New build; no monitor signal

[megabyteme]

What revision of BIOS do you have? What is the most current version available. If there is a newer version available, there might be a description indicating a change similar to the problem you are having.

It is usually best to update the BIOS for new features, and any bug fixes. Not starting from a disc really sounds like something that may have been skipped over earlier. If you weren't having any troubles, I might be more inclined to wait, but that (in my view) is a problem with BIOS settings. At the very least try to find a work log detailing the various fixes/upgrades. Personally, I've never regretted updating the BIOS. The general word is "don't unless you are experiencing problems".

[sandman_1]

The keyboard works in BIOS and in Windows, so I don't see that as the problem.

Yea it will but outside the BIOS it might not. Got an option on my motherboard, for instance, to either have it use the BIOS keyboard drivers or OS. If I select OS, then if no OS is loaded, it will fail to work. It is usually under legacy USB support or something in your configure options. When you said this, "I get the message "to boot from a cd/dvd press any button..." but nothing I press will work", it made me think of that.

[clocker]

I always have a PS2 keyboard handy for just these occasions.
Too many PCs are just cranky about USB input before the OS is loaded.
Hell, some Dells that lack PS2 ports at all are finicky about USB keyboards.

Skiz: It's hard to tell from your initial post but where did Windows come from if you had no video and then couldn't boot from disk?
Are you using the same OS install from the old setup?
If so, I wouldn't.

As to your boot issue...
If you're trying to install the OS, disconnect everything (either power or data, doesn't matter) except your optical and the target hard drive.
Kill the MBR of the HDD and then try the install.
Essentially, by restricting the BIOS to the minimum hardware config- one source for data, one place to put it- the boot order becomes irrelevant.
When I do this on my PC, it doesn't even display the "Press any key to boot from CD" dialogue...it just jumps right in to the install.
BTW, your new board should support booting from a flash drive and that's a million times faster.
Microsoft offers a free USB prep tool that will set up the flashdrive and copy the OS .iso with two clicks.
It's well worth the few minutes it takes to setup because it will cut install time significantly*.
(Some have had issues with the MS app not recognizing um..."irregular" versions of the OS as valid and won't copy them. I haven't experienced this except for a very severely truncated "lite" version I was gifted. Others, even those with integrated loaders, have all worked perfectly)

*Depending on your variables, obviously.
I'm using a no-name flash drive (4GB) over USB 2.0 to a solid state drive and it takes under ten minutes start to internet capable desktop.
I just set up an external enclosure with a 30GB SSD and eSATA/USB connectivity and am going to try an install with that just to see how much (if any) faster that might be.
A side benefit is the lack of noise.
You don't really notice how much random searching the DVD drive is doing until the noise is gone.
It's quite nice (especially with the silent SSD as well).

[tesco]

The keyboard works in BIOS and in Windows, so I don't see that as the problem.

Look for something along the lines of "legacy USB keyboard drivers" in your BIOS. I'm not sure if that still exists in modern hardware, but it used to be required to let USB keyboards work for anything resembling DOS (which is what that "press any key to boot from cd" screen is).

[Skiz]

Where did everyone get the idea that my keyboard doesn't work?

Skiz: It's hard to tell from your initial post but where did Windows come from if you had no video and then couldn't boot from disk?
Are you using the same OS install from the old setup?
If so, I wouldn't.

The current Windows install was still on my hard drive from the last build. I am trying to reinstall Windows so I can start a fresh OS with a fresh build but, I can't get it to boot from the disc. Therein lies the problem. My old (and rather nice) optical drive was an IDE connection, whereas my new motherboard has no place for that to plug in. I went to Frys and bought the cheapest OEM, unboxed SATA one they had since I really don't use them for much these days. I'm wondering if it may be the drive itself even tho' it appears to work fine once Windows is booted.

As to your boot issue...
If you're trying to install the OS, disconnect everything (either power or data, doesn't matter) except your optical and the target hard drive.
Kill the MBR of the HDD and then try the install.
Essentially, by restricting the BIOS to the minimum hardware config- one source for data, one place to put it- the boot order becomes irrelevant.
When I do this on my PC, it doesn't even display the "Press any key to boot from CD" dialogue...it just jumps right in to the install.
BTW, your new board should support booting from a flash drive and that's a million times faster.
Microsoft offers a free USB prep tool that will set up the flashdrive and copy the OS .iso with two clicks.
It's well worth the few minutes it takes to setup because it will cut install time significantly*.
(Some have had issues with the MS app not recognizing um..."irregular" versions of the OS as valid and won't copy them. I haven't experienced this except for a very severely truncated "lite" version I was gifted. Others, even those with integrated loaders, have all worked perfectly)

Right now the only connected drives are the optical drive and SSD with the Windows installation, which is the same drive I'd like to format and overwrite.

How do I "kill the MBR"?

As for the flash drive, I'll have to give that another try. I tried it with a couple of different versions of Windows 7 back when the RC versions were being released every week, but the Windows Genuine Advantage kept denying me. If you're having success with it these days, I'll give it a shot after the game today.

[sandman_1]

Where did everyone get the idea that my keyboard doesn't work?

Maybe because you said this:

...but nothing I press will work

[Skiz]

The keyboard works in BIOS and in Windows, so I don't see that as the problem.

Sorry if there's some confusion but I would have though this post cleared up any keyboard questions.

BTW, your new board should support booting from a flash drive and that's a million times faster.
Microsoft offers a free USB prep tool that will set up the flashdrive and copy the OS .iso with two clicks.
It's well worth the few minutes it takes to setup because it will cut install time significantly*.
(Some have had issues with the MS app not recognizing um..."irregular" versions of the OS as valid and won't copy them. I haven't experienced this except for a very severely truncated "lite" version I was gifted. Others, even those with integrated loaders, have all worked perfectly)

*Depending on your variables, obviously.
I'm using a no-name flash drive (4GB) over USB 2.0 to a solid state drive and it takes under ten minutes start to internet capable desktop.
I just set up an external enclosure with a 30GB SSD and eSATA/USB connectivity and am going to try an install with that just to see how much (if any) faster that might be.
A side benefit is the lack of noise.
You don't really notice how much random searching the DVD drive is doing until the noise is gone.
It's quite nice (especially with the silent SSD as well).

Just tried this with this version. It laughed at me. Didn't even think about for a second. Instantly told me it wasn't genuine.

[tesco]

Where did everyone get the idea that my keyboard doesn't work?

Because of this:

to boot from a cd/dvd press any button...

That message is coming from the windows installation disc, not your BIOS, therefore it's booting from the cd/dvd just fine, but your keyboard input isn't getting through...

As I said just because it works in the BIOS and Windows does not mean it will work in the windows installer; as clocker said a PS2 keyboard would definitely work.

[Skiz]

^That did the trick.

Had to do a bit of work to get the drivers installed as well. Some of the USB and ethernet drivers took a bit of work but nothing too ornery. Everything seems to be up and running now.

[clocker]

Just tried this with this version. It laughed at me. Didn't even think about for a second. Instantly told me it wasn't genuine.

Try http://wintoflash.com/home/en/ from Novacorp.

The MS tool would not recognize my external SSD enclosure as a valid flash device and refused to work.
W to F was unfazed.