My 4 yr old comp turns on, makes a beeping sound and then shows a black screen.I can't type or see anything!

Question

The computer is Emachines, 256 MB Ram. I purchased it in 2003. Power definitely comes on, and the Hard Disk Drive access indicator light is always on.
The computer has a floppy disk, but there is no disk in the drive, and there is no cd or dvd in the cd or dvd players.

I at least want to access my pictures! How do I get back in? Has my hard drive crashed? Is it repairable?

HELP!

Thank you!

Answer 1

Sounds like graphics card to me. Sounds like graphics card to me. I seem to remember that I had the same thing once and what I did was to turn the computer off from the mains and then take out and replace every cable. Be careful and take out and replace each in turn. I that doesn’t help then it’s a deeper fault, so try one of the suggestions above. Hope it helps

Answer 2

Open the case with the power disconnected. Touch the metal casing and keep 1 hand on it, carefully try pushing each fitted card down a little, the worst offenders are display cards. It may be 1 has become unseated. If this does not work it is probably a failure of some kind, the pattern and number of beeps will give an indication of what the failure is.

Answer 3

The number of beeps is a clue to the problem. There is a built-in program called POST that tests your hardware and beeps if there is a problem like a bad keyboard, a failed disk, etc. Different computer BIOS tests may have somewhat different codes but his is a popular one.

Beep Code Descriptions
1 short DRAM refresh failure
2 short Parity circuit failure
3 short Base 64K RAM failure
4 short System timer failure
5 short Process failure
6 short Keyboard controller Gate A20 error
7 short Virtual mode exception error
8 short Display memory Read/Write test failure
9 short ROM BIOS checksum failure
10 short CMOS shutdown Read/Write error
11 short Cache Memory error
1 long, 3 short Conventional/Extended memory failure
1 long, 8 short Display/Retrace test failed

Answer 4

Those beeps mean something it's like morse coe or something but you can do a google for beep code defintions and find out what's wrong with your comp. Sounds to me like your memory is not seated correctly. I'd try reseating the memory and processor. You can alwasy put the hard drive into another computer as a secondary and pull the data off that way.

Answer 5

That beeping sound is your computer failing it's POST (power on self test) because something the computer needs(your computer needs 3 things to boot: A CPU, Memory, and a video card. Hard Drives and everything else are optional) to start up isn't found. Here are the only possible reasons for beeps.

3 short beeps followed by one long beep or a continuous non ending beeping sound - Your memory is bad, disconnected, loosely connected, or not there.

1 long beep followed by 2 short beeps - Your video card is bad, disconnected, loosely connected, or not there.

1 long beep followed by 3 short beeps - Your video card is connected but it's defective and needs replacing.

The good news is that your CPU is fine, because if your CPU was bad, your computer would turn on and not beep. But since it is beeping, that means your CPU is fine.

Answer 6

The beeping generally relates to a hardware failure. In this case, I would suspect a video card, but could be memory too.

Try to unplug and plug back in everything. You might try to unplug the HD and floppy, turn it on and see if you get video. It should say something like "operating system not found". If you have another video card, you can plug it in just to see if you get video. If you have 2 memory sticks, try with just one.

GL.

Answer 7

i could propose an entire cheek snaffle or rubber bit guards (what you notice on the racers). perhaps a flash if he's beginning his mouth at different cases, no longer in elementary terms the bit coming by way of once you swap.. could desire to sparkling up that a snaffle isn't soft in any strectch of the mind's eye in the incorrect palms. I journey my horse gentler and kinder in a pelham than pulling strongly and giving her the nutcracker action of a snaffle. sorry, puppy hate. very hassle-free ignornace factor alot of human beings have. they think of their horse is commonplace because of the fact they could journey in a snaffle. nicely executed, you presently have a no longer ordinary mouthed horse ninety 9% of the time. =] (no longer conversing approximately you, they are soft yet no longer as soft as a directly bar bit. you will in all hazard locate in time that your cob prefers a directly bar-ed bit because of the fact their mouths are extra fleshy and massive tongued and a jointed bit lays on their tongue and isn't any longer gentle)

Answer 8

probably its been attacked by sum virus..get sum comp. techie 2 repair it!

Answer 9

count the beeps and go here http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm