Date:    Tue, 31 Oct 2000 20:05:57 -0600
From:    "Paul A. Valentine" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Computer Start-up Problem

My computer has developed what I suspect is a hardware problem. When I
push
the power button to turn it on, the power light comes on, the hard drive
light comes on, it immediately emits one long beeb, and two fast short
beeps, the cd-rom lights briefly as does the A drive and the cdrw drive.
The
hard drive light stays on for about a minute, then goes off, but nothing
more happens. The display does not come on. If I turn it on manually, it
is
not getting a signal. The only way to power it down is to pull the plug.
Sometimes if I hit reset it will start normally, and run normally. Today
that didn't work. I opened and closed both cd drives, then hit reset,
and it
started????
Need help????
Thanks, Paul


 Last time I saw this type of problem it turned out that the CD drive
was keeping the machine from booting or even completing POST.  By
process of elimination,  unhooking one drive at a time, I determined
that the CD was at fault and replaced it, after which the machine ran
just fine, and is still running.
   I later decided to try the "defective" CD drive in another machine,
to see if the symptom transferred to that machine. It did not, the thing
worked fine and is still working. I suspect the problem may have been an
interemittant or  poorly seated cable rather than a defective CD drive.

Dick Carroll

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