Bleeps from the computer

[scarletb79]

Hello,
my computer (which was assembled a few years ago by a friend) has just started bleeping (that comes from inside the tower). My bios is American Megatrends. What can I do?

 

[Chaz21]

Hello,
my computer (which was assembled a few years ago by a friend) has just started bleeping (that comes from inside the tower). My bios is American Megatrends. What can I do?

Strange as it seems - count the beeps and look it up here:
http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/amibeep.htm#

 

[scarletb79]

Hello,

thank you for your reply. I read a similar article prior to opening the post, the bleeps are sometimes 6 (especially at the beginning), 5 or 10. I've recorded them for a few seconds. Also, when I opened the tower I saw a spare cable with a plug and I don't know whether it should be connected somewhere or not. If you think that might be useful I could post a picture.

 

[Chaz21]

Hello,

thank you for your reply. I read a similar article prior to opening the post, the bleeps are sometimes 6 (especially at the beginning), 5 or 10. I've recorded them for a few seconds. Also, when I opened the tower I saw a spare cable with a plug and I don't know whether it should be connected somewhere or not. If you think that might be useful I could post a picture.

Please do.

 

[scarletb79]

Please do.

Here are 3 pictures, I can't find the audio file on my phone.
http://www.mediafire.com/?2tpo5xyiax99mbv
http://www.mediafire.com/?k6vao66d999k6y0
http://www.mediafire.com/?7d4flf439bagbt2

Thank you for any help!

 

[Chaz21]

It looks like a power plug to me ( if it is - it should have 4 wires 2 black 1 red 1 yellow).
See if you can locate the missing wires. That could be your problem.

 

[scarletb79]

It looks like a power plug to me ( if it is - it should have 4 wires 2 black 1 red 1 yellow).
See if you can locate the missing wires. That could be your problem.

Please do.

There doesn't seem to be any other wire, only the yellow and one black.

Besides that, inside the tower there are a few temperature sensors and on the front of the chassis I have a small display with, from above downwards,

the temperatures of Cpu
Hdd
Sys

I noticed the temperatures appear to range from about 10 to 70 degrees and change randomly, which is quite weird. I recorded a video with my cell:
http://www.mediafire.com/?5bkvbt8pvd74750

I tried to record the sound of the bleep but my cell just can't, as you'd hear nothing. Is it possible that the bleeps don't come from the bios? I looked for bios bleeps to hear what those sound like but I couldn't find them, do you have any idea where I can find any sample bleep?

Thank you for any help!

 

[Chaz21]

The temperature fluctuation readings are normal. Are there any other problems (blue/black screen, long delay in booting)? Does it act as before - only now with a beep?

 

[scarletb79]

The temperature fluctuation readings are normal. Are there any other problems (blue/black screen, long delay in booting)? Does it act as before - only now with a beep?

No blue/black screen for now. The booting is as slow as normal, as the hdd is quite loaded. It froze once today: I turned on the computer and the os got loaded, but as I heard the bleeps I turned it off and after a couple of minutes I turned it on again, at this point the system loaded the os but froze as the Windows XP loading screen appeared. That is, the progressing bar (I don't know what it's called) got stuck. Now I'm using the computer and it seems to act quite normally. Only the bleeps are new and while for a few seconds or minutes you might hear nothing it can start with like 6 bleeps five times in a row.

You know that one single bleep you normally hear as the computer is loading (POST?)? Those bleeps are different, more light or shallow (sorry for my poor English!).

 

[Chaz21]

No blue/black screen for now. The booting is as slow as normal, as the hdd is quite loaded. It froze once today: I turned on the computer and the os got loaded, but as I heard the bleeps I turned it off and after a couple of minutes I turned it on again, at this point the system loaded the os but froze as the Windows XP loading screen appeared. That is, the progressing bar (I don't know what it's called) got stuck. Now I'm using the computer and it seems to act quite normally. Only the bleeps are new and while for a few seconds or minutes you might hear nothing it can start with like 6 bleeps five times in a row.

You know that one single bleep you normally hear as the computer is loading (POST?)? Those bleeps are different, more light or shallow (sorry for my poor English!).

Windows is an OS that likes to load completely then be shut off properly (that's why the freeze when the loading screen appeared). Let's try something different. Go into device manager and see if you have any warning flags.

 

[scarletb79]

Windows is an OS that likes to load completely then be shut off properly (that's why the freeze when the loading screen appeared). Let's try something different. Go into device manager and see if you have any warning flags.

No flags. I don't know if that helps but my motherboard is an Asus P5AD2 Deluxe.

 

[Chaz21]

No flags. I don't know if that helps but my motherboard is an Asus P5AD2 Deluxe.

With the age of your board it could be that. What all do you have plugged into it?

 

[RetiredChief]

The Plug: Black is Ground/common/return and yellow generally is used for +12V. If you have NOT disconnected, then probably not used. Many MB use a 4 pin connector for the CPU for added Power to the CPU - However probabably would never get to loading operating system if needed. othe use of +12 V is for the GPU, again for added Power. Can not see your links without downloading software - can not do.

Try, WITH power off - (turn the rocker switch on the back of the PSU), try removing and re-installing your memory modules. Over time a small amount of corrosion can build up in the memory contacts and removing and re-inserting will generally correct this type of problem.

I would NOT repeatingly try booting to windows untill you resolve the problem. Disconnect the data cable from your HDD and stick a bootable CD in the CD/DVD drive and let it boot to that untill you have fixed the problem. Repeated booting to the HDD can corrupt your windows installation (ie a memory problem) or worst yet if a PSU problem you may wipe out the HDD.

For a bootable CD, you can download an iso of memtest86, or the UBD. Will need a friends computer, or if you have a 2nd one use that. Follow the instructions on creating a ISO bootable CD - You can NOT simply copy the ISO file (like a data file) to the cd. Could also use your Windows installation disk to boot to.

 

[Chaz21]

The Plug: Black is Ground/common/return and yellow generally is used for +12V. If you have NOT disconnected, then probably not used. Many MB use a 4 pin connector for the CPU for added Power to the CPU - However probabably would never get to loading operating system if needed. othe use of +12 V is for the GPU, again for added Power. Can not see your links without downloading software - can not do.

Try, WITH power off - (turn the rocker switch on the back of the PSU), try removing and re-installing your memory modules. Over time a small amount of corrosion can build up in the memory contacts and removing and re-inserting will generally correct this type of problem.

I would NOT repeatingly try booting to windows untill you resolve the problem. Disconnect the data cable from your HDD and stick a bootable CD in the CD/DVD drive and let it boot to that untill you have fixed the problem. Repeated booting to the HDD can corrupt your windows installation (ie a memory problem) or worst yet if a PSU problem you may wipe out the HDD.

For a bootable CD, you can download an iso of memtest86, or the UBD. Will need a friends computer, or if you have a 2nd one use that. Follow the instructions on creating a ISO bootable CD - You can NOT simply copy the ISO file (like a data file) to the cd. Could also use your Windows installation disk to boot to.

Sorry you can't see the OP's pictures. The plug I was referring to (and saw) is a standard 4 wire molex (the exact same one that plugs into the back of an ide burner and/or HDD). Only 2 wires are missing. Never saw that before. Other than that your suggestions are good ones.

 

[RetiredChief]

If it is a molex then it is missing the +5 V. Most likely it is a "fan" only connector. I've seen that on several PSU that provide a Fan only (+12V) connector. SO OP can ignore that as source.

 

[scarletb79]

Yesterday I had to stay out all day and I've just read your posts.

Thanks for your advice. What I'd like to do, before trying the RetiredChief method, is make sure the bleep is a bios bleep because I'm not 100% sure. The last time (a couple of months ago) I cleaned up the interior of my computer to remove dust the wire of the Cpu fan got disconnected by mistake so when I got to boot the computer I heard this "deep", sort of intimidating noise and the computer didn't boot successfully. I reconnected the wire and all was fine. This kind of bleep is more acute and lighter and way less "intimidating". Again, they're different from the bleep I always hear as the OS starts to load. Yesterday I didn't use at all the computer and today after I turned it on I heard the first bleeps after a while, today they were sort of wheezy/breathy (like the when a person runs out of voice after screaming too much).
Also for now I'm hearing the bleeps a lot less.
Couldn't it have something to do with the temperature monitor?
Don't you know of a place where I can find samples of those bleeps to see if they're close to those that I hear?

 

[Chaz21]

Yesterday I had to stay out all day and I've just read your posts.

Thanks for your advice. What I'd like to do, before trying the RetiredChief method, is make sure the bleep is a bios bleep because I'm not 100% sure. The last time (a couple of months ago) I cleaned up the interior of my computer to remove dust the wire of the Cpu fan got disconnected by mistake so when I got to boot the computer I heard this "deep", sort of intimidating noise and the computer didn't boot successfully. I reconnected the wire and all was fine. This kind of bleep is more acute and lighter and way less "intimidating". Again, they're different from the bleep I always hear as the OS starts to load. Yesterday I didn't use at all the computer and today after I turned it on I heard the first bleeps after a while, today they were sort of wheezy/breathy (like the when a person runs out of voice after screaming too much).
Also for now I'm hearing the bleeps a lot less.
Couldn't it have something to do with the temperature monitor?
Don't you know of a place where I can find samples of those bleeps to see if they're close to those that I hear?

Yes it's possibly with the monitor. I didn't know that you didn't have the CPU fan plugged in and started your computer. That could damage your CPU. The heat generated is such that it wouldn't take long before damage occurs. The good news is that it doesn't seem like you caused any damage to the chip. Try unplugging your temperature monitor and restart your system. See if the beeps occur. Because of the temperature generated when you left the fan unplugged you may have to "reset" the monitor (by unplugging it).

 

[RetiredChief]

If your computer is beeping, but still able to get in to windows. The most likely cause is this is a temperature warning. Go into BIOS and check what your CPU temp (and Fan) warnings are set to.