Following the directions from a previous post I removed the ram from the motherboard to see if the audible ram test signal identified the fact that the ram slots were empty. I understand that if the ram has a problem and is plugged into the slots there will be no signal but what does it indicate if the ram slots are empty and there is no signal?

Post is a power on test. One of the oldest tests is a very basic test of the very minimal things needed to even perform a more complex test. That is what fails. Post can not detect 64K (if I remember correctly). Playing to the angels Les Paul (1915-2009)

When you get the normal initial POST beep, thet means that the motherboard successfully past all the tests that the BIOS does on it. If the motherboard fails one of the tests. then a beep code is put out. If the motherboard is in such bad shape that the BIOS can not even run. Then you get no beeps. A motherboard may be perfectly fine, but fails because there is a defective device connected to it. A bad RAM stick is one of those devices that sometimes causes a problem. But it's not the only one. The most common thing that keeps a motherboard from working is a defective power supply.

Actually to answer your question. "but what does it indicate if the ram slots are empty and there is no signal?" It would be how the computer maker and bios writer decided to write the beep code. Like I said. No ram forces the oldest pre-post tests in most computers to fail. That fail would be a very simple beep code if it existed. Some are constant tone or constant beep. I doubt it would ever show something like a 2-3 or 4-5-6 code or such. You may also have an led number or the monitor might fail on a 100 number. You have to see the owners manual. Playing to the angels Les Paul (1915-2009)

You need to check the beep code for your compaq. Like most compaq stuff it may be different than 'normal' computers. What is the problem you're having? If you're having a problem with the motherboard such that you don't now get the normal beep and removing the ram doesn't elicit a ram beep error then the problem is not likely with the ram.