Compaq Evo N160 just beeps, won't boot.

I have a dilemma. I was recently given a Compaq Evo N160 notebook that no longer starts; it just beeps 3 times, pauses then beeps once (all short beeps). There is no display, the thing will not boot. I tried searching for the beep code list online but couldn't find it. Someone posted here about this years ago and was told they needed to know the BIOS version. Since this notebook was given to me by someone even less computer literate than I am (lol) I have absolutely no clue about what's on it, other than the OS (Windows 2k Pro) ~ they don't have the user manual anymore, either. Do I need to know the BIOS version to get the proper beep code list? If so, how do I find that information if the thing won't load up? Has anyone else had this issue with this model, and if so, how did you resolve it? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance. :heart

 

They are right that knowing the BIOS version makes it possible to find what beep code means. Most of the time a computer will beep at you to tell you something vital is missing (or if it didn't like you hitting it when you lost a Quake 3 deathmatch).

So be sure there is RAM installed - probably not the cause, but it's easy to check. The next components are trickier to get down to, so attempt these if you feel confident, or wait until someone posts what the beep code means.

Some computers back then wouldn't boot if the CMOS battery was missing or dead. If you're electronically minded you could locate the battery and take a multimeter to it to see if it's still good. If not, they sell extremely cheaply on ebay for just a dollar or two. While you have the laptop in pieces you should also make sure the keyboard is properly connected to the motherboard.

Finally, does the notebook have an VGA output? Can we connect it to a monitor to see if there is a message being displayed but that we just can't see it?

 

The Bios file for this computer says it is a Phoenix BIOS. According to what this site says, it is a bad motherboard. I cannot verify that though. Other sites say that any Phoenix BIOS that starts with a 3-1 beep relates to the motherboard.

 

If you have more than one RAM stick you can start by taking both out and see if you get the same beep configuration. If not, it's probably not RAM. If you do... Try booting with a single stick, alternating which stick you use and which slot you install it into and see if you can get it to boot.

 

Thank you for all the replies =) I actually got it to give me video for a moment, and it actually started to load, but I wasn't fast enough with the button mashing (lol) and it got stuck (froze up completely) about half-way through the Windows 2k Pro loading splash. I have not been able to get it to that again since. >.< Occasionally when I start it, it will beep once, then three times, then once again. I am thinking you might be right about the RAM, but unfortunately you're also right that I do not have any to try replacing it with. lol this little laptop is sounding like it's going to be a bit of a headache. >,<

EDIT: Almost forgot! Is there a way to figure out which version of BIOS this little thing has on it? In the thread I read on this forum that was posted several years back, someone said there were a dozen or more that were used for this model. Any ideas on how to find it? Or do I have to get it to load to figure that out?

 

The fact that you've suddenly been able to get life from the laptop without having apparently changed anything suggests either some hardware is loose, something isn't making a good connection, or something's broken in a particular way.

First of all, keep trying to turn the computer on, and with each attempt slightly adjust the angle the tip of the power cord is attached to the laptop and rotate it. Treat it with care; acting like a safe-cracker. As you do this, try to keep the laptop as stationary as possible - that way we can isolate any poor connection to the charger/plug rather than an internal part. If it does power up, continue turning the power plug to see if it spontaneously turns off.

If that's not it, then I want to check if the laptop has suffered from a spill.

Disconnect the laptop from the AC adapter and remove the battery, ground yourself (touch something metal touching the floor), flip the laptop upside down and open the RAM cover. Take a close inspection there, and then remove the ram modules (being very careful only to touch the edges) placing them on a piece of paper.

Do you see any sign of residue on the modules, such as from a liquid that had been spilled on them but is now dry? Do the copper pads that memory modules connect with (the lines that stack along the longest edge of the modules) have any discoloration?

Is there any sign of spills on the keyboard? Are you familiar with how to take apart a laptop to the point you can remove the keyboard?

This time when it came on with something on the screen, am I right that it didn't beep?

When it turns on and you are able to see things on the screen, keep tapping F2 and you should be taken to the BIOS. On that screen it'll say the BIOS make and version. Note that some computers use F1 or DEL to go to the BIOS instead. If none of the three work, your keyboard may not be working or else it's a different key - look to see if one of the first screens you see when you turn the laptop on suggests using a different key.