Egad.
Is my computer dead?
It won’t boot up. Begins the start-up process, and then just a bleep bleep bleep flashing cursor on a black screen…
Running MS XP.
If this is from my roommate surfing porn, I swear I’m gonna kill him!!!
The beep-beep-beep sequence is usually a hardware error code. If there is an error before the VGA video drivers are loaded, there is no way for the hardware to indicate an error (since there is no way to display anything on the monitor) other than through the internal PC speaker connected directly to the motherboard. However, you state that it “begins the start-up process”. Does this mean you get the Windows XP logo and all that, or that it starts beeping and halts shortly after you power up and there’s no indication that the OS is beginning to load?
My PC went crazy a few weeks ago. It refused to boot after a session where some site I had gone to automatically installed upgrades for Acrobat Reader. Apparently this corrupted the FAT. It would start up and then immediateky shutdown. I used the reset “button” the PC has and rebooted. I got a bunch of error messages and did what XP suggested which included rebooting. Next time it told me it detected errors and recommended doing a scan of the disk. XP rectified all the errors by itself and I have had no problems since.
Try rebooting and hope for luck like mine.
This site lists BIOS “beep codes” for several manufacturers. If you are getting a beeping noise from your PC speaker, this can help you resolve the problem.
You should describe the boot failure to us in more detail – do you see the POST screen, do you see the video card test screen, do you get to the WinXP start screen, etc.?
It’s amazing how many problems can be fixed with a forced system restore (as a last resort!), and how hard it is to find instructions to do that. I hunted high and low, and compiled them in This thread. Use this method only as a last resort.
I do briefly get the Windows XP logo. (Trying to remember from this morning before my blood pressure shot through the roof and everything became a blood-red blur… ). It does seem that the OS starts to load and then gets hung up.
If I hit cntrl+alt+del it does “reboot” in the sense that it seems to try to start over, but gets hung up at the same place again.
Sorry I’m not very technical. I know how the tech-savvy hate that.
“Well, it’s just… just… doing that THING. You know, where it all goes kaplooey???”
Try booting into Safe Mode and re-installing the video drivers.
You might try tapping the F8 key upon startup before the XP Logo screen appears. You should get a menu then select Use Last Known Good Configuration. Here is a link with some additional explanation.
A messed-up Registry or an incorrect BIOS setting can cause those problems.
Can you boot up in Safe mode (F8)? If you can, you can try running System Restore (Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> System Restore) and restore an earlier save point that predates these problems.
Someone might have fiddle with your BIOS settings, too. Go into your BIOS and make sure your computer isn’t overclocked.
I’ll try booting up in Safe Mode when I get home.
What are the BIOS settings? Can you explain overclocked? (Does that mean my computer is idling too high and needs to have its carburetor retimed??? 
)
Overclocked means that your CPU has been tweaked to run faster than the speed it designed for at the factory. On older motherboards, you could only change these settings by moving jumpers around, but the newer motherboards allow you to set the CPUs clock speed directly from the BIOS. Some computer setups tolerate up to 20% overclocking with no problems. Other computers won’t tolerate ANY overclocking. It’s generally not a good idea to overclock because your CPU will run a lot hotter and is more likely to crash.
I’d recommend trying the System Restore Method first. After the BIOS screen disappears, hit F8 to bring up additional options. One of them should be Safe Mode. Once you’ve booted up in Safe Mode, you can run the System Restore program.
The BIOS is a small program built into your motherboard. When you start your computer, you see a brief BIOS screen before the computer actually starts to boot. The BIOS is taking an inventory of your computers hardware to see what’s connected to it. A CPU, RAM, Hard Drive and video card are usually the bare minimum required to get past the BIOS check. There’s usually a short line of text at the bottom of the screen that says something like “Hit <F1> to enter BIOS Setup” (Sometimes it’s F8 or F10).
AdAware is a real nice freeware program which will detect and remove any spyware or adware on your computer, AVG Antivirus has a free home version of their anti-virus program. It’s really nice. 