PC Question ... Anyone?

[Mighty.Mighty_XJ]

Does anyone here know much about Computers? I need some insight.

I have an older HP desktop PC that I have been meaning to start using as a spare when my current pc crashes. I turned it on today & it's just beeping incessantly. Won't boot up, no pic on the monitor. All the fans turn on & it seems like it's working, but it isn't. Anyone know what might cause the beeping? Something unplugged inside? I have the cover off & it looks fine ... but I'm no expert.

 

[Bent]

Look up CMOS reset for your particular make and model. I would start with resetting it.

 

[Anak]

And while you are looking up that CMOS stuff, you should also figure out what it needs in terms of a new battery. Odds are the loss of the start-up info is associated with the death of the little button battery that helped the computer store that bit of information.

Probably an easy replacement on a desktop. I have a laptop that needs that battery, and I have yet to get motivated enough to take over a table to disassemble the thing.

 

[Nimrod]

If your table tops are covered in things you've disassembled, Anak, you can make some space by reassembling something. Hope that's helpful.

 

[Anak]

It is more a matter of displacing Varmints, and keeping them displaced.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

Anak beat me to the CMOS battery - if you can't find the book for the computer, just look at the battery itself, it'll be marked. A replacement shouldn't run more than a buck or three.

The beeping may be intended to be a "check code" for diagnosing problems (like the CEL blink codes on OBD-1 XJs). The manual would explain how to decode; if you don't have the book handy, hit up HP's website and search their support library for that model, it should be in there somewhere (unless it's a 486...)

As far as no picture on the monitor, are you sure the monitor works? Might be worth trying to hook it up to the newer PC just to be sure (or use the newer PC's monitor with the old machine, either way)

 

[Green Mesa XJ]

There can be two video cards, one built into the motherboard and one added to it. Some manufactures add a video card for better pc performance.

Was this pc working before?
Even without a hard drive it should process the boot up to the point it needs the windows program and that should display on a monitor.

CMOS battery and checking the bios are a good idea.

There's a outside chance the motherboard is bad if you absolutely get no video from it. I had a HP pc in storage one of the ones sold about the time of windows vista, also had a AMD processor, I put it away working pulled it out and it did nothing, the fans would spin up to high speed but nothing came on the video, I don't remember if it was beeping or not, the fact yours is beeping may be a good sign.
Turns out the motherboard in ours is shot, look up the model number for a replacement and found this board had a lot of issues many failing just like mine.

If you can get video I'd try resetting bios to factory default if all else fails. Have a dell that needed this fix.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yzzerdd]

Does anyone here know much about Computers? I need some insight.

I have an older HP desktop PC that I have been meaning to start using as a spare when my current pc crashes. I turned it on today & it's just beeping incessantly. Won't boot up, no pic on the monitor. All the fans turn on & it seems like it's working, but it isn't. Anyone know what might cause the beeping? Something unplugged inside? I have the cover off & it looks fine ... but I'm no expert.

For background, I'm in the tech field, System admin/Director of IT.

How many times does it beep? I'd start by locating the RAM on the motherboard(a minimum of 1, but up to 4 sticks, several inches long, one inch tall). You'll see a retainer on each end, they swivel down to release the stick. Remove each stick and blow the dust out of the connectors, then replace the stick(To replace, first reference the orientation of the slit on the RAM compared to the "stud" in the socket, then insert one end of the stick into the retainer, then line up the other side-then simultaneously apply pressure to both sides firmly to seat the stick; in doing so, you'll hear each retainer CLICK as they reseat.

Then, power on the unit with only monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power hooked up. Let me know what happens after you do this. You can replace the CMOS battery on the motherboard(which should be socketed, and replaceable at any pharmacy that sells watch batteries) if you choose, but typically they will still boot up, only to give you an error code that alerts you to a time/date change-but you can still use the system.

J

 

[Mighty.Mighty_XJ]

Haven't touched it in over a week, but LOTS of good answers here. Gonna apply some of the suggestions in the week coming and report back. I do appreciate you guys!

 

[dan1977p]

If you have $500, just buy a new desktop or even a laptop.

 

[Bent]

If you have $500, just buy a new desktop or even a laptop.

I've had real good luck with buying reconditioned (~$200) for customers from Newegg. You need to make sure that you verify what grade they are before you pull the trigger. Many come with a one year parts and labor.