Need a home computer tech

[vancamp]

my main home computer was working fine now i go back to turn it on and get a loud buzzing screeching sound, computer powers up but nothing appears on the screen, screen doesnt even recognize the computer is on i have checked connections everything is hooked up but nothing except a odd buzzing/screeching out of the tower?

[A383Wing]

I'm thinking you got a power supply or motherboard issue....probably nothing you can do for it....I had to send mine in for repair when mine went out.

they replaced everything under warranty

[Troy]

A screeching noise certainly sounds like a hard drive crash (the read head hit the spinning platter).

Troy

[A383Wing]

Yea...fergot about that

[ChgrSteve67]

Bad hard drive should not keep the computer from posting

Should still address the memory and initilize the video card try to spin up the drive and either fail or not recognize it al all.

What brand computer is this?

[vancamp]

Bad hard drive should not keep the computer from posting

Should still address the memory and initilize the video card try to spin up the drive and either fail or not recognize it al all.

What brand computer is this?

compaq

[ChgrSteve67]

Since its a brand name computer most of the major componets are probably built into the system board.

So here is where you can start.

Open the PC and unplug everything
Plug the power cables back into the mother board.
Reseat the memory
turn the PC on and see if you get anything on the monitor.
If you are getting a noise it would come from the power supply at this point or a fan.
Check to see if you fans are spinning.

If you still get nothing and you PC is out of warenty you can either buy a new power supply or buy a new computer.
If you go the power supply route you might have to contact Compaq in order to get the right one.

If you buy a new PC you can buy a external hard drive case for your old hard drive ($20) so you can plug it into a USB port to copy all of your data off.

If it does power up and post then power it down and plug your hard drive in and power it up again.
Then follow the same process until everything is plugged back in and you find the problem piece of hardware.

let us know how it goes.

[vancamp]

i took it down and tried one by one unplugging components and the noise stayed, i had another old compaq computer in storage took powere supply and swapped still had noise and no picture on screen, even tried swapping components from computer that quit to the computer it replaced but no dice. i think its time for a new one.didnt think about the external hard drive case i saved the hard drives from both computers Thanks

[451-74Charger]

where is the noise comming from, are you sure you didnt fry the video card by forcing a resolution that isnt supported?

[ODZKing]

A screeching noise certainly sounds like a hard drive crash (the read head hit the spinning platter).

Troy

[vancamp]

A screeching noise certainly sounds like a hard drive crash (the read head hit the spinning platter).

Troy

it wasnt the hard drive i checked it out and its fine?

[FLG]

OK

It could be numerous things.

First off unplug all hardware (cdrom, hard drive...ect)

If noise is still present you have now narrowed it down to the motherboard, psu (power supply), or cpu fan (processor fan), or even possibly a case fan, though a case fan wont cause a no boot.
When capacitors go bad, they tend to make a high pitch hum. Look for any bulging capacitors on the motherboard.

When a fans bearings are gone, they make a nice high pitched screeching sound. Sometimes momentarily, other time constantly.

Im willing to bed the CPU fan is making the noise, possibly not spinning fast enough to cool down the processor and either not properly cooling which can cause a no boot.

Hold the fan with your fingers and turn on the pc, noise sill present?



If it is not, tell me what fan/processor you have on there..heck just take a pic. I usually have spare parts laying around, if i have the correct fan you can have it.

[chargergirl]

Nice FLG...I was thinking fan...computers get really cranky if there is ANY dust in them. Compaqs are known to drop the motherboard though...and when they do they can only be replaced by another Compaq board.

[vancamp]

OK

It could be numerous things.

First off unplug all hardware (cdrom, hard drive...ect)

If noise is still present you have now narrowed it down to the motherboard, psu (power supply), or cpu fan (processor fan), or even possibly a case fan, though a case fan wont cause a no boot.
When capacitors go bad, they tend to make a high pitch hum. Look for any bulging capacitors on the motherboard.

When a fans bearings are gone, they make a nice high pitched screeching sound. Sometimes momentarily, other time constantly.

Im willing to bed the CPU fan is making the noise, possibly not spinning fast enough to cool down the processor and either not properly cooling which can cause a no boot.

Hold the fan with your fingers and turn on the pc, noise sill present?



If it is not, tell me what fan/processor you have on there..heck just take a pic. I usually have spare parts laying around, if i have the correct fan you can have it.

i checked all of the fans and  narrowed it downs to  the motherboard its not a high dollar computer anyway so i think i will just upgrade

[FLG]

Most likely a bulging capacitor making the noise 

[FLG]

Curious,


What model compaq?

I have a junked one sitting here, few years old...maybe its your lucky day and there the same