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What Does It Mean When Your Pc Beeps 3 Times?

#1 User is offline   SigChicken 

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Posted 31 January 2010 - 12:40 AM

Hi,
I have this problem with my desktop pc:
When i turn it on, i can hear the hard drive start spinning, after a while the pc beeps three times really quick (-..) but it doesn't boot.
I would have to press the reboot button to get it working again.

I have been experiencing this problem for about 2 weeks.
Normally when I turn on my PC, the hard drive would start spinning and it would beep once and boot.

Can you guys help me find the problem?
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#2 User is offline   techie4fun 

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Posted 31 January 2010 - 05:26 AM

View PostSigChicken, on 31 January 2010 - 12:40 AM, said:

Hi,
I have this problem with my desktop pc:
When i turn it on, i can hear the hard drive start spinning, after a while the pc beeps three times really quick (-..) but it doesn't boot.
I would have to press the reboot button to get it working again.

I have been experiencing this problem for about 2 weeks.
Normally when I turn on my PC, the hard drive would start spinning and it would beep once and boot.

Can you guys help me find the problem?


The three beeps generally indicates a memory error. The memory could be dead or loose and simply needs to be taken out and put back in. Can you post the make & model of your PC?
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#3 User is offline   SigChicken 

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Posted 01 February 2010 - 01:38 AM

Sure :D
It's Windows XP Professional,
Intel® Core™2 CPU
6420 @ 2.13GHz
2.13 GHz, 2GB of Ram
I had been using it for about 3 years.

Hope that's what you're looking for :P
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#4 User is offline   Tunz 

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Posted 01 February 2010 - 01:15 PM

Beeping is almost always memory or video card, unless the beeping is incessant, which usually indicates a CPU problem, so if re-seating the memory brings no joy, try re-seating the video card. Check the fan on the vid card too.
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#5 User is online   waldojim 

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Posted 01 February 2010 - 03:39 PM

There are two key things missing here....

1. are the long or short beeps? if they are a mix, can you tell us what the order is?
2. Do you know who made the BIOS in your machine? Different companies use different codes. If you do not know who made the bios, can you give us all the model information on the case and see if there is a make/model on the main board when you open it up?

That will help us give you a direct answer.
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#6 User is offline   techie4fun 

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Posted 02 February 2010 - 04:26 AM

View PostSigChicken, on 01 February 2010 - 01:38 AM, said:

Sure :D
It's Windows XP Professional,
Intel® Core™2 CPU
6420 @ 2.13GHz
2.13 GHz, 2GB of Ram
I had been using it for about 3 years.

Hope that's what you're looking for :P


Waldo made a good point.

1. are the long or short beeps? if they are a mix, can you tell us what the order is?
2. Do you know who made the BIOS in your machine? Different companies use different codes. If you do not know who made the bios, can you give us all the model information on the case and see if there is a make/model on the main board when you open it up?
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#7 User is offline   SigChicken 

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 05:40 AM

Yea it had a sequence. It was one long beep and 2 short beeps.
It says GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 on my motherboard.
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#8 User is offline   SigChicken 

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 05:54 AM

I think this is the site for my motherboard: http://www.gigabyte....?ProductID=2321
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#9 User is offline   rgreen4 

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 10:59 AM

View PostSigChicken, on 08 February 2010 - 05:54 AM, said:

I think this is the site for my motherboard: http://www.gigabyte....?ProductID=2321


According to the manual, the code for your Award BIOS indicates that it is a monitor or display card error. Most likely a graphics card failure. Since you do not have onboard graphics, the add-in card most likely needs replacement (unless it has a separate power input that has become unplugged).

The codes are on page 83 of the manual.
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#10 User is offline   computergeek777 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 11:15 AM

I have the same problem and I think it has something to do with the memory, so what should I do?
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#11 User is offline   coastie65 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 11:53 AM

Yep. One long and two short is most likely the Graphics. If you have had the card out before it started, try reseating it as has been suggested. You might want to chck the connections at the Card and the moniotor and make sure they are snugly plugged in.
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#12 User is offline   LiveBrianD 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 12:59 PM

View Postcoastie65, on 15 April 2012 - 11:53 AM, said:

Yep. One long and two short is most likely the Graphics. If you have had the card out before it started, try reseating it as has been suggested. You might want to chck the connections at the Card and the moniotor and make sure they are snugly plugged in.


It's not always what you think it is though - when I messed up a few CPU pins on my motherboard, I got a beep error that indicated the graphics card. I RMA'd the motherboard, and after that, everything (including the graphics card) worked just fine.
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#13 User is offline   Evildave 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 01:05 PM

The popcorn is done.

Oh, wait, that's my microwave.

Never mind.
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#14 User is offline   Evildave 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 01:08 PM

Easy thing to try:

Turn it off, unplug it, remove the graphics card, use a nice, fresh, clean, dry (not greasy) pencil eraser to clean the contacts on the card, make sure all the other cards are in securely, put it all back together and try again.
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#15 User is offline   LiveBrianD 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 01:15 PM

And make sure you don't get eraser shavings in the PCIe slot... :)
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#16 User is online   waldojim 

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 01:22 PM

How about we start with some basic information first?

Who made the machine, what is the model number, and what are the exact beep codes?

Also, why do you suspect the ram?
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