Computer Trouble

[INANN]

Hi Everyone,
I needed another file that was on my old computer yesterday, so I unhooked the monitor, keyboard, mouse, & Network cable from the back of my new computer and hooked them up to the old. I started up, got the files I needed, and switched em back. When I switched them back, the computer didn't work.

I reset my computer. The computer makes this annoying beeping sound after I first turn the power on. It sounds like the noise the grinding noise they use on the tests of the emergency broadcasting system. To my knowledge, it never boots up and nothing will show up on the monitor at all.

I thought maybe I fried the video card and by coincidence I had a spare with me, so I swapped that in. I restarted the computer, same outcome.

Any thoughts? What would cause the computer to make that annoying noise after turning the power on? The computer is a Dell Dimension E-520. I bought it in March so it should be under warranty.

INANN

[Nebula]

Inann,

More than likely, that sound you are hearing is suppose to be an 'error beep' (or more well known as a post error code) usually they dont stay on though... its usually a series of beeps that is suppose to indicate a specific problem your computer is having.

If the computer is under warranty, I would say let Dell deal with it... but here's a few things you can try.

Open the computer up and reseat the memory. I would say reseat the video card as well, but being you swapped it out with another and have the same issue - thats probably not going to help.

Also, try locating the motherboard 'reset' button. Press and hold few a few seconds. I dont know if thats what you meant by 'I reset my computer' ...but that may help too.

unfortunately, looking (briefly) in to error codes for Dell machines, they dont mention a single error beep. However, the "fix" on MOST of the POST error codes also recommend reseating the memory.

Hope this helps!

[sylverarrow]

Do what he said... reseat for the win!

[Hae-Yu]

A lot of times those beeps also go with 4 +/- blinking lights, either on the motherboard or visible on the I/O backplate (where you plug in all the cables on the back). The 4 lights will light up in a specific sequence and if an error's present, will hold a specific pattern.

On my PC (a Dell Dimension at work here), these are green lights are on the I/O plate near the top labeled ABCD. If the system has booted the OS fine, all 4 lights are green. If the video controller failed, it would display on off on off. You need your mobo manual for the key.

This may give you a clue as to what faulted out.

In the future, practice your ESD safety, esp if you have static build up in your house. Also not wearing shoes helps alleviate static discharge. I know you can switch a monitor, KB or USB devices out a million times, but all it takes is 1 time to fry. As you plug things in and out, touch a metal part of the chassis of your PC (the I/O plate). Make sure the items (like the monitor) are powered down and power cord is unplugged.

[sylverarrow]

Since you have a dell you also can look up the beeps and if they lights are blinking on dells site. the forums are pretty good place. I have nothing but dell at work so searching the forums there helps. I have print outs of the different beeps and ligh status thingys... heh

[Nimmy]

Well, they've covered the big ones... some of the small ones would be (from experience)... you are plugging the monitor cable into onboard instead of the video card - my brothers do this constantly (but that cant be it). The error in memory tho might be a possibility but franky its a longshot trouble-shooting tip.

What might be more likely is you had the first video card plugged in wrong when you tryed to boot it up (giving you no monitor)... or it came loose a little and gave you problems - but with lots of compac machines I've noticed that they give you a oem made computer with some slots, but the simple fact is only half those slots work and half the slots will cause system-wide failures and really slow loads. So you might want to try switching it back to how it was to see if that helps and plugging the monitor into the video card itself.. or trying to put it on the onboard video too. (or just take out both video cards and put it on the onboard one)...

lol... Those are the most common things I've found with oem computers, goodluck.

Edit: Beep codes - these should be close, lol.

1 - 2 No video card detected -Reseat the video card
1 - 2 - 2 - 3 BIOS ROM checksum error
1 - 3 - 1 - 1 DRAM refresh error -Reseat the memory modules
1 - 3 - 1 - 3 8742 Keyboard Controller error -Reseat the keyboard connector
1 - 3 - 3 - 1 Memory defective or not present -Reseat the memory modules
1 - 3 - 4 - 1 RAM failure on line xxx -Reseat the memory modules
1 - 3 - 4 - 3 RAM failure on data bits xxx of low byte on memory bus -Reseat the memory modules
1 - 4 - 1 - 1 RAM failure on data bits xxx of high byte on memory bus -Reseat the memory modules

The fix to any beeping seems to be.... reseat.

What I (me) think you did tho, was you disconnected your video-card then dislogged it slightly from where it was sitting (either due to the fact you where to lazy to put in a screw or not). Then you must have switched video cards to another slot which didnt work, or plugged it in completely wrong....

[INANN]

It's not really a beep. It's close to exactly like the emergency broad cast system noise, kind of a deep grinding noise that repeats. The IT people at work seemed to think it was the HD.

[Nimmy]

Stick your ear up to the speaker on the case, if its beeping its one thing... if its hardware its either harddrive - or since you where inside the case/moving it, perhaps something is in a fan somewhere. Maybe it is the hd tho, that would be wonderful. Cant you stick your head in there tho and listen?

[sylverarrow]

I have heard hdds makes some odd noises. The one I hear the most is the ticking before it dies. very possible.

[Hae-Yu]

When you say that your beep sounds like the sound from an emergency broadcast (instead of the normal clean beep) I think that either a) you jabbed something into the speaker or b) (most likely) there is some kind of mobo/ memory problem (digital distortion).

If it was the hard drive, it wouldn't sound like your beep has gone bad - it would beep out normal-sounding error beeps. That is controlled by firmware on the mobo and a bad drive wouldn't affect its performance, although it might beep out a missing boot-device type error code.

What about resetting the BIOS? There is usually a tiny button on the mobo for doing this, in my Dimension, it is a yellow-orange button near the firmware chip.

Like sylver says, a bad drive sounds like ticking or a mechanical grinding sound, not a distorted digital sound. You only have fans and drives for mechanical movement and those are easy to diagnose by opening the case and listening.

[Helstrm]

Disconnect the power from your hard drive and turn on the system. That will tell you right away if it is the hard drive. If the HD is going bad you would still get a bios screen on bootup.

[JimbobSS]

I had that happen to me at mark and sammie's place once...the long tone that never goes off....turned out my ram had fried. It was el cheapo memory anyhow.

[INANN]

Hi Everyone,
It was the memory. It just got loose somehow. No clue how since it's not like I moved it more than 2 inches from when it worked and when it didn't. I pulled it out, reseated it, and everything worked just fine. Thanks for all your help!

INANN