Perhaps it needs a new motherboard battery? If that is dead or dying it might prevent BIOS from getting loaded properly at startup. Also, if that is the problem, even with a new battery you may have to re-input all of the BIOS information. A good reason for backing up any BIOS information you have on your other computers. Next Step would probably have the BIOS information for the PC you bought there. Years ago I used a utility to extract the BIOS information and save it to a text file but I haven't had to work with that much in recent years so can't tell you a name for the utility. The few times I've had to document BIOS settings in the last few years I've done with pen and paper (old school).
Also, the series of long beeps can actually be giving you troubleshooting information if you can find information on how to decode them for that particular motherboard. If you search for beep codes on the Internet you can find various sites that talk about it. Here are some I came across, not necessarily the best: http://www.biosman.com/bios_support.html http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm I did a Google search on beeps startup XP and over a million references to different people having problems and different solutions. This one http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/questions/101-203872/my-computer-keeps-beep-beeping-on-start-up-why had a variety of suggestions of what might be wrong and what to check. It reminded me of something I had forgotten about, but have run into before. When you go to Next Step to have them check it, did you take the keyboard you were using with it? A stuck key on a keyboard can cause a failure to start. I would suspect the keyboard or a cable if the PC works at Next Step but not at home. Others suggested memory needing reseated. I've worked on computers that had such a flexible motherboard mounting that the memory or a PC card would get unseated if the PC was moved. Good luck. Let us know what finally solves the problem. Larry Cummings (Not to be confused with the Other Brother Larry) :) ______________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 03, 2012 10:04 AM To: Maillist for EPCUG Subject: [Pcusers] Computers won't start Hi all, I need to find a Win XP computer for a backup. For some reason my current backup computer has quite starting. The power light, the CD light and the HD light lights up and the it just stops doing anything. About half the time I get a series of long beeps and then nothing. I bought a new - old XP desktop - two days ago from Next Step which worked fine in their store but when I brought it home the same thing happened to it. I think maybe it started once. Yesterday I exchanged it and the same thing happened to it. It's never started once. I took it back and it started at Next Step no problems. Brought it home and again nothing. I'm just curious if anyone has any suggestions for me. Thanks! John
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