Please tell me: Is my computer bad, my monitor, or my video card?

[Sorcerer8605]

I turn on the computer, monitor, and speakers. After a few seconds, the monitor shuts off (the light turns yellow), while the computer keeps running. I never even see the startup screens. In the meantime, the speakers beep about every 10 seconds. Is my video card bad? I opened it and tried taking it out, putting it back in, wiggling it, etc. but nothing happened. I saw on another website where you can rub an eraser on the gold part to clean it. Should I try this? Please someone HELP!!

 

[KimLeece]

Are the beeps from the speaker repetitive at all? Are there long beeps and short beeps? Often the pattern of beeps will tell you if there is a problem with a particular piece of hardware - for instance memory problems, video problems.
If there is a pattern please post back which motherboard you have, and which beeps you can hear.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[Sorcerer8605]

Quote: Are the beeps from the speaker repetitive at all? Are there long beeps and short beeps? Often the pattern of beeps will tell you if there is a problem with a particular piece of hardware - for instance memory problems, video problems.
If there is a pattern please post back which motherboard you have, and which beeps you can hear.

Kim :End Quote

Oh, duh. Bet that's what it is. I wasn't thinking about that. Actually, I think it's about every 5 seconds or so. They are all the same (nothing long and short). Does that help? Shoot...I don't know which motherboard we have. Just got a new one... Do I need to know? Whatever it is, the beeps are consistent (repetitive I guess). They're not REAL fast. They last...maybe 1 second? Well, anyways, it's probably the video isn't it? I don't know a lot about hardware, but I had heard about the beeping thing. Just forgot. LOL. Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[KimLeece]

You need to know which motherboard you have as beep patterns and meanings differ from board to board. The name of the board should be on it.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[KimLeece]

The IBM beep codes (which quite a few manufacturers use) include a single repetitive beep - if it is this one it's the memory.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[Sorcerer8605]

Ok...ummm...I looked at the box. It says: Shuttle (Mainboard)....It also says AK32A and then VIA and KT266A. Version 2.1. I don't know which part you need, so I posted all. Thanks, by the way.

 

[Rob2806]

When a computer boots up it checks the first 16kn of memory, then the video card, and then the rest of the memory.

Are you seeing the memory being counted?

If you're not then it is likely taht you have a faulty video card and it needs replacing.

 

[KimLeece]

Well - your motherboard is a Shuttle AK32A. As far as I can tell it uses Award bios. A single repetitive beep indicates a memory problem.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[KimLeece]

Sorry, I submitted too quickly! I would try to reseat the memory and see if that makes a difference. If you have another machine you can also test your video card in it to see if that is good. If the other machine uses the same type of RAM then you could also test your RAM in the other machine.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[mainegeek]

Make sure your video card is pressed all the way down in the slot evenly. You will get beeps and no display if it is cocked. This can happen if you put tension on the monitor cable or it may move out a little if dropped during a move. Also check the contrast and make sure it didn't get turned down, once the continous beeps have been corrected.

 

[cadaveca]

when the mainboard pc beeps one of your cards is not seated properly...this is the reason all mobo's ship with that tiny black speaker....the back pages in the troubleshooting section of your manual will tell you what the beeps are...the simple thing to do is take out all cards and memory(which this probably is) and make sure all the contacts are clean and have no scratches...re-insert mem first and boot...if ya get no beep shut down and try the next card until you can get into the os.

the only right answer to "why?" is: "why not?"

 

[Sorcerer8605]

OMG!! Never mind. I went in to try the memory thing. Nothing happened. I started messing with the video card again, after many times of taking it out and putting it back in. I had even pushed HARD (I thought it would break). Apparently, it wasn't in there PERFECTLY because I pushed on one little corner, heard a snap, turned the computer, and it worked! Thanks for your help though. Cya!

 

[drewsilver]

my moniter is verified card is verified hard drive is verified ihave no beeps and a blank screen black nothing to say no signal tried to repartition reformatted and nothing since has been possible put the parts in another system to verify reloaded the hard drive put everything back still nothing triple checked every piece and repeated 47 times still nothing any ideas

 

[Rob2806]

When you boot up, do you see on the screen the computer doing the POST sequence?