Crashed Computer

[Clanky]

Man... my computer crashed (I think) on the weekend... still had the ON light lit, and sounded like it was working, but it wasnt!!! When I turned it off by holding in the power button, and turned it on again - it made a beeeeeep, *pause* beeeeeeep sound for all eternity! So I turned it off and did it again... same thing! But I tried it later on and it turned on! YAY... but it did the same thing and turned off again!!!
My friend said it's because the RAM Card has gotten lose, and to just open the tower and take it out, clean it and put it back in? Is that right? Or is their something more... something worse happening?

Cheers.

ps. I will go home maybe sunday to try and fix it... hopefully it is just the RAM...

[Voltage]

I fixed a PC today for my uncle *sigh*

Same symptoms as you mate, LED on front of PC were on, fans were spinning, and a BIOS beep beep beeeeeeeeeep.

It was the RAM.

[mike_g]

It could be the RAM. I had a similar problem when one of my RAM sticks died on me, but it could also be something else.

All I know is that the combination of beep sounds are designed to be able to tell you whats wrong. Different BIOS' often have different codes for errors, so if you could find out what the sequence of beeps means from some sort of reference, then you should in theory be able to work out what the problem is.

That said it would probably be easier to just try replaing different parts (if you have them) and seeing if that fixes the problem.

[Hotshot]

ALWAYS have Good Ram! hope it go well for your computer

cheers

[ferris]

Could also be a CD-ROM drive.

Happened to me last year.

[Clanky]

Well, the CD-Drive light kept flashing!? And when my brother pressed Open, it only came half way out???

So, it might be the CD-Drive... I'll try the RAM, then if it works then - then it would have probebly have been the RAM don't you think? 
But if that doesn't work - I'll have to send it in to get repaired - dunno how to do much things with pc's! Unless I get my mate over!

Thanks guys!

[Clyde]

I had a similar experience when I changed the GFX card on my other computer.
Hope you manage to fix it dude.

Cheers,
Clyde.

[Jim]

If you've got the motherboard manual, it'll tell you what the beeps mean.  If not, the web is full of this information.  One long beep with a black screen usually means POST failure which means the RAM is loose or faulty.  Do what your mate says and unplug the RAM, blow the dust out and reseat it.  If that don't work try just using one RAM stick at a time in slot 1.

Jim

[Clanky]

Nah haven't got the manual. But I'll try the RAM... see where that goes.