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What Does The Sound Signal Mean.?

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HansUrbancka | 17:32 Sun 15th Jan 2017 | Technology
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I have an HP Pavillion Slimline Desktop ( Model s3811) and, when I try to boot-up as normal, I get an alarm noise which lasts for about ten seconds and then a similar period of silence, before the whole process keeps being repeated, continuously. The Monitor just reports that there is Not any signal.

Perhaps this is my time to buy a new desktop tower, which, at present, is operating on Windows Vista home basics.

Hans.
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You need to check out the beep codes
http://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c02222922
Just make sure you haven't left a disk in your DVD/CD slot first.

Can you access the bios screen?
Well done Bertram ☺☺☺

You found what I was looking for.
That sounds terminal to me!

Try removing any disks from drives and and USB memory devices as well, as such things can sometimes make a difference. Also try booting up with the keyboard disconnected, as a keyboard fault can sometimes result in beep codes being generated (although I'd usually expect Windows to boot up normally afterwards though).

If you give up, and your computing demands aren't particularly great in terms of the processing power you need or the amount of storage space you require, buy one of these:
http://www.accomputerwarehouse.com/product-info/dell-optiplex-380-pentium-e6700-3-2ghz-2gb-ram-80gb-hd-windows-7-pro
(That's where I get my own computers from).
1 Unplug the cable running from your monitor to your PC and plug it back in, making sure the connection is firm. The most common cause of this error is a loose cable.
2 Reattach the cable running from your monitor to your PC. If the monitor is still not displaying a signal after firmly reattaching the cable, the problem could lie with the cable, especially if the cable has visible damage.
3 Replace your monitor with another monitor if possible. If the "No Input Signal" error still appears, the problem does not rest with the cables or the monitor, but with your PC
4 Open your PC case and locate your graphics card. Remove the card and then replace it firmly in its slot or, if possible, insert the graphics card into another slot on your motherboard. A graphics card that is not making a firm connection will not display images to the monitor. Close your PC case and test the monitor again
5 Or it could be your graphics card (video card)
Togo's suggestions would only seem to be relevant if
(a) the PC has a video card. (It almost certainly hasn't; that model uses integrated graphics unless an after-market card has been installed) ; and
(b) there was no beep signal from the computer. (Simply not having a monitor connected to a computer, or having one faultily connected, shouldn't cause the BIOS to throw a wobbly and generate a continuous tone).
Not necessarily it depends on how old the BIOS is on that PC. Some of the older (maybe pre-2007) PCs required you to enter BIOS and manually enable the PCI Express slot and/or disable the integrated after the card was installed. But modern PCs do that automatically now when they detect a card in the slot. So it may well have a graphics card if it has been repaired or upgraded. Hans will know though.
Question Author
My sincere thanks to all who have replied to me on this matter.

I feel sure that I did all the tests which were necessary....No disc left in drive; all cables disconnected and reset; switched on without mouse and keyboard connected etc,etc.

My conclusion was in keeping with Buenchico's opening remark..."That sounds terminal to me!" Consequently, as my computing demands are Not very great, I have decided to write off my present Tower and, a few minutes ago, placed an order for a refurbished Dell Optiplex

Cheers....Hans.
A wise choice, I think, Hans!

If you need to access the data on your old computer, first remove its hard drive. (Dead easy. There are usually just a couple of screws to undo before you can slide it out). Then fit it into one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5-inches-3-5-HDD-SATA-Hard-Disk-Drive-USB-2-0-Enclosure-Cartridge-Case-/360657327258
Plug that into a USB port on your new computer. It will be recognised but, initially, your old files will seem to have vanished. Don't panic though; all you need to do is to 'take ownership' of the drive:
http://www.techfleece.com/2011/05/15/how-to-take-ownership-of-files-or-folders-or-an-entire-hard-drive/
Once you've done that you'll be able to access all of your old files without any problems.
Question Author
Thanks Buenchico for your latest posting....I have never purchased anything from ebay and would rather go elsewhere, even if it costs a little more. I have an account with Amazon and am wondering if there is anything you would recommend from the firm to enable me to access my Old hard drive.

Hans.
If you don't mind fiddling around inside your new computer (noting that it's often far harder to get inside a Dell than it is with other makes) you could, of course, simply install your old drive into your new computer as a secondary drive. That would save you the cost of buying a USB caddy. However while modern SATA drives don't require you to adjust jumper connections to set them as 'primary' or 'slave' (as you had to do with older IDE drives) there can still be certain complications when installing a second drive into a computer. That's why I suggested using a USB caddy (which simplifies things).

Buying from eBay is no more difficult these days than buying from Amazon. Indeed, it largely operates as a rival to Amazon, with over 90% of items sold on eBay being new 'buy it now' sales, rather than secondhand items sold by auction. Even when sellers specify 'payment by PayPal only' you simply enter your credit card details as you would on Amazon and PayPal handles the transaction (with the seller paying PayPal's fees).

However, if you'd prefer to buy from Amazon, this should meet your needs:
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation
(NB: Remember that, as per my link above, you'll need to 'take ownership' of the drive before you can see all of the files on it).
Question Author
It's going to be a purchase from Amazon who have the item in stock, whereas the Ebay one has a delivery date of between February 7th and March 8th. I guess it takes a long time to complete an order from a far eastern country.

Thanks again Chris for your attention to my problems.

Hans.

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