Bizarre noise

Hi everyone. This is a question about a computer that doesn't have Vista, but I hope someone will have the kindness and knowledge to help me anyway. I'm an intermediate/advanced computer user. I just hooked up one of my old computers for the first time in a few years. I had bought another computer because I was having trouble ridding this one of a virus that was quite persistent. I got the virus off and used both computers for a while, until the monitor went out on the old one. I just bought a Sylvania television with computer input and hooked it up. Turned it on and discovered a rather loud alarm-like noise. It sounds for about 4 seconds every ten seconds or so. I turned it off and then back on without anything (monitor, keyboard, etc.) hooked up and it continues to make this noise. I removed the fan casing and confirmed it's not in the fan. I do not feel anything unusual on the hard drive. It appears to be coming from either the motherboard or the video or sound card. Does this sound familiar to anyone?


Post Originated from Vista Support Forums

"jellygator" wrote in message news:...
> Hi everyone. This is a question about a computer that doesn't have Vista,
> but I hope someone will have the kindness and knowledge to help me anyway.
> I'm an intermediate/advanced computer user. I just hooked up one of my old
> computers for the first time in a few years. I had bought another computer
> because I was having trouble ridding this one of a virus that was quite
> persistent. I got the virus off and used both computers for a while, until
> the monitor went out on the old one. I just bought a Sylvania television
> with computer input and hooked it up. Turned it on and discovered a rather
> loud alarm-like noise. It sounds for about 4 seconds every ten seconds or
> so. I turned it off and then back on without anything (monitor, keyboard,
> etc.) hooked up and it continues to make this noise. I removed the fan
> casing and confirmed it's not in the fan. I do not feel anything unusual
> on the hard drive. It appears to be coming from either the motherboard or
> the video or sound card. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Is it like a telephone ring from the speaker of the modem?

off hand I would check the CPU and its Heatsink/Fan combo.
is it plugged into the right header on the mobo??
is the CPU seated properly?? Thermalpaste ok??
Is the Fan spinning when you turn on the power??
Has the system sat idle for so long that the CMOS battery went dead and
now all settings in the BIOS reverted to default??

Newer Mobo just shut down if any of the above is not right
older mobo make a sound like you described as a warning to shut
down before you burn up the CPU

peter

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"jellygator" wrote in message news:...
> Hi everyone. This is a question about a computer that doesn't have Vista, but
> I hope someone will have the kindness and knowledge to help me anyway. I'm an
> intermediate/advanced computer user. I just hooked up one of my old computers
> for the first time in a few years. I had bought another computer because I was
> having trouble ridding this one of a virus that was quite persistent. I got
> the virus off and used both computers for a while, until the monitor went out
> on the old one. I just bought a Sylvania television with computer input and
> hooked it up. Turned it on and discovered a rather loud alarm-like noise. It
> sounds for about 4 seconds every ten seconds or so. I turned it off and then
> back on without anything (monitor, keyboard, etc.) hooked up and it continues
> to make this noise. I removed the fan casing and confirmed it's not in the
> fan. I do not feel anything unusual on the hard drive. It appears to be coming
> from either the motherboard or the video or sound card. Does this sound
> familiar to anyone?
>
>
> Post Originated from Vista Support Forums

peter wrote:
> off hand I would check the CPU and its Heatsink/Fan combo.
> is it plugged into the right header on the mobo??
> is the CPU seated properly?? Thermalpaste ok??
> Is the Fan spinning when you turn on the power??
> Has the system sat idle for so long that the CMOS battery went dead and
> now all settings in the BIOS reverted to default??
>
> Newer Mobo just shut down if any of the above is not right
> older mobo make a sound like you described as a warning to shut
> down before you burn up the CPU
>
> peter
>


correct

the alarm indicates a failed cpu
fan

if the fan is still spinning then it's spinning too slowly

probably got gummed up by sitting

solution is to replace it rather than try to fix it