Troubleshooting New Installations
At this point, the system should reset and attempt to boot normally from either a floppy disk or hard disk. With the operating system startup disk in drive A:, the system should boot and either reach an installation menu or an A: prompt. If any problems exist, here are some basic items to check:
If the system won't power up at all, check the power cord.
If the cord is plugged into a power strip, make sure the strip is switched on. Usually, a power switch can be found on the front of the case, but some power supplies have a switch on the back as well.
Check to see whether the power switch is connected properly inside the case.
There is a connection from the switch to the motherboard; check both ends to ensure that they are connected properly.
Check the main power connector from the supply to the board.
Make sure the connectors are seated fully, and if the board is a Baby-AT type, ensure that they are plugged in with the correct orientation and sequence. If the system appears to be running but you don't see anything on the display, check the monitor to ensure that it is plugged in, turned on, and properly and securely connected to the video card.
Check the video card to ensure it is fully seated in the motherboard slot.
Remove and reseat the video card, and possibly try a different slot if it is a PCI card.
If the system beeps more than once, the BIOS is reporting a fatal error of some type.
See the BIOS Error code listings in Chapter 5 and on the DVD accompanying this book for more information on what these codes mean because they depend on the type and version of BIOS you have. Also, consult your motherboard documentation—look in the BIOS section for a table of beep codes.
If the LED on your floppy drive, hard drive, or CD/DVD-ROM drive stays on continuously, the data cable is probably installed backward or is off by some pins.
Check that the stripe on the cable is properly oriented toward pin 1 on both the drive and board connector ends. Also, check the drive jumpers for proper master/slave relationships.
When you are sure the system is up and running successfully, power it off and screw the chassis cover securely to the case. Now your new system should be ready for the operating system installation.
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