Hard drive failure??

[Frodo]

Turned on computer this morning and won't boot at all. I get a warning type tone(sounds like a heat warning tone, but that can't be it). CD rom light flashes, tone and thats it. Won't shut off unless I kill power. No signal to the monitor. Power supply maybe? Would the cd rom stop it from booting if it was bad? (hardly use the cd drive at all)

Any ideas where to start?  Any help appreciated.

Frodo

[Eagler]

process of elimination

take the cables off your cd, hd and floppy see if you get a post message

if you do, add them back til you don't

if you don't, start removing cards until you are down to just the video card, ram, and the cpu

if still bad, swap out the vcard, ram if you have extras - try a new case (PS) if you have a good one to test with

make sure the motherboard isn't shorted to the case somehow ie loose screw rolling around in the case, etc..

gl

[AKDogg]

When your computer first boots up it checks video card, memory and processor.  If any of these things is bad U will get what u are discribing.  9 chances out of ten its your memory or processor took a crap.  If u have 2 sticks of memory take 1 out and see if if boots and repeat this with switching memory cards until it boots.  If still no go then if U have onboard video card switch to that and take out your agp card.  If u don't have onboard, try another video card.  

Also the tones that U hear are also troubleshooting codes.   U have to get your book out for your motherboard and look in there for bootup tones.  1 beep may = memory, 2 beeps may = processor failure etc...

[Frodo]

Thanks for the response guys. Have an epox MB and the manual has no info. on the beeps. I get a single beep every 1 1/2 seconds, and the cd rom light flashing and thats it. I will check epox site before I start.

Frodo

[Raider179]

Check the battery.

[AKDogg]

Computer will still start even with dead battery.  Just all settings in bios will be default.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Sounds almost exactly like what I got when one of my old processors died.  My money is on fried CPU.

[Raider179]

Originally posted by MwDogg
Computer will still start even with dead battery.  Just all settings in bios will be default.

I dont agree. I Have had the exact problem with beeps and no start up. Replaced CMOS battery and everything was fine.

[38ruk]

usually if the system powers up and goes nothing its not a hard drive , even with a dead hard drive you should be able to get to the bios .  was the system overclocked at any point .  try starting it with just the VC, ram and cpu . make sure you reset the cmos . sounds like what happened when my motherboard died   GL 38

[FOGOLD]

Take your time. Don't jump to conclusions.
I once was at a pc with this symptom and the modem had died in a lightning storm. PC wouldn't start much as you describe. Removed modem, PC booted.

Other time second HD had failed on a PC. PC no bootee. Remove 2nd old crappo hd. PC Bootee. Throwee old HD in bin. Happy inlaws.

All PCs seem to be different with this.

[fuzeman]

http://www.bioscentral.com/misc/compaqsystems.htm

What BIOS do you have? Find out and explore the site above to get specific codes.
That's just one of the sites that came up with a 'POST errors' search.

[JB73]

Originally posted by Frodo
Thanks for the response guys. Have an epox MB and the manual has no info. on the beeps. I get a single beep every 1 1/2 seconds, and the cd rom light flashing and thats it. I will check epox site before I start.

Frodo

that sounds like a memory stick failure, OR video cable disconnected / connected improperly


according to my old old A+ study guide repeating short beeps = bad power supply

if it is 1 long beep then 2 or 3 short beeps then it is monitor

a continous beep is memory

[Schutt]

Clean out dust from the motherboard, ram, graphics board and cpu.

Check if the graphics board is seated fully, if it slides out of the slot a tiny bit youll get the problem.

Check if the keyboard is hooked to the comp.

When did that start? You moved the comp or had any trouble with it before?

Best way is if you find out which bios it is by looking in the motherboard manual, then find the POST error codes for that bios and check what it wants to say.


I had a friends comp beep instead of starting, removed some dust from the ram and ran fine afterwards.

If you plan on removing CPU/ Heatsink be carefull... thats the point where most people scrap their CPU.

Oh i forgot... switch on the systems and check if the cpu fan is running. If not that might be the problem.

Also try to unplug the cdrom since it acts strange. Carefully seaten the hd drive cable.

[Frodo]

Thanks for all the ideas!  Up and running again.

Not sure what it was. Probably loose connection or dust. I went through and checked every thing that connected to my machine in any way. Nothing seemed to be obviously loose, but could have been just enough somewhere I suppose. All my fans were working when it wouldn't boot also. Then put a good light on it and cleaned everything with a toothpick and paintbrush. I usually clean it every month or two anyway. This time I took the fan guard off my heatsink fan and there was quite a bit of very very fine dust behind the blades. Cleaned this up and thats all I did. I guess this dust build up could have caused it, but I would think it would at least boot up and then get hot maybe. Probably a loose connection somewhere and the HS fan just needed a good cleaning anyway.

BTW the machine hadn't been moved for a couple of months and nothing else had changed.

So far so good,, been up and running for an hour or so and I use "motherboard monitor " and everything seems normal.

Again thanks for the ideas. Best advice...go slow,check all connections and clean everything first.

Frodo

[AKDogg]

Dust is 1 of the #1 enemies for a computer.  Dust sometimes acks like a jumper across solderjoints, pins etc... which then shorts out.