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Puter won't boot
Avoneer - 11/10/06 at 06:38 PM

Hi Guys,

Puter won't boot.

Will start, beep , then beep, then beep and keep on beeping about every 5 seconds and that's as far as it gets.

Took out both (what I think are) memory cards from the board.

See following pics: Rescued attachment Chip1.jpg
Rescued attachment Chip1.jpg

Avoneer - 11/10/06 at 06:39 PM

And the other one: Rescued attachment Chip2.jpg
Rescued attachment Chip2.jpg

Avoneer - 11/10/06 at 06:41 PM

With Pic 1 in either slot, the computer will boot and run fine, albeit slowly and with no beep on start up.

With Pic 2 in any slot either on it's own or with Pic 1, I get the same beep scenario and a non starting computer.

Do I just need some new memory and is it plug and play?

Thanks,

Pat.

Jubal - 11/10/06 at 06:56 PM

As far as I can tell from the pics you have two sticks of SDRAM. One is 128Mb and one is 64Mb. The 128Mb is PC133 and the 64Mb is PC100. Assuming I am correct the cheapest option will be to buy another stick of 128Mb SDRAM PC133 which will cost very little and throw away the faulty 64Mb stick.

Here's a cheap source:

http://ebuyer.com/UK/product/19820/rb/22360263301

Although if it was my computer I may be tempted to buy 2 x 256 sticks and it will run a little faster.

Peteff - 11/10/06 at 07:16 PM

How many slots have you got and are they all the same. If you have room you can reuse your working stick with your new memory.

Avoneer - 11/10/06 at 07:56 PM

It's not my computer and it has two slots.

Any reason why it doens't beep with just the working 128 memory?

Works fine though.

Pat...

ReMan - 11/10/06 at 08:37 PM

They are the "beep codes" your getting telling you there is a problem...
http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml

Avoneer - 12/10/06 at 06:31 AM

So sticking in a new memory stick should re-gain my beep?

Pat...

Catpuss - 12/10/06 at 07:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
It's not my computer and it has two slots.

Any reason why it doens't beep with just the working 128 memory?

Works fine though.

Pat...


Yep, the 64mb DIMM is knackered. POST test is reporting it as faulty and beeping. I had this with a stick that worked OK for 3 months then failed.

Have a look at http://www.crucial.com/uk/

They are near the cheapest and certainly the best service you will get. You can use their on line configuration screen to pick the memory for your PC. A lot of people I know use them as the preferred supplier.

SDRAM (which I think that is) isn't too cheap anymore. Around 20 quid for a single 128mb stick, but you probably won't get a 64mb too easily from a shop.

If you do need to get one, go for another 128. If its a SDRAM based machine I assume its fairly old, so not going to be running the lastest games at full tilt?

Avoneer - 12/10/06 at 11:04 AM

No, it won't be running at full tilt.

It works fine as it is with just the 128 stick, but with no beep.

Is it ok to leave it as it is even though there is no beep, or is it beeping because it needs a 2nd stick of whatever size?

Pat.

Catpuss - 12/10/06 at 05:30 PM

With no beep and working is fine.
The multiple beeps are becuase its doing a test of the 64mb memory stick and finding an error.

If the PC doesn't act too sluggish I would leave it as is.

As you have found out the memory doesn't need to be matched pairs on your PC