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tacvbo83 · 2007-10-30, 12:01

Ever since I bought my first mac almost 2 years ago I ditched my Intel P4 with XP and gave it to my cuz. Now that she does not need it anymore, it is sitting here in my house and I would like to give it to my cousin's 9 year old so he can get into the computer thang i guess. So as I try to hook it up, when it starts it gives a ring sound about every 3 seconds and nothing pops up on the screen.

Is there anybody here that knows what that noise is about and what I can do to fix. I am using a friends cable power chord I borrowed just to try it out. Thats about the only thing that might be in the wrong place. I am gonna clean the inside since I see it is extremely dirty so mayb that helps?

PB PM · 2007-10-30, 12:48

Sounds like the BIOS is giving a hardware error alert, but thats just my first guess.

herodian · 2007-10-30, 13:01

^^^

change the BIOS battery and check that the RAM is seated properly.

it could be that simple

tacvbo83 · 2007-10-30, 16:10

The sound does seem it comes from somewhere near the battery. I checked the RAM and seems ok. If it is the battery, windows won't even start on the screen at all? The screen is completly black at all times.

RichieB · 2007-10-30, 16:22

*dusts off 3 inch layer o'dust from 10 year old "PC Tech" hat to wear it for this reply*

Could be a bad power supply...

*puts hat away*

Taskiss · 2007-10-30, 17:36

Check to make sure the cpu fan is running. Take out all the extra cards, disconnect all the drive cables (floppy, disk, cd, etc) and with just the ram (remove it and re-install it first), keyboard and monitor (and gpu if yours is on a separate card) attached, see if you get something on the monitor. You should at least get a power on screen of some sort if not the bios screen.

If you don't, then it's busted somehow, could be a setting for the bios or something, or could be bad power supply, ram or a bad gpu. If you do, then add things back in, one at a time.

dfiler · 2007-11-02, 09:30

Your motherboard manual should explain what different beeping means on bootup. Granted, you'll probably have to dig for a copy online.

My PC's motherboard has a convenient 2-digit LED display for error codes. But I doubt you'll be that lucky.

bassplayinMacFiend · 2007-11-02, 11:03

You can find beep codes here --> http://www.bioscentral.com/

Chellovek · 2007-11-02, 11:54

Once you get the POST beeps figured out, why not ditch XP in favour of edubuntu?

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PB PM Sneaky Punk Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC	2007-10-30, 12:48 Sounds like the BIOS is giving a hardware error alert, but thats just my first guess.
	quote

herodian Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Aldershot, UK	2007-10-30, 13:01 ^^^ change the BIOS battery and check that the RAM is seated properly. it could be that simple
	quote

tacvbo83 Member Join Date: Dec 2005	2007-10-30, 16:10 The sound does seem it comes from somewhere near the battery. I checked the RAM and seems ok. If it is the battery, windows won't even start on the screen at all? The screen is completly black at all times. MBP 1.83 GHz, 2GB RAM
	quote

RichieB Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Arizona	2007-10-30, 16:22 dusts off 3 inch layer o'dust from 10 year old "PC Tech" hat to wear it for this reply Could be a bad power supply... puts hat away Here tonight, we have, ah, apple and orange. We all different, but in the end, we all fruit.
	quote

dfiler Veteran Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh	2007-11-02, 09:30 Your motherboard manual should explain what different beeping means on bootup. Granted, you'll probably have to dig for a copy online. My PC's motherboard has a convenient 2-digit LED display for error codes. But I doubt you'll be that lucky.
	quote

bassplayinMacFiend Banging the Bottom End Join Date: Jun 2004	2007-11-02, 11:03 You can find beep codes here --> http://www.bioscentral.com/
	quote

Chellovek Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Place of settlement or residence.	2007-11-02, 11:54 Once you get the POST beeps figured out, why not ditch XP in favour of edubuntu?
	quote

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