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From: Antares 531 on 3 Mar 2010 10:28
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
From: Ken Blake, MVP on 3 Mar 2010 10:38
On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:28:31 -0600, Antares 531
<gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote:

> 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


Almost certainly something is failing. I don't believe in flukes.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
From: glee on 3 Mar 2010 11:02
"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.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
A+
http://dts-l.net/

From: Antares 531 on 3 Mar 2010 11:06
On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:38:22 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"
<kblake(a)this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote:

>On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:28:31 -0600, Antares 531
><gordonlrDELETE(a)swbell.net> wrote:
>
>> 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
>
>
>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 just started it up cold again and the continuous beep is back. I did
several re-boots using the power button on the computer case and it
didn't quit.

Then, I did a shutdown clicking on the Start > Turn off computer >
Restart sequence and it came alive in fine shape. I used this computer
for several minutes and it seems to be doing fine. In fact it seems a
bit faster than it used to be. Maybe something that is needed isn't
loading or some such???

This seems to indicate a BIOS setting error but I'm not smart enough
to figure out what it might be. I did have to reset some of the BIOS
things after the first set of problems, but these resettings were
minimal...set the mouse double click for bringing it out of
hibernation...set the boot sequence for CD first, hard drive second,
etc.,

Any ideas as to what BIOS setting might be messed up.

Thanks, Gordon
From: Antares 531 on 3 Mar 2010 11:22
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
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