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| Thread ID: 57998 | 2005-05-18 09:25:00 | Non starting computer | martini (3110) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 356268 | 2005-05-18 09:25:00 | Hello, I am trying to fix a friend's computer which will not start. I thought it may just be the cmos battery inside, a similar problem as with my old computer, but after putting in a new one still nothing happened. Usually you can hear the sound of the computer starting up, the sound of the power going on when pressing the power button, the fan starting and the floppy drive being tested, before the first information comes on the monitor showing the post-test. But despite hearing the power come on, it makes 2 short quick beebs and nothing displays on the monitor which just flashes on the monitor power button. The floppy is not tested and nothing else happens. I am at a loss to know what to do next. Does this mean that the information on the bios chip is lost and so nothing works. I am clutching at straws really. Can anyone cast some light on this difficulty? The machine is a Packard Bell iConnect DNw 850 duron, 20gb hard disk and 64 mb ram running Windows Millenium I think. Cheers, Martin |
martini (3110) | ||
| 356269 | 2005-05-18 09:28:00 | Check the ram and the video card make sure they are seated properly | Overdrive_5000 (4950) | ||
| 356270 | 2005-05-18 11:09:00 | If you know brand the BIOS is the two short beeps may be trying to tell you the problem encountered, AFAIK. Find the brand, easy if the comp came with a manual/s, then check the BIOS manufacturer's site for an explanation of the beeps. HTH...m | mark c (247) | ||
| 356271 | 2005-05-19 22:34:00 | Hello, There are no beeps now, and I have checked the hard disk and floppy and monitor on another old computer and they seem to work, but still nothing is happening. I have re seated the ram and video card and the cpu. It doesn't get to the Post at the beginning. The bios is an Ami. I have also pulled out and put back in all the leads connected to the m'board. Still no luck. However when I checked the hard disk on the other computer it did the post thing but said there was no operating system even though my friend had Windows 2000 or me on it when it stopped working. But at least it did the post test but is that because the post is done by the bios/cmos? Cheers, Martin |
martini (3110) | ||
| 356272 | 2005-05-19 22:37:00 | You could check your cmos battery it might need replacing also you should test your power supply it could be shot. | Overdrive_5000 (4950) | ||
| 356273 | 2005-05-19 22:40:00 | If it showed post, and there was/is a OS on the hdd, go into the BIOS, and see if the hdd that had the OS on it, is the bootdisk. And check and make sure the BIOS detects the hard drive/s.. Which will be Master secondary/slave in the BIOS. And make sure no disks are in the floppy, if that PC has a disk drive. If you've taken the CMOS battery recently, go into the BIOS and reconfigure the settings. |
Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 356274 | 2005-05-20 03:39:00 | The POST is code in the BIOS . The computer has to have some code to run before it can even start loading an OS . That's why it's called "bootstrapping" . The first computer I got to touch had a switch register to load the boot programme . If another computer says the disk hasn't got an OS, it's probably right (as far as it knows) . That usually means that the "MBR" --- the first sector, which holds partiotion information and the first part of the disk bootstrap, has been clouted . I would try to boot with a floppy (or a W98 or ME CD) first . |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 356275 | 2005-05-20 23:06:00 | check that the computer has not been fried by a power surge. Also that the RAM is seated in it's socket properly. | hoppo (8148) | ||
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