Computer fails to boot; why?

[unregistered]

My sister's computer failed to start and just stayed in the POST procedures.  It messaged us by sounding: a single short beep, a long pause, (repeat forever).  So, after learning her system was around 12 years old, we went and bought a battery for the CMOS; brought it home, installed it, and the beeping continued once the power cable was connected and the power button pressed.  Next, I learned that endless beeping on her Award bios meant there was a RAM issue.  So reseated each piece of RAM and now there is only one beep, which means that POST completed its check successfully, at least that's what I learned, and then the monitor never gets a signal. 

The harddisk sounds activity, all the fans work, and I reattached the cables to the harddisk and CDROM drive.  Her monitor works because we checked her computer with my working monitor and still no signal.  We let her system sit there for about 2 hours now and it's the same.

Thank you so much for reading through this problem I'm unable to solve; hopefully with your help it can be solved.

[patio]

So POST is correct now but you get no signal to the monitor ? ?

You sure it's the correct RAM ? ?

Onboard vid or card ? ?

[Mark.]

have any of the capacitors on the motherboard started to bulge upwards, or even started to leak?

[Geek-9pm]

Please include the exact make and model number of the PC.
That way somebody and check to see if there is either a known issue.
Or we can download the user manual and see if the documentation has a clue.

[unregistered]

So POST is correct now but you get no signal to the monitor ? ?

Yes.

You sure it's the correct RAM ? ?

Yes. It's been in the computer for a long time, at least.

Onboard vid or card ? ?

Onboard vid and card.  She uses the card.

have any of the capacitors on the motherboard started to bulge upwards, or even started to leak?

From what I can tell, no, the capacitors are all flat on top and they aren't leaking.

Please include the exact make and model number of the PC.
That way somebody and check to see if there is either a known issue.
Or we can download the user manual and see if the documentation has a clue.

HP Pavilion a1640n  The manual has not had a clue for me, but thank you for looking.

[Geek-9pm]

The HP Pavilion  desktops are sold  on eBay by vendors who refurbish ole computer. Some even offer a one year warranty for a few dollars moire.
These are often sold with no keyboard, mouse or monitor.
Some prices are from about $85 and include windows 10 home.
If it were me, I would consider getting a refurbished HP with windows 10 from a reputable seller.

The original OS was:
  Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
But finding a copy of that version is hard to do. And maybe you don't want to use Windows XP anyhow. I use it, but I can not recommend anybody spend very much time with it. It is a dead end.

But before you reformat the hard drive and install the OS, consider if the HDD has  photos you may wish to keep. You can use an external adapter and power supply to 'slave' the hard drive to another computer.

[unregistered]

Geek-9pm, ok so y'all can't figure it out either; thank you all so much for spending time on my problem!     She has 3DS Max and Maya and those versions won't work on an OS other than Windows XP.  So maybe we can buy the same CPU off ebay and simply swap her harddrive into the ebay CPU.  That would be pretty easy, I think.   Thank you once again; maybe we'll do that.

edit: If anyone else has any other ideas please respond.   Do you think the problem is the graphics card?  We tried attaching her monitor's cable to the video-out port on the motherboard, but that didn't change the lack of signal to her monitor.

[Geek-9pm]

For what it is worth.. .
I have both XP andWindows10 on an older model Dell 7565 desktop.
So do a lot of other people,it is common practice.
Now here is contrary viewpoint from Bleepng Computer.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/638283/windows-10-and-windows-xp-on-the-same-computer/

I would avoid creating a dual boot system with XP and Windows 10 especially if the computer is UEFI and has a GPT disk as XP cannot boot from a GPT disk/UEFI computer. You will need an XP key in order to activate XP in the VM.

He recommends a virtual machine instead. I would not . 

[patio]

edit: If anyone else has any other ideas please respond.   Do you think the problem is the graphics card?  We tried attaching her monitor's cable to the video-out port on the motherboard, but that didn't change the lack of signal to her monitor.

Did you remove the vid card for this test? ?...

[unregistered]

Did you remove the vid card for this test? ?...

Actually, we took the CPU to a repair shop and he replaced one of the RAM sticks and it is susposedly working fine now!! :mrgreen: No, didn't remove the vid card for the test.

[patio]

Thanx for stoppin back to let us know...Glad your fixed up...

[unregistered]

  You're welcome; this is an important forum, I think.

[unregistered]

Actually, we took the CPU to a repair shop and he replaced one of the RAM sticks and it is susposedly working fine now!! :mrgreen:

After my sister got her computer home and plugged it in it started beeping again.  So she asked me to reseat the memory and I went outside and stuck my finger in the ground, to release all my static electricity, and then washed my hands and reseated her memory.  The computer still just made the repeated single beep forever... so we took it back to the repair-shop guy and it worked just fine when he plugged it in. He said maybe her power cord had a problem.  So after her computer came home she plugged it in with my monitor's power cord and it repeated the black screen and beeping fiasco.

She returned my monitor's power cord and moved her computer to the living room; it worked just fine!! :mrgreen: She ended up with her computer working like it used too in her room after she swapped the power strip in the living room with the power strip in her room.  Her power strip lost its ability to successfully power her computer, but it still works to provide power to the lamp in the living room.

So I guess my reseating her memory, the first time, shorted a piece out and so the repair guy replaced it.  Sticking my finger in the ground is a good thing to do before touching hardware; didn't do that the first time.

TLDR: TRY REPLACING YOUR POWER STRIP TO SOLVE A BLACK SCREEN WITH BEEPING PROBLEM.

[Geek-9pm]

After my sister got her computer home and plugged it in it started beeping again.
.... so we took it back to the repair-shop guy and it worked just fine when he plugged it in.... So after her computer came home she plugged it in with my monitor's power cord and it repeated the black screen and beeping fiasco.

She ... moved her computer to the living room; it worked just fine!! ...  Her power strip lost its ability to successfully power her computer, but it still works to provide power to the lamp in the living room.
...

This is very, very unusual.   

[unregistered]

This is very, very unusual.

Yes, it is very very unusual, but it is also true.

[Geek-9pm]

So, you are able to repeat this?
Does the computer start then freeze?
Do any fans come on? does the keyboard flash aby LED?
(See image below.)
You said a lamp in the same power strip works
What about the lamp?
Does it have any trouble? Does it flicker?

[attachment deleted by admin to conserve space]

[unregistered]

My problem has been eleminated; my sister's computer is working just fine now! :mrgreen:   See page 1 for more details.