can any1 plz help?

[mat494]

not sure if this the right place but here goes

plz can you help me? im desperate
i was led to this site from http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?&threadid=12753
i have similar problems as are listed here, but im not competent enough to make a computer out of case.

my problem is this

almost 3 weeks ago, i was playing a game when i heard a terrible almost like a drilling sound coming from the computer. everything locked up, hdd light on constantly. reset didnt work so i had to turn on and off at the mains. when i turned back on nothing happened. no beep, no monitor output nothing.
i couldnt believe it.
i have tested the cpu on another computer, its fine. i took out hdd, video card (i hav integrated also) 1 stick of ram, all components etc with no change. so after 2 weeks of searching the net, grrrr... i took it to a friends. he was out, so i came home still frustrated. the next day i tried playing again. i got a beep!!! i was so excited!! after a few more minutes i got to bios which said... something like case open or been tampered, check computer. i put halt on no errors. it got past bios, but kept shutting off trying to get to windows. /sigh.. eventually it got to windows for 30secs then shutoff again. i tried everything now it wont even beep anymore
after tampering from when it started to now, nothing has been altered or changed so i really dont know why it works sometimes, and doesnt other times. plz plz plz can you help me? im desperate. im so tired and frustrated with it. i dont have the money to take to an expert, and im not a genious with computers, but i do know a few things. i would really appreciate.
thankyou

[KatoPC]

Please post what type of computer you have. Along with any known hardware as OS. By the sound you are describing might be HD fan PSU fan etc

[mat494]

its a P4 3.4ghz. win xp
ive tried booting without HDD with no luck. i tried swapping ram, checked all connections, tried the CPU on another computer, its fine. the only thing i havnt tried is replaing the power supply. i just want to make sure this is the problem before i go spend money in taking it to a computer shop, coz i dont have much money :)
thnx for any replies

[TungstenCarbide]

When did you get this computer? Could it be that one of the fans is giving up and so the computer is overheating and turning itself off?

[jayb1234]

As far as the case opened/tampered warning, check the motherboard manual. It will tell you how to disable that feature, usually a jumper pin setting on the motherboard. While you have that manual out, find the section about clearing CMOS and do that. You can get a harddrive diagnostic at the makers website and try to run that. If you list the parts of the machine by make and model it will be easier to give you more specific advice.

[mat494]

all the fans are working ok, i cleared cmos, changed the jumper pin. ive litereallly done everything i can physically do except change the power supply. yet sometimes it will POST and sometimes it wont without chaging anything. thats the thing that has really stumped me. i know very little about electronics. this might be a stupid question.. but is the power supply AC, and sometimes just gives enough to boot and others doest. i cant build a computer out of case or change the power supply...
any ideas or confirmation that it is the power supply would be greatly appreciated
thnx
:cool:

[flanzig1]

Actually, changing out a power supply is very easy. There are only 4 screws that hold the supply to the case and the power connections to the various components.
Here's a quick step by step: Turn off and unplug the computer/let it sit overnight/remove side panel/take note as to where the cables are connected to/unplug the cables/remove the 4 screws/remove old PSU/reverse order for the new.

[jayb1234]

Try running the hard drive diagnostic. Are you still getting the noise?

[mat494]

i took the computer to a repair shop. i stayed with him, and he played with it for nearly an hour. the problem even stumped him. im till waiting to hear from him. when he tells me the problem, ill let you guys know so it may help any1 with a similar problem
:)