Old comp problem

Billgoe · 12-13-2008, 10:05 PM

Hello everyone, i have a problem with my old computer Windows ME.
I plugged in everything, and when i turn on the tower, all the lights in the front of the tower turn on (there is 3 on mine), and there is no image in the monitor. The fans are working fine in the computer. I need help!!!

spinaltaprocks · 12-13-2008, 10:07 PM

Any beeping noises?

Billgoe · 12-13-2008, 10:53 PM

ok, so i switched the thing to 115 volts and now its making a siren noise
a high low high low noise

**OldGrayGary** · 12-14-2008, 01:16 AM

Hi Billgoe

230 volts is generally used outside the United States, 115 volts here in the States.

If you are here in the United States, you may have damaged hardware inside of the case if the PC was started at the higher setting.

A siren noise such as you describe doesn't sound like a Bios beep code (which are fairly recognizable as beeps -- sometimes in patterns, using long and short beeps). A siren is generally used for moments when a serious hardware fault has occured that can cause damage (if the cpu fan has failed; if a temperature threshold has been crossed).

You will want to find a system/motherboard manual for your system/motherboard (your favorite search engine should do the trick - or simply visit the support website for your PC, if it is a major-brand).

Then you can try:
1) Make sure the PC is turned off & the power cord unplugged.
2) Taking anti-static precautions (ground yourself beforehand or wear an anti-static wrist strap) open the case.
3) With a flashlight & magnifying glass in hand, inspect the motherboard for damage (look for any areas that seem to show evidence of high temperatures, look for any evidence of leaking from the capacitors). If the power supply has large enough vents, peer through to see if all looks OK in there -- and doesn't have that electrical 'burnt' smell.
4) If everything looks OK, remove and reseat the memory modules & the video card (if any). Reseat any other PCI devices as well.
5) Double-check the connections for the cpu fan, case fans (if any), hard drive, floppy drive, and optical drives.
6) Remove the CMOS battery for five minutes or so - then reseat it (you could also replace it at this point, if it is older than six years - they cost about $1.50). Alternatively, if your motherboard has a Bios reset jumper, you can move that according to the instructions in your motherboard manual.
7) If your PC allows you to start the PC with the case open, leave a side-panel off so that you can see the interior while it starts up.
8) Reconnect the power cord, and turn it on.
9) If you hear the siren sound again, power off immediately, and post the make/model of your PC here [the exact model, if it is part of a large series].
10) If you do not hear any siren, but hear a distinct pattern of beep codes, make a note of that pattern & post that info here.
11) If you do not hear any siren or beep codes, see if you can see any display onscreen - you can tap your ESC key to pause the boot process in order to read any Bios messages.
12) If you can see a Bios screen, and it says "Press the F1 (or F2, F10, Del, etc.) key to Enter Setup)" -- press the key mentioned in the Bios banner message & enter Bios Setup.
13) Setup your Bios settings according to the instructions in the motherboard manual. If you need extra Bios setting guidance, you can refer to Adrian's famous Bios Optimization Guide --- http://www.techarp.com/freebog.aspx
14) When finished, choose "Save changes & exit"

Let us know if you have questions
Best of luck
. . . Gary

12-13-2008, 10:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Billgoe Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Old comp problem Hello everyone, i have a problem with my old computer Windows ME. I plugged in everything, and when i turn on the tower, all the lights in the front of the tower turn on (there is 3 on mine), and there is no image in the monitor. The fans are working fine in the computer. I need help!!!

12-13-2008, 10:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
spinaltaprocks Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 100 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: Old comp problem Any beeping noises?

12-13-2008, 10:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
Billgoe Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Re: Old comp problem ok, so i switched the thing to 115 volts and now its making a siren noise a high low high low noise

12-14-2008, 01:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 2,240 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: Old comp problem Hi Billgoe 230 volts is generally used outside the United States, 115 volts here in the States. If you are here in the United States, you may have damaged hardware inside of the case if the PC was started at the higher setting. A siren noise such as you describe doesn't sound like a Bios beep code (which are fairly recognizable as beeps -- sometimes in patterns, using long and short beeps). A siren is generally used for moments when a serious hardware fault has occured that can cause damage (if the cpu fan has failed; if a temperature threshold has been crossed). You will want to find a system/motherboard manual for your system/motherboard (your favorite search engine should do the trick - or simply visit the support website for your PC, if it is a major-brand). Then you can try: 1) Make sure the PC is turned off & the power cord unplugged. 2) Taking anti-static precautions (ground yourself beforehand or wear an anti-static wrist strap) open the case. 3) With a flashlight & magnifying glass in hand, inspect the motherboard for damage (look for any areas that seem to show evidence of high temperatures, look for any evidence of leaking from the capacitors). If the power supply has large enough vents, peer through to see if all looks OK in there -- and doesn't have that electrical 'burnt' smell. 4) If everything looks OK, remove and reseat the memory modules & the video card (if any). Reseat any other PCI devices as well. 5) Double-check the connections for the cpu fan, case fans (if any), hard drive, floppy drive, and optical drives. 6) Remove the CMOS battery for five minutes or so - then reseat it (you could also replace it at this point, if it is older than six years - they cost about $1.50). Alternatively, if your motherboard has a Bios reset jumper, you can move that according to the instructions in your motherboard manual. 7) If your PC allows you to start the PC with the case open, leave a side-panel off so that you can see the interior while it starts up. 8) Reconnect the power cord, and turn it on. 9) If you hear the siren sound again, power off immediately, and post the make/model of your PC here [the exact model, if it is part of a large series]. 10) If you do not hear any siren, but hear a distinct pattern of beep codes, make a note of that pattern & post that info here. 11) If you do not hear any siren or beep codes, see if you can see any display onscreen - you can tap your ESC key to pause the boot process in order to read any Bios messages. 12) If you can see a Bios screen, and it says "Press the F1 (or F2, F10, Del, etc.) key to Enter Setup)" -- press the key mentioned in the Bios banner message & enter Bios Setup. 13) Setup your Bios settings according to the instructions in the motherboard manual. If you need extra Bios setting guidance, you can refer to Adrian's famous Bios Optimization Guide --- http://www.techarp.com/freebog.aspx 14) When finished, choose "Save changes & exit" Let us know if you have questions Best of luck . . . Gary __________________