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Beep codes
I searched before creating a new thread and nothing came up. Just when I thought I had this machine sorted out, now I'm getting beep codes. 1 or 3 when shutting down after pressing Restart, then 2 - 2.5 sets of 5 beeps when it's booting up on the restart. (I say 2.5 because it stops after 2 beeps, but you can hear them continuing, faintly.)
Inspiron 14-3452
32GB eMMC drive
2GB SO-DIMM RAM
10.18GB free space
Thanks in advance for whatever help you can give.
ejn63
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November 1st, 2017 06:00
This is a bad system board.
ejn63
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87.5K Posts
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November 1st, 2017 06:00
If that were the only beep code I'd agree. The other two coupled with it mean it's the system board that's bad.
shafwan2204
30 Posts
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November 1st, 2017 06:00
5 beeps may due to the CMOS battery issue. You may try to replace CMOS battery first. If still persist after CMOS, then it would be systemboard.
source : www.dell.com/.../understanding-beep-codes-on-a-dell-desktop-pc
GallantFox
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November 1st, 2017 15:00
This is a bad computer and design all the way around! Thanks for your replies.
After not having any luck at all increasing the available space on this "computer*," I finally just did a clean reinstall of Windows. Initially, it worked like a dream, but that lasted less than one day. I was still setting up the preferences with the last thing being running the Dell Detect tool to see if it needed any drivers or updates. None were needed. When I finished and turned it off, I started getting the beep codes.
Want to know something else pitiful? This computer is about two months old and has already been sent back to Dell once for replacement of the motherboard.
I'm sorry, Dell, but this is a piece of junk, in my opinion. I can't even upgrade the hard drive because the one in it is soldered to the motherboard and there are no connection cables for anything else. RAM? It comes with 2GB, but I can remove that and upgrade it to 4. Big whoop. I have an Inspiron 8600 laptop that's over ten years old that can still run rings around this thing.
* For extra credit, read and report on my first thread for this machine: "Limitations and possibilities of a 32GB eMMC drive." :emotion-5:
GallantFox
17 Posts
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November 1st, 2017 15:00
Would it help to try another clean reinstall? Can that even be done while it's in beep code status?
GallantFox
17 Posts
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November 1st, 2017 17:00
Evening update, Nov. 1
I was in Skype with a friend and wanted to show him how incredibly loud the beep code on this machine is so I held the machine up to the camera for him to see it. (The drive is like that in a cell phone, so it doesn't hurt to carefully move it while on.) In the process, it was the first time I had turned it on, on battery power. Held down the Power button while holding the Fn key to go into the beep code diagnostic program (sorry I forgot the name) AND, it went right into the program...no beeps whatsoever.
Just like yesterday, the first part of the test ran and showed success, but the second part just seemed to hang there. It shows that the test will take approx. 2 min and 31 sec, but it showed that for at least 10 minutes with no advancement of the progress bar. Plus, the mouse worked, which it was not supposed to do at that level. I used the mouse to exit and there were still no beeps.
-- It booted up normally.
-- Used Start > Shut down. No beeps.
-- Booted it up again after five minutes. Looks fine. No beeps.
So, I wondered if there could be an issue with the power adapter or cable and plugged it back in.
-- Again, it booted up normally, no beeps.
-- Start > Shut down. No beeps.
Since I turned it off and on again quite a few times yesterday when trying to sort it out, I doubt that was the solution today. Maybe just sitting overnight helped? It's just really hard to trust a machine this unpredictable.