Dead computer beeps

[hubner]

Just wondering if anyone's had a computer doing this.

My netbook (Samsung N140, Win XP, about 2.5 years old) doesn't start. When I turn it on, some of the LEDs light up but the screen stays black, then it doesn't go into the bios page (Phoenix I think), and then it makes 6 beeps:

4 short fast beeps, then a pause, then one beep, then a pause, and a final beep.

I've had a search of the POST codes but didn't see any that matched mine exactly. I've removed the 2GB RAM and tried the original 1GB RAM but it didn't make any difference.

I suspect it's a dead motherboard, but I'll open it up to check there aren't any loose connections etc.

[hazeii]

Somewhere on the web will be posted the Phoenix beep codes.

One common cause of a beep pattern is unable to init video hardware - could that be it?

[TimO]

I had a look for a list of POST beep codes, and came across this instance with a similar beep pattern to yours.

He may have had a RAM issue, so reseating the RAM DIMM could be a good idea.

There's also the suggestion that Phoenix BIOSes output their POST codes using this sort of beep pattern, unfortunately I can't find 4-1-1 as a POST code.

[hubner]

Thanks, I've already seen that page, that's why I checked the RAM.

I had a look at some of the codes, eg http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/phoenixbeep.htm, http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml and http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm, but no match.

http://www.sammynetbook.com/forum/threads/15435-N130-beep-code-needed seems to be the same problem I'm having, the Samsung N130 and N140 are basically the same netbook with minor differences.

[Pickled Onion]

J and then it makes 6 beeps:

4 short fast beeps, then a pause, then one beep, then a pause, and a final beep.

That's normally used for "Going about - starboard tack"

I don't think I'm helping much ...

[hubner]

I bought another Samsung N140 (in hardly used condition) for £31, swapped the hard drive from the dead N140 to the "new" N140, and now it's working!

I had planned to buy a secondhand N140 motherboard but they were hardly available compared with a complete laptop and in any case weren't worth the price.

But now I'm still left with one Samsung N140 with presumably a dead motherboard.

[tonycollinet]

Nail it  to the wall and call it art.