how??

[asease]

i just built a new computer ( first time ) and it turns on(like the button powers up and the fans start turning around) but the monitor stays black so i cant get to the bios what should i do? is there something i gotta do in order to get to the bios? also... my cd rom wont open so i cant install anything.... the cd roms i used were from my old pc it had 2 of them and none of them work with my new one....... thnx in advance!

 

[aviation_man]

New monitor? If it is, it could be a defect.
New graphics card? That too could be a defect.

Old monitor? Try it on another computer to see if it works.
No/old graphics card? Try onboard instead and/or try another graphics card that you know works.
Does the monitor show any kinds of life in it? (meaning, does the black light come on?)

Is it possible that the wire is loose to the motherboard from the CDROM?
Try taking out a stick of RAM and leaving the other, and switch again to see if the RAM was defective. Defective RAM can keep the computer from POSTing

 

[ScottALot]

Monitor (make sure it's plugged in, I accidentally freaked out because I thought the video cable supplied power)
CD Drive (make sure the data and power leads are secure, no funny story about that)