"alarm" sound coming from tower

[swtdragont]

When I am playing games, usually just free online games, or trying to watch a video on my computer, a loud alarm will start after about 5-10 minutes.  It comes from the computer tower and sounds alot like my annoying alarm clock.  On at least 3 occasions its started alarming in the middle of the night when I'm not even using it.

I've had this computer about 6 years and its only started doing this in the last few months.  I'm not doing anything more on it now than I was when it was new.

My computer was a custom built gift and uses Win XP Pro.  Other than that I'm lost.  Any suggestions to stop this alarm so I can enjoy a game or an entire movie in peace would be greatly appreciated. 

(and btw, I'm not very savvy on all the abbreviations and terminology, so if it could be explained in "old folks" language I'd be most grateful) 

[The Saviour]

Can you please describe the alarm...

Is it a series of beeps?  How many short beeps and how many long beeps?

[swtdragont]

The best way I know describe it is like the beeping of an alarm clock.  They are all the same length and continue until I shut the computer completely down.  Only twice have they just stopped within a few minutes of starting up.  Both of those times I had shut down the game and was in the process of shutting down the computer.  The sounds definately come from the tower and not the speakers because I usually shut the speakers off if I'm playing late at night.

thanks for the reply.

[The Saviour]

Please give us a detailed list of your sytem's specs...

We'll need info like:

1)  Operating system
2)  Computer manufacturer and model
3)  CPU (processor)
4)  Amount of RAM installed
5)  Power Supply (wattage)
6)  Motherboard
7)  Graphics card
  Etc., etc.

The alarm you're experiencing may be hardware related...there may be an overheating issue that needs to be addressed.

We'll wait for your specs and get back to you...

[Spero-T]

Keyboard has a stuck key.
Computer has a password.

Continuous Beep
No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
 

[swtdragont]

for The Savior:

my system was "custom" built...meaning a friend of my brother's built it about 4 or 5 years ago ( I think ) and my bro gave it to me as a christmas present (cool bro  )

It uses Microsoft XP Pro 2002 , which is most likely a copy of his xp since I've never been able to update it correctly and don't have an original XP disk.  The version says its  5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600

system manufacturer is listed as NVIDIA and model is listed as AWRDACPI

Under System Properties -  AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1900+
1.47 GHz, 448 MB of RAM

total physical memory 512 MB
available physical memory 84.46 MB
total virtual memory 2.0 GB
available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
page file space 1.35 GB

power supply - computer is plugged into a 6 outlet surge protector in a standard wall plug

I know there's a graphics card but I'm not smart enough to know its name or where to find it.  And the only thing I saw about the motherboard was in system tools/system info that said....    " Device - motherboard resources, Status - OK.

Anything else you need, please tell me where to look for it and I'll get it to you as quick as I can.
THANK YOU!!!



For Spero-T:
no stuck keys on the keyboard, and since I'm the only one the ever uses this one I've never put a password on it.  The beeps are a series, like  " beeeep beeep beeep...etc."  going on forever or until shutdown.  No power only when I turn it off...loose card is possible since I have moved the desk around, and I can only hope its not a short since the guy that built it is no longer available and his rates were the best (free)    


Thanks for responding!

[Kurtiskain]

i believe this is definitely a heat issue, as my tower, with a MSI 648-f NEO-L Motherboard, Beeps with an alarm type noise when my CPU fan is either not plugged in or not detected, and also when above the warning temperature in the BIOS. I believe mine is set to 60 Degrees and if yours is set higer this may be really bad. It may simply be yours is set to around 50 Degrees which is acceptable for CPU under full load. (Mine can reach 60 Degrees while transcoding a AVI into a DVD disk. Try and run a program such as H-Monitor http://www.hmonitor.net/ While playing a game and when the alarm sound starts, quickly quit and check the temperature of your CPU and post it back here

[swtdragont]

To Kurtiskain:

Took your suggestion.  I got the alarm much faster this morning, but its warmer in the room now than when I usually play.

Here's what I've got:

Mainboard = 36.0C
CPU = 48.0C
TEMP 3 = 75.0C (this one started out red, before I ever started playing)

HDD Temp = 37.0C

Voltages:  +12V = 11.67v ,  +5v = 4.95v , Core = 1.63v , +3.3v = 3.3v

                  -12v = 11.63v ,  -5v = 5.05v , Aux  +1.63v

Temps taken immediately upon alarm sounding.  Once I quit the game, it stopped within about 15-20 seconds, just about the time I got this reply window up.

Thank you!

[Calum]

This is a heat issue.
Clean your computer following the steps described here.
And to find out what graphics card you have - start - run - type dxiag - press enter - display.
Then info is displayed, it's what's under Name that you want.

[swtdragont]

THANK YOU!!!!  I'm shutting down and will follow the directions you refered me to.  I'll let you know how it works.

[Calum]

Let us know how it goes, good luck.

[swtdragont]

WOW!!!  After taking apart my tower (and donning a hazmat suit  ) I spent several HOURS slowing cleaning out my computer.  And finally played a game to its completion with NO ALARM!!! 
Also moved the tower so that its not so enclosed and gets better air circulation around it.    I'm still getting "red zone" temps showing in the TEMP 3 and the -12v and -5v.   Is this something I need to worry about? And if not, then hopefully, this fixed my problem.

Thanks so much for all the help!!

[patio]

You could always consider adding another case fan to improve circulation.