Easy fix-- replace the $2 cmos coin cell battery. 5 beeps =CMOS battery failure Directions in service manual Answer from Mary G on dell.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/computerhelp › alienware aurora r8 - won't start, 5 beeps
r/computerhelp on Reddit: Alienware Aurora R8 - won't start, 5 beeps
June 8, 2025 -
So I've had this problem twice now.
When I restart or shut-down the computer and try to boot it, I get a black screen of death and the CPU starts beeping.
It's a cycling beep, almost doing a scale, that repeats three time. Then one beep, a pause, the five beeps in a row, another pause, and another beep.
If I leave the computer alone for a while it seems to power through the problem and work normally but I'm uncertain what is causing this and would like to know if I should be doing anything NOW.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Quick search on the intarwebs shows: If your Alienware Aurora R8 won't start and emits 5 beeps, this indicates a Real-Time Clock (RTC) failure, commonly due to a depleted or faulty CMOS battery. This battery maintains BIOS settings and system time when the computer is powered off. A dead CMOS battery can prevent the system from completing the Power-On Self-Test (POST), leading to startup issues. Steps to Resolve the Issue: Replace the CMOS Battery: Power off your computer and disconnect it from the power source. Open the case to access the motherboard. Locate the CMOS battery—a coin-cell battery (usually CR2032). Carefully remove the old battery and replace it with a new one, ensuring it's seated correctly. Reassemble the case, reconnect the power, and attempt to start the computer. Reset the BIOS: If replacing the battery doesn't resolve the issue, reset the BIOS settings: Disconnect the power and open the case. Locate the CMOS jumper on the motherboard (refer to the motherboard manual for exact location). Move the jumper from the default position (usually pins 1-2) to the reset position (pins 2-3) for about 5 seconds. Return the jumper to its original position. Close the case, reconnect power, and start the computer. Contact Dell Support: If the problem persists after replacing the CMOS battery and resetting the BIOS, there may be a deeper hardware issue. Contact Dell Support for further assistance or to arrange for service.
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Easy fix-- replace the $2 cmos coin cell battery. 5 beeps =CMOS battery failure Directions in service manual
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Help! I tried to reset my computer because I forgot the pin to windows and as soon as I did my alienware computer immediately started beeping 5 time the stops then 5 more beeps then stops shortly and so on. WHAT DO I DO!! I just bought this from a friend and I’m so lost with computers!!!! Please help someone, a single mother of three and a total amateur when it comes to technology, please tell me someone can help. I believe I have the M17 alienware built 2012. Thank you anyone for the help!
Videos
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Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › alienware
M17x R4, beeping at Power-up | DELL Technologies
March 13, 2023 - You're correct--it was the 5-beep CMOS battery indicator.
Overclock.net
overclock.net › home › forums › intel › intel - general
Alienware Aurora R3 - 5 beeps error and nothing on screen | Overclock.net
Originally Posted by windfire According to page 49 of Aurora R3 User Manual, 5 beeps means 'Real Time Clock Failure'. This is most likely caused by a weak motherboard battery. However, as the PC was shipped recently, I suspect the battery might ...
NotebookTalk
notebooktalk.net › tech › notebook manufacturers › alienware › alienware 17 and m17x
M17x R4 - 5 beeps with any graphics card - Alienware 17 and M17x - NotebookTalk
January 1, 2025 - I have an M17x R4 which I had previously an M4000M and 120Hz display and it worked really well. The laptop has been idle for about 2 years, so I was going to reinstall Win10 and give it to my son so he would have something to game on when out of town on business trips. Well, I got 5 beeps when tr...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › beep beep beep! my laptop is going to explode! help!
r/Alienware on Reddit: BEEP BEEP BEEP! My laptop is going to explode! HELP!
August 7, 2020 -
BEEP BEEP BEEP my laptop is going to explode! HELP!
Okay. So I have a pretty big issue. I went to turn on my laptop this morning because I work from home my laptop is my lifeline right now.
Push power button. Black screen. Beep beep beep beep beep.
Okay. Soooo it’s beeping like it’s about to explode (5 beeps, constant back to back) and I’ve got a black screen.
It’s an Alienware 13. Never given me any issues before today and I used it like normal yesterday.
After looking around the internet it appears it might be my CMOS battery. Okay great. Hopefully that really is the issue because it seems to be an easy fix. So I take the back off my laptop... it looks like another galaxy inside there. No idea how to get to the CMOS battery to even attempt to see if that fixes it... I can find a million videos of a million different Dell laptops that people show how to replace it on but none of this particular laptop which seems to be completely different...
HELP! My livelihood depends on this laptop. Does anyone know if the 5 beeps really is the CMOS and if so... how do I get to it?!
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Calm down it won't explode. Try booting it and pressing the button repeatedly as soon as you have pressed the power button. That might allow you to boot normally and get on with using it while you work out getting the CMOS battery replaced/the issue fixed. There are different models of alienware 13, do you know what model it is?
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Sounds to me like the motherboard failed to initialize the display. What you described is exactly what happens when the display fails to turn on. Turning it off and on again will eventually get it going again, but the issue will only get worse. If/when the issue happens again you should be pressing the D key as you're powering on the system so that it can run a display diagnostic. There's no way its a CMOS battery. Worse that happens with CMOS batteries being drained is you turn your system on, it stays on the post screen with a message that your date and time need to be set. You press enter and you're on your way. Also, as I mentioned what the issue is, there are different factors that could cause this to happen. Either its a bad/aging LCD, a bad or loose LCD cable connection, or a bad mother board. Typically its the LCD, but sometimes could just be the LCD cable getting loose. Reseat the cable going from the panel to the motherboard to rule that out. Good luck.
Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › displays
Alienware 5 beeps | Tom's Hardware Forum
September 4, 2015 - I recommend doing what this page says, i've had one of my rigs do this & this page helped me out : http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000607.htm 5 beeps = Process Failure Got it to post but screen went black and locked pre windows.
Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › motherboards
Question - 5 beeps on startup | Tom's Hardware Forum
December 11, 2019 - After some bios reset i heared 3 beeps and then the 5 beeps, so i turned it off, taked out 5 stick of ram and reseted the bios again i tried to turn it on with only 1 stick of ram, then the first 3 beeps disappeared but the 5 beep still there, last time when my pc work perfectly the clock and time was incorrect, and i installed an old hdd and changed the boot because the system puts the old hdd to boot first
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Easy fix-- replace the $2 cmos coin cell battery. 5 beeps =CMOS battery failure Directions in service manual
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Help! I tried to reset my computer because I forgot the pin to windows and as soon as I did my alienware computer immediately started beeping 5 time the stops then 5 more beeps then stops shortly and so on. WHAT DO I DO!! I just bought this from a friend and I’m so lost with computers!!!! Please help someone, a single mother of three and a total amateur when it comes to technology, please tell me someone can help. I believe I have the M17 alienware built 2012. Thank you anyone for the help!
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Sorry, forgot to add. Once you have completed the power drain, re-assemble the laptop and plug in the charger. If it starts charging wait for 15 minuted before booting up, you will get 5 beep, force shutdown and restart, it should fix itself after that. If it doesn't start charging then try to start it, go through the on/off procedure and then let it charge before using
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I've seen this before. You should be able to fix it with a complete power drain. You will have to remove the main power, battery and coin cell battery then hold the power button down for at least 30 seconds. It's quite a job getting to the coin cell battery in the M14x, here a link to the service manual to help you. http://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_alienware_laptops/alienware-m14x-r2_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf Page 69 I think your looking for. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully and electronically ground yourself so your don't damage any internal components.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › x51 beeping on boot up
r/Alienware on Reddit: X51 beeping on boot up
June 23, 2020 -
Hello everyone, I’ve been having some troubles with my really old PC. I got the X 51 from my sister who got it from one of her work buddies at a hospital. When I got it about seven years ago I don’t really know what to do with it so It just stayed on my desk. Now that I know more about computers I’m trying to get it working again, but after installing some new windows updates my PC turned off and now upon boot up it has a beeping noise. I tried switching out the ram but that didn’t work. Do you guys have any suggestions to what am It might be ?
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Dead ram
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It will beep in a pattern. Say 4 beeps then pause, or 6 beeps. The beep codes are in the user manual. (They are in my R3 manual, but not yours) Since it's old, it could just be the CMOS battery, usually a CR2032. It's a good thing to try first and rule it out - it needs changing anyway. The Alienware standard desktop beep codes are: 1 Possible motherboard failure or the monitor is connected to wrong HDMI port on the X51 2 No RAM detected 3 Motherboard chipset failure 4 RAM read/write failure 5 Real Time Clock failure (CMOS battery) (If the monitor is connected to the onboard HDMI port when a discrete video card is installed, the X51 will produce the 5 beeps) 6 Video card failure 7 Processor Failure
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My second x51 is now working. Here is the solution that worked for me: I read http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19478449/20239699.aspx#20239699 and following steps suggested by dishwasherwong: Hold down power button for 30 seconds (I did this starting from powered on, beeping; and then repeated it starting from a powered off state) Remove video card and bracket Unplug CMOS battery for two minutes Hook everything back up Press F2 to go into BIOS setup Change Boot Mode from Legacy to UEFI F10 to save and exit That's it! Kudos to dishwasherwong!!!
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Dornisaurio, My apologies. You should not have to deal with this out of the box. 5 beeps is a Real Time Clock failure. Use these contacts - Email = AWCC-Resolution_experts@Dell.com Phone = 800-254-3692 option 4, option 2
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienwaretechsupport › 5 beeps and won't power on
r/AlienwareTechsupport on Reddit: 5 beeps and won't power on
August 13, 2024 -
Why won't this thing power on? It just stays black and beeps 5 times
Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › graphics cards
5 beeps Alienware x51 | Tom's Hardware Forum
April 1, 2018 - Then suddenly when trying to turn the computer on I was returned with 5 beeps, I've looked up the POST codes and have diagnosed it as a process failure, I looked up some things and I saw that many said it was a GPU failure. So given all this I went and bought a new GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and I installed it and its still giving me the beeps.
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › locked topics – alienware general
Alienware x51 5 beeps and won't turn on. | DELL Technologies
March 27, 2013 - Thank you for trying to fix the computer. The 5 beeps on the Alienware X51 indicate either a CMOS battery or a motherboard failure. I request you to provide the system service tag through private message.
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › locked topics – alienware general
Alienware Aurora Boot Failure .... 5 beeps | DELL Technologies
August 29, 2011 - to no avail. I understand that the 5 beeps means a realtime clock error.
Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › answers › questions › 4058848 › m17-r5-alienware-laptop-making-lots-of-pitched-bee
M17 R5 Alienware laptop making lots of pitched beeping sounds, almost like a video game - Microsoft Q&A
February 8, 2024 - These beeps were fast, high pitched but never the same pitches. Almost sounded like an arcade or video game sound. It continuously does this and just doesn't stop, and once you restart the computer or choose to "repair" it, it brings you BACK ...
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › locked topics – laptops general
M11x R3 5 beeps | DELL Technologies
July 1, 2013 - 5 beeps indicate Real Time Clock (RTC) power failure. Issue could be with a failed CMOS battery. If you are comfortable with it, you may try reseating the CMOS battery. Please refer the following link for Alienware M11x R3 Service Manual: ...
iFixit
ifixit.com › Answers › View › 773964 › Dell+Alienware+Beep+7+times+while+booting+(no+display)
Dell Alienware Beep 7 times while booting (no display) - Alienware 17 R2 - iFixit
March 15, 2023 - 5 · 1 · Posted: Mar 15, 2023 · Options · Permalink · History · Subscribe · Unsubscribe · this alienware is working just fine except, there is a USB problem (connect and disconnect every seconds). i've check the solder joint and even change the port, but the problem is persist. seeing that i've decided to change the intel PCH. after changing the PCH, i got 7 beeps and no display ·