Trouble with my friend's computer

mps · 06-09-2007, 10:13 AM

My friend's mom confronted me with a problem that they are having with their hp pavilion. When the computer is turned on the light on the front (iirc it's the hdd light but it may be the power light) is yellow instead of the normal green. Also during this, the internal speaker is beeping. The screen is blank, thus making it ,as far as I know, imposable to get into XP.

Does anyone have any idea as to what's wrong and how to fix it?

Thanks

Law · 06-09-2007, 10:47 AM

That could be an indication that the video card is bad. Did she tell you how many beeps it made?

She'll probably need a qualified technician to remove components so it can be tested with just the core hardware. Then start replacing one at a time. I would start with the video card first, try adjusting the hardware, sometime things can get loose.

Ask her a few more questions to get some better idea like: What was the last thing she did before it didn't work? Is the FAN or can you hear the FAN on the system and motherboard spinning? Does the CD/DVD tray still open? Describe the beeps, how many? does it stop?

aaron_mcd · 06-10-2007, 07:38 PM

it does not take a "skilled technician " to take out parts put them on cardboard and see if it still works , however you do need to know all the info the guy above me asked also check and see if the PSU fan spins and if you want open the case and see if any others fans spin

mps · 06-10-2007, 08:03 PM

Yeah, it's not beeping anymore, that was the ram detection. We just switched the slot.

All the fans are running and the drives are fine. My friend says that the last thing she did was get the latest directX, I dunno if that'll screw up the computer or not...

aaron_mcd · 06-10-2007, 08:09 PM

maybe GPU does not support it that high or it probably is a graphics card death

mps · 06-10-2007, 09:32 PM

I forgot to mention that the keyboard is not responsive... This leads me to the thought of a bad mb.

wolfeyes89 · 06-10-2007, 09:37 PM

well if the computer is running on intergrated graphics you cant rule that out. and if your friend installed DX-10 w/o one of the new hardware compnents that supports it or if the pc doesnt have vista thats the case.

mps · 06-10-2007, 09:50 PM

I'm bad at remembering things, there's no integrated graphics either.

I was surprised, I thought all mb's had ig. At least for 5 years.

wolfeyes89 · 06-10-2007, 10:08 PM

Theres two types of mobos, one of them is called discrete motherboards they don't have integrated graphics, but they have an agp slot or pci-express slot to install a graphics card into. Then theres integrated motherboards they have an integrated graphics but SOME are limited because they don't have an expansion slot for a new graphics cards, but some new ones and even old ones depending on what u define old do.
I don't know what you mean "at least for 5 years" any computer and hardware in it can last far longer than 10 years, the hard drive may die off a bit earlier, but the point is that all has to do with maintenance the user and a simple roll of the dice.
I recommend you don't open it up if you don't know whats going on though trust me some people are a bit of a pain in the a** if you aren't able to fix their pc even if it has to involve them paying up for parts or maybe you simply don't have the means too fix it. Just tell your friends mom to take it to a reliable source, i hear best buy is good but very overpriced. Then only reason i even recommend them is because my friends usually take their pcs to privately owned local shops and they end up telling them they need a new cpu when in fact all they needed was a simple 4 step Warez spyware removal guide, and or a reformat.
But w/e happens gl and be careful.

mps · 06-10-2007, 10:11 PM

I know what's what, I built my own comp, I just don't know why it's not working.

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