Computer beeping on startup

I turned on my computer(xp) today and as it was booting it started beeping, and a grey line went across the bottom of the still black screen. after that the beeping stopped and the computer has started up link normal with no other appearent problems. Anyone know whats wrong?

Does it now do it every time you boot up?

Yes. I did try restarting to see.

Yes. I did try restarting to see.

Okay, do you remember what they sounded like? i.e. one long beep and a short one, or two long beeps, etc.

It was a series of of quick short beeps. Not sure how many exactly. More then 3.

It was a series of of quick short beeps. Not sure how many exactly. More then 3.

Hmm, if you dont know how many there were then it is difficult to know for sure what the problem is, but it sounds like you may have a RAM problem, download memtest (http://www.memtest.org/) run it and see if it comes up with any errors. OR if you have 2 sticks of RAM, take one out and see if it still beeps, then place that one back in and take the other out and see if it still beeps.

alright, I'll do that and see how many beeps when I next restart. Have to leave for work so I'll post back after I get back and do all that. (Only one stick btw)

alright, I'll do that and see how many beeps when I next restart. Have to leave for work so I'll post back after I get back and do all that. (Only one stick btw)

Yeah okay, I may not answer straight away, because I am in the UK and I will be sleeping, but I will help when I get up.

Just got back, there were two sets of three quick beeps, and then lot of them continuously for around 2 seconds. Going to check out what you linked to now. also.. my 'a' key isn't working..

Hey, so was it the RAM that was the problem?

Who makes your BIOS(beep codes (http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm) are different per manufacturer)? It will tell you when you start up prior to your OS loading.

Well after the information finished spreading throughout the family that I was having trouble, the guilty person has now confessed to having spilled water on my laptop..

Well after the information finished spreading throughout the family that I was having trouble, the guilty person has now confessed to having spilled water on my laptop..

Ohh, that has happened to my laptop before. Except my laptop died, fried the motherboard :(. So I suppose its pretty lucky yours has survived.

Yea.. supposedly it wasn't very much water, up around esc & the F keys. I think I'd rather have had the first few of those gone since I only ever use F5 as a VS shortcut. XD You don't realize how much you use a letter until you have copy & paste it in whenever you need it..

So it "could" just be a keyboard issue which means you could try replacing the keyboard and then the beeps might go away. It could be that the bios was seeing the keyboard as faulty or something.

I'll have to try that then when I get the money to do it ...& hope that's all that got damaged.

[Edit]: Ookay.... their post is gone.... T_T