A question of .... Just kidding ! I booted my new computer! :o )

[Vanguarde]

Hello all - this thread is for all the guys and gals who have helped me with my system building fears over the past 3 weeks You know who you are so this thread is for you ;0

I installed everything. I took deep breaths. I triple checked every wire, connection, jumper setting, power cable, wire color, everything I could. I recorded every setting, etc I did on paper.
I plugged in the system, the monitor, keyboard. No mouse yet, no internet. Just me and the Post. Hopefully just me and the BIOS. It's a war. I am a soldier.

I pushed the power button. blank screen. Hitting delete frantically. UP POPS THE BIOS SCREEN - the Post test passed perfectly ! No beeps, no talking, just a perfect boot to the bios!

Yippe! Nothing blew up. Nothing is smoking, melting, etc. All the fans are spinning. Spinning the correct way too! 3 in, 3 out.
I run to hardware monitor. P4 sitting at 85 degrees. Temp goes up a tad to 87 degrees. Tops off idle at 89 degrees. I watch it - and I am not kidding - for 2 hours sitting on my floor. It does not spike or drop. Fans run perfect for the 2 hours. No funny sounds, no problems!

- or so I thought. I decide it's time to use my old computer to find the latest drivers for the items in my new computer. But first, I must set all the bios options that I know on the new computer. I can come back to the ones I do not understand later when I find out what they do. It's all good, I set the options, save and reboot. I tap delete again, back to bios - options are OK.

- here comes the *sole* problem. ( Pretty good for my first build I think - then again I have had some help here, and a massive 1000 plus page instructional book about computers at my side lol ) ( www.upgradingandreparingpcs.com )
I tap the reset button. System does not reset! lol It can only be one thing - I plugged in the 2 hole 'Reset Swtch' plug. But here is the problem - the case I bought from www.pcpowerandcooling.com has TWO Reset swtch plugs - one with white and blue wire, and one with brown and black wire. I search the Asus confusion... erhm I mean 'instruction' book for the answer... I see the panel display. It's cryptic in it's wording. I get fustrated.
It's only a two pin cable - One wire goes to the 'reset' and one wire is for the 'ground' But I have two wires , each with two wires on it. And the plug goes in only 2 ways.
So here is my question - should I just try to keep switching directions/plugs until the reset button works? I do not see any other course of action, since the instruction for the mo'bo I am using http://usa.asus.com/mb/socket478/p4t533-c/overview.htm
are quite bad.
So friends, if you own this mo'bo , would you care to help me?
I hit the power button like everyone said to do - this is the only thing stopping me from formatting and installing WinXP - then all my drivers.
Help pweaseeeeeeee

- Vanguarde 'Nervous Guy' McGinty

P.S. Pic is how my brain feels when reading Asus documents. I'm serious. 8(

[Underclocked]

Polarity should make any difference at all. The reset switch (if working) just momentarily closes a circuit via those two pins. You could have any color of wiring so long as the two go between the reset switch and the reset pins on the board. Backtrack those sets of wires to the front panel to see which truly goes to the reset switch on the front panel - I've not seen a case with two such switches although such a case could surely exist and you may have one. Make sure to doublecheck the rest of your front panel connectors as well.

I agree with underclocked. Even if you have to remove the face plate of the case, find out which wires actually go to the reset switch. The other wires could be for anything from a "turbo" switch to a "sleep" switch.

Glad to hear all went OK on your first build. Can be very nerve wracking until about the fiftieth time

Cheers
Mick

edit: BTW, if you can't seem to work it out, post the case model and I'll see if I can find it for you.

[thekingofpain]

Send an email to PCpower/or call for assistance if there is some confusion, in the mean time install your OS, the reset switch isnt preventing you from proceeding...

[Vanguarde]

No it's not but I want everything to be perfect with my computer - I want to be able to reset the thing lol
Thanks for the helping guys, and here is the link to the case: http://www.pcpowerandcooling.com/pro...ower/index.htm

If you look at the Quicktime '360' degree view you can see the two wires sticking out of the front - and if you look close you can see the blue and white one, and next to it the brown and black one - both labeled 'reset switch'
I have tried several other directions for the plug to no avail 8(
I sent a email to PC power and cooling but have not recieved a reply. Also, both wires go to the reset switch on the front panel after I followed them back ! Sigh, I know I could start the new comp fine, but I must have the ability to reset the comp lol

I will keep you guys updated , and will check back in several times over today to see if you guys come up with anything else!

- Vanguarde

[Tomteriffic]

I can't imagine why there's two sets of leads back to the reset switch

Nonetheless, in the case of a switch like that, the polarity of the wiring doesn't matter, like the other guys said.

If you get tired of waiting, pick a color you like (I'd vote for blue) and put that pair on the motherboard, boot 'er up to the POST screen and hit the switch. Can't hurt anything and you could get a quicker answer

[Vanguarde]

Well I have my answer ! No, pc power and cooling did not get back to me, I went back to the case and looked as careful as I can without going into a trance ** See pic**
The problem is that the button that you press on the front of the case that hits the button inside the front panel does not press back enough to hit the switch, so it was not resetting. The wire was correct, because when I saw this and tried it again, I used a pen top and pushed the button in and it worked. It's a crappy design for the reset button on the front panel 8(
I need to replace the front panel reset switch, because right now it's too small and cannot be pushed far enough in with just fingers in order to hit the reset button. I am using a pen tip right now lol
And remember, there is still two leads going into the reset switch box ( ?? ) but the one I have in their right now is working, so the hell with the other one lol
Can you believe how simple this error was? GAH
Ummm.. anyone know where or how I can purchase/create a new reset button? I was thinking about somehome converting some leftover plastic standoffs into a button that I can actually press with my fingers and it will hit the reset button!

GAH! lol

- Mike

[Tomteriffic]

Mike, the "cobbled together thing might be the best option. Just one warning... Superglue doesn't work on the type of plastic they use on case fronts. It just melts it into goo and it never hardens. I found some stuff at a truck stop that was meant to re-seal your windshield onto its gasket, sets into kind of an acrylic-type thing. Works fine on the kind of styrene plastic that case fronts are made of.