I’m attempting to build an extra computer with all the parts I have laying around. Basically, I just want it to be able to run Hulu and Netflix instawatch to a TV in the workout room since we have no cable and the digital rabbit ears don’t work in the basement.
I’ve got the computer mostly assembled, but have no idea of any or all of the components still work. I wanted to power it up, but can’t really make out where the two wire from the power switch hook up.
I’ve built many computers, but have always had the users manual that comes with the MB - not the case here.
So, firstly, does anyone have a manual for an ABIT BE7 motherboard or know where I can download one? I’ve tried Abit’s website with no luck. Googling it sends me to a bunch of crummy sites that all end up in dead links.
My other option is to try to decipher the motherboard. I’m not sure if my camera is up to the task of getting the tiny print, but I’ll try to post a pic.
^SP_LEDPWR_ONPWR_LED
HDD_LEDRESET SPEAKER KEYLOCK
That’s the best description I can do in text. The first bank looks like the standard header. I’ll see if that works.
So, if I jump 3 &4 together - and by that I mean I touch both of them at the same time with a screwdriver - it should power on, right?
There is one light on on the MB. So I know power of some type is getting there. And the fan on the CPU did start to spin once while I was touching the pins, but I’m not sure which two I touched and I can’t recreate it. Maybe more than one pin has to be grounded? It’s just frustrating.
Yes, there is - but it’s unclear which text goes with which pins. See the pic a couple of posts up.
The pins across the top, from left:
Suspend LED +
Suspend LED -
Power switch
Power switch
blank
blank
blank
Power LED +
blank
Power LED -
Keylock
Keylock
Across the bottom, from left:
HDD LED +
HDD LED -
Reset switch
Reset Switch
unused
blank
blank
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
blank
So, there must be something else wrong here. AFAIK, the power switch is just a momentary push switch. So, when you hit the power button, you momentarily connect the two pins. So, if I touch both pins at the same time with a screwdriver, it should come on. Right?
any suggestions on what to try next? The power supply has an on/off switch. If I turn that on and push the power button, the cpu fan spins for about 1/2 a second.
The power button does nothing unless I switch the ps off and on again. Then I can get the fan to spin again - but that’s it.
I tried different sticks of ram in different slots. Not sure what else to try next
No idea on how to make it work at this point, but I have an old ABIT BE6 computer (450MHz PIII) that originally ran Windows 98 SE. Trying to install XP always failed, I could not find drivers for the ATA 66 hard drive controller on that motherboard. If the BE7 has a similar hard drive controller, save yourself some headaches and skip trying to install XP if it fails more than a couple of times. That board had no problems with Ubuntu though, except for the sound card. It works for e-mail and browsing, but watching video is right out. Good luck with it though, trying to overcome the obstacles is half the fun, right?
Well, here’s the full story - my brother upgraded his computer. His old one was better than the one I had so he gave it to me. It had this MB and a Pentium 4 2.56Ghz processor. It started getting glitchy so I finally gave in and built my current computer. I gutted my brother’s case and installed everything new. After rebuilding my new computer - I had exactly the same problems that I was having with the old one. Turns out the culprit was the switch on the case that I was reusing. I replaced that and everything was shiny. Which meant that I had dismantled a perfectly good (though a bit out dated) computer.
Now, I’ve gutted my old computer and am attempting to install all the guts out of my brother’s computer in it.
But, I wasn’t very careful about storing the MB and components out of my brother’s computer. No static proof mylar bags - no foam protecting the pins - just kinda stacked in a box. So, I may have wrecked something - I don’t know.
When I assembled a computer it would not start (press button = nothing). I was advised that the likely problem was a short. I took it apart and reassembled it, eliminating any unnecessary connections. It started. Apparently I had misconnected the fans.
This may sound silly but the first PC I ever built used an Abit mobo (BP6? Whatever their dual celeron board was) and when I assembled it I could not get the thing to power on.
After some investigating it turned out that I had accidentally left the “clear CMOS” jumper in place. Check and see if you’ve got anything like that going on.
ethelbert, I’m trying that next. I don’t think anything’s shorted - but it’s worth a shot.
Valgard, Without a user manual - I have no idea where that jumper is. But, I haven’t changed anything since it was working before. There are 3 jumpers on the MB, but I have no idea what they do!
