Step 2-K: How to Boot Your Computer for the First Time.

Now that your computer is completely assembled you are ready to turn it on for the first time. The most important step is to make sure the computer is assembled properly and everything is working. We also need to change a couple of items in the system BIOS in preparation for installing the Windows operating software.
Please refer to your motherboard's user manual for help with the first boot and proper BIOS settings. If you got the ASUS M2N32 that I recommended you can turn to section 4.2 and use that in conjunction with this page.
Make sure the side panel is removed from the computer case during this phase. You can plug in the power supply to the wall outlet. If you have a surge suppressor go ahead and plug it in. Make sure the switch on the back of the power supply is set to 110/115 volts if you live in the USA (otherwise be sure to use the correct voltage setting for your country).
Before we turn on the computer I want to tell you a couple of things to watch for. As soon as you turn on the computer make sure all the fans are spinning, especially the one on the CPU heat sink and the one on the video card. If any of the fans are not spinning then immediately turn off the computer's power by hitting the switch on the power supply. Doublecheck to make sure all of the fans are plugged in properly. The CPU will overheat and be ruined in a matter of seconds if the heat sink fan is not working.
Go ahead and turn the monitor on by hitting it's power button. Then position yourself so you can see into the computer case.
Turn on the computer by flipping the switch on the back of the power supply to 1 (ON). Then press the power button on the front of the computer case.
Quicly make sure all the fans are spinning. You should hear a single beep from the computer. This beep indicates all is well. If don't hear a beep you didn't plug the jumper cables from the case into the motherboard properly and should refer to the Install Motherboard page. If you here multiple beeps then you have an error code.
If you heard an error code (multiple beeps) you probably will not be able to proceed with the instructions on the rest of this page until you fix the problem. Usually the problem is an improperly installed or defective component. Make sure all the components are seated correctly and plugged in. If you still have problems refer to the Troubleshooting page.
If all the fans are spinning and you heard a single beep then you are probably in good shape. This means that you did a good job of building the computer and that your most important components are working properly.
The monitor should be displaying some text on the screen. Usually you will have an error message on the screen saying the computer could not proceed. This is normal so don't panic. The message you receive varies depending on which motherboard and BIOS you have. Usually it will be a "checksum error" or maybe a "disk error". Sometimes it will actually make it to a DOS screen with an A: or C: prompt. If you see the text "Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter SETUP", go ahead and hit the DEL or DELETE key on your keyboard. You will then enter a blue or gray BIOS screen.
If you don't see the "Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter SETUP" option you will need to restart the computer. You can press the reset button or just turn the computer off. Wait for the fans to stop, then turn the computer on again. As the computer re-boots you will need to tap the DEL key repeatedly until you are taken to the BIOS screen that should look similar to this:

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System and is the software that allows the computer's microchips and disk drives to communicate with each other. It comes pre-installed in a flash memory chip on the motherboard, but it can be updated if necessary. Follow the instructions in the user manual should you ever need to update the BIOS. The BIOS is used primarily when the computer is booting up and loading the operating system software.
In the MAIN tab you can set the system time and date. Do this by using the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the cursor. Also make sure the Legacy Diskette option is set to 1.44M, 3.5 inch.
Now go to the BOOT tab. Here you will need to change the Boot Device Priority. You need to make sure the computer will boot directly to the CDROM optical drive since you will be using a CD or DVD disk to install the Windows operating system. Make the 1st Boot Device the CDROM drive. Make the 2nd Boot Device the Hard Disk.
Once all your changes are made you can press the F10 key on your keyboard to save your changes and exit the BIOS.
Now when your computer boots up it should come to a screen that says no operating system found or disk boot failure. This is normal. You are now ready to proceed to Step 3 of my guide to Install the Software.

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