violent beeps on start up, does not go past the apple logo

Hi, big problem with my macbook.

Here is how it started.


I was just browsing the internet then it told me I had to hold down the power button to shut down.

So I did and it loaded up fine. Then I tried to open Mircosoft Messenger and it told me to do it again, so i did, This happened a few times so i decided not to open Microsoft Messenger and get on with whatever other things I had to do, so I went to delete a few things I no longer needed incase that was the problem, then it told me to turn it off again but this time, it wouldn't turn back on.


I keep trying to turn it on but it wont go past the apple logo and sometimes it just beeps loudly at me.

I really need help because this has a lot of my work on it and a lot of things I need so I really don't want to restore.

If it is just one beep, the most likely cause is no RAM, try reseating the Ram in your mac and see if she starts up.

It sound as tho you need to do some maintenance after you get it working

It's 2 beeps i think, it beeps twice, then pauses then beeps again twice then i turn it off by then cause it's quite worrying.

louishen,

I tried to find something about the Macbook BIOS but couldn't. Even Apple Support didn't give me anything. Do you have any info on it, what kind is it, and pertinent to OP post, the beep codes... And can we, the users, get into the BIOS, like on a PC?

Thanks, Noel

Number
of
Beeps Startup Issue
1 Beep No RAM
2 Beeps Incompatible RAM
3 Beeps No good memory banks
4 Beeps No good boot images in the BootROM
5 Beeps Processor Unusable

Try reseating that RAM, have you put any new RAM in recently?
Also there is no BIOS on a Mac, they use open firmware

You can boot up in to firmware but I am not sure what you can do, but with a ram issue it will not boot at all

nope, ive not put in any new RAM

If it has one of those issues, will it beep everytime it boots up? because mine rarely beeps, like probably once in every 7 start ups it beeps.

Hi, bringing back and old thread in a hope to find some answers to the same problem.

I just bought a second hand MacBook Pro 4,1 (2.4ghz, 4GB Non ECC Ram)

It hadnt been used for much by the previous owner, sitting on a desk as a desktop computer mainly.

Now as soon as it arrived and went and upgraded the standard 200GB 5400RPM system drive with a Seagate 320GB 7200,3 Drive.

Now when it arrived to me, before i got the upgrade done, i only booted the system once to check that the machine worked. There were no issues, so i powered it down and dropped it off to a Mac certified tech to have the upgrade done.

Now it came back with the new drive, I then installed 10.5 and did all the updates. However, the next time i booted the machine, I encountered the same problem that the OPer had.

A number of loud beeps coming from where the HDD is situated in the machine. The computer then would not boot to the Apple Logo.

I powered it down and turned it on again and it was fine. It has since happened twice more, and i have yet to remember to count how many Beeps the machine makes. As soon as it happens again i will.

Because it only happens every once in awhile, probably once every 5 times i boot the machine, its hard to catch, and even then its random. Sometimes it will beep and then boot fine, others it wont boot at all and just stays on a grey screen.

If anyone has anymore info in regards to this issue that'd be great.

The beeps you're hearing (assuming they're not coming from the drive mechanism itself, which is situated on the opposite side of the optical drive) are likely as the result of a failed Power On Self Test (POST). In my experience, this is usually caused by bad or poor quality memory modules. The first thing I would do would be to reseat the memory modules. If the problems persist, replace them altogether with high quality memory from a respected vendor (Crucial, Kingston, OWC, etc).

If the sounds are coming from the drive mechanism, it may be a mechanical failure that is intermittent (it happens, but it's not terribly common). And in that case, I would refer back to the tech that installed the drive. Seagate drives typically carry a 5 year warranty.

Thanks for the reply.

I have yet to reseat the RAM as i have been away from the machine for the past week, however i just booted it for the first time since i've been back and there was the beep again.

The beep does not seem to be in any sequence, its consistent and just keeps going, and like before it doesn't reach the apple logo. Its probably 2 beeps every second.

I then held the power button and it turned the machine off.

I powered it again and it then gave the same beep once, and then a lower pitched longer beep, and then booted fine.

All beeps are definitely coming from the HDD area. (bottom left of the unit.)

I will reseat the ram tomorrow and also check the brand of ram.

Righto,

Just opened the machine up to discover its running one Transcend 2GB 667mhz module and one Transcend 2GB 800mhz module!

Of course system profiler was not showing this as it just goes and tells me its all 667..

So im going to go out on a whim here and say this is most likely the problem?

If someone could just confirm this before and i go and order 2 new identical modules that'd be great.

Before you buy anything, try installing just the one 667MHz module and see if it starts OK.

Am running one 667mhz module right now with no issues. She booted fine and is running smoothly.

I'll give it a few days and report back, running 2GBs is fine for the work im doing right now.

We have a winner.. or not.

Ive had the laptop running for about 5 hours and i just went away to get lunch.

I closed the laptop lid and put it to sleep. Came back, opened the lid, and the computer started beeping at me, the same constant beep. The machine froze up and i had to hold the power button to restart it.

The beep was once again coming from the harddrive area.

Thoughts?