well to make it very simple I've been every where including to this site but I still havent got help so I'm back here is the problem: custom built computer process amd k6 350 mhz ram 64mb pc100 video built on motherboard 8 mb sound card plug in 2 hard drives cd rom dont know if you need any information I hope what i have told you above will do it the computer was built installed 98. Ran fine when my uncle and I built the computer we had only a 8 speed cd rom really slow huh I know. So I took the old one out and put a faster one in, thats when everything happened!! Just like that now the computer wont boot. There is lights sound noises from the fans and hard drive everything just like it is booting, But no picture??? a mystery yet to be solved I've tore the entire computer apart and put it back together changed video cards, power supplies, put a different chip of ram in, I've also take the sound card and modem out and just left the basics in the computer still nothing.!!! ????? if anyone would like to try to help please post an answer or email me thank you

The clue is the cd rom. I had a feeling that you put the cable in wrong position for the new cdrom. I suggest that you try to put everything back the way it was except the new cd rom. and look the the cable, and/or switch for the cdrom. pick cable select or slave, maybe it will detect that

A video problem is 'always' the monitor, the video card or the cable (broken pin on the connector?), if the system seems to be booting ok. Have you tried another monitor?

well thank you advisor for your suggestion I've put the jumper on slave and cable select and changed the position of the ide cable I've even put the cd rom on its own ide also ken video card and the monitor I've changed video cards twice I plugged one into an expanison slot a newer one then I also tried one that plugs to the mb also have tried another monitor thank you guys for giving your input anyone else much appreicated for your thoughts

How are you connecting the Cd Rom? Is it on the same cable as one of the hard drives or is it the only device connected to the cable? In the bios is all the IDE devices selected as Auto? Mesich

I think our post crossed. :) Use a boot disk and see if the CD Rom is recoginzed in dos. Mesich

Are you sure it's booting. I suspect that your system is dead. Are you getting a Post beep? If not disconnect all the drives and pull all the cards except the video card. If you don't get a beep, you have a motherboard, CPU or power supply problem. If you get a beep, start hooking things back up one at a time.