# Computer won't boot, power light flashes and machine beeps. Oh no! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860 "2008-02-23T17:30:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/1 "2008-02-23T17:30:37Z")
I have an HP Pavilion notebook about a year old, and I just put a new memory card in yesterday. Originally, I put the new card in the vacant slot, and the computer worketd fine, but the system didn’t recognize any more main RAM than usual. So I went back in there and swapped the two cards, and now the new, larger card of 1G was being recognized as the main memory and everything was fine. I was thrilled with the improved performance as I need to run Visual Studio for a class I’m taking. And so to bed. Now, this morning, the thing will not boot up at all. The lights come on and immediately start flashing. It beeps loudly three or four times–BOOP! BOOP! BOOP! and then the lights just continue blinking. It won’t boot up. Other than the memory upgrade, for the first time I put the computer in a case that was a little tight for it, but it did fit. I didn’t warp it, did I? I thought these notebooks were pretty tough. I once accidently dropped a notebook from a height of five feet onto a polished marble floor, and it was fine (but that was not this one). I’m going to take it to the Geek Squad later, but I’m just wondering what it could be, and if my computer is dead or only sick. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/2 "2008-02-23T17:45:36Z")
I have an HP Pavilion desktop, and in July I added 2 GB RAM to it, for a total of 3 GB. It worked fine until November, when it did the same type of thing you’re describing. Removing the original 1 GB resolved the issue. The tech who worked on it said the two sets of chips weren’t “compatible” which sounds like b.s. to me, but I can’t argue with a working computer. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/3 "2008-02-23T17:57:36Z")
I just looked up on the HP website and read it could be due to the memory card coming unseated, which didn’t seem very likely even if I was just in there fooling with it. I mean, you can tell when the card is fully inserted and when it’s not. On the other hand, what you describe seems to correspond to my situation closely. You may have just saved me a trip to the Geek Squad! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/4 "2008-02-23T19:12:59Z")
It worked! I took out the original RAM card, and the computer is fine. Thanks again for the vital information. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/5 "2008-02-23T22:33:31Z")
3 beeps, by the way, is the PC telling you there’s a problem with the memory. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/6 "2008-02-24T06:04:46Z")
[QUOTE=JSexton] 3 beeps, by the way, is the PC telling you there’s a problem with the memory. [/QUOTE] Two beeps means it can’t get out of second gear. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/7 "2008-02-24T19:10:35Z")
**Tuckerfan** wins. (Shouldn’t **Nashfan** have posted that, though? 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-wont-boot-power-light-flashes-and-machine-beeps-oh-no/438860/8 "2008-02-24T20:56:21Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] **Tuckerfan** wins. (Shouldn’t **Nashfan** have posted that, though? 🙂 ) [/QUOTE] Only if he/she were behind (or racing) a Cadillac.