Need help.....my computer died.....again!

[HeavenlyOne]

I turned my computer off this evening because it was running slow. It was off for about three hours and when I tried turning it back on, it only beeps at me. Nothing comes up on the screen at all. I tried this several times but all I got was beeping.

When I first turn it on, the fan (or whatever it is making that noise) turns on for about one second, then turns off and the beeping starts.

Aside from getting another computer, which isn't an option, is there anything else I can do? In the past it did this on occasion, but would always boot up the second or third time I turned it on. I tried over a dozen times tonight....nothing.

I have a massive amount of homework to get done tomorrow. I have LadyRev's work laptop that she leaves at my house, but it's difficult working up in this room.

I hope someone can help me out here. Thanks.

Try taking a vacuum and blowing out the dust from the inside. This would happen to my old one because dust would get too thick in there , Its worth a try.

[HeavenlyOne]

Originally Posted by Fonix

Try taking a vacuum and blowing out the dust from the inside. This would happen to my old one because dust would get too thick in there , Its worth a try.

This would cause it to not turn on, but only beep?

I'm at school at the moment, but how would I go about blowing dust out? Do I take the bottom off it?

This is a laptop, if I didn't say that already.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne

This would cause it to not turn on, but only beep?

I'm at school at the moment, but how would I go about blowing dust out? Do I take the bottom off it?

This is a laptop, if I didn't say that already.

Fonix is right... that will sometimes work. (Although I would suggest sucking the dirt out first...then if you can reverse your air direction then blow the rest out.)

But since you let it sit for 3 hours and then it still did this it would seem that the damage may already be done. In 3 hours time if the board was too hot to start back then it should have cooled off by then. Definitely worth a try though.

Back in the good ole days when the system shut down that fast and started beeping it meant that the problem was on the motherboard. Once the system boots through CMOS (Do they even have that anymore) then the drive starts to boot up etc.

It sounds like your computer is not getting out of the initial boot of the motherooard and has never even had a chance to begin booting the hard drive and firing up the OS.

[HeavenlyOne]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Fonix is right... that will sometimes work. (Although I would suggest sucking the dirt out first...then if you can reverse your air direction then blow the rest out.)

But since you let it sit for 3 hours and then it still did this it would seem that the damage may already be done. In 3 hours time if the board was too hot to start back then it should have cooled off by then. Definitely worth a try though.

Back in the good ole days when the system shut down that fast and started beeping it meant that the problem was on the motherboard. Once the system boots through CMOS (Do they even have that anymore) then the drive starts to boot up etc.

It sounds like your computer is not getting out of the initial boot of the motherooard and has never even had a chance to begin booting the hard drive and firing up the OS.

You are right. And it does have CMOS.

My computer crashed a few weeks ago. I thought I'd have to buy a new one but was able to reformat it. It was starting up but going to diagnostics, then restarting....and would cycle that over and over without going to windows.

This time, it's not starting at all. The fan (or whatever) comes on for a second, shuts off, then the beeping starts. Nothing else happens.....black screen, no other sound.....nothing.

LadyRev is going to look at it tonight for me, but I'm calling my brother to see about borrowing $1000....just in case.

Makes me mad though, cause I bought this computer on Ebay last year for about $375, refurbished. I was hoping it would have lasted longer than 10 months.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne

You are right. And it does have CMOS.

My computer crashed a few weeks ago. I thought I'd have to buy a new one but was able to reformat it. It was starting up but going to diagnostics, then restarting....and would cycle that over and over without going to windows.

This time, it's not starting at all. The fan (or whatever) comes on for a second, shuts off, then the beeping starts. Nothing else happens.....black screen, no other sound.....nothing.

LadyRev is going to look at it tonight for me, but I'm calling my brother to see about borrowing $1000....just in case.

Makes me mad though, cause I bought this computer on Ebay last year for about $375, refurbished. I was hoping it would have lasted longer than 10 months.

If the fan is so stopped up with dust that it just won't turn (or it has gotten so hot that it no longer works well) then your problem could be as small as that.

If the fan is locked up or is tight then I would think that the system would trigger a shut down.

It is hard to keep a computer clean. It requires a regular regiment (and does not reflect on anyones level of cleanliness)

I hope you get it going.

[HeavenlyOne]

Thanks. LadyRev will know how to get the back off, I'm sure. I'll let you know what happens! If it doesn't work, I have a cheap laptop to sell on Ebay.....

[drummerboy_dave]

If you're talking about a desktop pc, mine did that a few months ago. I called a small local computer shop. He said he'd look at it for $40.00. It was the "power supply", which cost i think $35.00. It didn't seem unreasonable to me. Best of luck.

[HeavenlyOne]

Originally Posted by drummerboy_dave

If you're talking about a desktop pc, mine did that a few months ago. I called a small local computer shop. He said he'd look at it for $40.00. It was the "power supply", which cost i think $35.00. It didn't seem unreasonable to me. Best of luck.

I'm talking about a laptop and LadyRev said she doesn't want to take it apart as she's never done that with a laptop before.

I took off the two doors on the bottom that I found, but no dust was in them.

*sigh*

Good thing I keep an extra $1000 in my pocket for such emergencies........





Yeah, right!

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne

I'm talking about a laptop and LadyRev said she doesn't want to take it apart as she's never done that with a laptop before.

I took off the two doors on the bottom that I found, but no dust was in them.

*sigh*

Good thing I keep an extra $1000 in my pocket for such emergencies........





Yeah, right!

Ugh...a laptop? I bet the CPU is overheated. Is it an Older model? Those things don't have much in the way of fans and like mine, you have to make sure it does not rest flat on a flat surface....especially like a bed. It has legs and those lets are there not to tilt it for you but to allow a better air flow.

The doors to the bottem only show you the memory modules usually (Dimms)..that could be the problem but they would not cause the fan to stop, and also you still might get something on the screen.

I thought you were talking about a PC. You should probably take it to someone instead of try to fix it yourself