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Possible Mobo Failure?

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Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Messages
198
Since yesterday, I've been having the weirdest problem with my computer. It all began when I sat down to write an essay. I was typing along my merry way when all of a sudden my computer freezes (only the mouse would move) and the computer speaker made a constant beep noise (like one long neverending beep). So, naturally I shut the thing off and booted it back up again. Ok, everythings fine, no crazy noises coming out the computer so I begin typing again. It's all going great then it does the same thing again - frozen, constant beep.

This time, when I tried to reboot, the computer would power up, but would even begin the post - just a black screen and yellow harddrive LED lit up and stayed lit. Then it gives me a beep code - 2 short beeps and 6 long beep (I have an Asus P4C800-E dlx with AMI bios). I haven't been able to find that code online yet.

So anyways, I took it to a friends house to check the components and find which one is bad. I put everything in his computer (hard drive, ram, video card, and sound card) and it booted up just fine (he has an Asus mobo and P4 cpu btw). All my settings were there, just like they should be. Man I was happy (and sad that I hadn't found the problem).

Well, then I took all my parts and put them back into my computer. The thing boots up just fine. Awesome. I'm a genious. The computer works, so I took it back to my apartment, plugged everything in, and BAM I get that stupid beep code. My essay was still due the next morning so I decided to go type that in a computer lab. Shit I was up until 3 am.

Next day, I feel like fixing my computer, so I took a stick of ram out (not sure why), and it booted up. I'm browsing the web, and all of a sudden - what do you know - it locks up and starts the constant beep.

So that's where I'm at. I tried calling Asus (Is it really pronounced "Asoose?"), but all I got was a hold message saying how great the P4C800E is (excellent). So that's where I'm at.

Any ideas of what it could be? I'm thinking it might be a motherboard screwing up.
 
I think you may have a bad keyboard - try another one or make sure it stays connected to the board - try a usb one or a ps2 one - whichever is different from the one you are using.

other things to look at - you moved the system over to a friends - rebuilt it and it was fine. Hmm, that suggests that you may have poor electrical output in your apartment (very typical) I suggest plugging the computer into a different electrical outlet and see if that is the problem. Get a good quality back up power supply that has voltage regulation (if the power from the outlet is low, the supply adds some, if its high, the supply blocks the additional wattage) that costs $$$ tho.
again check all connections inside & outside the computer.
Also do a cmos clear.
Hope this helps.
 
Sounds like the only thing you did not change was the processor. You may have inproper contact between the heatsink and cpu. Remove, clean and reapply heatsink paste. Might lap he heatsink too. I've seen little burrs of silver develop in old arctic silver that lift the heatsink off of the processor slightly. Check for proper contact.
 
Thanks for the Replies. I'll address each suggestion in order:

reseating the processor - definitely have to give that a try, probably won't lap the processor though, because that takes a little more effort, and I'm not too convinced yet that it's the processor.

clearing the cmos - done that, no avail.

bad keyboard - possibly, but I think it's more likely that it's the keyboard connection on the mobo. I recently replaced the keyboard because it stopped working, but later I plugged the old keyboard back in and it worked (hmm?). Another thing I noticed is that the Numlock, Capslock, and Scroll lock LEDs would all light up at the same time randomly.

electric supply - could be, though I have tried plugging it into different sockets. I'm going to bring it back over to my friends apartment see what happens

again thanks for the input, and any other suggestions are much welcomed (Asus hasn't called me back yet to tell me what's wrong :))
 
Kudos to HvyMtl. I just got home, reseated my processor, booted up the computer - nothing. Then I unplugged the keyboard, and to my amazement, the thing booted up.

Awesome, now it's time to get a USB keyboard.
 
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