My friend purchased a new motherboard (msi k7t266 pro-r) and amd xp 1600+ cpu we plug everything in, doesnt post and it hangs on according to the manual using the D-led, the graphical diagnostic led, "testing VGA BIOS-This will start writing VGA sign-on message to the screen." I restart and then we get all red leds which says "system will hang here if the processor is damaged or not install properly." Power down check cpu connections and core to look for cracks/bent pins/smell nothing, check power connections and make sure cards and DDR ram*motherboard does support it, samsung pc2100* is seated properly, strip to bare components:mb,ram,video,cpu/hsf still nothing. We decide to test her cpu and motherboard with parts from my working (at the time)computer (ECS K7SEM and 1600+xp) So I take my cpu out and put her new 1600+ in with HSF of course powers on nothing concluded her chip is bad. K Then we take my chip and put it in her motherboard same thing happens that happened in the very first place hangs at VGA bios testing and the restart and then all red and nothing, fans power but no post, no bios. I conclude that her motherboard is bad. K my concern is that when I returned my cpu into my computer it doesnt post or beep now. I tried my friends Amd athlon 1 ghz and nothing. I'm at a loss cant be ram, or power source cause all I moved was CPU. Heatsinkfan is plugged in so rpm monitor is not it. Not grounding issue never moved motherboard. I suspect that her motherboard is defective destroyed her processor as well as mine and putting those destroyed processors in my board killed my motherboard? Any thoughts on this and I'm getting a refurb motherboard I'm afraid to put my possibly broken cpu(no smell,bent pins, crack core)in it causing it to break my new motherboard aswell Also when manual says "CPU support:Socket A for AMD Duron,Athlon Processors" XP follows in the Athlon portion or is it usually listed seperatly? Thanks

Forgot to mention that I also tried clearing bios by shorting jumpers and returning them and also by taking out the battery for a few mintues.

I presume that you did this and anything else with the power turned off, right? It may sound like a stupid question, but boy, I've seen amateurs do some incredibly stupid things. Once you clear that cmos, you have to reconfigure the bios from scratch. I have no idea what you're referring to with all of those LED comments, but LEDs are the little red, green and orange lights on the computer case, for the hard disk, power, and sometimes fast or rest modes. Internal LEDs, usually only one, are indicators of proper or improper performance. Having built over 100 computers myself, and having dealt with professional computer engineers and technicians many times, I can say that I've never heard of a bad chip or mainboard - carrying over to another chip or board. I don't even believe that's possible. More than likely, you guys did something wrong. I hope that you have those motherboard manuals. Any working motherboard that's had the cmos cleared, almost always needs to be reconfigured in the bios again - especially if you've added drives, memory, or upgraded chips AFTER the original purchase from a computer store. I might be wrong, but it sounds to me as though your mobo may have been previously (manually) configured for a chip that has now changed, and that's why things are working, or rather not working, the way that they are. I also believe that the key to the problem, is to get the mobo manuals out, to see what can be done with jumpers or switches. With a litle luck, maybe there's a jumper or a switch that can be set to AUTO, in order to have everything start up again. Last but not least, if the mobo doesn't specifically state that it is compatible with XP processors, then it most likely isn't compatible with them. Just because both processors use socket A, doesn't mean that they can be plugged into any socket A board. You're supposed to do a little research with your mobo manual and the internet BEFORE you buy parts and components that could very possibly be incompatible with your mobo. Figuring out a way to start, and get into your bios settings, is the whole key to your problem. Possibly on both of the machines. Hey Intel, AMD rulez!

Well, I have ONCE seen the LED he is talking about. It is like the LED of an alarm clock, and it shows digits and numbers for error messages. And yes. If you stick a processor in a faulty board that knackers your first chip, and then stick and second chip in the same board, it can and most liekly will knacker the second one too! I did this stupidly, several years ago, when I was a little more naive. I put my mates "possibly but not known for sure" damaged chip in my motherboard, and my board blew up. We concluded that the chip was damaged. And I had to get another Mo'bo'

Well, yeah, but . . . I guess that's another one to chalk up to experience. I've never heard of a bad mobo that takes out the chip just by powering on - and then taking out any other chip that gets plugged into it. Sounds like a bad virus that Uncle Sam might be interested in - for mobos on computers that belong to terrorist organizations or something? (chuckle) Major bummer! I still hope that the problem is related to having cleared the bios. With luck, maybe at least Victors machine will come back up. 'Nuff for now. I'll be back later. Hey Intel, AMD ruelz!

Get a Compaq

Update. We tried running the same friends amd thunderbird 1 ghz in her msi board with hsf on properly and plugged in and it posted...I went into bios and it hung couldnt move cursor, checked keyboard that wasnt the problem, since i could hit del key to enter bios. Restarted...hear a pop noise turn comp off. The cpu itself has a crack along the circuit board part running just beneath the core. Core not damaged but there's a big ass crack! So this board is defective and I'm hoping I can salvage my components I used to test it. And yes I turned off the power while clearing cmos, I would reconfigure it if I could get it to post...got my epox 8K7A today I will try my cpu on it. Any other suggestions? thanks