Author Topic: P.O.S,T (Read 13582 times)

DavidA · « **on:** October 26, 2015, 05:29:14 PM »

A worrying development with my HP Pavillion Slimline tower computer.

At switch on today all I am getting is the following .

Two second tone. pause. another two second tone. pause, a five second tone.

It then waits for few seconds and repeats this sequence, three times in all.

No sound from the hard drive and no video.

Any one recognize this problem ?

I've done the remove all plugs and replace routine.

Dave.

(who is hoping that the hard drive will transfer to another machine if all else fails)

John Rudd · « **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2015, 05:46:33 PM »

Not easy to identify without knowing what mobo/bios....
But, generally speaking sounds like a duff graphics card.....Have you tried removing it and reseating it?

DavidA · « **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2015, 06:04:19 PM »

John.

Since I posted I have been looking around the HP info on the net.

It appears that the code refers to a problem with the graphics card, as you suggest.
But the big problem is that the HP Pavilion doesn't have a separate card. It is part of the motherboard.

Roughly translated it seems to imply that the mother board is knackered. And so is the computer.

I have been having trouble with the red occasional dropping out on the video. That may have been the early warning sign.

I have the monitor from this faulty machine running on another one at the moment, the colour is ok. I'll leave it running for an hour or two to see what happens.

I think 'oh bugger ! is the phrase I am looking for.

Dave.

sparky961 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2015, 07:45:52 PM »

If there's a slot available you might try an external graphics card.

DavidA · « **Reply #4 on:** October 27, 2015, 03:10:06 PM »

Sparky,

Good idea, problem is I don't have a spare to try it with.

Here is how I am thinking at the moment.

I am working on the assumption that the hard drive is ok.

It would seem a good idea to get a new machine. I have been looking at some of the Zoostorm options.
I was hoping to transfer the hard drive to one of my other machines, but it turns out that it is a SATA drive. and the others aren't.

So, What do you think if this idea.

I get a new Zoostorm machine without an operating system (cheaper) and just swap the new hard drive (a SATA) for my existing drive that has the files and the Vista OS from the duff machine.

Dave.

philf · « **Reply #5 on:** October 27, 2015, 03:20:17 PM »

Dave,

Unfortunately. I think you've got almost zero chance of the drive booting up in another machine. When installing the operating system it looks at some features of your computer and writes some files accordingly.

If you have a license sticker for Vista on your machine you should be able to reuse the number when installing Vista on your new machine. If you haven't got the system disks someone on the forum might have a copy.

Phil.

awemawson · « **Reply #6 on:** October 27, 2015, 03:30:12 PM »

Dave,

I have a few HP DC7600 small form factor systems lying unused - no hard disks (SATA) as they've been removed for security and varying other installed bits such as ram and type of DVD

You'd be welcome to one (or two!) F.O.C. if you can arrange transport

DavidA · « **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2015, 03:37:44 PM »

Phil,

That could be a problem.

When I acquired this machine (from one of my daughters) it had a pre - installed version of Vista.

I checked the registration and had to get a new number as it wouldn't accept the one on the case.

But I don't have Vista CD.

It needs to run on Vista as there are a couple of programs I use that won't run on XP; of which I do have a licensed copy.

It seems that many of the new computers are coming with either W10 or W10 detuned to W7. I'd rather avoid them if possible.
I'll check at work tomorrow and see if they have a PCIA graphics card laying around.

Dave.

DavidA · « **Reply #8 on:** October 27, 2015, 03:42:16 PM »

Andrew,

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if the graphics card trick doesn't work.

Dave.

DavidA · « **Reply #9 on:** October 27, 2015, 04:01:22 PM »

Just been reading up on the M2MC51-AR mother board (as fitted to the machine in question) and it does appear that that have a bad reputation.

Andrew,

Can you confirm that the machine(s) you have have the same Mother Board ?

Dave.

John Rudd · « **Reply #10 on:** October 27, 2015, 04:42:07 PM »

Quote from: DavidA on October 27, 2015, 03:42:16 PM

Andrew,

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if the graphics card trick doesn't work.

Dave.

You may need to disable on the on board graphics if you go the separate card route....bios setting?

DavidA · « **Reply #11 on:** October 27, 2015, 05:00:09 PM »

John,

Problem with that is I have no video.

Dave.

awemawson · « **Reply #12 on:** October 27, 2015, 06:09:17 PM »

Quote from: John Rudd on October 27, 2015, 04:42:07 PM

Quote from: DavidA on October 27, 2015, 03:42:16 PM
Andrew,

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if the graphics card trick doesn't work.

Dave.

You may need to disable on the on board graphics if you go the separate card route....bios setting?

I'll try and find a few minutes to have a look see tomorrow and post a picture or two

awemawson · « **Reply #13 on:** October 28, 2015, 05:54:34 AM »

David,

A few photos as promised

MetalMagus · « **Reply #14 on:** October 28, 2015, 08:26:18 AM »

If you end up purchasing a new PC you could always purchase a hard drive adapter that allows you to plug the bare drive in and access it through a USB port.

Same happened to my PC recovered all the data I needed with an adapter.

Regards

Sean

David Jupp · « **Reply #15 on:** October 28, 2015, 09:02:13 AM »

You should be able to get around lack of Vista CD -

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=13158

DavidA · « **Reply #16 on:** October 28, 2015, 09:09:38 AM »

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll decide later today on what I am going to do.

Dave.

John Rudd · « **Reply #17 on:** October 28, 2015, 10:42:29 AM »

I get the feeling that the offering from msoft is not the whole package rather an upgrade for an existing o/s......

David Jupp · « **Reply #18 on:** October 29, 2015, 04:45:38 AM »

John - you may be right, I probably rushed when looking for it. Sorry for any confusion.

Microsoft does make a surprising amount of stuff available for download - but then they keep moving stuff around, and some of the links found even on Microsoft's own site are actually dead.

There are 3rd party sites which offer Vista downloads, but they often seem to involve quite a bit of messing about to make a bootable DVD.

This page from HP covers one route
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Recovery/Windows-Vista-7-and-8-ISO-Image-file-Download-Links/td-p/2954293

DavidA · « **Reply #19 on:** October 29, 2015, 01:02:20 PM »

OK, decision made.

I have been offered a Packard Bell machine with Vista installed for very little money.
The idea is to get this machine, then using a USB to SATA adapter ( in the post) try to recover what I can from the faulty machine drive. I know I won't be able to get the operating system from it, but if I can get the applications and the files I'll be happy.

With the new machine I think I may have to re-register the operating system as I suspect the first time I try to get updates the internet will recognise that I am not using the original ISP.

Again, thanks for the offers and the help. I'll let you know how it all works out.

Dave.

philf · « **Reply #20 on:** October 29, 2015, 02:14:01 PM »

Quote from: DavidA on October 29, 2015, 01:02:20 PM

OK, decision made...............but if I can get the applications and the files I'll be happy.

Dave,

Sorry to be negative but just copying across application files from your Program Files directory is unlikely to get your programs working. There'll be bits dotted about in the registry.

If you've got the original installation disks you'd be better reinstalling the apps on your new PC.

Phil.

Phil.

DavidA · « **Reply #21 on:** October 29, 2015, 03:41:12 PM »

Phil,

Thanks for the heads up.

I do have cd versions of some of them. The others I can download again.

Dave.

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Author Topic: P.O.S,T (Read 13582 times)