[cruzin101]

A friend of mine gave me his old comp as a hand-me-down 2 days ago, and I wanted to get a new large hd and some more ram before setting everything up. So I start it up with my old HD from my current computer just to see if it will start, everything loads up just fine. Next day I install an extra 512 stick of RAM bringing me up to 1gb and the new hard drive.

I power everything up and I have no signal from the monitor, I then removed the new HD and the stick of RAM, replugged my old HD just like the day before and.. no signal and now it's started to making beeping sounds.

I've tried a bunch of things, resetting cmos, pulling out certain hardware while powering up and eliminating them as the cause. All the while each time I start up the computer starts making beeping sounds, I hear that this indicates either a RAM problem, or a power supply problem. The beeps are 1 second long and come at 2.5 or so second intervals, and I stopped counting after about 11 so I'm sure they would have kept going.

I've stuck the RAM into each slot in various configurations and that doesn't do anything, and all the fans fire up as do the lights. I assume that because the computer is beeping to tell me something is wrong, that the motherboard works.

If I haven't provided enough information then let me know and I'll try to help.

Some specs of this comp:

Abit NF7-S 2000+
Radeon 9700 Pro
LG 16x DVD-Rom 48x CD-Rom
Enermax EG465P-VE 460W Power Supply
2x Samsung 512MB PC3200 DDR400 184PIN OEM (One came with the comp, one I bought)

The new HD is a Maxtor DiamondMax 10 120GB 7200RPM ATA133 9MS 8MB OEM, both the RAM stick and this HD I bought from NCIX.

Some other things to note, my friend was using the comp just fine before he gave it to me, all he did was take out his HD and it looks really dirty/dusty inside.

If you need more info just ask, but if anyone could help me out with this, I would appreciate it.

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If nothing happens it is ram if you can atleast get to bios then something else. Take the ram out put it back in make sure it is in the right spot facing the right direction and make sure you put it in all the way push the top in till it clicks and then push the bottom in till it clicks

[hudihoo]

If nothing happens it is ram if you can atleast get to bios then something else. Take the ram out put it back in make sure it is in the right spot facing the right direction and make sure you put it in all the way push the top in till it clicks and then push the bottom in till it clicks

[Samm]

Here we go again....

You sound like you know enough about computers to know when the RAM is incorrectly inserted, so I will assume it is. (please don't let me down!)

Can you first tell me, have you touched or disturbed anything other than the hard drive & RAM? In particular, have removed/reinstalled the CPU or heatsink etc at any point?

[cruzin101]

Here we go again....

You sound like you know enough about computers to know when the RAM is incorrectly inserted, so I will assume it is. (please don't let me down!)

Can you first tell me, have you touched or disturbed anything other than the hard drive & RAM? In particular, have removed/reinstalled the CPU or heatsink etc at any point?

i tried cleaning it with some contact cleaner and a q-tip but that didnt seem to help =(

Yea its just like one tone ever 2 seconds doesnt change. I even tried taking the entire mother board out laying it on a piece of carboard no ram no video card, no hard drive nothing but the power supply connected to it and that little speaker and turned the thing on and there is that beep x(.Then i kept on trying different configurations of ram even ram from my other comptuer and still nothing. I tried using a air can to blow off every single part of the mother board even used contact cleaner. Gone as far as getting the exact specs for all the pin outs on the power supply and tested every single voltage on the power harnest, the power supply is in perfect condition. I know it cant be ram now the funny part is that it worked before with that ram then all of the sudden i put the new stuff in and nothing works then i took the new stuff out and put the computer back to the original condition it still beeped. Im guessing its the cpu or the mother board but if it was the cpu it would make that two tone police car siren which it doesnt so im stumped. Maybe some static charge fried some ic on the mother board who knows, but i dont remember anything like that ever happening. And if the mother board was fried why would it completely power up with all the fans spinning video card on hard drive on dvd rom on, even the front usb ports light up my optical mouse but the computer just beeps and doesnt attempt to load or do anything other than that, so i have no way of getting into any bios menus.

i recorded the beep
www.geocities.com/ptbc2/Theexactbeeps.MP3

oh and some more interesting facts. When i first turn on the computer there is two lights on at the front of the case, a green power light and looks to be a red hard drive light at least i think thats what it is. After 7 beeps the red light goes out but the beeps dont stop. I got pictures to show you guys.

http://img.photobuck...redandgreen.jpg

http://img.photobuck...steadygreen.jpg

and yea i tried it with the floppy out.

and here is a pic of my mother board for the heck of it
http://img.photobuck...2/boardshot.jpg

Edited by cruzin101, 28 May 2005 - 12:32 PM.

[Samm]

i tried cleaning it with some contact cleaner and a q-tip but that didnt seem to help =(

What did you clean with contact cleaner - the cpu or the ram?

[cruzin101]

What did you clean with contact cleaner - the cpu or the ram?

the ram channel i put a dab on the q tip and ran it along the dimm slots it seemed dirty but the track itself was clear i even double checked it with one of those air canasters to make sure it was clear, do u think i should take the heat sink off the cpu and look at it?

Edited by cruzin101, 28 May 2005 - 02:31 PM.

[bdlt]

here's a link on electrostatic discharge. chances are that you will not feel a discharge that will degrade or damage components.

ESD

since the motherboard is out, you can inspect the traces going to and from the ram connectors. look for open or burned traces. you might need a magnifying glass. the damage, if any, will be near the connectors.

[Samm]

If you take the heatsink off, be advised that you must clean the thermal compound off of the heatsink & cpu using a special antistatic cleanser & reapply a good quality thermal paste before re-assembling. Do not just whip the heatsink off & on without renewing the compound.

Unless you have already disturbed the cpu/hsf in some way, or if the system has been overheating at all in the past, then I would probably leave it alone.


Have you tried reseating the agp card?

Edited by Samm, 28 May 2005 - 02:58 PM.

[cruzin101]

If you take the heatsink off, be advised that you must clean the thermal compound off of the heatsink & cpu using a special antistatic cleanser & reapply a good quality thermal paste before re-assembling. Do not just whip the heatsink off & on without renewing the compound.

Unless you have already disturbed the cpu/hsf in some way, or if the system has been overheating at all in the past, then I would probably leave it alone.
Have you tried reseating the agp card?

yea i tried everything i've taken everything off the mother board and had nothing but the power supply connected, as far as i know the computer has never had over heating problems. it still beeps.

Edited by cruzin101, 28 May 2005 - 03:32 PM.

[Samm]

OK, I know you said you've already tried a lot of the things I'm about to advise, but I'm gonna ask you to do them again!
Please follow these instructions closely & wear an anti-static strap:

1. remove the mobo from the case & place on cardboard/pile of paper etc.

2. Leave the cpu/hsf in place and the video card.

3. Have just one of the RAM modules inserted into slot 1 and make sure the system speaker is connected

4. Make sure all drive cabling has been disconnected from the motherboard and any pci cards removed.

5. With the PSU disconnected from the mobo, clear the bios using the motherboard jumper. (Place jumper over pins 2-3 for 10 seconds, then replace back on pins 1-2)

6. Reconnect PSU, keyboard & monitor only.

7. If the soft power switch doesn't reach the mobo when its out of the case, locate the 2 pins on the motherboards front panel header, that the soft power switch would normally connect to. To start the system, use a flat bladed screwdriver & just briefly touch the 2 pins simultaneously with the screwdriver.


Let me know what happens.

[cruzin101]

OK, I know you said you've already tried a lot of the things I'm about to advise, but I'm gonna ask you to do them again!
Please follow these instructions closely & wear an anti-static strap:

1. remove the mobo from the case & place on cardboard/pile of paper etc.

2. Leave the cpu/hsf in place and the video card.

3. Have just one of the RAM modules inserted into slot 1 and make sure the system speaker is connected

4. Make sure all drive cabling has been disconnected from the motherboard and any pci cards removed.

5. With the PSU disconnected from the mobo, clear the bios using the motherboard jumper. (Place jumper over pins 2-3 for 10 seconds, then replace back on pins 1-2)

6. Reconnect PSU, keyboard & monitor only.

7. If the soft power switch doesn't reach the mobo when its out of the case, locate the 2 pins on the motherboards front panel header, that the soft power switch would normally connect to. To start the system, use a flat bladed screwdriver & just briefly touch the 2 pins simultaneously with the screwdriver.
Let me know what happens.

ya i did all of that exactly again.. and it still does that annoying beeping sound..

[Samm]

Try one of the ram sticks in slot 3 only. Then try the other stick in slot 3. Repeat using slot 2 only

[cruzin101]

Try one of the ram sticks in slot 3 only. Then try the other stick in slot 3. Repeat using slot 2 only

yea i tred that still nothing... X(

[Samm]

I'm not taking the p*ss but you have got the 12V CPU power connector plugged in haven't you?

Also, has your mobo got integrated graphics card as well?

[cruzin101]

I'm not taking the p*ss but you have got the 12V CPU power connector plugged in haven't you?

Also, has your mobo got integrated graphics card as well?

yep i got a ATX power supply i have the smaller 12volt plug in the board and also the MAIN power harnest plugged onto the board. nope no intergrated graphics on this board. I've also tried two different video cads and that didnt seem to help.

Edited by cruzin101, 29 May 2005 - 04:09 PM.