beeping sound when starting up (sound file included)

[iamthewickedchi]

sometimes, i hear a beeping sound when i start my pc and freezes. also, the numlock light in my keyboard blinks. here is a simulated beep of my pc. hope that helps the diagnosis since different beeps means different problems. my pc is a compaq. :beep.wav (http://www.geocities.com/iamthewickedchild/beep.wav)

the weird thing is that after turning it on then off a couple of times, the beeping will stop and will continue to load windows. what's wrong with my pc?

[bathurst_guy]

No error message?
Maybe a stuck key?
At what part in starting up does this occour - straight away, after bios, before win logo etc

[NogDog]

There's no way to be sure without knowing what BIOS your computer is running (or deducing what BIOS based on the exact model of PC). You might want to try using this trouble-shooting page to see if it helps you figure it out: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/siteHomeC?lc=en&cc=us

(My best guess is a border-line RAM or ROM chip, but if the above link does not help narrow down the problem, it might be worth opening up the case and -- carefully -- making sure the interior is dust-free and the same for the cooling fan(s).)