2nd Boot Trouble

[MikeI]

Hi All,

I've been checking in with this web site for a long time and finally decided to give building a computer a try. I've been into a few cases before, adding cards and such but never anything like this.

System
Antec Sonata 3
Asus PSN-E SLI
Intel e6750
EVGA 7600 GT
WD 320 GB Sata
Sony DVD-RW

Everything went fine for the first boot. I have Robs book and it went very smooth. I added the hard disk, DVD drive, and floppy and did a second boot. Thing were going real well. I was in the BIOS and didn't really change very much. I left the computer running for over a half hour while I ran an errand and when I got back it was just as I left it, humming smoothly.
I downloaded the Western Digital Digital Lifeguard disk image from the web site and put the CD in to the DVD drive. I was following the on screen directions. It asked for the operating system I was going to install and entered Windows xp and checked the box for sp1 or above. When I pressed the proceed button the whole computer shopped working, fans and everything.
Now it doesn't do anything. When I turn the power switch on in the rear, the green light on the motherboard comes on but when I press the power button on the front of the case nothing happens. No fans, no nothing. I'm thinking power supply but don't know why it would happen or what to do. Was it something I did wrong. Any help anyone could give me would be great. I'm starting to wonder if this was such a good idea. Going to Frys would have been much easier but I know I wouldn't have gotten a better machine.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help

Mike

[acidfire]

Not 100% sure but sounds like power supply is the problem. I know when I did my brothers computer last dec, it would start run for a couple minutes then shut down on 2nd boot. After messing with it over 2 hours I decide to get a new power supply as the power supply I was using came with the case. I got a new antec treo I believe and that solved all my problems. Like I said not 100% sure that is your problem but sounds like it, but maybe someone else might be able to help more. Are you using sli? If you are using sli do you have a sli certified psu?

[The Wise Monkey]

It sounds like there is definitely power getting to your machine, so it may not be the PSU - you wouldn't get the light on if it was. Is the front panel connected up correctly? This may sound a stupid question, but a wire may have come loose or the power button may have broken.

[MikeI]

One of the first things I did when this problem came up was look at the way the power sw wire, reset sw wire and HD led wire were connected. I used the Asus Q connector and re-hooked these wires up again following the supplied directions. I put everything in the way the picture showed. I'm only using one graphics card so no SLI. I've disconnected the power connectors from the HD, DVD drive and floppy drive and nothing has changed. The green light on the motherboard comes on when I turn on the switch on the rear of the computer but nothing happens when I push the power button on the front panel. I don't know what else to do.

Mike

[Jamie Nixx]

Have you put the wires on the Q connector the right way around, if you look at the plugs carefully they will have a tiny arrow, that arrow has to be alligned with the positive on the Q connector.

[MikeI]

Yes, I've looked at this a couple of times but hadn't noticed the arrow before. I just now took the power lead off and see that the arrow is on the back side of the power lead and when you have the letters all facing the same way as in the picture the arrow is on the positive side.

Mike

[MikeI]

I brought my machine into a repair shop (I don't have another psu). They hooked it up to another power supply and low and behold it worked fine. I am not happy with the Earthwatts psu. Thank you to all who tried to help me out.

Mike

[Jamie Nixx]

Glad you got it sorted.

If you haven't bought a new PSU, Antec are pretty cheap and extremely reliable.