there is a heat problem, if the power supply is too small, if you have a problem with bad capacitors, or if everything is plugged in properly.

Tell us more so we can tell you more....

Thank you for the help. I'll post tomorrow what parts are in the computer and what I've done already. I'll record everything to get the best picture. Can anyone tell me how to reset the CMOS or BIOS?

There are generally 2 ways to reset the BIOS. You can remove the Clear CMOS jumper and put it on pins 2 and 3 for about 30 seconds and then put it back on pins 1 and 2. Or, you can remove the battery from the motherboard for at least 30 minutes (I prefer 24 hours) and then replace it.

Thanks, I will try to clear the settings and post more tomorrow.

Thank you all for your help. I reset the BIOS settings and loaded the devices. They were all detected and I had to reformat the hard drive. After doing all of that I install Win95. A different error came up with the software though. The computer copies the Win95 files and then prompts me to restart.

After I restart, an error message shows up.

"Insufficient memory to intialize Windows. Quit one or more resident programs or change the Config.sys and autoexec.bat from loading up other programs."

I don't know why it would give me that message. I have a gig of RAM and all that is loaded is the CD Rom drive.

The RAM is a 512MB 64x4 and a 512 MB 64x64. Is that what is conflicting Win95?

The motherboard is Asus Rock HB-R936.

Number 3 below will fix the problem.
1 & 2 are given for background.
I don’t understand what is causing this.

1. Windows 95 Can Access Up to Two GB of RAM
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;181594

2. Error Message: Insufficient Memory to Initialize Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;135192

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
3. Error Message: Insufficient Memory to Initialize Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;184447
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I remember reading recently of someone having a similar problem with Windows 98.
It was recommended they remove the second 512 MB Memory Module and that fixed the problem. The person giving the advice said Windows 98 has a problem handling more than 512 MB.
I remember reading in this forum that the upper limit is WAY beyond that. I personally have no idea which is correct.

Thank you for all your help. I installed Windows 2000 and it loaded up, but I think there is a hardware incompatibility. Certain applications like Explorer and the multimedia options in the control panel and drivers on CD ROM don't seem to load, while others take 3-4 minutes before the program loads. When I shut down, it shows that explorer and powermeter need to be ended even though I never ran those programs. Remind me not to build a computer!

Sylvander maybe this will clear things up.

"Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 95

This article was previously published under Q253912
If this article does not describe your hardware-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about hardware:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/windows/topics/hardware/hwddresctr.asp

SYMPTOMS
If a computer that is running any of the versions of Windows that are listed above contains more than 512 megabytes (for example, 768 megabytes) of physical memory (RAM), you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
You may be unable to open an MS-DOS session (or command prompt) while Windows is running. Attempts to do so may generate the following error message:

There is not enough memory available to run this program.
Quit one or more programs, and then try again.
The computer may stop responding (hang) while Windows is starting, or halt and display the following error message:

Insufficient memory to initialize windows. Quit one or more memory-resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities from your Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files, and restart your computer.
CAUSE
The Windows 32-bit protected-mode cache driver (Vcache) determines the maximum cache size based on the amount of RAM that is present when Windows starts. Vcache then reserves enough memory addresses to permit it to access a cache of the maximum size so that it can increase the cache to that size if needed. These addresses are allocated in a range of virtual addresses from 0xC0000000 through 0xFFFFFFFF (3 to 4 gigabytes) known as the system arena.

On computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum cache size can be large enough that Vcache consumes all of the addresses in the system arena, leaving no virtual memory addresses available for other functions such as opening an MS-DOS prompt (creating a new virtual machine).
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:
Use the MaxFileCache setting in the System.ini file to reduce the maximum amount of memory that Vcache uses to 512 megabytes (524,288 KB) or less. For additional information about how to use the MaxFileCache setting, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
108079 32-Bit File Access Maximum Cache Size

Use the System Configuration utility to limit the amount of memory that Windows uses to 512 megabytes (MB) or less.For additional information about how to use the System Configuration utility, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
181966 System Configuration Utility Advanced Troubleshooting Settings

Reduce the amount of memory that is installed in your computer to 512 MB or less.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
MORE INFORMATION
Vcache is limited internally to a maximum cache size of 800 MB.

This problem may occur more readily with Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) video adapters because the AGP aperture is also mapped to addresses in the system arena. For example, if Vcache is using a maximum cache size of 800 MB and an AGP video adapter has a 128-MB aperture mapped, there is very little address space remaining for the other system code and data that must occupy this range of virtual addresses.

This was copied fron MSKB Q253912

Win 2000 and XP don't have this problem