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From: Ken Blake, MVP on 3 Mar 2010 13:08
On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:06:53 -0600, Antares 531
<gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote:

> On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:38:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
> <kblake(a)this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote:
>

> >> I opened the case and noticed the CPU fan was running in short bursts
> >> of about 2 seconds then stopping for about the same length of time.
> >> This continued until I shut the computer down and re-booted...cold
> >> boot. After this, the fan ran constantly and there was no more
> >> beeping.
> >>
> >> This computer has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor E6750, LGA 775 Pkg
> >> 2.66 GHZ, 4MB L2 Cache, 1333 MHz FSB.
> >>
> >> Is this an indication of something in the process of failing or was it
> >> just a fluke of some sort?
> >>
> >> Thanks for your insights, Gordon
> >
> >
> >Almost certainly something is failing. I don't believe in flukes.
> >
> This old computer reminds me of the old story, "The Deacon's
> Masterpiece." I think it is about to the end of its life, although it
> is just a bit more than two years old.


I don't mean to claim that the whole computer needs to be replaced,
but it sounds like the fan (or perhaps the power supply) should be
replaced.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
From: glee on 3 Mar 2010 14:54
"Antares 531" <gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote in message
news:sm2to55pfbca01fpv8b1mvj42q4549g826(a)4ax.com...
> On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 11:02:34 -0500, "glee" <glee29(a)spamindspring.com>
> wrote:
>
>>"Antares 531" <gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote in message
>>news:r5vso55vmd2dt4e5ibf9dqdonqokq0ban7(a)4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:25:25 -0600, Antares 531
>>> <gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have an older computer with a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboard
>>>>that
>>>>I home-built a few years back. I recently built a new computer and
>>>>have been keeping the old one alive until I get the new one all
>>>>checked out and settled in.
>>>>
>>>>Yesterday the old computer wouldn't boot. It makes a BEEP about one
>>>>second long during the boot process but won't go any farther. The
>>>>drive lights flash and the monitor goes through its first sign of
>>>>lighting up, after I turn the computer on, but this is as far as it
>>>>goes. The monitor goes black and the activity lights on the front of
>>>>the computer flash a few times, then everything stops.
>>>>
>>>>I've tried using the original Windows XP Pro installation disk, and
>>>>also a second boot disk that I slipstreamed with SP3 on it. Neither
>>>>boot disk will initiate a start-up process. The CD drive light
>>>>flashes
>>>>a few times then quits and nothing more happens after the BEEP.
>>>>
>>>>Any ideas as to what I might try next?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks, Gordon
>>>>
>>> I finally got the above problem resolved and for a day or so this
>>> old
>>> computer worked very well. But, this morning when I turned it on
>>> after
>>> being shut down overnight I got a continuous beep. Everything seemed
>>> to be working okay but the beep didn't stop.
>>>
>>> I opened the case and noticed the CPU fan was running in short
>>> bursts
>>> of about 2 seconds then stopping for about the same length of time.
>>> This continued until I shut the computer down and re-booted...cold
>>> boot. After this, the fan ran constantly and there was no more
>>> beeping.
>>>
>>> This computer has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor E6750, LGA 775 Pkg
>>> 2.66 GHZ, 4MB L2 Cache, 1333 MHz FSB.
>>>
>>> Is this an indication of something in the process of failing or was
>>> it
>>> just a fluke of some sort?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your insights, Gordon
>>
>>The processor fan should be spinning continuously...it may go at
>>variable speed depending on the load on the processor, but it must not
>>ever stop spinning while the computer is on.
>>
>>The fan *may* have a built-in temp sensor to determine the speed at
>>which it needs to spin,and that or the fan itself may be failing.
>>Regardless, the CPU fan should be replaced by one specifically
>>designed
>>for that processor family,and for the heat sink it is installed on.
>>
>>I still have not been convinced from your last thread, that the PSU is
>>free of defects either.
>>
> Thanks, glee, for your insights into this set of problems. The
> processor fan is the one that came with the processor, and it has
> always worked well.
>
> After doing a re-boot using the mouse click sequence Start>Turn off
> computer...>Restart everything seems to work as it should. But, if I
> use the power button on the computer's case to turn the computer off,
> then start it with a mouse double click or with this same power button
> I get the CPU fan erratic behavior and the constant beep sound.
>
> I'm speculating that I may have made some bad settings in the BIOS
> yesterday when I activated the mouse double click as a means for
> starting the computer. I also set the boot sequence to 1. CD, 2. Hard
> drive, 3. floppy drive. I don't see how this could cause any problems,
> but maybe I inadvertently set something else into an unworkable state.
>
> You may be right about the power supply being the cause of at least
> some of the problems, but I can't figure out why it will operate for
> an extended time without any beeps or other indicated problems, the
> throw a hissy fit when I re-start the computer.

Gordon,
If you are "turning it off" with the button on the case, and then
starting it by double-clicking the mouse, you are NOT turning it off,
you are putting it to sleep or in hibernation. Did you configure in the
BIOS for the button on the case to hibernate when pressed briefly, and
to turn off if held down for 5 seconds?

I assume when you actually shut down completely, you are using the
Start> Shutdown menu in Windows...correct? When it is shut down that
way, a mouse click will not start the computer....you have to start it
using the button on the case. Is that the way it is configured?

Is the ONLY time you see the fan start and stop and start again, when
you have it sleeping or hibernating, and you wake it? Is that also the
only time you hear the beep?

If you TOTALLY shut down, so the mouse will not start it, do you hear a
beep or see the erratic fan behaviour at start up?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
A+
http://dts-l.net/

From: Antares 531 on 3 Mar 2010 16:10
On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:54:52 -0500, "glee" <glee29(a)spamindspring.com>
wrote:

>"Antares 531" <gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote in message
>news:sm2to55pfbca01fpv8b1mvj42q4549g826(a)4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 11:02:34 -0500, "glee" <glee29(a)spamindspring.com>
>> wrote:
>>
(snip)
>>>
>>>The processor fan should be spinning continuously...it may go at
>>>variable speed depending on the load on the processor, but it must not
>>>ever stop spinning while the computer is on.
>>>
>>>The fan *may* have a built-in temp sensor to determine the speed at
>>>which it needs to spin,and that or the fan itself may be failing.
>>>Regardless, the CPU fan should be replaced by one specifically
>>>designed
>>>for that processor family,and for the heat sink it is installed on.
>>>
>>>I still have not been convinced from your last thread, that the PSU is
>>>free of defects either.
>>>
>> Thanks, glee, for your insights into this set of problems. The
>> processor fan is the one that came with the processor, and it has
>> always worked well.
>>
>> After doing a re-boot using the mouse click sequence Start>Turn off
>> computer...>Restart everything seems to work as it should. But, if I
>> use the power button on the computer's case to turn the computer off,
>> then start it with a mouse double click or with this same power button
>> I get the CPU fan erratic behavior and the constant beep sound.
>>
>> I'm speculating that I may have made some bad settings in the BIOS
>> yesterday when I activated the mouse double click as a means for
>> starting the computer. I also set the boot sequence to 1. CD, 2. Hard
>> drive, 3. floppy drive. I don't see how this could cause any problems,
>> but maybe I inadvertently set something else into an unworkable state.
>>
>> You may be right about the power supply being the cause of at least
>> some of the problems, but I can't figure out why it will operate for
>> an extended time without any beeps or other indicated problems, the
>> throw a hissy fit when I re-start the computer.
>
>Gordon,
>If you are "turning it off" with the button on the case, and then
>starting it by double-clicking the mouse, you are NOT turning it off,
>you are putting it to sleep or in hibernation. Did you configure in the
>BIOS for the button on the case to hibernate when pressed briefly, and
>to turn off if held down for 5 seconds?
>
>I assume when you actually shut down completely, you are using the
>Start> Shutdown menu in Windows...correct? When it is shut down that
>way, a mouse click will not start the computer....you have to start it
>using the button on the case. Is that the way it is configured?
>
>Is the ONLY time you see the fan start and stop and start again, when
>you have it sleeping or hibernating, and you wake it? Is that also the
>only time you hear the beep?
>
>If you TOTALLY shut down, so the mouse will not start it, do you hear a
>beep or see the erratic fan behaviour at start up?
>
Glee, I just checked this. I turned the computer off using the
Start>Turn off computer>Turn Off sequence, then left it off for about
5 minutes. Then, without touching anything else I double clicked my
mouse's left button and the computer started up, normally.

This computer is running Windows XP Pro with SP 3 installed. Also, I
set the BIOS settings such that I can use the mouse to start the
computer.

I'll do some more checking on this but I think I can shut down using
the computer case power button, holding it for more than 5 seconds,
then use the mouse left double click to start it again.

The beep sound was there when I started this computer after lunch. It
had been powered down for an hour or more, giving it enough time to
cool off. This reinforces my thinking that this is a thermal problem,
but I have no idea how to locate it other than one by one replacement
of parts.

Why would only the CPU fan be erratic if this is a power supply
problem? I think all the fans are powered by the same output from the
power supply.

The fans probably have some kind of sensor that sends a signal to the
CPU if the fan stops or fails. I set the BIOS such that any fan
failure would produce a warning signal to me.

So, is the fan actually failing, or is the fan sensor failing, or is
the fan power supply failing or is there a thermal problem on the
motherboard???

Gordon
From: glee on 3 Mar 2010 17:09
"Antares 531" <gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote in message
news:qcjto516blrbn8qp7uaimta01resrlliia(a)4ax.com...
>>
> Glee, I just checked this. I turned the computer off using the
> Start>Turn off computer>Turn Off sequence, then left it off for about
> 5 minutes. Then, without touching anything else I double clicked my
> mouse's left button and the computer started up, normally.
>
> This computer is running Windows XP Pro with SP 3 installed. Also, I
> set the BIOS settings such that I can use the mouse to start the
> computer.
>
> I'll do some more checking on this but I think I can shut down using
> the computer case power button, holding it for more than 5 seconds,
> then use the mouse left double click to start it again.
>
> The beep sound was there when I started this computer after lunch. It
> had been powered down for an hour or more, giving it enough time to
> cool off. This reinforces my thinking that this is a thermal problem,
> but I have no idea how to locate it other than one by one replacement
> of parts.
>
> Why would only the CPU fan be erratic if this is a power supply
> problem? I think all the fans are powered by the same output from the
> power supply.
>
> The fans probably have some kind of sensor that sends a signal to the
> CPU if the fan stops or fails. I set the BIOS such that any fan
> failure would produce a warning signal to me.
>
> So, is the fan actually failing, or is the fan sensor failing, or is
> the fan power supply failing or is there a thermal problem on the
> motherboard???
>
> Gordon

The only time I've seen a CPU fan spin then stop then spin, is when
there has been a power interruption to the fan, or the power supply was
faulty. That doesn't mean that the only possibility...only that it is
all I have seen.

Just a little off-topic but I'm curious about this setting you turned
on......
What is the exact wording of the BIOS setting you turned on to use the
mouse to start the computer?
In what section title of the BIOS setup is it located?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
A+
http://dts-l.net/

From: Antares 531 on 3 Mar 2010 17:51
On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 17:09:41 -0500, "glee" <glee29(a)spamindspring.com>
wrote:

>"Antares 531" <gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote in message
>news:qcjto516blrbn8qp7uaimta01resrlliia(a)4ax.com...
>>>
>> Glee, I just checked this. I turned the computer off using the
>> Start>Turn off computer>Turn Off sequence, then left it off for about
>> 5 minutes. Then, without touching anything else I double clicked my
>> mouse's left button and the computer started up, normally.
>>
>> This computer is running Windows XP Pro with SP 3 installed. Also, I
>> set the BIOS settings such that I can use the mouse to start the
>> computer.
>>
>> I'll do some more checking on this but I think I can shut down using
>> the computer case power button, holding it for more than 5 seconds,
>> then use the mouse left double click to start it again.
>>
>> The beep sound was there when I started this computer after lunch. It
>> had been powered down for an hour or more, giving it enough time to
>> cool off. This reinforces my thinking that this is a thermal problem,
>> but I have no idea how to locate it other than one by one replacement
>> of parts.
>>
>> Why would only the CPU fan be erratic if this is a power supply
>> problem? I think all the fans are powered by the same output from the
>> power supply.
>>
>> The fans probably have some kind of sensor that sends a signal to the
>> CPU if the fan stops or fails. I set the BIOS such that any fan
>> failure would produce a warning signal to me.
>>
>> So, is the fan actually failing, or is the fan sensor failing, or is
>> the fan power supply failing or is there a thermal problem on the
>> motherboard???
>>
>> Gordon
>
>The only time I've seen a CPU fan spin then stop then spin, is when
>there has been a power interruption to the fan, or the power supply was
>faulty. That doesn't mean that the only possibility...only that it is
>all I have seen.
>
>Just a little off-topic but I'm curious about this setting you turned
>on......
>What is the exact wording of the BIOS setting you turned on to use the
>mouse to start the computer?
>In what section title of the BIOS setup is it located?
>
Glee, the way I did this is hit the Delete key when the Post Screen
appears during the boot process. This opens the BIOS screen. There are
several items in the left column.

Standard CMOS Features
Advanced BIOS Features
Integrated Peripherals
Power Management Setup

It's that last one that you need to highlight then press the enter
key.

On the next screen there are again several items. Near the bottom of
the list is one;
Power On By Mouse [Double Click]

You can highlight this one then use the arrow keys to step through the
options to the one you want to keep.

Then, save and exit the BIOS setup. The boot process should completes,
then the next time you do a full power down you can test your mouse
click on this.

Keep in mind that I'm using Windows XP Pro with SP3. This BIOS setup
process is quite different in Windows 7 that I have on my new
computer.

Gordon
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