What does it mean when your laptop makes 'bleep' noises?

Page 1 of 1 [ 8 posts ] 

Icheb
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,918
Location: Switzerland

17 May 2008, 1:41 pm

I've got a new laptop, and occasionally, when I'm on the Internet, it will make a 'bleep' noise lasting a second or two that comes from the front part, not the loudspeaker, and is independent of whether I've turned the sound up or down. There is no error message or any other anomaly when it bleeps.


_________________
"If you're using half your concentration to look normal, then you're only half paying attention to whatever else you're doing." - Magneto in "X-Men: First Class"


tailfins1959
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 6 Apr 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 319

17 May 2008, 2:20 pm

A virus? Low battery alarm?


_________________
Yeah with all of these men lining up to get neutered
It's hip now to be feminized
I don't highlight my hair
I've still got a pair
Yeah honey, I'm still a guy


iceb
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Age: 67
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,562
Location: London UK

17 May 2008, 3:04 pm

With me it is usually because something heave has fallen onto my keyboard :P


_________________
Wisdom must be gathered, it cannot be given.


Icheb
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,918
Location: Switzerland

17 May 2008, 3:25 pm

tailfins1959 wrote:
A virus? Low battery alarm?

It can't be low battery because the computer is running on mains current. Might be a virus - but why does it bleep when I'm on WP?


_________________
"If you're using half your concentration to look normal, then you're only half paying attention to whatever else you're doing." - Magneto in "X-Men: First Class"


YowlingCat
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,004

17 May 2008, 3:26 pm

pakled
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,015

17 May 2008, 4:22 pm

depends on the model, how many, and how long. Beeps have been used for decades to indicate an error. One thing might be heat; those tiny fans can be clogged with dust, heating up the insides. Another is a component failure (probably not as likely, since you can get on and off the internet).

Listen to how long, and what order (1 long, 2 short - used to be Morse 'D' for Display, for example)
and go to the web site for your laptop, and see if they have anything to say.



Icheb
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,918
Location: Switzerland

18 May 2008, 2:49 am

Thank you for your replies. It's usually just one short bleep, so I suppose it must be a response to some harmless error. :shrug:


_________________
"If you're using half your concentration to look normal, then you're only half paying attention to whatever else you're doing." - Magneto in "X-Men: First Class"


YowlingCat
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,004

18 May 2008, 2:58 am

Bios beep codes, right hand column:
Bios Beep Codes