K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour

FWIW, I just tried a different PSU and it makes no difference, so it's
something on the mobo or in the BIOS that's causing the problem.

"Martin Taylor" <nobody DeleteThis @nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:ct1aqn$bcn$1@titan.btinternet.com...
 > My K7S5A decided today that it would not start up, so I opened the PC up
and
 > checked all the connections - but it still would not POST. The fans run
and
 > various LEDs show, but nothing happens on screen.
 >
 > After a while I tried again, and this time it *did* start (?!), so I got
 > into the BIOS and checked the settings there. On leaving the BIOS
settings,
 > the machine again failed to POST. And so it goes ... after a few repeats
of
 > this cycle, it does seem to be that it will only POST after being left
alone
 > for about an hour.
 >
 > Does this make any sense? Is there some setting somewhere that resets
 > itself after a while and allows me to start the machine up? Is the mobo
 > about to die? Is the PSU failing, maybe, or does that have a cutout
that's
 > causing the problem? Its an Antec True 380W.
 >
 > Hope someone can help ... I'm about to change the mobo but I'd obviously
 > prefer not to.
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour 

Ken

Thanks for the reply . I am (fingers crossed) up and running again,
having used Jumper 4 to clear the CMOS. Although whether that actually
cured the problem or not is debatable, I guess. I read on the forum over at
HoneyX's site that someone found that removing the CMOS battery overnight,
and then replacing it in the morning, made a non-POSTing machine work again.
Like you say, there's too many possible reasons.

Martin

"Ken" <user.DeleteThis@domain.invalid> wrote in message
news:eoWId.75888$w62.6893@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
 > Martin Taylor wrote:
  >> My K7S5A decided today that it would not start up, so I opened the PC up
  >> and
  >> checked all the connections - but it still would not POST. The fans run
  >> and
  >> various LEDs show, but nothing happens on screen.
  >>
  >> After a while I tried again, and this time it *did* start (?!), so I got
  >> into the BIOS and checked the settings there. On leaving the BIOS
  >> settings,
  >> the machine again failed to POST. And so it goes ... after a few repeats
  >> of
  >> this cycle, it does seem to be that it will only POST after being left
  >> alone
  >> for about an hour.
  >>
  >> Does this make any sense? Is there some setting somewhere that resets
  >> itself after a while and allows me to start the machine up? Is the mobo
  >> about to die? Is the PSU failing, maybe, or does that have a cutout
  >> that's
  >> causing the problem? Its an Antec True 380W.
  >>
  >> Hope someone can help ... I'm about to change the mobo but I'd obviously
  >> prefer not to.
  >>
  >>
 > Your problem could be a lot of different things, but the most likely is
 > that there is a poor connection somewhere in a critical area and
 > temperature is effecting that connection. (When you said fans are
 > running, I assume the CPU fan is also running.) Such an area could be the
 > power connector from the PS to the MB, a poor connection to the processor,
 > or even a poor connection for the RAM. (These suggestions assume that
 > your problem is not the video card connection and that you are NOT
 > receiving any beeps when trying to start the computer. If the beeps are
 > there, then try reseating the video card also.) First try reseating your
 > RAM and then the PS cable connector as there is little chance of doing any
 > damage with them.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour 

If you are still looking... ***Back up your OS Now!!!!!!!***


This is exactly what my K7S5A was doing end of last summer and I just
couldn't figure it out. Then I started getting odd blue screens and then
wild file corruptions that I would do repair installs on and then the repair
installs would stall and I was really screwed. I did not think they were
related, but they were. I changed RAM and Power Supplies and fans and you
name it and things just kept getting worse. One time I could boot in 20
seconds... other times I had to let it wait for 20+ minutes!

Someone here kept telling me to check my capacitors and I did not understand
how distorted they needed to be. I assumed (based on 30 year old
understanding of capacitors) that they would be really bulged when in fact
it was a matter of looking at them really close. The crosses on top were
just separating and by golly there was one slightly browned in the centers
of those crosses.

I tossed that board in favor of an ASRock K7S8XE+ for very cheap and all my
problems went away.




"Martin Taylor" <nobody.RemoveThis@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:ct1aqn$bcn$1@titan.btinternet.com...
 > My K7S5A decided today that it would not start up, so I opened the PC up
and
 > checked all the connections - but it still would not POST. The fans run
and
 > various LEDs show, but nothing happens on screen.
 >
 > After a while I tried again, and this time it *did* start (?!), so I got
 > into the BIOS and checked the settings there. On leaving the BIOS
settings,
 > the machine again failed to POST. And so it goes ... after a few repeats
of
 > this cycle, it does seem to be that it will only POST after being left
alone
 > for about an hour.
 >
 > Does this make any sense? Is there some setting somewhere that resets
 > itself after a while and allows me to start the machine up? Is the mobo
 > about to die? Is the PSU failing, maybe, or does that have a cutout
that's
 > causing the problem? Its an Antec True 380W.
 >
 > Hope someone can help ... I'm about to change the mobo but I'd obviously
 > prefer not to.
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour 

Jess Fertudei wrote:
 > If you are still looking... ***Back up your OS Now!!!!!!!***
 >
 >
 > This is exactly what my K7S5A was doing end of last summer and I just
 > couldn't figure it out. Then I started getting odd blue screens and then
 > wild file corruptions that I would do repair installs on and then the repair
 > installs would stall and I was really screwed. I did not think they were
 > related, but they were. I changed RAM and Power Supplies and fans and you
 > name it and things just kept getting worse. One time I could boot in 20
 > seconds... other times I had to let it wait for 20+ minutes!
 >
 > Someone here kept telling me to check my capacitors and I did not understand
 > how distorted they needed to be. I assumed (based on 30 year old
 > understanding of capacitors) that they would be really bulged when in fact
 > it was a matter of looking at them really close. The crosses on top were
 > just separating and by golly there was one slightly browned in the centers
 > of those crosses.
 >
 > I tossed that board in favor of an ASRock K7S8XE+ for very cheap and all my
 > problems went away.
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > "Martin Taylor" <nobody.RemoveThis@nowhere.com> wrote in message
 > news:ct1aqn$bcn$1@titan.btinternet.com...
 >
  >>My K7S5A decided today that it would not start up, so I opened the PC up
 >
 > and
 >
  >>checked all the connections - but it still would not POST. The fans run
 >
 > and
 >
  >>various LEDs show, but nothing happens on screen.
  >>
  >>After a while I tried again, and this time it *did* start (?!), so I got
  >>into the BIOS and checked the settings there. On leaving the BIOS
 >
 > settings,
 >
  >>the machine again failed to POST. And so it goes ... after a few repeats
 >
 > of
 >
  >>this cycle, it does seem to be that it will only POST after being left
 >
 > alone
 >
  >>for about an hour.
  >>
  >>Does this make any sense? Is there some setting somewhere that resets
  >>itself after a while and allows me to start the machine up? Is the mobo
  >>about to die? Is the PSU failing, maybe, or does that have a cutout
 >
 > that's
 >
  >>causing the problem? Its an Antec True 380W.
  >>
  >>Hope someone can help ... I'm about to change the mobo but I'd obviously
  >>prefer not to.
  >>
  >>
 >
 >
 >
Well the board still works other than being unable to flash the bios and
and occassionally having to reset the bios.
And I do understand that this econo board is a slight POS!
Frank<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour 

I was thinking of replacing my K7S5A PRO with the Asrock K7S8XE,
I using Win XP home OEM, was your Win XP ok with the motherboard switch?


Jess Fertudei wrote:
 > If you are still looking... ***Back up your OS Now!!!!!!!***
 >
 >
 > This is exactly what my K7S5A was doing end of last summer and I just
 > couldn't figure it out. Then I started getting odd blue screens and then
 > wild file corruptions that I would do repair installs on and then the repair
 > installs would stall and I was really screwed. I did not think they were
 > related, but they were. I changed RAM and Power Supplies and fans and you
 > name it and things just kept getting worse. One time I could boot in 20
 > seconds... other times I had to let it wait for 20+ minutes!
 >
 > Someone here kept telling me to check my capacitors and I did not understand
 > how distorted they needed to be. I assumed (based on 30 year old
 > understanding of capacitors) that they would be really bulged when in fact
 > it was a matter of looking at them really close. The crosses on top were
 > just separating and by golly there was one slightly browned in the centers
 > of those crosses.
 >
 > I tossed that board in favor of an ASRock K7S8XE+ for very cheap and all my
 > problems went away.
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > "Martin Taylor" <nobody.DeleteThis@nowhere.com> wrote in message
 > news:ct1aqn$bcn$1@titan.btinternet.com...
 >
  >>My K7S5A decided today that it would not start up, so I opened the PC up
 >
 > and
 >
  >>checked all the connections - but it still would not POST. The fans run
 >
 > and
 >
  >>various LEDs show, but nothing happens on screen.
  >>
  >>After a while I tried again, and this time it *did* start (?!), so I got
  >>into the BIOS and checked the settings there. On leaving the BIOS
 >
 > settings,
 >
  >>the machine again failed to POST. And so it goes ... after a few repeats
 >
 > of
 >
  >>this cycle, it does seem to be that it will only POST after being left
 >
 > alone
 >
  >>for about an hour.
  >>
  >>Does this make any sense? Is there some setting somewhere that resets
  >>itself after a while and allows me to start the machine up? Is the mobo
  >>about to die? Is the PSU failing, maybe, or does that have a cutout
 >
 > that's
 >
  >>causing the problem? Its an Antec True 380W.
  >>
  >>Hope someone can help ... I'm about to change the mobo but I'd obviously
  >>prefer not to.
  >>
  >>
 >
 >
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour 

Seemed fine. I did the route of starting the machine after the board was
installed and going right into CMOS and setting up the BIOS first, making
sure it was set to boot from CD first while I was there, then booted from
the XP disc and told it to do a repair install.

Basically, as I understood the objective, the key was to not let XP boot
with the new board prior to forcing the repair install... and it worked out
well for me. In fact, I have a dual boot and 98SE seemed just fine with it.


Your Mileage May Vary







"Tod" <no_spam_me RemoveThis @comcast.net> wrote in message
news:41F9BC70.6030909@comcast.net...
 > I was thinking of replacing my K7S5A PRO with the Asrock K7S8XE,
 > I using Win XP home OEM, was your Win XP ok with the motherboard switch?
 >
 >
 > Jess Fertudei wrote:
  > > If you are still looking... ***Back up your OS Now!!!!!!!***
  > >
  > >
  > > This is exactly what my K7S5A was doing end of last summer and I just
  > > couldn't figure it out. Then I started getting odd blue screens and then
  > > wild file corruptions that I would do repair installs on and then the
repair
  > > installs would stall and I was really screwed. I did not think they were
  > > related, but they were. I changed RAM and Power Supplies and fans and
you
  > > name it and things just kept getting worse. One time I could boot in 20
  > > seconds... other times I had to let it wait for 20+ minutes!
  > >
  > > Someone here kept telling me to check my capacitors and I did not
understand
  > > how distorted they needed to be. I assumed (based on 30 year old
  > > understanding of capacitors) that they would be really bulged when in
fact
  > > it was a matter of looking at them really close. The crosses on top were
  > > just separating and by golly there was one slightly browned in the
centers
  > > of those crosses.
  > >
  > > I tossed that board in favor of an ASRock K7S8XE+ for very cheap and all
my
  > > problems went away.
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > > "Martin Taylor" <nobody RemoveThis @nowhere.com> wrote in message
  > > news:ct1aqn$bcn$1@titan.btinternet.com...
  > >
   > >>My K7S5A decided today that it would not start up, so I opened the PC up
  > >
  > > and
  > >
   > >>checked all the connections - but it still would not POST. The fans run
  > >
  > > and
  > >
   > >>various LEDs show, but nothing happens on screen.
   > >>
   > >>After a while I tried again, and this time it *did* start (?!), so I got
   > >>into the BIOS and checked the settings there. On leaving the BIOS
  > >
  > > settings,
  > >
   > >>the machine again failed to POST. And so it goes ... after a few
repeats
  > >
  > > of
  > >
   > >>this cycle, it does seem to be that it will only POST after being left
  > >
  > > alone
  > >
   > >>for about an hour.
   > >>
   > >>Does this make any sense? Is there some setting somewhere that resets
   > >>itself after a while and allows me to start the machine up? Is the mobo
   > >>about to die? Is the PSU failing, maybe, or does that have a cutout
  > >
  > > that's
  > >
   > >>causing the problem? Its an Antec True 380W.
   > >>
   > >>Hope someone can help ... I'm about to change the mobo but I'd obviously
   > >>prefer not to.
   > >>
   > >>
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: K7S5A will only POST after waiting an hour