Computer won't boot - long beep

[jpiniero]

Yeah, it's old.

One day while it was on, the screen went black and froze. When I powered it off and turned it back on, I would get power,fans,drives but no video and one long beep after another. Everything I have tried has resulted in either nothing at all or one long beep. The beep codes suggests a memory problem but I still can't get it to work.

Things I have tried:
Cleaning the computer it with compressed air (it was dirty)
Bought a new stick of memory
Putting a stick of memory in different slots
Taking everything out except for the processor and the memory
Booting with no memory sticks in at all
Using a different power supply
Taking the battery out for like 10 minutes
Setting the CMOS clear jumper (usually booting with this on means no beeps, but that's probally correct)
Using a different video card

Specs:
Athlon XP 2500+
Biostar M7NCD Pro
2 x 256 MB RAM (plus the new 512 MB stick)
Geforce 4 Ti 4200 8x
Windows XP

It was overclocked at one point, but not recently. As for the voltages, I might have played with those but not made a change recently. I also do not have a similar spec PC to try the ram out or the processor.

At this point, I assume the mobo is toast but if you have any ideas to try...

 

[Swampster]

By cleaning it out with compressed air, I presume you mean from a compressor. Canned air uses a propellent, and when you see the fog come out it is -40 degrees. This will cause all sorts of problems with electonics.

Using your compressor, remove all the RAM and blow our each slot. Then take your new 512 module and compare it with the original ones. Is it the same speed and the same timing? If so, then take your new module and insert and remove it several times from the #1 slot, then with just it installed plus the video card and the CPU try to boot it. If trhe beep continues unchanged than it is probably the memory controller on the motherboard.

 

[corkyg]

Gary - you are correct about the propellant in canned air - however, if used correctly, i.e.,, the can perfectly vertical - never tilted - the propellant issue is negligable. I prefer to use a vacuum equipped with non-static tools rather than blow dirt from one place to settle elsewhere. And, wiping out the interior of a case with a Swiffer gets rid of dirt as well. 🙂

 

[Swampster]

Good evening Corky,

Yes, it can be done . . . but also has the propensity to do major damage. As you know, I have a small dry-air compressor, but you are right in that it needs to be done outdoors. I usually finish with a Swiffer also, but didn't want to go into too much detail as I was more concerned with the immediate problem rather than how to make it really pretty inside <G>.

 

[jpiniero]

Yeah, the 512 MB memory is rated the same speed - DDR 400. I came to the same conclusion that it is likely the memory controller, and the only real solution is to dump it and get a new machine.

 

[Swampster]

Yes, type is obvious (DDR), because of the difference of the different memory slots, and speed is important (400/PC3200), because some moherboards are able to downshift all the memory to the slowest module, and some cannot.

BUT . . . the often overlooked spec is the TIMING (such as 3-2-2-6), which can cause all sorts of weird problems.

All that not withstanding, timing is nice to know about, but your are correct in that your memory controller is probably malfunctioning. It is possible that you might get a BIOS update and that could solve it . . . but that is only a last shot before replacing the motherboard . . . and not even possible if it won't POST.