Trying to fix a computer at my school.

The computer I'm working on will not show up on my monitor and when it turns on it lets off a single beep the pause, 3 beeps, then pause, then one last beep. What is wrong with this thing?

From my very limited knowledge, it sounds like the motherboard is "broke", or not functioning properly. Thats what I seem to remember the series of beeps being a sign of.

But I don't know much, and there's people here who do, they'll know better than I do.

when you power up the computer, exact what takes place. is there any kind of post screen.(power on self test)?
anything coming up on screen at all?
it could be that the battery on the motherboard is dead. i had a similar problem.

if you know how to get to the bios settings screen, either 'F1', DEL, or something like that, you should be able to set it where you can see everything happening during the boot process. it should look something like a dos prompt screen.

edit = more info

[edit on 3/9/2006 by larry994]

The beeps are "post codes", and if you can find a manual for that particular motherboard, you might be able to look up that particular code (1-3-1).

You can try reseating (pulling out, then putting back in) the memory, the cables, and all the cards (pci, video, etc). You can also try reseating the processor, though that might require cleaning and reapplying the heatsink. Might want to use a can of compressed air to blow away the dust from around the slots first.

Of course, this assumes you are comfortable tearing apart a computer in the first place! But if they're going to throw it out anyway, could be a good opportunity to learn a bit about computer internals if you're interested.

Originally posted by Draiden
The computer I'm working on will not show up on my monitor and when it turns on it lets off a single beep the pause, 3 beeps, then pause, then one last beep. What is wrong with this thing?

Can you be more specific as to the duration of the beeps? One long followed by three short is typically a video failure.

Here is a link for AMI and AWARD bios error descriptions.
BIOS Error Beeps, Messages, and Codes

Without further info, as to the duration of the beeps, I would have to say most likely either video and/or cpu failure.

Hope this helps. Please let us know how you make out.

the standard foer the three beeps would be for a memory count error. as mentioned above, remove and then reseat your memory then reboot the system and see if that does not resolve your issue.

The previous poster may have beat me to the punch. If the pc is a Dell, that is more than likely a memory error. Remove and reseat the memory.

NC