i have a compaq laptop and when i press the power button and the power light comes on it then starts making the noise as if it's starting up but then it just stops and turns itself off it then turns itself back on and keeps repeating this what could the problem be ?

Paul Dolan, January 2010

To confirm if your hardware is okay try booting the machine with a boot-able OS CD in the drive.

E.g, Download a Linux Live CD and see if your PC will boot from the CD drive. (If this works your PC will run Linux live from the CD without touching your hard disk - it is a safe test.) This would prove that your RAM and power supply etc are okay and that the issue may be the OS installed on your hard disk.

Good luck

Bart, January 2010

well could be that your hard drive is failing which is a common problem with compags but pop it into a repair shop and find out

0ee, January 2010

try press f1 as you power up, press and hold it till it comes on .

mick, January 2010