I wonder if anyone is good enough with computers to know what this problem is?
Computer switches on and begins to boot up and then goes beep beep (quick) beep beep beep beep; The monitor is blank and when I press the on switch for it I get " no signal input"
What could it be?
Computer is about five years old, Cougar ( as recommended by PC advisor) don't know what its bits are ( like processor although its a duel core and its running on Vista.).
Is it a case of a new computer? All my stuff is on there and sods law - I had the back up pen drive taken at work about three days ago. So I need to retrieve all my files.
Before anyone asks - this is a silly rubbish lap top I have which has nothing at all running on it. Thanks for any help.
Nah, you won't need a new PC. A dual core is still fast enough for anything but advanced gaming & video-editing. One vital component has failed (probably the motherboard or Power Supply Unit PSU), or else something's come loose. It can be fixed in a few hours for no more than £50.
Disconnect all the cables and take it outside (or somewhere suitable). Take the side panels off and get rid of all the dust & fluff. An airline is perfect, with a soft clean paintbrush (or just use a hoover nozzle but be careful to keep it at least 1" from any components on the motherboard). In particular, check that the PSU isn't blocked with crap.
Remove the PSU and lift it to one side (leave the cables attached). Look closely at the motherboard - can you see any scorching or damage? Check every plug/socket connector you can see - pull it out, blow the fluff off it and plug it back in again. Check the big fan in the middle of the board, which cools your CPU. Does it spin freely, is it blocked or damaged?
Now reconnect to power, with the lid off. Don't bother with screens etc, just connect the base unit. It will refuse to boot without a keyboard, but we don't need to get to that stage yet. Try to start it, and watch the innards. Does the CPU fan spin? If it doesn't, then that is your problem. Might be the fan (£10), the mainboard (£50) or the PSU (£20).
There will be other advice, but try this and then come back to see what other's have suggested for the next steps. The critical thing is that PC's are 99% generic, interchangeable parts. If you have rudimentary DIY skills and patience, you can fix this cheaply.
BIOS beeps like that are used to indicate something drastic that has gone wrong early in the boot process, like not seeing any memory or graphics card, the meaning of a particular pattern of beeps will depend on the motherboard used, if you can't discover the motherboard model then everything this is a guess, you might be able to find a manual.
You *could* try re-seat the memory (if you know how to get at it) you could swap memory with another laptop (if you know it's the same type) you could buy some replacement memory (but that risks being bad money after good).
that's it, just google the mobo number and 'beep codes.' Chances are something will need replacing. Retrieving data isnt hard. If needed you can get an adaptor for a few quid to fit a laptop hdd into a desktop.
Do you happen to remember what BIOS the machine uses (e.g. AMI, Award, Phoenix etc. - normally displayed on-screen briefly at switch-on)? I don't think there's a particular standard to beep codes; each manufacturer uses their own.
Do you see anything on the screen at all at any point before the beeps occur? (That sentence suggests not, but earlier you say it begins to boot up, suggesting that it might display something)
I think it's probably unlikely that it's the hard disk (so your data should still be OK) - I don't think PCs normally issue beep codes for "can't find anything to boot from")
First step is probably a visual inspection inside - open the case and check for severe amounts of dust or pet hair, loose cards, loose connectors etc. - and also turn the machine on with the case open and make sure that the CPU fan is turning.
As others have said, the beep codes could tell you what the problem is if you can find out who made your motherboard. It's definitely a hardware problem.
My best guess would be either a problem with the memory or the graphics card. Re-seating them may help. If you have more than one memory stick in the PC try taking one out, then swap to the other one. If it happens soon after starting to boot then it's probably not an overheating problem, that usually takes a while to develop. It could be a stalled cooling fan though. You could open the case and see whether any of the cooling fans are stopped.
Sorry, I see this isn't a laptop that's b0rked and you were just referring to a separate laptop later in your post.
If it's a tower/desktop it's at least easier to get apart, first thing to do is take the side off and see if it says the manufacturer's name and part number on the big circuit board (Just knowing it's a 'Cougar' isn't good enough).
Not at all, the processor is quite capable of starting up, executing the BIOS firmware, looking for hardware and deciding "there's no RAM, I'd better beep", removing the RAM is a good diagnosis technique with a "dead" PC, one of those ISA/PCI POST cards with 2x7 segment displays is also handy ...
I can't say so for sure (because IANAbiosmanufacturer) but I'd expect the first few steps the CPU hits to do exactly that, use in-lined assembler code, taking dainty steps to feel its way, writing status bytes to I/O port 80 all the time, until it hits the "shall I beep or boot" decision point ...
Actually I do have an IBM PC/XT Technical Reference Manual somewhere in the loft, I think it has an assembly listing of the BIOS, admitedly a very old one, that would show it ...
I know little of computers. However my three year old custom built computer did the same thing 2 years ago. My house was being knocked about at the time. A lot of dust and shit. I panicked and took computer to repair man who cleaned it out. He said it was filthy inside. No problems since.
Probably a loose or dead video card, or you'd be getting some form of signal from it. Open the case, vacuum the interior gently, and if that doesn't work, gently push all the cards and RAM back into their slots. While you're in there, check that the heatsinks are all securely fixed and the fans are all working.
Then, loosen the fixing crews/ clips for the video card and the RAM, pull them out slightly and push them back, then retighten the fastenings.
If you read the motherboard details as written on it, then the beep codes can help.
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