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Look on the paperwork that came for
your motherboard for any instructions and review them carefully before
starting.
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Arrange all of your computer components
on a suitable work surface such as a workbench or table.
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If updating your old motherboard be
sure the power is off and the computer is unplugged.
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Reach over and touch a shinny part of
the metal case of the computer with your hand to discharge any static in
your body. Avoid wearing socks on carpets as this builds static in your
body. Static can and will damage chips.
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If upgrading an older
computer remove all the cards from the old motherboard.
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Verify and change jumper settings as
required by the manual.
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Inspect the new motherboard for
physical damage.
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Check that the factory installed chips
are fully seated.
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Examine the old and new motherboards to
be sure the new one will fit in the case.
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Disconnect any necessary wires and
remove the old motherboard from the case.
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Look at the new motherboard to be
certain that any metal standoffs in the case line up with grounding holes
in the motherboard.
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There must be at least one metal
standoff to ground the motherboard to the case.
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Metal standoffs that do not line up
with a grounding hole will cause a short circuit and damage the new
motherboard voiding your warranty.
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Install one or metal standoffs into the
case that line up with grounding holes in the motherboard and as many
plastic standoffs as will line up with the remaining holes.
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Examine the area of the motherboard
near metal parts of the case. If you think any part of the motherboard
could accidentally touch the case, then add plastic spacers.
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Mount the motherboard into the case and
put screws with colored cardboard or plastic insulating washers through
the motherboard into the metal standoffs.
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Attach the connectors from the power
supply to the motherboard with the black wires together in the middle.
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The five-pin connector on the
motherboard is for the power LED and the keylock.
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Pin #1 and #3 are for the power LED.
Usually the green wire goes on pin #1.
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Pins #4 & #5 are for the keylock
and it doesn't matter which way its plugged in.
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Be sure the front panel key isn't
locked or the computer can't communicate with the keyboard.
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The four-pin connector is for the case
speaker. Mount the connector on pins #1 and #4. The red wire usually goes
on pin #1, but it'll work either way.
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Most Pentium computers do not support
the turbo switch and do not have the pins on the motherboard. If yours is
one of these, go to the next step. A few older mb's do support the turbo
and the turbo LED connector is usually two pins and one is marked as
positive. The colored wire (usually yellow or orange) goes on the positive
pin. If you connect the turbo switch you should be aware that there
are usually two pins on the motherboard and three wires from the switch.
Use two of the wires being certain you use the same two at each end
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The hard drive LED indicator will
usually have two pins with one of them marked positive. Of the two wires
from the HDD Led, one is usually red and goes on the positive pin.
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The reset switch has two pins and you
can mount the two wires from the case either way.
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Be sure there is a cooling fan on your
pentium or higher.
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Most of the sensor wires toward the
front of the case are keyed and plug in only one way.
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All ribbon cables in your computer have
a colored stripe on one side. Be sure the colored stripe lines up with pin
#1 on both ends of the cable.
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Check that the input power switch on
the back of the case is set to 115 and not to 230.
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Carefully plug in your RAM, Video and
other cards using care to be sure they are properly seated in their slots.
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Connect your monitor and keyboard and
mouse.
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Turn on the computer power switch.
1 short beep = everything OK.
2-beeps = CMOS settings need set.
8-beeps = video card not found.
1-long beep = RAM not found.