5 beeps then loud noises from PSU

[thefishyguy]

Hello, I’ve recently touched a cut cable (the hard drive power cable things) in my computer while attempting to reseat the fan and then the PC won’t start, At first It would open and shut down after 3 seconds (fixed)
Now it opens (no display or anything) but I get 5 red beeps and my power supply makes a really loud noise (power supply did it alot while it was overheating and other problems before this problem)
For anyone asking the model of the computer is a HP EliteDesk 705 Small Form Factor
I’ve cleaned the ram and there was history of a liquid falling in the computer but it got fixed but some parts are still sticky from the liquid especially the ram and the ram slots but luckily the processor and GPU are okay
I’ve tried cleaning the CMOS and didn’t work
And obviously the 30 second CMOS reset wont work

[thefishyguy]

Also PSU makes alot of noise and takes out alot of air and the CPU fan isn’t connected I use a small mini fan in the position of the CPU fan and it works well and gives the processor tons of air

[veeg]

Hello

So can you confirm this sticky liquid is coming from the psu? At either rate, it sounds like your psu is failing .

[thefishyguy]

Hello

So can you confirm this sticky liquid is coming from the psu? At either rate, it sounds like your psu is failing .

Nope the sticky liquid came from a soda that fell from the table and into the pc (i don’t use the pc case as recommeded by a technician because of overheating)

[veeg]

Ok..so i would suggest that you power down the pc and unplug the pc from the electrical outlet.. Press the power button for 15 seconds. Then open up the pc case and clean the ram sticks contacts with rubbing alcohol and a very soft cloth, also before you put the ram back in the slots, the slots need to be cleaned using the alcohol and some cotton swabs gently. If any cotton fibers get stuck in the ram slot those need to be picked out and or try using can air to blow the fibers out. A brush is not recommended..

[DENMON]

According to the manual for this computer, the 5 red beeps indicate a RAM failure. You can clean it again with the above post again, but if you already did that, you can try the below.

Note, every time that you are working inside the computer, I would turn off the power supply, and hold the power button to drain any power still in the motherboard. You can also disconnect the power cord to be extra safe. This is to prevent further damage.

If you already tried reseating it, then I would try moving the RAM sticks to another slot. It is possible that it is the DIMM slot that is damaged from the mystery liquid. Again, according to the manual, there should be 4 DIMM slots. I am assuming you have two RAM sticks (let us know if it is different). Note that they need to be in a specific order, so make sure that is correct.

From left to right, 1 through 4, the two RAM sticks should be in slot 1 and 3, or 2 and 4. Make sure that is correct. If it is , then I would move the RAM sticks 1 slot over and see if that works. Note that you should typically hear two clicks when inserting the RAM stick, one from the top and one from the bottom. Turn on the computer and see if it POSTs.

If that doesn’t work, turn off the computer again and start trying to have only 1 RAM stick inserted and the other one left out. Just have 1 RAM stick and try each slot, and if that doesn’t work, then try the other RAM stick. Remember to turn off the computer when moving the RAM sticks.

If that doesn’t work, and you are sure that you are reseating them properly, then I would think that the either the DIMM slots or RAM sticks are dead.

Hope that helps

[thefishyguy]

According to the manual for this computer, the 5 red beeps indicate a RAM failure. You can clean it again with the above post again, but if you already did that, you can try the below.

Note, every time that you are working inside the computer, I would turn off the power supply, and hold the power button to drain any power still in the motherboard. You can also disconnect the power cord to be extra safe. This is to prevent further damage.

If you already tried reseating it, then I would try moving the RAM sticks to another slot. It is possible that it is the DIMM slot that is damaged from the mystery liquid. Again, according to the manual, there should be 4 DIMM slots. I am assuming you have two RAM sticks (let us know if it is different). Note that they need to be in a specific order, so make sure that is correct.

From left to right, 1 through 4, the two RAM sticks should be in slot 1 and 3, or 2 and 4. Make sure that is correct. If it is , then I would move the RAM sticks 1 slot over and see if that works. Note that you should typically hear two clicks when inserting the RAM stick, one from the top and one from the bottom. Turn on the computer and see if it POSTs.

If that doesn’t work, turn off the computer again and start trying to have only 1 RAM stick inserted and the other one left out. Just have 1 RAM stick and try each slot, and if that doesn’t work, then try the other RAM stick. Remember to turn off the computer when moving the RAM sticks.

If that doesn’t work, and you are sure that you are reseating them properly, then I would think that the either the DIMM slots or RAM sticks are dead.

Hope that helps

Tried the post above and unfortunately it did not work and I tried this one too and was unfortunate but the PSU still keeps making loud noises and taking out alot of air

[DENMON]

Did the audible noise change at all when moving the RAM sticks around?

In the original post, you said “At first It would open and shut down after 3 seconds (fixed)” and “Now it opens (no display or anything) but I get 5 red beeps and my power supply makes a really loud noise” - What specifically did you do between those two events, even if you don’t think that it would have an effect.

Are there any fans in the computer that are off when you start the computer?

[DENMON]

Can you also give the name of the brand of the PSU, the wattage, and any other specs that you can find on it.

Thanks

[thefishyguy]

Did the audible noise change at all when moving the RAM sticks around?

In the original post, you said “At first It would open and shut down after 3 seconds (fixed)” and “Now it opens (no display or anything) but I get 5 red beeps and my power supply makes a really loud noise” - What specifically did you do between those two events, even if you don’t think that it would have an effect.

Are there any fans in the computer that are off when you start the computer?

I use a small mini fan since my pc fan broke along with the screws and can’t connect a new one
And the 3 seconds thing was fixed after changing the power cord and reseating some cables

[thefishyguy]

Can you also give the name of the brand of the PSU, the wattage, and any other specs that you can find on it.

Thanks

The PSU is written in chinese and I can’t understand it but it says the PSU is to 100 and 240 volts
The processor is 50 or more volts (doesn’t reach 59 nor does it get higher than that)
It’s a small work computer for my work and thankfully I know the specs well they are:
AMD A4-7300B APU 3800 MHz Processor
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 290 (overclocked most of the time and integrated gpu socket got broken so i used a spare GPU laying around )
8GB RAM (possibly and big chance it’s DDR3)

[DENMON]

The PSU being loud on startup may not be too problematic, especially if it is low wattage I think. At least, it is something we can deal with later on I believe. I at least want to get the computer booted up. The computer POSTs in a specific order, meaning, that it does a hardware check in a specific order and stops as soon as it detects a failure. According to the manual, the computer should have passed the power supply check.

Just to be clear, you are still hearing 5 audible beeps?

Can you try disconnecting the cables that you reseated (on the motherboard specifically) altogether, assuming the motherboard doesn’t technically need it. Make sure to power down the computer. If you reseated any fan cables, disconnect those. If there are cables that you reseating that connect like a USB port from the case to the motherboard, you can disconnect those. Try starting up the computer and see if the anything changes. If the computer actually progresses or you are getting more than 5 audible beeps. Let us know. At this point, you can start reconnecting each cable one by one, starting up the computer after adding each connection to see if the error comes back. Once you add a cable and the 5 audible beep error come back, then that cable would be faulty. After that you can reconnect everything except for the faulty cable. You can try cleaning the cable but honestly I wouldn’t bother if you don’t need it. At least I never had to clean a cable before. I would have to Google it to see if it is possible and what the procedure is.

At this point, I will note that if you do end up booting up the computer, you will have to go into the BIOS settings since you reseated the CMOS battery (I think the computer will force you into it, but if it doesn’t the BIOS key for this system is F10. Just spam that button before the computer boots up). Here you will have to readjust the time in the BIOS settings to a current time.

There’s also something extreme we can do if the above doesn’t work, but only if you are comfortable doing it. There is something called minimum configuration that you can try with the motherboard. I normally suggest this whenever we suspect that there is something wrong with the motherboard before we assume it needs to be replaced. This basically means that you are stripping as much as you can from the motherboard so that it is only given the bare minimum that it needs for it to start. The only thing a motherboard needs is a connection to a power supply, one RAM stick, a CMOS battery, and a CPU. Everything else, you can remove. The logic is that if there is faulty hardware, there is a chance that it is stopping the motherboard from working properly. That is why I suggested removing the cables above. If you want to go that route, I can provide instructions.

[DENMON]

Remember to power down the computer when changing the cables ^

[thefishyguy]

The PSU being loud on startup may not be too problematic, especially if it is low wattage I think. At least, it is something we can deal with later on I believe. I at least want to get the computer booted up. The computer POSTs in a specific order, meaning, that it does a hardware check in a specific order and stops as soon as it detects a failure. According to the manual, the computer should have passed the power supply check.

Just to be clear, you are still hearing 5 audible beeps?

Can you try disconnecting the cables that you reseated (on the motherboard specifically) altogether, assuming the motherboard doesn’t technically need it. Make sure to power down the computer. If you reseated any fan cables, disconnect those. If there are cables that you reseating that connect like a USB port from the case to the motherboard, you can disconnect those. Try starting up the computer and see if the anything changes. If the computer actually progresses or you are getting more than 5 audible beeps. Let us know. At this point, you can start reconnecting each cable one by one, starting up the computer after adding each connection to see if the error comes back. Once you add a cable and the 5 audible beep error come back, then that cable would be faulty. After that you can reconnect everything except for the faulty cable. You can try cleaning the cable but honestly I wouldn’t bother if you don’t need it. At least I never had to clean a cable before. I would have to Google it to see if it is possible and what the procedure is.

At this point, I will note that if you do end up booting up the computer, you will have to go into the BIOS settings since you reseated the CMOS battery (I think the computer will force you into it, but if it doesn’t the BIOS key for this system is F10. Just spam that button before the computer boots up). Here you will have to readjust the time in the BIOS settings to a current time.

There’s also something extreme we can do if the above doesn’t work, but only if you are comfortable doing it. There is something called minimum configuration that you can try with the motherboard. I normally suggest this whenever we suspect that there is something wrong with the motherboard before we assume it needs to be replaced. This basically means that you are stripping as much as you can from the motherboard so that it is only given the bare minimum that it needs for it to start. The only thing a motherboard needs is a connection to a power supply, one RAM stick, a CMOS battery, and a CPU. Everything else, you can remove. The logic is that if there is faulty hardware, there is a chance that it is stopping the motherboard from working properly. That is why I suggested removing the cables above. If you want to go that route, I can provide instructions.

Sure let’s go that route please

[DENMON]

I’m assuming you removed the cables you reseated, and you are still getting the 5 audible beeps.

You can follow the below list of items you can remove, and between each bullet, try to start up the computer to see if it either boots, or if it starts giving a different audible sound. If powering on the computer ends up giving a different result, connect the computer to a monitor or display to see if there is any message that displays on the screen. Otherwise, start adding the items back one by one, but try booting up the computer every time you add a new connection to the motherboard. As soon as the original error comes back, you can conclude that that connection or hardware is faulty. Keep us updated when this happens.

Please ask questions if you are unsure about removing a certain item.

I would also work in a humid workplace and be on hard ground, remove socks, to make sure that you don’t produce static. If you have an anti static band, you can use that. Otherwise, touch a plugged-in power supply every so often to remove static.

You can also check for any physically damage to the motherboard before you start.

• Power down the computer, remove any USB connections and other external connections, including the monitor. The only cord that should be plugged into the computer is the cord for the power supply. Power on the computer. If same error, then continue.
• Power down the computer, remove the cable that is connecting the CD-ROM to the motherboard, and remove the cable that is connecting the hard drive to the motherboard. Power on the computer. If same error, then continue.
• Power down the computer, if you have any M.2 drives, you can remove those. You did not specifiy the generation of your computer, so if you have an older computer, then the motherboard did not come with any M.2 slots, but if it is newer, then is should have some M.2 slots, and if it did come with M.2 slots, I’m unsure if they are populated. You can go to Google images and look up “M.2 SSD Drive on motherboard” or just “M.2 SSD Drive” to see what it looks like if you don’t know. For this, you can manually (with your hand) unscrew the plastic thing that is holding down the drive, and it will pop up. You can then pull it out. When you reinsert it, check the pins to make sure that you are inserting it the right way. Also make sure the angle is low. You may need to wiggle it in. Don’t apply too much force. When you remove it, power on the computer. If same error, then continue.
• Power down the computer, remove a stick of RAM (assuming you have two). Power on the computer. If same error, then continue. You can move the different sticks of RAM if you would like or try the other stick, but as you have already down that, it’s not necessary, and you can do that again later.

The next three bullets can be done in any order depending on the ease of access to these parts.

• Power down the computer, remove any internal cables that are not needed. The only internal cables that should stay attached to the motherboard are the cables connecting it to the power supply, and the cable the connects the power button to the motherboard for (at least for now).
• Power down the computer, remove the graphics card. Note, that you shouldn’t be using any force when removing this item. There is usually a lever on the slot like with the RAM that you can push down to make the card lose. Also make sure that you are unscrewing anything that connects the card to the computer case. Power on the computer. If same error, then continue.
• Power down the computer, remove any other cards connected to any PCI slots, if you even have any. Note, that you shouldn’t be using any force when removing this item. There is usually a lever on the slot like with the RAM that you can push down to make the card lose. Also make sure that you are unscrewing anything that connects the card to the computer case. Power on the computer. If same error, then continue.

At that point, you may want to try a different RAM stick in a different slot just in case. You can also visibly check for any noticeable physical damage and let us know if you see something that doesn’t look right.

• Power down the computer, remove the cable that connects the power button to the motherboard. To start the computer, you can use a screwdriver and simply touch the middle pins to start it. Try touching another pin if it isn’t starting. To turn off the computer, you can shut off the power supply and disconnect the cord. Wait like 30 seconds to a minute after doing that before reconnecting the cable.

======================================

If the computer starts, or it starts giving a different POST code (different number of audible sounds), let us know. You can start adding items one by one and start the computer after each new connection is added until you get the same fault as before. Once this happens, that would be the faulty part.

If the computer doesn’t start, then you either need new RAM sticks, or a new motherboard. If you want to buy new RAM sticks then check which generation the computer is. HP made this product with four generations. The older generations only use DDR3 RAM while the newer ones support DDR4 RAM. DDR3 RAM may a cheap investment if you want to try if that resolves the issue, but if it doesn’t, then the motherboard must have went faulty. I wouldn’t be sure if you would want rather get a new computer at that point.

If the computer doesn’t boot, then I’m also not sure if you want to call HP support and see if they reach the same agreement. It’s good to have multiple eyes on this kind of situation.

Good luck