Computer crashes during POST - how can i determine problem?

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Ok, this will probably be a rather long and not very well educated post.

I had a great computer, everything seemed fine, then one day it dies on me. Whenever i turned it on in the past it would give a single short *beep* which i believe is to show it has passed POST. Now it gives a long *beeep* and does not display anything on screen. After some fumbling around, it worked, once. I turned it off, and the same thing happened. I fiddled around some more and found that it would turn on if the monitor wasn't connected, but now not even that works.
Now here's a bit of a guess/some backstory.
My belief is its a problem with the graphics card, partly due to it working without a monitor attached (once) and partly because there was a problem in the past.
I have a Leadtek Winfast 128MB PX6600GT graphics card. The card has 2 ports for my monitor, which handily has 2 leads. I was informed that it may be possible to connect a single monitor to each port, so i thought of considered the 2 ports to be independent of one another. How does that matter?
I had a problem where when i played videos they would run in full screen, and i couldnt change this, nothing worked, all i could do was ALT F4 to close. I found by right clicking on the desktop i could access some options for the graphics card, one was a video option, to play on either 'Primary display' 'Secondary Display' or 'None.' So i guessed that the 2 ports being independent of each other was right, and that these were the 2 different displays i could have. So whenever i had the problem of the video playing full screen i changed the video from primary display to secondary display or from secondary display to primary display, whichever worked. One of them always did. It worked fine until now.
I have a warranty on the computer, but i can't get it fixed for 2 weeks, which is rather bothersome for me. Does anyone have any ideas on what the problem could be, and what is up with my graphics card? Or how i can troubleshoot a computer that wont even turn on?
If you have read through all this, i thank you for your time, i hope it has not been to waste.
 
Remove the memory then reinstall it. Blow out any dust in the process. Do that same with the video card. Make sure connections are snug. Post back results please.
 
Well, i havent ever installed anything more than a network card, so im a little hesitant. Should there be any connections on the video card other than it actualling sitting in the slot, such as cables connected to it?
 
Sorry for the double post, just thought of something. If i do the above, removing the cards and reinstalling them, if the computer still doesnt work, then could what i did be discovered when i get it fixed professionally? Opening the case basically voids my warranty, i have done that before, but i havent done anything so that it shows that ive done it. But if i remove the graphics card and put it back in, will they be able to tell i have?
 
What type of PC do you have that it will VOID a warranty if you open the case? Desktop or Laptop? Unless there is a SEAL attached to some portion of the case, there's no way to tell the PC has been opened.

To troubleshoot failing POST, you need to remove all PCI cards, videocards and other optical drives and disc drives. Remove all connecting wires USB, Firewire ETC

Just have the CPU & HS/FAN + 1 Stick of RAM in motherboard, and the cases front panel power button. Turn on the PSU power and try to start the PC.

If the POST fails again, try moving the stick to the next slot. Keep doing this if the POST keeps failing. If the post fails in all slots, try another stick if you have one. Repeat process.

If you do get it to POST sucessfully, and it's not the memory, now try adding components, one by one... until you fail the POST again. If you do troubleshoot from bare minimum, then add one by one, you'll have a better chance of finding out exactly what is wrong.

If all else fails, clear the CMOS and try again.
 
Thanks guys, i got her working again. I had an uncle over who's bit of a computer guru to help me out. In the end it was the graphics card, we replaced it with an old one, comp worked fine. Put in the new one as well as the old, worked fine, took out the old one, worked fine. Not sure what the problem originally was, but its gone now. Thanks for your help
 
I'm glad you found the problem. Troubleshooting is a long angering process. But if you do it in the right steps, you'll almost always find exactly were the problem exists.
 
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