4 slow beeps at the attempt to boot up near new but now unbootable notebook. Help or hope in translating ?

[Jerry]

Other than possibly something having happened during the Airport carry-on security scanning, yesterday, it makes little sense that our Compaq 1700 notebook will not boot up beyond the 4 slow beeps and no screen activation. Only a black screen.
I was a few hours from doing a backup and have lost data and info that I would like to retrieve.
I am a computer professional, but this is the first time this has happened with any notebook we have ever used.

I have tried the various combinations of component inclusions of battery, CD-Rom etc, but still no go.
It was just ? working fine ? pack to return home ? try to boot up on the plane ? thought the battery must have accidentally run down as it would not boot up and now, with full AC (the lights showing AC do work) ? just the 4 slow beeps.

Anyone know what the consistent 4 slow beeps mean ? Thanks much.

 

[bacillus]

not much help here but if you can remember what make of bios was on the laptop then see if you get any help from here!

 

[Jerry]

Thanks bacillus. Actually I get no screen light up, so even if (and I have tried this) I go for the various potential BIOS entrance key sequences, (such as F1 or CTL-A, etc.) I do not yet have any screen observation capabilities. Thoughts ?

 

[Ken20]

Less than 2 minutes ago I someone told me that there is an opinion that the Airport X Ray machines are damaging the batteries or battery systems in notebooks. That would not seem to relate the fact that the notebook will not show characters on the screen, but it is an interesting lead.

 

[Slacker]

Maybe the memory came unseated? is there an access door on the bottom of the laptop where you can add a memory module? if so, pop it open and remove and reseat the memory and try to boot.

 

[Slacker]

is it a presario or an armada?

 

[Jerry]

Slacker, you are indeed a DIAMOND.

Yes, the memory had become unseated on one side. Amazing that you spotted that. My children, my children's children, my .... ok enough.

It is a Compaq Presario 1711 CL.

I have never seen that before. It is booting now.

Thanks again, Slacker (a misnomer)

Jerry

 

[Slacker]

I've done my good deed for the day. slacker (AKA Jerry too)