Laptop beeps on startup

[Rab M]

My laptop gives three plus two beeps on startup while trying access the setup menu. hdd light is off

 

[Titillating]

Might help if you told us what laptop it is. Error codes/beeps are not exactly universal.

 

[Camar0ss]

It sounds as if you're using a Phoenix BIOS version, but I'm not quit sure. It'd be much easier if, rather than only counting the beeps, you explain whether they're long, short, or where pauses are between them.

Something that sounds as if it's beeping 3 times, then two times, could be a 3-1-1 beep, which would mean you have a slave DMA register failure (DMA controller failure). That would also explain why your HDD light isn't on, but again that's not really helpful to know unless we know more information in order to find the correct beep codes.

 

[Rab M]

Might help if you told us what laptop it is. Error codes/beeps are not exactly universal.

 

[Rab M]

It's a Samsung notebook, NP-N130, error code 0271 : Check date and time settings
Warning 0251 : System cmos checksum bad - default configuration used

 

[Camar0ss]

Your cmos battery may be dead, or the cmos may need reset, which would require taking the machine apart. If you're not an advanced user, I'd suggest taking it to a professional and have them assess the issue by hearing and deciphering the beeps themselves. If you're willing to do this on your own (again, this isn't really advised at all for a less than advanced user with experience taking apart laptops), it's possible to do this on your own via short-circuit. I can't stress enough how strongly I'd advise against doing this yourself if you've never done it before, not only for personal safety, but also for the safety of the machine.

If that truly is the proper beep code error, the only other thing you may be able to do is change the time/date in the BIOS to current time/date, as something may have changed it without your knowledge. Doing this is strongly advised BEFORE attempting any repairs, as this is a much simpler solution. If the time/date are exactly correct in the BIOS, then you should seek some hands-on help from a professional or a friend with a good amount of electronics/computer knowledge. There -ARE- walkthroughs available for doing things such as resetting CMOS via short-circuit, but again, it's only advised to do this if you're experienced, or with the help of someone with experience.