Ask Owen

I tried turning on my computer today and instead of booting normally I just got a sequence of beeps. I tried turning it off and again, but just got the same sequence again. What’s up with it?

I’m afraid you’re facing a serious problem with your computer, due to some sort of hardware malfunction. Computers using beep codes when something is preventing them from starting up, usually some sort of problem with one of the components that are necessary for it to start up. And don’t think that putting on your best face cream and going to bed to try again tomorrow will be any help. This sort of problem won’t go away on its own!

Fixing the problem depends on what the exact beep code is, but usually involves swapping out the faulty part for a working one. The first thing you need to do is figure out what the issue it, and resolving the beep codes depends on what sort of BIOS your computer has. Check out the start up screen and see if you spot the words Amibios (American Megatrends) or Phoenix on it. You can find the beep codes and what they mean here.

• Amibios: beep codes
• Phoenix: beep codes

Good luck!

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