3 beeps and screen doesn't turn oun.

Hi all. I found a computer and I'm not sure if it broke or what but I thought I'd have a go at repairing it.

When I turn it on it makes 3 quick beeps and will keep doing that every 5 or so seconds and the screen won't turn on.
I unplugged the hard drive and put some different RAM in and then it booted up to the BIOS but wouldn't do anything since there was no HDD in there. So I turned it off and plugged in a keyboard and tried again then it went back to doing what it was doing before, making 3 beeps and the screen wouldn't turn on.

So I took the keyboard out again and tried what I did the first time it worked but this time it didn't work. Now I can't get it to boot up at all again.

halp

edit: I should probably add that all the fans spin. the mobo is Gigabyte GA-7VT600.
i'm going to take out all the cards and put them back in and try putting the ram into other slots later. has anyone experienced this before?

Edited by computersaysno, 30 May 2010 - 09:42 PM.

Hello and Welcome to Bleepingcomputer!


I am pointing you to a support page for your GA 7VT600 computer under the 1.x revision, there were several revisions of this motherboard manufactured, however since you did not include any prefixes in the model number I will assume this is the correct page for your motherboard. Because some 7VT600 motherboards had revisions or changes done during their production run.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/products/produc...amp;dl=1#manual

If in the event this is not, then make sure there is not a prefix at the end of the model number, if there is then please post that prefix in your next post and I will direct you to the correct page.

If this is the correct motherboard, then I am also providing you with a motherboard manual here in the PDF format.

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manua...al_7vt600_e.pdf Click this link and a copy of your owners manual will appear, you can save this to your desktop for future trouble shooting.

I will be back with some solutions for you to try after I do some research, please be patient.

That's the one. There's no other numbers before or after so it must be right.

Thanks for helping. I'll have a look through the manual and see if there's a solution.

System beep error codes are listed below for your conveinence.

Sometimes you will hear different continuous beeps from computer after system boots up.
What do these beeps usually stand for?
Answer: The beep codes below may help you identify the possible computer
problems. However, they are only for reference purposes. The situations might differ
from case to case.

AMI BIOS Beep Codes
*Computer gives 1 short beep when system boots successfully.
*Except for beep code 8, these codes are always fatal.
1 beep Refresh failure
2 beeps Parity error
3 beeps Base 64K memory failure
4 beeps Timer not operational
5 beeps Processor error
6 beeps 8042 - gate A20 failure
7 beeps Processor exception interrupt error
8 beeps Display memory read/write failure
9 beeps ROM checksum error
10 beeps CMOS shutdown register read/write error
11 beeps Cache memory bad

AWARD BIOS Beep Codes
1 short: System boots successfully
2 short: CMOS setting error
1 long 1 short: DRAM or M/B error
1 long 2 short: Monitor or display card error
1 long 3 short: Keyboard error
1 long 9 short: BIOS ROM error
Continuous long beeps: DRAM error
Continuous short beeps: Power error

well it's 1 long beep and 2 short beeps. but how would having a keyboard attached/not even one attached stop the computer booting up? :S

The error code you are getting initually is 1 long 2 short: Monitor or display card error, therefor it is that problem that is stopping the computer from booting, not the keyboard.

oh sorry, misread it. i've tried booting up with no gfx card attached and cleaned it all put it back in, but still no progress.
why do you think it worked before and then decided not to when I tried to attach a keyboard?

What I suggest you do is troubleshoot the video card section of this computer first.

Is the monitor connected to the on-board video processor or is there an add-on card connected to it?

If there is an add-on video card, I would first try disconnecting the monitor and removing the card from the slot, then replace it back into the slot again, making sure it is fully seated into this slot, then connect the monitor again and try booting the computer up again, if it fails again, the video card is defective and should be replaced with another video card.

If the monitor is connected to an on-board video processor, this could mean the port is bad or the video processor is defective, which is impossible to replace.

Please try what I have suggested and reply back with whether it worked or if your video processor is on-board.

It is connected to an add-on card. I took it out and replaced it but it didn't make a difference.

If I had another card I would swap them over but I don't. I'd say that's probably what the issue is though.

Thanks.

oh sorry, misread it. I've tried booting up with no gfx card attached and cleaned it all put it back in, but still no progress.
why do you think it worked before and then decided not to when I tried to attach a keyboard?

Sorry, I see what i posted above you already tried.

In answer to your question, the reason can be the result of a faulty connection, to which your moving the keyboard port may have cause that faulty connection to temporally make a connection and then break it again.

This can be corrected sometimes by going through the computer and disconnecting connections then reconnecting them again, this might disturb some corrosion on a connector that has caused a faulty connection.

This may also indicate a cold solder joint, where a connection is soldered to the motherboard, sometimes this can be found by moving certain parts or components on the motherboard and watching for movement of the leg on the soldered side of the motherboard. This can be made easier by using a magnifying glass to help amplify the view.

It is connected to an add-on card. I took it out and replaced it but it didn't make a difference.

If I had another card I would swap them over but I don't. I'd say that's probably what the issue is though.

Thanks.

First of all in reply to your show of thanks in your last few posts, I want to say you're very much welcome, helping people with computer problems is what I enjoy doing, but I appreciate your respectful replies just the same.

I would at least try using another video card if you can get your hands on a used good one, its definitely worth a try.

And now you have an owners manual and current support pages from GigaByte to assist you in possibly bringing this computer back to a useful life again.

Well I'll post back here when I get around to finding another gfx card. Last time I booted it up the fan was actually whirring up and down and wasn't constant, wasn't doing that before.

By the way is that your cat? Lol it looks surprised at something. don't think it likes photos.

By the way is that your cat? Lol it looks surprised at something. don't think it likes photos.

LOL Yes that's my cat Oreo I adopted her from the neighborhood about a year ago, her mother and father are feral cats and she was on deaths door when I took her in.

Thanks for asking though.