Crazy Boot Up Beeeeeeeeeep Beeeeeeeeeeep Beeeeep!!!!!!!

Question

Eeek!!

I just got an ispiron 1100 from a friend who could not fix it and didn't want to deal with it anymore. I also have a inspiron 8100 that I purchased awhile ago (1-2 years ago). I have never had a problem I couldn't fix on my laptop and it has always performed smoothly regardless of OS. (98/2000/xp/linux(muliple distros))

Anyway, this 1100 is nuts. on boot, it just starts beeping like crazy. only problem is, it's not beep's in an ordered fashion, because I am aware of the bios beeps that indicate errors on boot. it is not in 3-1-3 ...etc. pattern. it beeps like 8-10 times or so, then stops, then does it again. also, on occasion, it will boot right into windows without the nutso beeping.

I reinstalled xp home on the machine, but still get errors. i did the dell diagnostics, and all tests passed but there was an error on one, something about the keyboard response or something, (i apologize, i lost the note where i wrote the error message and # down) it will boot into windows and appear to be fine. however, it will freeze up and randomly open windows help .exe's very odd. i noticed upwards of around 50 of them in the task manager 1 time.

1 other thing, i noticed on boot, it says the bios is shadowed. i have never heard of that before or used that configuration. could this be the problem?

I build my own computers (desktops) and have never had a problem i couldn't figure out, but i'm stumped here.

anyway, any help or suggestions would be neat. it would be sweet if i could get this hunker running again. well not sweet since it's a celeron with intel graphics, but it'd be nice to have a laptop that has a battery that hold's a charge, unlike my 8100 8( !!!!

thanks in advance,

johnallg · Answer

Look for a stuck key, or any device in the Device Manager with a yellow !.  You could also run the Dell Diagnostics. Message Edited by johnallg on 06-13-2004 11:58 PM

Wisdom rules · Answer

My machine (Inspiron 4100) is doing something like this. I have owned it for 3 years now and this is the first time i can not figure out whats wrong. When i power it ON, it gives me a long beep of the first screen. Then it moves to the XP welcome screen and as soon as it gets to the User Login window, everything freezes but the beep tone is now pretty much beeeep beeeep beeep ....... it is continuous with any patterns. I tried booting to setup but keyboard does not repond in there. I then tried an external keybaord which works. I can now boot into safe mode as well as normal mode but cant get rid of the beep. I ran a system restore when i booted up in normal mode using external keyboard, however, as soon as the system booted back up after restore, same problem. Even external keybard was frozen at login window. I waitinf for few minutes and external kayboard started working with the same beep.

Don't know whats going on. Any ideas??

Agent Orange · Answer

I know it's somewhat cargo-cult debugging, but I'd also check for obvious loose stuff, reseat memory, that sort of thing. Maybe there's a dodgy contact on a chip causing intermittent problems or something like that.

BIOS shadowing is a common trick performed by some OSes and diagnostic systems. It just copies the entire contents of the BIOS ROM chip into RAM. This allows you to play with a local copy and not turn your system into a doorstop. It's also fast to access RAM than it is ROM. Apparently this is also done with the video ROM chips on some video cards. Check for a BIOS option to disable if you think this is the culprit. I didn't think dell bioses offered that option though...

good luck

raspberrytea · Answer

I had the same exact problem.  It was terrible.  Here is the tempoary solution: When you first start the computer and the frist dell screen pops up hit shift, keeo hitting shift until your deskktop comes up.  Awkard i know but iw orks.  Luckily mine was still under warranty so i sent it in and got it serviced.  When i recived my computer the paper in side said 'BIOS updated' but it didnt give any more information.  I hope this helps.

nczapla · Answer

i have actually done a complete fresh install, including reformat. Still having the same problems. Crazy beeeeeps on boot, then once in windows it's fine, but after a while for whatever reason, like 50 helpctr.exe open, which i believe are just help programs (like for solitare or programs). Anyway, I think I am going to check the memory and stuff, and make sure it is all properly seated.

who knows, ill probably just throw the machine out the window from high up and see what happens. then hit it with a hammer many times. should be fun. maybe sell it. doorstop? paper weight? stupid celeron craptop.

nick

johnallg · Answer

In your situation I would boot to the XP cd and choose to do a repair.

raspberrytea · Answer

Did my suggestion not work?  I know it isnt the best way but it helps the problem temporarily.

nczapla · Answer

Well. Actually, no, shift didn't do anything.

Actually, except for the beeping the computer seems to be fine. I just disabled the help and support service so the HelpCtr.exe didn't spawn like 50+ processes randomly. So the computer appears to function properly, except for the beeping on boot. And having to disable the help and support.

The only thing I could find about crazy unpatterned beeping on boot was for an Award bios, and it said something like it was bad memory, or improperly seated memory. I made sure the memory was seated correctly, and I guess it is ok RAM, maybe not. However, that was for Award BIOS and I have Phoenix BIOS on my 1100. And I can't update the BIOS to the Dell BIOS because when I go to flash the BIOS, the computer just turns off.

So I guess it works. Beeping is annoying, but if I mute the sound, no problem. I got the laptop free, so I guess I'll just use it till it blows up.

I appreciate all the help, and please keep the suggestions coming, and if one of them solves the problem, I'll be sure to let you know. Thanks all.

johnallg · Answer

Have you booted to the Dell Diagnostics and done the RAM tests yet?

nczapla · Answer

I did run the dell diagnostics, and I got 1 error, something about a keyboard response or something. all other tests were fine. i wrote down the error code# or whatever is said, but I can't find it

I guess i'll run it again, and post the stuff here. thanks for reminding me about that

nick

Laurean · Answer

Same problems with my 1100.  Dell replaced the keyboard (still under warranty).  Computer is running like a dream now.

RichardLusignan · Answer

Could it be a faulty F1 key ?

I had a similar problem, where the Windows Help would pop-up several times in a row and beeps on startup, and all that due to a faulty F1 key that behaved like it was being pressed-on several times.

I changed the keyboard and everything is back to normal. Same Windows installation.

Regards,

Rick

kb9mdq · Answer

Inspiron 1100Well after 4 weeks of messing with India tech support I am about ready to go non-Dell on my next computer which is a few weeks away for the Business I run. I have the beeping problem as well and a Windows Search Results window that continues to pop up and stack on top of itself. India claims that it is a virus or spyware. I proved that wrong after I reformated for the third time. They now think it is a virus attached to the bios. Either way If they say they are going to call back at a certain time then they should do it. I am tired of retracing my steps each time I have to reeducate the tech on what has already been done. I waited a week for a new copy of the driver and utilities disk (never got one originally) just to call back and find out they do not have it available anymore. The beeps have gone away now after dissasembling and reassembling memory, harddrive, etc. The popups have so far as well but it went away for 2 weeks once also. Could be the keyboard...Who knows? Message Edited by kb9mdq on 08-30-2004 11:15 AM

edward3 · Answer

My 1100 had the same problem recently for no reason. I tried to change all the suspected parameters in BIOS. Now the crazy beep is gone. I think disabling the adaptor alert did the trick (It was turned back on later).

kb9mdq · Answer

I solved my problem as well. After weeks with dell support I went out on my own to solve it and dissasembled everything I could off of the computer. Put it back together and my problem (described above) went away. I believe it was a keyboard connection problem. Been good for several weeks now so I think that solved it.

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Crazy Boot Up Beeeeeeeeeep Beeeeeeeeeeep Beeeeep!!!!!!!

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