Member Avatar for SnotRocket

Ok guys I've got a question for y'all.

My bro's comp has been acting really wierd lately. I think it's got a virus, but I'm not the techiest guy around so it may be something simple.

Anyway, what it'll do is startup, and get through BIOS and all that. Then before it gets to the "windows is loading" screen, it'll make several beeps from the actual computer, then crash to a black screen with an omega and alpha symbol in ASCII.

Dunno much about his specs, the comp is a dinosaur. Its got a PII 333 MHz and WindowsME. Probably less than 64 megs or RAM, don't really know.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!

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Short expert follow‑up tied to the thread: POST beeps are not random “Windows” noises — they are BIOS power‑on self‑test (POST) codes that tell you the motherboard is finding a hardware problem (video, RAM, CPU, etc.). The exact meaning depends on the BIOS/motherboard vendor, so the single most useful piece of information is the exact beep pattern and the PC/motherboard make/model. (lifewire.com)

Practical checklist (do these in order):

  • Write down the exact beep pattern and the machine or motherboard brand (this is what was asking for).
  • Try a minimal boot: disconnect drives and extra cards, leave only CPU, one stick of RAM, keyboard and video, then power on.
  • Reseat (remove and reseat) RAM and any video/PCI cards; try each RAM stick alone.
  • Run a bootable memory tester (MemTest86) from USB to confirm or rule out bad RAM. (memtest86.com)
  • If the drive sounds odd or the system fails mid‑boot, check the drive S.M.A.R.T. data and run the vendor’s disk diagnostics (for example SeaTools or smartmontools). (seagate.com)

Notes on malware, reinstalling and legacy Windows: a clean reinstall will remove most file‑level infections, but very persistent threats that live in the Master Boot Record, boot sector, or firmware (bootkits/rootkits) can survive or reinfect a reinstall — offline rescue media and specialized cleaners are the right tools for those cases. For long‑term safety, Windows Me is long out of support and is inherently risky to keep connected to the internet. (usa.kaspersky.com)

Safety/cost note: on a very old PII/low‑RAM box it is often cheaper and far safer to back up needed files and retire the machine rather than spend time chasing intermittent hardware or firmware issues.

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Member Avatar for Sardukar

whats the manufacture of the PC, and whats the exact beep code (i.e. 1 long 3 short, etc...)

Member Avatar for WEATHER CHANNEL

Awe, the SUE line it's trash......it offers no security at all. So your prob right. Are you behind a router?

Member Avatar for SnotRocket

Well never mind I reinstalled Windows on the thing and it seems all right now. Gonna have to get a good anti-virus and firewall on it now though...

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