At start up laptop beeps 7 times

Hi slrivito3,

7 Beeps on startup on a Dell system means a processor failure. I’d suggest that you follow the steps mentioned below and check for issue resolution.

1. Switch off the computer.
2. Disconnect the AC adapter from the system.
3. Remove the battery from the computer.
4. Press and hold down the power button for 15 seconds.
5. Then connect back all the peripherals and check if you are able to switch on the system.

Please let me know the findings.

I'm not the original poster, but the same thing happened with my laptop. I tried what you suggested but there was no change.

I looked up the cost for a replacement motherboard and they're like $150-300. I tried that with my last laptop when it died but the replacement only lasted another month or two. So, I'm not sure if I'll try that route again. Maybe though. In the meantime I got a new desktop - hopefully it will last longer.

For the record, this was an Inspiron 15r 5537, bought a year and 2 weeks ago.

Seven beeps is either a mainboard or a CPU failure - CPUs very, very, very rarely fail.  The mainboard is the part to replace first.