The fan is controlled check in your bio's and see if it has speed controll settings.
It may be listed under a differant header such as q-control,or even under power management,if and when you find it check the options for it,if there is one for it to stay on then leave it there,if it has only enabled or disabled set it to disabled,and reboot check to see if it stays running.
Also if memory serves windows xp does control fans as well,i dont remember where the option is right now.
I had a pavilion 310n where the fan came on and off,but I could turn it off in the bio's,and it stayd running.

Yaknow, something tells me that its not his fans that arent shutting off four times, and staying on the fifth...

If its your whole system ((like I think it is)) your first mistake was going HP >>;...lol no offense....In my opinion, custom builts are always the way to go, but that doesnt help ya much, does it?..

My advice to you, would be to remove each part in your pc, personally deliver it to HP's HQ, and begin installing each part into the CEO's anus telling him or her to start offering some decent service...

Then again, phone tech's are never very helpful are they?...

Ash~

Probably not the solution but my system would not start, beyond the fan, because of a problem with one of the UPS ports. The start up procedure detected the fault stopped started the fan and then sort of looped.

Step 1 - disconnect all your cables. Push back the essential ones like the mouse and keyboard. See if that works.

Step 2 - open the case carefully pull out all the major boards, put them back in again and see if that works.

If it still doesn't boot try these forums, your local university or cyber cafe and see if you can someone to help.

If not you need a large hammer and ...:evil:

Good luck