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windows 98 pc down [Interpret BIOS beep code]

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by donald plummer, 2005/05/26.

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  1. 2005/05/26
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    windows 98 pc down

    I have a pc running win 98, trying to find out what is wrong with my pc at this time.

    AT boot up I get this musical sound>>sounds like two long bips
    example>>>(ding, dong) (ding,dong) (ding,dong) over and over again. I think I am geting power to my pc, because the front led lights do come on.

    things i have tried:
    1. replaced the power supply, with another power supply>>>same bips
    2. removed video card>>>same bips
    3 removed ram chips and vedio card out of the pc at the same time>>>same bips

    WHAT ELSE CAN I CHECK????????????????????????
     
  2. 2005/05/26
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    donald - Welcome to the Board :)

    Before we can interpret the beep code from your BIOS we need to know the make of the BIOS - AMI, Award, Phoenix, etc.

    Please post this info - should be on the first DOS (text) page you see before the beeps.

    I have edited your thread title and moved it to the Hardware forum - this is a hardware problem, not Win 98.
     

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  4. 2005/05/26
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    award system bios

    supports pnp, apm,dmi and multi device booting
    features>>>ls120,cd-rom,hdd(ide,scsi) zip-atapi etc
    includes symbios scsi bios
    includes trend chipaway virus protection for virus free boot and virus free operation system
    atx form factor
    chipset = intel 82440bx
    dram memory
     
  5. 2005/05/26
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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  6. 2005/05/26
    jaylach

    jaylach Inactive

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    I've had a bit of experience with award bios... I've been running mobo's with it for years. In all cases when I've gotten a double beep on boot either once or repeating it's delt with either video or memory.

    Pull both your video and memory. clean the edge connectors. Always wipe the connectors in the direction that the contacts are longer, NEVER across the entire length of the connector or your asking to cause a short. Re-seat everything. Especially on the memory make sure that the clips on the ends of the sockets 'snap' into place, not just go in kinda mushy. If the problem persists and you have more than one memory stick try one at a time. If still the same result I would suspect the video. If the video is PCI try in another slot... PCI slots have been known to go bad leaving the others ok (this is doubtfull). If you have access to another video card try it. If you get past the beeps it's a video problem.

    Especially on memory and AGP the contacts are so critical that I've gotten the double beeps by just bumping either the memory or video while just putting in an IDE cable that happened to hit either.
     
  7. 2005/05/27
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks a millions to you all for the advice

    I have pulled the mem card out and video card out, and resite them both, with same beeps. But i will retry again, and use a pencil erasa on the video card the way you stated, also i will try another slot for the video card. AS i stated before i changed the power supply with another one, but i might have two bad power supply's, Will a bad power suppluy cause this beep on boot up???? Neither one of the power supply's fan come on when i power up the cpu.
     
  8. 2005/05/27
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    That is not good news :( - it looks like a faulty power supply, but if the CPU fan is not running either that is doubly bad news if the CPU is powered up. Every chance that it has fried as you indicated that the HD led was on. Is the power led also on?
     
  9. 2005/05/27
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Looking again at the Award Bios Beep Codes site I posted it seems like the last code may be relevant ....
     
  10. 2005/05/27
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    pc front panal power

    with the present power supply in, the front power led light does come on at boot up.
    also the cpu fan comes on, if I am correct===(the fan on the pentium II processor.

    again this is two long beeps, and more like musicial sounds

    with the video card and mem chip completely out, at boot up still same two beeps???????????????/

    if it is the video card, will the video card beening out the same as a bad card or bad connection, and give the same two beeps?????????????

    also the second power supply I have, (which maybe bad>>picked up landing around at work) when connected to my pc at boot up, just makes a low humming noise, and I do'nt get the two beeps at boot up
     
  11. 2005/05/27
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Glad to hear that the CPU fan is running - let's hope that has always been the case.

    A bad video card or memory stick will have the basically same effect as a bad connection on either - i.e. they will not work.

    Are we right in thinking that the PC will not boot to Windows, but just sits there beeping? Do you see anything at all on the screen?

    If you see the usual text on the screen at boot up after you reinsert the video card and memory and boot up I suggest you run Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool. It runs from a floppy on boot. No point though if there is nothing on the screen - which suggests a bad video card.
     
  12. 2005/05/27
    jaylach

    jaylach Inactive

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    If there is only one memory stick or, I believe, the one in bank 1 is bad there will also be nothing on the screen.

    On using the eraser to clean the contacts... it works and I have done it. However, I would recommend that you go to Radio Shack and get a contact cleaner pen. This is a better option.

    Rough day at work today and a bit foggy but, if I remember correctly if you just get the double beep once it would tend to be the video, if it keeps repeating it would tend to be the video. This is not 100% as bad memory can cause video problems.
     
  13. 2005/05/31
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    I have retried this

    I have removed the one mem stick out of bank one and used another mem stick, still the same 2> beeps codes at bootup.

    If it is the video card, I have another video card, put it in one of the isa slots, but still same 2>beeps, my present motherboard has a build on AGP-port for the video card, this require a certain video card, I don't have jet. my present video card will only fit that port, to try another vedio card in the pci or isa slots, I think I need to disable(the jumper) for the AGP port slot, which sofar I can't find on the mother board. any more suggestions>>>>>>>
     
  14. 2005/05/31
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Any idea what the motherboard is? There may be a setting in the BIOS to disable the AGP slot although I'm not sure that is necessary as no card is installed.
     
  15. 2005/05/31
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    mainboard= 6BTM

    award system bios
    4 3.3v 168 dimm sockets
    supports up to 450 mhz pentium II processor
    chipset 82440bx two chip pciset
    one 32 bit agp slot, four 32 bit pci slots, three 16 bit isa slots
    atx form factor, 305mm x 220mm, 4 layers , six mountiong holes

    rom pci/isa bios (2A69KC39}
    Can you get to the Bios screen, even if i am getting 2-beeps on bootup

    board === chaintech 6BTM
     
    Last edited: 2005/05/31
  16. 2005/05/31
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    I have been unable to locate a manual for that motherboard on the web so I can't be of much specific help re the AGP slot.

    Does hitting F1 or Delete get you into the BIOS when you try to boot?
     
  17. 2005/05/31
    jaylach

    jaylach Inactive

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    With just about any form of double beeps on award I don't think he's gonna be able to get to bios... On a thought, is the power light on the monitor red, amber, or green? If not green (most monitors) there is no video signal going to the monitor.
     
  18. 2005/06/01
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    Manuals:
    http://www.chaintech.com.tw:8008/support/manuals.htm
    Manuals for the 6BTM0 and the 6BTML.

    Use the jumper for "Clear CMOS" (read the manual about disconecting the power).

    Still no luck, find a PC of about the same vintage and borrow the graphics card and RAM to try.

    Matt
    Edit: also remove any "added" hardware. PCI cards, ISA cards, etc.
     
    Last edited: 2005/06/01
  19. 2005/06/02
    donald plummer

    donald plummer Inactive Thread Starter

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    what went wrong

    this time I tried to reset the BIOS>>I removed the battery for a frew seconds and replaced the battery back. Before I did this I could power up and get the front panal led light to come on, and get the two long beeps, now that I have pulled the battery and resit it, now when I power up, I get no front panal led light, and no beeps, as if since I pulled and replaced the battery, now I can't get any power at all.

    WHAT WENT WRONG????????????
     
  20. 2005/06/02
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    In all probability you have dislodged a connector to the motherboard - look closely at the power connector in particular and at the Power Led connector..
    As in switching on the power at the mains or in booting up.

    The computer should boot, under normal circumstances, without a motherboard battery. Any means of testing the PSU?
     
  21. 2005/06/02
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    Try removing the battery again. This time leave it out for, say, 30 minutes (with all power disconnected). You could get a new battery, but it is unlikely to cause the problems.

    While you have the battery out, you can pull and reseat the cables, power connectors, etc. Only power it up with the basics: CPU, RAM, video card, keyboard, mouse (floppy and harddrives, but you could try without them).

    I might suspect that the power supply is about to die.

    Matt
    EDIT: PeteC (AKA: Pistol Pete), you caught me with my trousers down (literally, I had a shower whilst making this post up). Is there an echo in here? :D
     
    Last edited: 2005/06/03
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