What to Do If a Computer Starts Beeping

What does it mean?

It is every computer owner's nightmare. You are working on your computer and you hear an odd beeping coming from your unit. Sometimes you may not even notice it until it begins to grate on your nerves, other times it starts out very noticeable, either way, it is never a good sign when your computer starts beeping at you when running. This usually indicates a problem with your BIOS, and it could also mean the end of your computer if not taken seriously.

The BIOS, the Basic Input/Output System, is the firmware behind personal computers. It prepares a computer to run software installed on hard drives or run by CD-Roms and other input devices. The BIOS "boots" your computer and allows you to use it on a day-to-day basis. Without the BIOS, the information stored on your hard drives and other devices would be useless and unable to be loaded or used. Protecting the BIOS and its integrity is an important part of keeping your computer running in the long run.

How do you figure out what's wrong?

Often when you turn on your computer, you hear a single beep indicating that the boot process is beginning, taking place and will eventually finish with your operating system greeting you. This is normal and should be expected whenever you turn on your computer.

However, if you turn on your computer and begin hearing random beeps while your system tries to boot, there is something going on with your BIOS that is not normal procedure. Sometimes you system will load correctly but the beeping will continue, indicating a problem still exists but has not reached a critical level where it will affect your everyday operations. This should never be ignored as it will progressively get worse until it is too late to save your computer system.

When your computer begins to beep at you, it is trying to tell you something is wrong. This is never the first thing people think when it actually happens. They panic, turn off their computer, turn it on again, and continue to try and boot it not realizing they may be causing more problems for the BIOS than they intended. When your computer begins to beep, the first thing you want to do is count the beeps and take note of what type of beeps are occurring. This will help you down the line figure out exactly what your computer is trying to tell you.

First and foremost, have you installed any new hardware in your computer in the last month or so? If you answer yes, and your computer has begun to show problems, chances are there is something wrong with the hardware you installed that has started causing problems for the rest of your system. Take out the hardware, reinstall the old hardware if applicable, and reboot to see if the problem is solved. Also, have you recently moved or hit your computer case? Sometimes even the simplest movement can cause parts of the hardware to misalign, such as a RAM chip set being put in improperly, if this is the case, reinstall the hardware and reboot to fix the problem. Chances are, it will boot fine, but if not, continue on.

If that did not solve the problem, a self-started POST (power on self-test) might be necessary. Whenever a computer loads, it runs a POST. This runs through the basic hardware of the system to ensure everything is in working order especially when it comes to the motherboard. The information that runs down your screen during the booting process is this POST in action. While this is running, you can hit F2 or delete, depending on the system, and enter the BIOS itself.

While you are in the BIOS screen, make sure you are careful not to save the information unless you truly know it is the right course of action. If you accidentally change system settings without knowing what you are doing, you will cause much more harm than good. You change how the system loads, how the POST runs and many other features when in the configuration screen. In many cases, you can also update your BIOS to the latest version by visiting the manufacturer's web site and downloading an upgrade. Sometimes, this is the safest way to ensure your computer is running up to par.