I am in the process of bringing online a PC that I have just built. I'm not a supertechie, particularly with the latest and greatest technology out there. But I can get around inside a computer pretty well.
The basic specs on this computer's main components are:
- Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Motherboard Rev 1.0
- Intel Core2 E6320 processor
- (4) sticks of Crucial 240-pin DIMM 128Mx64 DDR2 PC2-6400 CL4 memory, each 1 GB
- PNY NVidia GeForce 8500 GT PCIeX16 graphics card with 512mb onboard video memory
- onboard Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC
- Win XP Pro Operating System with Service Pack 2 and all applicable updates from the Microsoft website installed
The system is up and running, but with the following problems:
1 - When I first boot the computer from a cold start, I get continuous long beeps although the computer continues to boot and then install the operating system. The only problem is the beeps continue. The BIOS beep codes imply that the "graphics card not inserted properly". A RESTART usually makes the beeps go away. (I don't know if this is related, but I also notice that when starting from a "cold" start, the CPU fan repeatedly kicks on and off. I haven't been able to determine if this is because the CPU isn't hot yet or if the fan, being cold, can't get itself started.)
2 - When I doubleclick the "System" icon in Control Panel, under "Computer" in the resulting "General" tab screen, it says "Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU / 6320 @ 1.86 GHz / 1.87 GHz, 3.00 GB of RAM" although there are 4 GB of RAM installed.
If, from the START/ALL PROGRAMS popup menu list, I go to Accessories/System Tools/System Information, then the entry for "Total Physical Memory" is 4,096.00 MB. Other entries related to RAM are: "Available Physical Memory: 2.54 GB"; "Total Virtual Memory: 2.00 GB"; "Available Virtual Memory: 1.96 GB"; and "Page File Space: 4.84 GB".
I don't know how to interpret the "virtual" memory entries as they relate to physical memory (useage, etc.), and, if my "available physical memory" is only 2.54 GB, then I don't know what the 1.46 GB of memory being used is being used by -- I'm not running anything except the Operating System.
3 - My last, and for me the most troublesome, problem is with the onboard NIC (Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC). After installing Outlook 2000 and establishing connection to my ISP for email, more times than not when trying to download email from the ISP to my Outlook Inbox, the process times out. (Allowed time is 1 minute which is more than enough time.)
I can connect to the internet via Internet Explorer 6 with no problems -- I just can't send or receive email from my ISP. (And, "Yes", I've contacted my ISP provider and verifed my account settings. I've even REMOVED my account, and then reestablished it.) I HAVE been successful once or twice over the last two days (after many failed attempts) in establishing a connection with my ISP email account, and was able to receive and send emails when that happened, but I can't get connected again.
I would attribute this problem to software except that when I go into BIOS from bootup, then go to the Integrated Peripherals screen, arrow down to SMART LAN and press Enter, the screen for SMART LAN comes up, the message "Start detecting at Port" appears, then three dots, one at a time, appear after the "Start detecting at Port" message, and the system hangs up. I don't get ANY LAN cable diagnoses, and the only way to get out of the screen is to press RESTART -- the SMART LAN test won't accept any keyboard inputs.
Sorry for being so longwinded, but I figure the more information the better. If anyone can offer a solution to any of these problems, I would be grateful. Thanks.
The basic specs on this computer's main components are:
- Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Motherboard Rev 1.0
- Intel Core2 E6320 processor
- (4) sticks of Crucial 240-pin DIMM 128Mx64 DDR2 PC2-6400 CL4 memory, each 1 GB
- PNY NVidia GeForce 8500 GT PCIeX16 graphics card with 512mb onboard video memory
- onboard Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC
- Win XP Pro Operating System with Service Pack 2 and all applicable updates from the Microsoft website installed
The system is up and running, but with the following problems:
1 - When I first boot the computer from a cold start, I get continuous long beeps although the computer continues to boot and then install the operating system. The only problem is the beeps continue. The BIOS beep codes imply that the "graphics card not inserted properly". A RESTART usually makes the beeps go away. (I don't know if this is related, but I also notice that when starting from a "cold" start, the CPU fan repeatedly kicks on and off. I haven't been able to determine if this is because the CPU isn't hot yet or if the fan, being cold, can't get itself started.)
2 - When I doubleclick the "System" icon in Control Panel, under "Computer" in the resulting "General" tab screen, it says "Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU / 6320 @ 1.86 GHz / 1.87 GHz, 3.00 GB of RAM" although there are 4 GB of RAM installed.
If, from the START/ALL PROGRAMS popup menu list, I go to Accessories/System Tools/System Information, then the entry for "Total Physical Memory" is 4,096.00 MB. Other entries related to RAM are: "Available Physical Memory: 2.54 GB"; "Total Virtual Memory: 2.00 GB"; "Available Virtual Memory: 1.96 GB"; and "Page File Space: 4.84 GB".
I don't know how to interpret the "virtual" memory entries as they relate to physical memory (useage, etc.), and, if my "available physical memory" is only 2.54 GB, then I don't know what the 1.46 GB of memory being used is being used by -- I'm not running anything except the Operating System.
3 - My last, and for me the most troublesome, problem is with the onboard NIC (Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC). After installing Outlook 2000 and establishing connection to my ISP for email, more times than not when trying to download email from the ISP to my Outlook Inbox, the process times out. (Allowed time is 1 minute which is more than enough time.)
I can connect to the internet via Internet Explorer 6 with no problems -- I just can't send or receive email from my ISP. (And, "Yes", I've contacted my ISP provider and verifed my account settings. I've even REMOVED my account, and then reestablished it.) I HAVE been successful once or twice over the last two days (after many failed attempts) in establishing a connection with my ISP email account, and was able to receive and send emails when that happened, but I can't get connected again.
I would attribute this problem to software except that when I go into BIOS from bootup, then go to the Integrated Peripherals screen, arrow down to SMART LAN and press Enter, the screen for SMART LAN comes up, the message "Start detecting at Port" appears, then three dots, one at a time, appear after the "Start detecting at Port" message, and the system hangs up. I don't get ANY LAN cable diagnoses, and the only way to get out of the screen is to press RESTART -- the SMART LAN test won't accept any keyboard inputs.
Sorry for being so longwinded, but I figure the more information the better. If anyone can offer a solution to any of these problems, I would be grateful. Thanks.
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