# Friend's computer problems... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617 "2013-08-19T04:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/1 "2013-08-19T04:49:05Z")
This evening, a friend was plugging in her computer speakers & now the computer won’t come back up. It comes on, the disk drive seems to be running, and the monitor comes on, but they don’t seem to be working together. She is wondering if she caused a short somewhere but the computer drive actually running makes her doubt that. Anyone have any ideas what could be happening or what she can do? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/2 "2013-08-19T04:57:28Z")
It’s not as simple as the monitor not being properly plugged into the computer, is it? Did she unplug stuff back there? If she has access to another PC, plug its monitor into her PC and vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/3 "2013-08-19T06:08:57Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > It’s not as simple as the monitor not being properly plugged into the computer, is it? Did she unplug stuff back there? > > If she has access to another PC, plug its monitor into her PC and vice versa. It’s definitely plugged in correctly but she may have another computer she can dig out. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/4 "2013-08-19T06:11:36Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > It’s definitely plugged in correctly but she may have another computer she can dig out. What about at the monitor end? When you turn it on, does it make normal booting-up noises? Keyboard lights flash, any beeps, do you hear the Windows startup music? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/5 "2013-08-19T06:23:06Z")
Her computer came up with this message- Warning system boot fail Your system may be OverClock fail Or Post interrupted Please enter setup to load default and reboot again. I am not there - she is across the country away from me relaying this by phone. So what should she do? ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/6 "2013-08-19T06:39:42Z")
Enter setup to load default, you will find a way to “load default” in the menu, and then click on save and reboot. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/7 "2013-08-19T07:01:34Z")
Any idea why this happened? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/8 "2013-08-19T07:34:07Z")
So she is in the process of doing it now but she still wonders why it happened, what it means, and if this should lead her to expect anything? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/9 "2013-08-19T07:46:16Z")
How old is the computer? It may be a CMOS battery issue. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friends-computer-problems/666617/10 "2013-08-19T07:47:06Z")
She seems to have it up & going, thanks!