[maxibhoy]

Ok i have just recently bought and set up my system inside a new case. I actually had another thread where i asked for help with tidy, efficient wiring of said case http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/528676-case-wiring.html Anyway since then i've been having some problems also previous to then actually but not for long and didn't relate the problems to the case at that point. Anyway the reason i suspect the case is because when i set the system up outside the case or back in my old case the problem is no more. I'll start by describing the symptoms. When i reboot the computer it will quite frequently hang on the very first splash screen of the motherbard info (msi core cell whatever) and won't progress from there. only pressing the restart button or manually switching off and back on will get it moving although it would just hang again on reaching the same screen (ctl alt, del also wouldn't restart which usually would at that stage) Now like i said previously i didn't suspect any kind of mounting issues but i tested everything i could eg. gfx = tried onboard same thing happening. mem = tried single gb module on its own from daughters comp. same outcome. psu = tried different, known to work psu same thing happens optical/floppy drives = tried without same thing hd's = tried without ( which should have got me farther than that screen, same thing. The only times it doesn't happen now basicall is when i remove the system from the new case.
I had a situation like this before where the system would not work in the case everytime but would work outside. What i doone eventually was fit the (plastic) washers on top of the mb mounting screws, under the board - problem solved system booted fine but with this one i have done that and still the problem persists.
So my questions what else could it be really assuming it is related to the case? What other kind of things can i do to prevent any kind of mounting issues? If not that what else could it be?
I should add it does not do this hanging ALL the time but certainly most of the time now and once it starts it it won't usually stop till i do something like pull the board.
Really puzzled though cos the mb reaaly seemed installed fine and can't see where a possible short could be. Oh i have now out of exasperation set up again in the old case as i'm getting new mb, mem and cpu in two weeks so i thought i'd wait till then till i try the case again but what if it still happens? Andi would still like to use my new case now if i can find a solution.
Hope this reads ok. Max.

 

[schusterjo]

Mounting issue and you should check each standoff that is not matching up with a hole in the motherboard

The motherboard should sit right onto these with a washer going on the screw before you you start screwing it threw the motherboard into the standoff.
From the bottom up,
Case
Standoff
motherboard
washer
screw

That insures the motherboard is grounded.

 

[maxibhoy]

Cheers for quick reply. When i use the washers i always put them on top of the standoff/under the board and i've never really had any problems like this. Although if the correct way is to have them as you say case, standoff, mb, washer, screw then this is certainly a possible cause to my problems. I will try this though not straight away as to be honest i'm sick of installing/uninstalling system for today but does this sound like a mounting issue even if i hadn't told you of what i've tried and so forth. Do the symptoms themselves sound like likely mounting issues is the problem?

 

[schusterjo]

Yes they do.

I should clear this up a little more. The hole shown below is a Metalized hole.
Metalized holes are meant to be directly screwed. So, on these holes go ahead and place a screw on them. But the non-metalized holes you don't screw them directly. You need to place a cardboard washer between them and the screws. You will use two washers per hole, one between the nut and the motherboard and another between the motherboard and the screw, like a sandwich where the motherboard is the stuffing.

One of the most common mistakes while installing a motherboard is using these washers on all holes. You should not do this. The metalized holes were metalized to make the proper grounding with the system case. You probably won't find any non-metalized holes on motherboards nowadays. . So, just leave these cardboard washer out. Don't use them........ If the head of the screws are too wide, and/or you think they might contact any circuitry on the motherboard, place a washer over the hole. If you do use them you should use them as I mentioned or you could end up with a ground issue.

A Metalized hole

 

[maxibhoy]

My holes in this particular board are metal and my thinking was exactly as you just explained cos i don't usually use the washers at all unless the holes aren't the metal ones. So now i'm back to square one though cos i'm using the computernow on the old case and it's absolutley fine and has been for some time. It's only when i go back to the other, new case the problems start. Any other possible solutions anyone?

 

[MysticEyes]

So when the system works outside the case you are using the same power supply, cables, etc?

If so you just have to look harder at what you are doing when installing into the case. Don't tuck any cables, leave them out in the open and as unbent as possible, don't hook up to any external case ports (audio etc.) as a test.

 

[schusterjo]

It has to be a grounding issue or a short somewhere. or possibly you are hooking something up in the new case that is causing troubles as MisticEyes said. Triple check for something touching the bottom of the mobo, use the same PS it only takes 1 little short to cause the problems you have. I would just be very aware of how that mobo is sitting in the case and go from there.

 

[maxibhoy]

Yeah i have the system working now in my old case with the same psu. I've been concentrating on the standoffs and screws as they are different ones i've been using for each case. The standoffs for the other case i've been using are bigger than the ones for this case and the screw heads are actually thinner. I was going to try placing a washer on either side of the motherbard when installing into the new case again. See the standoffs that came with that case beause they're fatter the screws i normally use wouldn't catch the thread properly on them so i had to use the screws that came with the case. But anyway what i thought in the end was why not just use the same standoffs and screws that i'm using in the old case then at least if it does happen again i think i can pretty much eliminate the standoffs/screws as the problem. There was deffinitly nothing else touching the mb anywhere else that shouldn't have been. I'll post back and let you know once i've tried it. Think i'll give it a go once the missus goes to bed. Then at least i can do it without the usual moans to clean away my JUNK!!!

 

[maxibhoy]

Ok just to let you know that i did the install again back to the new case with the standoffs and screws from the old and what do you know it seems fine. I've had it on a good few hours now and i rebooted at least 10 times to make sure it wouldn't hang. But so far so good and i think i've deffinitley sorted it. So thanks for the help everybody. Till next time Max.

 

[schusterjo]

Great! always nice to know it's fixed

 

[JohnWill]

You can mark your own threads solved using the thread tools at the upper right of the screen.