Computer making Beeping noise

[JoshM22]

Alright some of the older computers actually make a audible beeping noise when booting up. This can be heard with out headphones too by the way. Now Every night around 11 or 12 the computer will make this beeping sound for no reason at all. I actually wonder if the hard drive or something inside is about to over heat? It just did it ten minutes prior me posting this.

I am posting this just to ask for a list of reasons why this could go on. Somone once told me that i could have a virus but have been doing virus checks once a week and nothing comes up. Help would be much appreciated on this one.

[Desert Drifter]

My EVOL 486 piece of crap did that once, beeping at random times during the day and nights, but messed with the inside PC speaker wires and never did again until I ripped some cards out down the line, though guess pin pointed it's source once again before I literally "hacked" my PC with a battle-ax... Yeah - was a terrorist back in the days of my late teens as along went a crappy monitor out a three-story window...

[ulaoulao]

Beeps are bois specific. Most of the time they mean warnings. Yes you normally have them beep at boot up, but they can occur doing operation. This usually points to cpu or other chips over heating. Not normally a HD, but I wont rule it out. The reason i say that is that you can't check the heat of a HD with an sata or ide ribbon cable. Also the bois wont know what HD is where.

Best to check your bois manual or look it up online "beep codes" - bios name. although Desert Drifter's methode may work its not the best practice

[Desert Drifter]

Yeah, could be anything, though mine was a loose in-speaker wire, but after you turn your PC off, open it up and see if it's extremely hot. My 486 had three fans to keep it from constant "over-heating", so maybe another fan might do the trick too...

Best to check your bois manual or look it up online "beep codes" - bios name. although Desert Drifter's methode may work its not the best practice

Heh, that was an "attempt" to "fix" a glitchy motherboard and an evil monitor...

[MCP]

Hi there, have a look at this...

BIOS Beep Sound core list

AWARD BIOS

1 short(Beep) System booting is normally.
2 short(Beep) CMOS setting error
1 long - 1 short(Beep) DRAM ERROR
1 long - 2 short(Beep) Display card or monitor connected error
1 long - 3 short(Beep) Keyboard Error
1 long - 9 short(Beep) ROM Error
Long(Beep) continuous DRAM hasn't inset correctly.
Short(Beep) continuous POWER supply has problem.

AMI BIOS

1 short(Beep) DRAM Flash Error
2 short(Beep) DRAM ECC Check Error
3 short(Beep) DRAM Detect Fail
5 short(Beep) CPU Error
6 short(Beep) Keyboard Error
8 short(Beep) Display card memory Error
9 short(Beep) ROM Error
1 long - 3 short(Beep) DRAM Damage
1 long - 8 short(Beep) Display card or monitor connected error

[ulaoulao]

I believe those are a list of post beep codes. (during boot) He is describing a beep during use, like a warning he has turned on in bios.

BTW, sometimes HD's can make a beeping, and its not actually a beep. It's a head re-zeroing or accessing. Also its a sign the drive will crash. May want to back up important data.

[JoshM22]

I posted this on JITF.bootleg forum and they said it was my stickey keys not beign turned on. I turned them on and presto the problem went away. I stay on my computer all day if i can and no beeping at all anymore. What is the purpose of stickey keys anyway? Never heard of them lol.

[ulaoulao]

Thats is weird indeed..

They are meant for keys that get stuck. It is a handicap feature to prevent them from staying "pressed"

[JoshM22]

I believe those are a list of post beep codes. (during boot) He is describing a beep during use, like a warning he has turned on in bios.

BTW, sometimes HD's can make a beeping, and its not actually a beep. It's a head re-zeroing or accessing. Also its a sign the drive will crash. May want to back up important data.

I have been looking at a backup external hard drives in the paper lately. How loud are most external hard drives fans? As loud as a lap top hard drive? If that is the case then yeah i will have to get one. Maybe just a 160 gig portable drive will do the trick for backing up. My dad built the computer i am using now and it is nearly 5 years old every single component is that old except the internet card or w/e.

[ulaoulao]

I have been looking at a backup external hard drives in the paper lately. How loud are most external hard drives fans? As loud as a lap top hard drive? If that is the case then yeah i will have to get one. Maybe just a 160 gig portable drive will do the trick for backing up. My dad built the computer i am using now and it is nearly 5 years old every single component is that old except the internet card or w/e.

- I have a 1 TB and its about as loud as a vga fan. I love it! I think its a Seagate, ill have to check.