Man Smart... Woman Smarter...

[Dragynphyre]

EDIT: I've got the "Green Machine" up and running - the K.I.S.S. principle worked beautifully in this case... Thanks Ruccus and everyone else here who gave advice.

I decided to boot up the machine so that I could copy down the exact error message, and noticed that it was prompting for a "System Disk" to be inserted into the IDE CD-ROM drive...

(Note: I hadn't even been in the room when my boyfriend had been working on the PC - so as not to get into a fight due to the frustration both of us were experiencing due to this problem - so I didn't see the message before)

I inserted the ASUS CD that came with my package, and it prompted me to repair the CMOS, so I did... got Win XP installed, rebooted cold about 10 times to make sure that the fix was reliable - and tonight just have to install drivers for the onboard sound and the faxmodem, and I'm all finished until I get the new soundcard my brother wants installed.


I'll let the letter I'm sending speak for itself... think this might get me some results?

December 1, 2003

Dear Sirs:

I purchased two PC's from your vendor booth at the KGP computer show on Saturday November 29, 2003. One system (the "Intel Dream" package) is indeed, running like a dream, and I thank you for building me such a quality product. I also recommended your company to a friend who then bought a full system package from you on Sunday, November 30.

One of the systems that I purchased ("Intel Special" package, invoice# XXXXX) is not running properly. I have reason to believe that there is a problem with the ASUS motherboard that was installed, as upon powering on, I get a BIOS error message, and the computer will not boot up Windows XP. I would like to have this part replaced or a refund for the cost of the replacement sent to me. The list price on your website for the ASUS P4S800 that was installed in the system is $99.

Since I don't live near [location of your store], I would like to ship the aforementioned defective part back to you for replacement or repair. Shipping the entire system would be expensive, and I believe there would be a risk of damaging one or more parts in transit so I would like to avoid this if possible. I am able to install the new part myself.

I would also like to inquire about advanced replacement, in which you would ship me the new part, and I would return the defective part to you upon receipt of the functioning part.

I would like to resolve this issue, and get this PC up and running, as soon as possible. You may contact me at [dragynphyre's email address] or at the phone numbers below.

xxx-xxx-xxxx daytime
xxx-xxx-xxxx evenings & weekends

Thank you for you prompt attention to this matter.

Very truly yours,


[Dragynphyre] (Back In Black)
Delissandra Splitshadow - Marauder of the Circle of Unseen Hands
Grandmaster Poisoner (250), Master Potter (191), Grandmaster Lush (200)

Edited by: Dragynphyre at: 12/3/03 7:00 am

[EZ_Talius]

If it's under warrently they'd have no reason not to fix it. But I'd be prepared for them to require you to ship back the entire system to them and, although it sucks, they'll probably want you to pay for shipping costs there and back.

Once they tell you what's what, see if a new mobo might not just ben cheaper than the whole mailing deal.

Then mail me your computer (the good one you mentioned, cause I don't want no broken one)

[Dragynphyre]

Yeah, the mobo is only about $80 at Newegg, so if they don't give me the answer I want, I'll just deal with replacing parts.

It's really too bad neither PC was for me - got one for mom (the one that works) and one for bro (the one that doesn't) with bro's insurance money.

My boyfriend spent 8 hours at his house trying to get that muther to work...I'd exhausted my own limited brain resources at that point. All I wanted it to do was actually boot up when I pressed the power button.

He finally he got it to do that - so I went back to the show for a few more things without taking the PC with me. But after I came back from the show on the 2nd day, and I installed the CD RW I just got, we tried booting up again and it wouldn't work again. By this point, the show would have been over by the time I got there.

He tried booting Win XP off CD Rom which worked once in a while - then finally wound up getting some sort of "BIOS lock" message when Award BIOS screen came up, and that's how it's stayed since.

So, my brother got this cool looking PC in a lighted case that can do nothing but glow green right now.

[EZ_Blaze ODead]

So did you try taking out the CD-RW?

[Dragynphyre]

Yup - bios still locked.

[Ruccus]

Have you tried clearing the CMOS? Maybe the memory settings were just set too aggressively.

Also, using the WinXP CD you can try its repair function. Here's a link explaining how to use the repair function.

[Dragynphyre]

How does one clear the CMOS?

How do I get it to use the WinXP disk if I can't get into the BIOS to select CD drive as boot drive?

[Aidden]

What did they say when you called their support line?

[Dragynphyre]

it's hard for me to make personal calls from the office, and their shop is closed after work - that is why I am trying to get this solved via email if possible

[Ruccus]

If you don't have the motherboard manual, the easiest way is to unplug the computer from the wall, then remove the battery (the silver disc that should be pretty prominent in the lower portion of the motherboard).

The CMOS jumper should actually be three pins, with a jumper connecting two of them (usually the center and left pin; moving the jumper to bridge the center and right pin will reset the BIOS). I can't find a large picture of your motherboard though, so the pictures I'm looking at don't have enought detail for me to locate the proper jumper.

[berael]

There's generally a jumper on the motherboard to clear the CMOS. You can also unplug the system, pull the battery (silver disc about the size of a quarter) off the motherboard, and wait 30 mins. Amadan :: Child of the Phoenix ::
tunare()warden
"You're nothing but barbarians, scoundrels, and assassins!"
"And fools. Don't leave out fools."

[Dragynphyre]

having problem locating the jumpers myself - not a very large picture in the manual here, and just got caught looking at non-work related stuff during the work day... ah well.

[Dragynphyre]

usa.asus.com/prog/spec.as...0&langs=09

If "ASUS JumperFree" means what I think it does, best I might be able to do is to pull the battery.

[Ruccus]

"Jumperfree" just means you don't have to adjust settings such as the front side bus speed through the use of jumpers. In the 'old days' (lol - like 5 years ago) you'd set your front side bus speeds through a series of jumpers. Depending on which jumper was enabled and disabled, different front side bus speeds could be set.

Now pretty much every new motherboard sets the front side bus and other features through the bios instead of motherboard jumpers. There still are a few jumpers on the motherboard (such as the CMOS jumper, since clearing the CMOS through the SoftBIOS is kind of a catch 22 if your BIOS settings refuse to allow the computer to post).

[Dragynphyre]

This is a bit more in-depth than anything I've worked with before, so don't mind me if I ask a lot of questions

The CMOS jumpers should be labelled somehow on the MB, so I'll look for that later on - but assuming I do find it and once I've moved the jumper, then what do I do?

[Ruccus]

Actually, the CMOS jumper probably wouldn't be labeled - I don't think mine is (though when I buy a motherboard I read through the manual a couple times, so I pretty much know where everything I need is located). Here's Asus' download site to a pdf of the motherboard manual.

Edit: Looking at the pdf, section 1-16, the 26th page, shows the 'CLRTC', the jumper you need to reset. I also opened up my case and looked at the CMOS jumper, and indeed there is 'CLRTC' silkscreened underneath the CMOS jumper. Edited by: Ruccus at: 12/1/03 2:17 pm

[Dragynphyre]

Playing with the jumper and removing the battery didn't work, according to my boyfriend.

Customer service replied back:
Regard to the P4S800 motherboard, can you tell us some details about
the error message?

One thing that you can do the trubleshooting is:
1. Getting in to the BIOS then go to the "EXIT"->"load setup
defaults" hit enter and answer yes.
2. Then go to "Advanced"->"DRAm Frequency" change the [Auto] to [166]
or [333] to mach your DDR RAM speed.
3. Go to "Exit"->"Exit & Save Changes"
The error message may gone.
4. Call ASUS to get more information.

You are welcome to contact us.

Problem is that I can't get into the BIOS at all, so I have to tell them what the message my boyfriend got was...

[Ruccus]

You haven't said anything about the motherboard beeping on bootup, but I'm wondering if it may be that one of the AGP, PCI, or memory slots isn't seated correctly. Get him to doublecheck the cards and memory to make sure they're seated properly.

One thing that I just remembered that may help should you not be able to find the problem, is that you can contact Abit directly for a replacement or repair; you don't have to go through the dealer from whom you got the system. Read this page from an AnandTech motherboard review (different board, but the page deals with Abit's RMA process and includes links).

[Dragynphyre]

No beeps, even when no monitor, keyboard, and mouse plugged in - I WISH there was a beep

not an Abit board - is ASUS, but yeah, I might wind up going through them to get it repaired...

[Ruccus]

D'oh; I'm not sure about Asus' waranty program (I'm not sure why my mind went on the Abit track - I guess it was while reading the other Asus/Abit thread); you may have to go through the guys you bought the system with an Asus board.

I'm thinking that it's possible that the case doesn't have a case speaker, and if the motherboard directs the error reporting through the case speaker instead of a little beeper on the motherboard itself, the beeps just might not be heard (but it'd still be trying to beep). The motherboard probably does have its own little beeper for the error reporting, but I'm kind of throwing darts at the wall to see what sticks.

[Dragynphyre]

I'm ready to throw the mobo at the wall to see if it sticks..

Trying to work with the guys at the vendor to see if they can figure out any way of me dealing with this - really all I want to do is ship them the mobo and have them replace it so that I have a working one.

Then they can go through the rigmarole of getting the one I have now repaired/replaced with ASUS.

[Ruccus]

Here's a shot in the dark. Spend a minute or so experimenting with the reset button. Try holding it down for ten to fifteen seconds, three to five quick presses in short succession, or anything else that might help with some sort of bios reset or something.

And a quick little rap on the case can work if there's enough positive thought (and luck) put into the process .

[Dragynphyre]

Had to hit reset a lot to get it to boot into BIOS at all the very first time we powered it up, things just got worse from there. ...may have been what caused the BIOS to finally lock up altogether, could it have gotten a bit more corrupted each time it was loaded?

I'll let you know the exact message that's coming up on the screen when I attach a monitor tonight...if it even does that.

Thanks for the brainstorming in any case Ruccus.

[Ruccus]

lol - reading instructions goes against every fiber of a man's being - it's not in our nature.

< a Married with Children episode just popped into my head where Al and Jefferson are trying to assemble a work table and one of them goes "We need more L's!" (holds up an L bracket); the other goes "We don't have any more L's! All we have are these 7's!" (holds up an upside-down L bracket)>

Now after it's all done you can say to him "Who's the Queen of Computer Repair?", and he'll have to say "You are" in that defeated, disappointed tone. Then in that sexy voice a woman uses to get what she wants, you can suggest "I'm sure we can find something you're good at; how about maybe foot rubs or massages?"

You can give this computer repair experience a memorable ending that might make up for the last few days' frustration .

[Dragynphyre]

I tried not to sound too "ha!" on the phone last night, but I don't think I succeeded too well.

Just sucks that he spent about six hours trying to analyze the problem (hours that could have been spent doing other things), and I figured it out in about 15.