[dba-Tech] Boot-up problems

[Gustav Brock]

Hi Arthur

A series of beeps typically indicates a malfunction of the motherboard or ram.
Find a service manual. It will list the different combos of long-short beeps and the failure.

/gustav

-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: dba-Tech [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] På vegne af Arthur Fuller
Sendt: 16. februar 2018 17:20
Til: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>
Emne: [dba-Tech] Boot-up problems

A couple of weeks ago my laptop suddenly could no longer boot. The little lights on the front edge blink as usual, but the computer refuses to boot.
I hear a little repeated beep when I attempt to boot; other than that, nothing happens.

Various external devices such as a backup drive and a DVD burner (the kind that can use 25GB disks) power up. I have no idea what might be wrong, and can't afford to have it repaired until month-end. Fortunately, I have a couple of computers, so things could be worse.

One thing that worries me is that I'm running Windows 10; IOW, no boot disk from which to re-install it if the hard drive is the problem. The way around this is to return the machine to Dell for repair. I have no problem with that; in my experience they have great service and will even send a shipping box to safely house the machine. So if the hard disk turns out to be the problem, Dell will re-install Windows 10 as part of the repair.

Since I'm long-past the warranty period, I'm anticipating that the repair will cost over $100 and maybe even $200 -- which, at today's prices, is approaching the cost of a new machine.

Any opinions on this? Or on what might be wrong with the laptop?

--
Arthur