New "Allen" build boot problem

[Jim Tedder]

Just built the PC with an A7M266. Problem now is I can't get a prompt from the OS boot disk. Have tried to boot from CD and floppy and neither one will give me a prompt. System runs through the test/checks and just after the "PCI device listing"s, I get a blinking cursor "_" but no prompt and no other activity from the keyboard. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Allen Hallada]

Hey Jim,
Go into Bios and set it back to default. While you are there make sure you have the correct bios for running the type of processor you have installed.
Take out all your PC cards and just leave the video card in the AGP slot. See if you can get it to boot from there. Also, just hook up the system drive for now to the IDE primary channel.
If you still aren't booting try taking out one stick of ram and leaving just one in for now until you get it booted.
Allen

[Allen Hallada]

Jim,
The other thing that was just mentioned today was the Enermax case fan caused a problem on bootup. Disconnect your case fan once also. If it is a problem send it back for the Panaflo case fan.
Allen

[Jim Tedder]

I just have a single 512MB stick of RAM. The floppy drive seems to hang just after it starts to run. Activity light stays on but no activity (on the floppy that is)

[Allen Hallada]

I would disconnect the floppy then and make sure you don't have a faulty floppy. There is a circuit problem somewhere, so you just have to eliminate it. Hopefully it won't be your motherboard.

Allen

[Jim Tedder]

I tried a second floppy and cable (also checked cable alignment). No change. Also tried second CDrom. Same. [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[gerax]

Jim

What processor do you have on the A7M266? I'm asking this because I had the same problem the first time I assembled my system (same mobo, Athlon 1800XP, 512 Mb Ram) . In my case (as Allen has just pointed out above) was a BIOS related matter: the mobo wasn't able to recognize the 1800XP processor I installed on it; I fixed this by putting a slightly older (non XP) processor so that the mobo could see it, then flash the bios with the updated version (capable of XP support) and put the Athlon processor back; from there everything went OK. I don't know if this is your case, but the symptoms are just the same.

Good luck

L.G. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Jim Tedder]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by gerax:
Jim

What processor do you have on the A7M266?

L.G. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've got an Athlon XP1700+. Did yours run through the tests/checks before stalling?

[Allen Hallada]

Yea,
I think L.G. is right. I would call Asus on Monday and ask them about that bios version. I'll make sure I post that on the front page here to make sure people get the current bios with the motherboard. I've also put an email into Asus and Newegg to see if the motherboard even ships with the current bios versions that support XP processors so that it doesn't have to be flashed before booting for the first time.
Allen

[gerax]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Jim Tedder:

I've got an Athlon XP1700+. Did yours run through the tests/checks before stalling? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't remember exactly which point the system hung at, but it was like halfway in the checks part, after the divices listing, so it could be similar. If this is the problem it's better than what it looks like, once I realized I fixed it in half an hour.

Good Luck

L.G.