One system beep at startup

According to the Inspiron 530 manual

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

 , 1 beep means "BIOS checksum failure. Possible motherboard failure." So it's odd that it still boots and runs ok.

If the system is under warranty, suggest you contact Dell Tech Support.

Ron 

Hi there,

It never used to do it, it only started doing it since I loaded the default settings, I won't go into why I did. Is that normal for the default settings?

Also I think it only does it when turning the computer on, when restarting theres no beep.

Thanks

Ninko

My inspiron 1100 has similar problem which seems also to have no effect on normal work with station.

i read once that the reason is mainboard.

i havent shown up at service yet but it seems like i gotta go,otherwise,it wont be solved.

If you reset BIOS to factory defaults and there's an error in the default settings stored on the NVRAM chip... You could try resetting BIOS to factory defaults again. I suppose it's also possible the chip got damaged when you did the first reset. 

Do you have a floppy drive installed in this desktop? If not, run BIOS setup and make sure the floppy drive controller is set to disabled (the default is probably enabled). Save the change and exit setup. Does it still beep?  

Ron

I reset it because after the motherboard was replaced the tech changed some settings in the BIOS and ever since that, everytime I turn the computer on, lots of text would come up after the Dell logo but before the www.dell.com address in the blue bar at the top, and it just POSTed abit slower. I just assumed the default settings was what the system would have shipped with. Since resetting them, it does now load up without that text and abit faster so I thought that I'd had fixed the matter, but then I noticed it beep once and I don't remember if it use to do that before the motherboard replace or not.

Ninko

I never did the reset using jumpers or anything like that, I used the option in the BIOS of Load default settings. And yes I do have a floppy drive installed.

I did have the motherboard replaced by a dell tech when I first got the system due to the fans not slowing down at startup, which I later found just required a BIOS update. But as I say, it only started doing it after I loaded the default settings.

Also, I was always told that a system should sound ONE beep at POST to indercate everything was all ok?

Ninko

Doesn't matter if you removed the jumper or used "set factory defaults", it's the same thing.

The Dell manual says one beep is a BIOS error, so I doubt they'd also set it to beep once as meaing "All OK".

Power off and disconnect PC from the wall. Press/hold the power button on the tower for ~15 sec. Remove the battery from the motherboard and press/hold the power button again for ~30 sec. Replace the battery, right side up!, and reboot. And if the battery is more than ~2-3yrs old, install a new one.

And maybe you need to explain why you reset BIOS factory defaults  in the first place. ;)

Ron 

I've just been talking to Dell tech support and they said if it POST's and boots into Windows its perfectly normal, all Inspiron 530's are meant to beep ONCE during POST.

Regarding whats said in the manual you gave me, they said:

Dell double-speak! ;)

<>But it sounds like everything is OK, which is the important part.

Ron 

I'm only telling you what Dell told me. I guess if there was something wrong I wouldn't make it to Windows surely, never mind have it run fine in Windows aswell?

Ninko

Hello, when I start my DELL INSPIRON 530, it beeps once and the DELL screen loads (the one with the F2 and F12 options), then it restarts again and beeps, then DELL screen.... process repeats. I tried resetting the memory and the hard disk, change the default setting in the BIOS (haven't changed them before when it was working). Will try replacing the battery on the motherboard. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Willy

Did you ever find a solution? I am having the same problem with a Dell inspiron 513.

Beeps once and reboots means its crashing after trying to boot from the hard drive.

Remove the hard drive power cable and see if it shows an error.  If it reboots by itself without a hard drive attached there is a problem elsewhere in the system.

Here I am posting to the same issue many years later, but my Inspiron 560 has never worked better after 7 years of hard labor, that is after I click on F1 to continue.  I've troubleshooted for months, run Dell Diagnostics and everyone says Hard Drive Failure except my computer.  I've backed it up and I guess I'll just see if it lasts longer than I do.

I've got a Vostro 400 that some times beeps. not all the time, but it's like when everything is going good it will beep. I've taken it into a shop and had it upgraded to windows 10 when it came out to the public, and it still beeps. I don't think there is anything wrong, but I would look into the power consumption you are currently using for the computer. I'm currently using a gpu that requires a 400w min but my psu is said to have a max of 300w. There is an amber light on all the time, and the 2 tb drive I have in it does not work to full capacity. These are some things I neglected to pay attention to when upgrading. I'm no tech but I would have to say that either it's the parts that are in it are not fully functioning, or you've got a computer that works like I have not seen in any computer in my life time. I've built a few computers and They will not work if things are a little off on the specs, but these dell computers do work if things are off a little on the specs if you know what I mean.