Hello everyone,
I’m not one for crazy fixes, but this is what just happened to me:
I picked up a Dell Inspiron M5030 laptop from a client a couple of days ago. I pushed the power button and I saw that the motherboard was getting power, the fans were spinning, but no screen. Then I heard the seven beeps over and over again – continuous seven beeps. I immediately thought video chip because it reminded me of the HP Pavilion dv9000 models of a few years back.
I took the laptop into my bedroom and wrapped it (laptop was on, still beeping, and open) in a towel first and then a blanket (covering up the entire non screen part of the computer). Keys covered, fan outlet covered, everything wrapped in the towel and blanket. No possibility for any type of cooling.
I left the room for twenty minutes while the computer was on and beeping away like crazy. After twenty minutes I unwrapped the laptop and turned it off by pushing the power button. The computer was really hot, and the towel and blanket were quite hot to the touch.
After about ten seconds I powered on the computer and no beeps! The screen came up no problem, and everything worked perfectly. I’ve restarted the machine several times and no more beeps. I’ve cold started the machine several times and no more beeps. Boots up just fine. The build up of heat from the twenty minutes must have produced like a mini-reflow!!
I left it off overnight and in the morning it booted up like a dream! I also turned off all sleep and hibernate modes in the control panel (power options). These modes create heating issues in laptops and will produce problems.
The Inspiron M5030 model has known issues with the cpu and video chip. This fix is most likely temporary but it has given me enough time to backup all of my clients data.
Professor Randy says: Don’t be afraid to try a well-researched “fix” even if a bit unorthodox. If nothing else you’ll learn alot and you’ll feel better for having done all that you can do to repair the machine!!
4:26 am on June 4th, 2013 1
I was having the same issue with my inspiron M3050 and I came across this and decided I may as well try. I left mine for about 30 mins tho. and when I turned it on it worked. Haven’t tried the cold start up but it’s working, and I’m tryna back up my files. What I’d like to know is did you have to do anything futher? Maybe get a clean up or something. But I must say I really appreciate this post. Thank you.
3:07 pm on June 4th, 2013 2
Hello Storm,
Thanks for the comment and I’m glad that you got your computer “up and running”. You don’t need to do anything else – the problem with the Dell Inspiron M5030 is well documented. It’s a motherboard problem and the fix that I posted about is most likely temporary.
If the beeps return you can do the same thing again and you’ll probably be able to boot up once more, but ultimately you’ll have to have a computer repair tech to repair the motherboard.
You may want to take a look at this place:http://www.notebooktek.com/shop.html I have been pleased with their service.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
2:22 pm on June 5th, 2013 3
Thank you so much!
9:54 am on July 7th, 2013 4
Trying this now, will let you know.
10:30 am on July 7th, 2013 5
Holy S—, it worked. Wrapping it in a blanket??? thought it was stupid. Thanks so much. Was able to get all my data. Hopefully it will keep working. Thanks Randy!!!
12:21 pm on July 7th, 2013 6
Hi David,
Thanks for the comment.The problem with the Dell Inspiron M5030 is well documented. It’s a motherboard problem and the fix that you have just done is most likely temporary.
If the beeps return you can do the same thing again and you’ll probably be able to boot up once more, but ultimately you’ll probably have to have a computer repair tech repair the motherboard.
You may want to take a look at this place:http://www.notebooktek.com/shop.html. I have been pleased with their service. Let me know how it goes for you.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
12:51 pm on July 7th, 2013 7
Thanks Randy, you are correct. We shut it down and went out. Came back to the beeping, just wrapped it again. The link you gave however is not working, comes back with a not found. The laptop was purchased refurbished about 2 – 3 years ago. Will probably end up replacing it.
12:57 pm on July 7th, 2013 8
Hi David,
Here is another link: http://www.notebooktek.com/shop.html
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
12:57 pm on July 7th, 2013 9
Randy, Could i just leave the laptop on from now on?
1:03 pm on July 7th, 2013 10
David,
Yeah I wouldn’t shut it down, but still at some point you’re going to have to repair the video chip on the motherboard (or as you say replace the laptop). The motherboard is defective but as long as you were able to back up your data then the most important matter has been taken care of.
Good luck with everything,
Randy Knowles
3:39 pm on August 15th, 2013 11
Hey, I saw this fix listed several places and my m5030 was issuing seven beeps. Unbelievable, but it works. Thanks for saving my money. I will start shopping for a replacement, ready for this to happen again. I will use external storage till then.
Cheers, Andrew
8:16 am on August 25th, 2013 12
Your solution worked like a charm! Thank you Randy!!
8:29 pm on August 26th, 2013 13
I just received a friends laptop in a box. The symptoms are exactly as was described above…..seven beeps, black screen.
First thing tomorrow morning, I will perform the wrap and see what happens.
Thanks in advance for posting what worked for you.
Take Care
Chat Soon
ZT.
8:53 pm on August 26th, 2013 14
Thanks for the comment ZT,
Good luck with the “blanket wrap”. Get back to me and let me know how things went.
Randy Knowles
6:17 am on August 27th, 2013 15
Worked out perfectly. The system is now up and running. Thank You for your post, which helped save a mother and her son from having to purchase another computer at this time.
ZT
6:21 am on August 27th, 2013 16
ps We had just returned from camping. All blankets were still loaded in the minivan. Wrapped up in several towels. Delighted to see the computer fire up.
12:58 pm on September 11th, 2013 17
I read this solution on another forum concerning the same problem. I have an M5030 had the same 7 beeps. Suggestion was to remove the motherboard, take out all of the plug-ins (battery, ram, cpu, graphics chips). Make 4 two-inch aluminum foil balls to place under each corner of the motherboard and put the thing in a cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes in an oven preheated to 385 degrees. Open door and let cool for at least two hours. It was worth a shot – AND WORKED PERFECTLY!
9:40 pm on September 20th, 2013 18
Dell will fix this for FREE even if it’s past warranty!!! Use this solution as a temporary fix, back up and call the Dell repair number!!!!! 800 288-4410
I just found this out today…had the same problem, wrapped in a blanket for 15 minutes…turned it off…turned it back on and let it beep for another 15 minutes wrapped in blankets then let it rest for 20 while I called Dell. Turned it on and it worked…now waiting for Dell to send fed ex box for free shipping and repair and will take 8-10 business days.
12:55 pm on September 26th, 2013 19
Thank you so much saved me alot of money!
9:59 am on September 27th, 2013 20
You Sir Are a GOD!
3:35 pm on October 6th, 2013 21
Wow! It worked like charm.
Thanx
11:31 am on October 20th, 2013 22
Did exactly as u described, worked perfect. A very big thanks.
3:49 pm on November 11th, 2013 23
Called the dell number provided. They are fixing for free.
6:03 am on November 17th, 2013 24
Well I never, wrapped it in a couple of towels and a coat, left it for 30 minutes beeping away, turned it off and back on again – now booted up!
Now a rush to ensure all photos and docs are backed up on a separate device…..THANKS!
4:23 pm on December 6th, 2013 25
Randy !
We have had this Inspiron for 2 years. Four days ago, while camping,we got the 7 beeps.
I went to my computer shop today, and he said this was common, and suggested to send it for the video chip repair at a cost of $145.00 plus shipping; we had decided to let it go, and buy a tablet instead.
Then I read this post; I put mine in foil paper for 40 minutes.It booted fine. I am not turning it off for a while.
Thank you so much.
10:41 pm on December 6th, 2013 26
SGB,
Thanks for the comment. So glad that you got it going!
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
12:02 pm on December 13th, 2013 27
Just an FYI – this same thing happened to my laptop too. I called Dell and they repaired it at NO CHARGE for me. My computer was not under warranty any longer and they gave me no problems about fixing it. I just called Dell and told them I researced and found out this was a known defect.
12:03 pm on December 13th, 2013 28
I didn’t even have to pay to ship it there. They sent me a box and supplies to use and returned it to me in less than 2 weeks time.
2:59 am on January 10th, 2014 29
Thanks buddy. You saved my day. I’m just backing up all my data and shall never buy Dell again.
7:41 pm on January 10th, 2014 30
Hello Mark,
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad that you got the computer running again.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
1:32 pm on January 21st, 2014 31
the same Issue, its a shame that dell is putting out well lets be blunt, Crap! and not standing behind the product,well I guess I’m on the list of not purchasing another dell
8:21 pm on January 23rd, 2014 32
Hi,
I just purchased a new motherboard and installed it. Powered it up and still having the 7 beeps!! What would you suggest now? Processor failure? I transferred all the old hardware. I didn’t put and new gunk over the processor. Just very frustrated.
Jeff
10:42 pm on January 24th, 2014 33
Hello Jeff,
The new motherboard may be defective. Call Dell and they will give you another board. Better yet, explain the issue to them (they are well aware of the defective boards) and they will fix your computer free. Check out the other posts in this forum.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
4:46 pm on February 3rd, 2014 34
So, I just called 800 288-4410… and they told me they’d repair the M5030 for the tune of around $340. I definitely spoke to people (including the supervisor I requested) with strong Indian accents that told me that there was no record of issues with this model and that there was nothing they could do with the machine out of warranty. Knowing that I can and will likely reflow the motherboard myself if I decide to use this piece of crap, it’s just a shame to see how far Dell has sunk over the years.
12:52 pm on February 4th, 2014 35
I called the number and they said it would be 179.00 plus possible 149.00 if it need cpu/mb and heat sink. so about 330.00 to fix a known issue. this lap top was about 400.00 NEW.
what a joke. Dell will get zero more dollars from me.
5:22 pm on February 4th, 2014 36
HI…omg,,,,we want to THANK YOU SOOOO much for posting this about the blanket and towel thing,,we did and YES YES YES ,,,it WORKEDE .we are so HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY,,thank you again for sharing,,,,
8:42 pm on February 5th, 2014 37
Prof. Randy,
And that title is certainly apt. I was reticent, to say the least of trying this type of solution. Though I had seen other posts related to reflowing, this still seemed out of scope. But with the hope of saving the effort/time to disassemble the unit and actually perform the reflow, I did exactly as suggested: I wrapped the unit in a thick blanket and left it powered (beeping) for approx. 45 minutes. The beeping stopped, with the keyboard and rest extremely hot, but once I powered the unit up, it booted without issue!!
Thank you! I will see if the issue recurs and provide another comment.
9:27 pm on February 6th, 2014 38
Thanks for the comment Glen,
Glad that the re-flow worked for you! Please get back to me and give me an update in a couple of days.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
4:12 am on February 8th, 2014 39
Done this 3 times so far…worked first twice….This morning….not working. ?.just spent hours trying to find an email address to complain !
4:14 am on February 8th, 2014 40
P’s.im in UK….Don’t bother trying the website you’ll go round in circles….search for CEO of company…and blast em with emails!
2:06 pm on February 12th, 2014 41
Dell refused point blank to fix mine for free…offered free work but wanted £125.00 for the part!
I have UK CEO email if anyone wants it
10:10 pm on March 3rd, 2014 42
My motherboard was replaced a little over a year ago and now I’m having the 7 beeps issue again. I’ve tried letting it beep with the blanket, but it still isn’t working. Any other suggestions?
10:25 pm on March 3rd, 2014 43
Hi Taylor,
Thanks for the comment. You can try wrapping it up again as I have described in the original post. Let it run for 20 minutes or so and get good and hot. Shut down and then restart.
If it does not start then your motherboard is most likely “gone”. You can have a professional re-flow done, get a new board, or buy a new laptop. You can also contact Dell and with luck they may help you.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
12:55 pm on March 18th, 2014 44
Don’t bother calling Dell, I tried. They won’t help you. You are own your own.
9:49 pm on March 21st, 2014 45
Thank you very much, this method worked. I wrapped the unit in thick towels and left it to continue beeping. The beeping stopped itself after like 30 minutes and the system came on immediately I pressed the power button. The system went off like 20 minutes later,but I was able to copy my needed files. Thank You
1:30 pm on April 3rd, 2014 46
I called Dell. They want $328 to fix the issue if it is out of warranty. They insisted that it is NOT a well documented fact. After a small hissy-fit, they agreed to fix it for $179. Trying the towel trick now.
2:27 pm on April 3rd, 2014 47
Thanks for the comment Jeff,
Please post back and let me know how the “towel trick” works.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
10:33 am on April 9th, 2014 48
It works!!!! Thanks!
6:00 am on April 15th, 2014 49
Okay I consider myself a closet geek and own one of these lovely 5030’s which, of course, threw the 7 beep curse my way yesterday. I was a skeptic but tried this crazy fix you posted aaaand…..O freakin MG….it worked…..Not sure how you came up with this but I am so glad you did…because it worked the first time…have not yet tried the re-boot…..
You rock….
5:38 pm on April 16th, 2014 50
hi i had the same type of issue, slightly different. when it starts up, it stop the cooling fan after awhile, any help
1:57 pm on April 23rd, 2014 51
I have the dreaded 7 beeps problem. Thanks to the posts here I was able to get it up and running. Have called Dell several times only to be told that my laptop is out of warranty and that this is NOT a known problem. They want to charge me over 300 dollars to get it fixed. I am very upset! I have three Dell products and have had non problems until now with my m5030. Does anyone have a US number or email? Tired if talking to people I can hardly understand and deny the defect with the component they used. Thanks so much for your help.
3:22 am on April 30th, 2014 52
Hey just wanted to let you know I’ve done this four times already. And each time the laptop will work for about a week.
How much longer before I really need to get it repaired? Don’t have the money right now and this seems to be an easy fix. 10 minutes a week beats dishing out all that money for repairs.
what I want to know is, if it gets to the point where this no longer works…will the problems be too bad? Am I doing long term harm by doing this?
10:03 pm on May 4th, 2014 53
I just tried this, and by golly it worked. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. I’ll post back here if it breaks again to give others an ETA on how long the fix lasts.
2:22 pm on May 8th, 2014 54
guyz i’ve the same prblm tryn the wrap method to see if it wil work
6:42 pm on May 8th, 2014 55
Hey Samuel,
Please post back and let us know if the “wrap method” worked for you.
Randy Knowles
3:22 pm on May 12th, 2014 56
The wrap method worked after I used a polar fleece throw. First comforter wasn’t hot enough. Left it half and hour.
Called Dell…they insisted they DO NOT fix this problem for free. It’s about $350 bucks through them to replace the motherboard.
12:17 am on May 15th, 2014 57
I’m back. Sorry it took so long to return but the laptop worked fine until I turned it off again. Managed to get everything off, but can’t be bothered to wait 30 minutes to get it working every time. Thanks again for the tip!
6:52 pm on May 19th, 2014 58
I called the Dell number listed above and was told because it is no longer under warranty it will cost $328.83 to repair. I asked what the problem was and was told it was a Motherboard and hardware failure. I questioned many times about why I should have to pay for this known problem – but got nowhere.
I will try the blanket fix and call Dell again and hope to speak to one who knows english well.
11:53 am on May 23rd, 2014 59
This has just worked to get my son’s laptop working again. Thank you, sir. You are a scholar and a gentleman.
7:44 pm on May 25th, 2014 60
Amazing !! Thanks a lot from mexico city, my cumputer is working again!! I follow your advice and the magic happens .
=]
Thank you!!
5:43 am on June 1st, 2014 61
Thank you so much for this, worked great!
9:07 am on June 5th, 2014 62
great it worked thanks man
12:24 pm on June 5th, 2014 63
Thanks man for the post it realy worked for my laptop.
1:33 pm on June 9th, 2014 64
had the same problem and your magic fix worked out
6:55 am on June 11th, 2014 65
Randy had the same problem with the 7 beeps and had the computer sitting up in the closet for 18 months and seen your solution and got out the computer and it worked. I disabled all sleep modes like you said and so far so good. Have shut it down 5 times and it still reboots up. Even shut it down for over night and still rebooted up cold. No beeps. Thanks so much
9:03 am on June 12th, 2014 66
Thanks for the info, I set it for 30 min did not work so I sat it for 45 min and it started right up after cool down. Dell wanted to charge 328.00 to repair. Next morning started right up. You are the man. . . .
9:29 pm on June 12th, 2014 67
Thank you soooo muuuch it worked first try!!! Now I’m trying to backup my gopro files!!!
8:52 am on June 15th, 2014 68
I too, have the Dell 5030, and unfortunately experience the 7 beeps. Heating up the motherboard (by wrapping in a blanket, baking, or heating with a small torch) WILL work, but it is only a temporary fix. If you are a heavy user of your laptop, expect 14 days at best.
The original motherboard is of inferior quality. They opted for a cheap board, and now we will pay for their error. They are certainly aware of the problem, and have been aware for years.
Dell needs to accept responsibility, and at no charge, replace the motherboard. Apparently, from the above comments, they started to replace, but have since stopped.
So now your choices are limited to:
1. Put up with the insanity of heating your computer twice a
month
2. Argue when told it will cost $330, and then accept the $179
repair
3. Buy a new laptop
These choices are NOT acceptable! If I knew how to organize a “boycott” I would do so. In absence of the knowledge, I will do what I know how to do. Starting Monday, 6/16/14, Dell will receive daily e-mails from me, and daily phone calls. So many calls in fact, that after a few weeks, when the phone rings they will assume that it’s me.
I urge all of you to do the same.
Whether it is Dell, IBM, Sony, or General Motors, manufacturers need to stand behind their products. For 2013, Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Inc. received total compensation of $13,896,912. He owes me a reliable motherboard. He owes us ALL a reliable motherboard.
5:25 am on June 16th, 2014 69
it worked like magic! demm ! you are talented! many many thenx indeed, am from kenya n i dont think dell can do anything for me, i will just back up my data n goodbye to dell products.
11:05 am on June 17th, 2014 70
I agree Russ. Im from UK and bought this laptop on ebay not knowing about the defective part.
I got the 7 beeps after a few months of light use, did the heat trick and its on now, but now waiting for it to finally blow up so i can spend another 200 pounds on fixing this piece of shit.
So its the videocard which is attatched to the motherboard right?
Ill email DELL asap before it dies again. cheers
2:16 pm on June 21st, 2014 71
Oh my god I love you! I haven’t use this laptop in a year and was about to throw it away! Thank you soo much for telling me this!
10:53 am on June 26th, 2014 72
I found this article today and am going to try the blanket fix tonight. The one thing that I did not read in all of these post, was what is a preventive action to take. If the cause is over heating to where the points get loose, and the fix is massive over heating to generate a re flow, would a cooling pad be your recommendation to prevent further over heating issues. This m5030 is my living room laptop and is not used for more than a hour or two, maybe once or twice a week.
10:32 pm on June 26th, 2014 73
Hi G.A.M. 1954,
Nice to hear from you and I hope that the fix worked!
When you wrap the computer with a blanket the heat causes the solder
under the video chip to reflow. This reflow and then cooldown reattaches
the solder to the video chip and the machine will boot up once again.
This is a temporary fix that may last a day, a week or a month. You may be
able to do it once again but ultimately the reflow will not work anymore.
The M5030 motherboard/video chip is defective and it’s a known defect in
that particular Dell machine. The solder joints underneath the video card
are not done well. They crack, dry up, etc.
The reflow reconnects the chip to the motherboard. A cooling fan is a good
idea for any laptop but I doubt it will help the defective motherboard in
this case.
Back up all of your data. Call Dell and maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll
repair the laptop cheap. If at all possible don’t turn your machine off.
I wish I could give you more encouraging words but not so. You could send
it to this place when it “dies” for good and they will reball the
motherboard. I have had fairly good luck with them and the price $79.99 is
decent:
http://notebooktek.com/shop.html
Let me know how things go.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
9:00 am on June 29th, 2014 74
The same thing happened with my M5010. Three days ago I turned it off normally, and this morning when I wanted to turn it on, nothing happened except the 7 annoying beeps. Using this method I was able to start the laptop and transfer data to an external drive. In order for five hours and I can not turn it off. Thanks for the advice.
3:54 am on July 2nd, 2014 75
wow!!!!! thanks soooooooo much….. worked like magic…..I covered mine for less than 1 minute and bam it worked
6:14 am on July 2nd, 2014 76
My M5030 Dell did the 7 beeps thing back in February. I did the blanket wrap and got it to work again. I left the computer on now for 5 months(non-stop), until yesterday when the screen went black….it went into sleep mode for some reason. When I tried to get it out of sleep mode, the 7 beeps returned. I turned off the computer and then restarted it and it turned on again…….My questions:
1. I have disabled all sleep modes, windows updates and everything that can turn-off the computer or hibernate/sleep into a black screen. So why did it self hibernate?
2. Is there a way to stop this self hibernating from occurring again? I already went in to battery options and set everything to max performance and no sleeping/hibernating.
From what I’ve observed, if I keep the computer screen on, the computer will keep working.
8:57 pm on July 15th, 2014 77
works like magic!!
i tried this fix for 30 mins the first time and it didnt work, i left it wrapped up for another 3 hours, by the time i came back the laptop was off! i booted it and like magic it was working
thanks Randy for this wonderful fix
9:43 am on July 17th, 2014 78
Can’t believe it but the quick fix sure works like magic.
Thanks for sharing
1:43 pm on July 26th, 2014 79
Going to try the blanket trick,
I’ve had my m5030 for two years, it was my fathers and want to try to save his files
2:20 pm on July 26th, 2014 80
I tried it, now when I turned it on, the screen says disc error
9:27 am on July 27th, 2014 81
Hi Violet,
Sounds like a bad hard drive (in addition to the video chip problem). If you take it to a good computer repair tech, he/she may be able to save your fathers files. They will take the hard drive out of your laptop and hook it up to another computer – many times files can be seen and saved this way.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
3:18 am on July 28th, 2014 82
Thanks Randy,
I called dell tech support and it is my hard drive and motherboard apparently.
Not surprised the laptop is 4 years old. I’m going to look for a nice repair shop to help me out to keep the files
9:41 am on August 1st, 2014 83
I had the same problem and when I found out that it was the processor I replaced it, it worked perfectly for a few days but then it started again.
10:49 pm on August 1st, 2014 84
Hi Newgent,
Although you’ll be told that the problem with the M5030 is the processor, it really is not. The M5030 motherboard/video chip is defective and it’s a known defect in
that particular Dell machine. The solder joints underneath the video card are not done well. They crack, dry up, etc.
The true problem is not the processor – that is why your machine continued to malfunction.
7:37 pm on August 9th, 2014 85
My sisters computer had the 7 beep problem. I checked other solutions online that seemed harder or more expensive. This one didn’t seem believable…but I tried it before doing anything hard and expensive. It worked!!! 30 minutes in a beeping blanket!
My sister and I are very happy to have found your solution! Thanks!
2:56 pm on August 10th, 2014 86
Was getting the beeps. Covered the computer with a towel and comforter for 20 mins. Turned it off, and turned it on, and it booted up like normal.
The Voodoo worked.
9:06 am on August 11th, 2014 87
I was gifted this computer by my son. He received it for work, left that job after 8 months and the unit has been sitting Idle for 2 years before coming to me. I have had it 2 months and was just awarded the 7 beeps of death. I tried your fix and it worked one time for about 24 hours.
I called Dell today using the number posted above in one of the comments and no matter how much pleading, reasoning and threats that I made they will only fix it if I send $269. Very disappointed to say the least. I have genealogy research that I have been compiling and transferred to this laptop to organize and before I got it backed up it crapped out. They have me over a barrel, so to speak. It’s three years old they don’t care about standing by their product.
Thank you for posting what you have and good luck to all.
7:53 pm on August 13th, 2014 88
Dear Randy,
You are awesome!
I had the same issue on my Inspiron M3050 and thanks to your instructions; I could solve it as magic…!
I believe in new tactics to start any electronics devices, such as this case.
It did not work the first time we tried, but patiently repeated the blanket trick and it was the end of our problems.
Love you!
Nuvia from WPB, Fl.
4:48 pm on August 18th, 2014 89
Worked for me right away! Now if only the touchpad would work I could get my info off this piece of junk and onto the laptop I’ve had for 7 years.
Dear Dell:
My next computer will not be bought from you!!!
5:14 pm on August 21st, 2014 90
I have my neighbors M5010 here with the same beeping issue (they’ve paid a local computer store for two motherboards over the course of the last 3 years) The blanket trick worked, and like others I called Dell and was told no documented problem with these systems and $330 to replace the mobo. I think my neighbor just wants a new machine at this point.
5:25 am on August 27th, 2014 91
Definetly WORKS!!
8:41 am on August 30th, 2014 92
it worked like a charm thank you so much
11:43 pm on August 31st, 2014 93
I did the reflow procedure by putting the motherboard in the oven for 10 minutes. So far so good. Hope it lasts longer than a few weeks.
If you try the oven technique make sure you remover the battery. Mine blew up in the heat. Had to replace it. Some fumes, had to air out the house but I’m typing this message on my Dell right now. There are some good tutorials on Youtube.
11:03 am on September 2nd, 2014 94
Awesome tip, my laptop was not working for over 7 months, thought I had lost all my pictures. You’re a life saver.
4:15 am on September 10th, 2014 95
OMG! It works!! Thank you sooo much.awesome!
10:44 pm on September 10th, 2014 96
Wow! I was very skeptical, but it actually worked! I can’t believe it! This is awesome! Thank you sooooo much!
10:51 am on September 12th, 2014 97
I am sending this message on a M5030 that is working after the blanket method was employed. Thank you very much! Two things need to be mentioned here that most people are not aware of. 1. your computer does not store your important files on anything but a hard drive and these are removable and can be inserted in a portable case that is USB powered. All your files are on that drive and accessible (if not damaged). 2. We act like there is nothing we can do on the M5030 except cry and moan to Dell (who could care less). Lets address the real problem here which is the computer was poorly designed and gets too hot! Try placing a cooler pad under the unit or even taping a USB powered fan to the inlet cooling on the case of the unit. Forcing air into the case could very well solve the overheating problem. Since Dell will not resolve the problem lets see if users can solve the heat problem by themselves. Otherwise we have a nice doorstop.
7:44 pm on September 12th, 2014 98
I can’t believe this worked! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
7:12 pm on September 16th, 2014 99
You are a life saver! I nearly passed out after hearing the “7 beeps of death”. I tried it the first time, didnt work but tried it again, and I think my heart jumped when I saw my laptop turn on again. You just saved me hours of work I would have to make up! From now on I will always make sure I back up my laptop!
5:55 am on September 18th, 2014 100
Such a legend! Saved my life big time! My Dell Inspiron M501R had this issue in April, minus the bleeps. A local shop told me is was beyond repair, so I took it into a bigger town shop. So much for keeping business local! They said they could fix it and that it was the motherboard and it would cost me about 100 UK pounds. It has everything on it for work, so I needed it done. It’s been fine, until today when it happened again. I panicked as a book I am finishing is still on here and in desperation was googleing stuff in the hope that I could magically fix it, then I found your blog. Such an azaming idea and did as you suggested with the blanket and towel. It had shut its self down by the time I went back 30 mins later, so thought it hadn’t worked. I had also not had the 7 bleeps like you or others on here have reported. But it powered up and was as it was before!!! I am now moving all my data to a external hard drive again and will get myself a new machine. Twice in 6 months is a sign that this machine (which I have used basically 10 hrs a day for 3 years) needs laying to rest.
Thanks again, the internet can be a wonderful tool!
12:23 pm on September 26th, 2014 101
Randy:
Just a note to say thanks. A friend just bought her sister a new Dell Inspiron Notebook, after her Dell M5030 died, the dreaded 7 beeps. She gave it to me, so I could pull her old HD. Being curious, I checked around to see if I might find another motherboard, since the M5030 looked to be in good shape, except for not working. Incidentally, prices ranged from $67-300. While looking, I stumbled upon your article. After reading it a couple of times, I thought that the fix as you described was just crazy enough, that it might work. Nothing to lose by trying it. But instead of using towels and pillows, I wrapped it in Cling Wrap. Used 3 strips almost completely around the keyboard part. Turned it on, and got the 7 beeps. Left it running/beeping for about 20 minutes. Checked it, and it was quite warm. Decided to use a 4th strip, just to be sure that it was as air-tight as I could make it. Left it for another 10-15 minutes. Then the beeping stopped. Checked it, and found it to be very warm, almost hot. Turned it off, removed all the cling wrap, and back on again. Booted right away. For the last 3 days now, turn it on/off several times. Seems to work great. Think this as just a temporary fix, but great that it was resurrected from the trash. Not a tech person, but I wonder if, over the years, with bumps and vibration, some of the diodes/electrodes may have somehow become loosened, and perhaps by covering it and allowing heat to build up, may have been just enough to cause them to re-settle back into place? Thanks again for the fix. So far, it has been running great. Just wondering now if the same fix might work on other laptops.
10:30 am on September 30th, 2014 102
Hello everyone, I wanted to echo what many have said already. Dell will not fix this problem for free. They wanted $269 today to repair a 3.5 year old laptop that was $400 to begin with. The blanket trick did work for me, so that’s good. My daughter can get back up a running while I shop for a new machine.
One thing I wanted to mention to everyone – this problem with the motherboard does not necessarily affect the hard drive. So even if you can’t get your machine to boot up at all, no matter how many blankets you put on it, you can still crack open the case and remove the hard drive. You might need some help from your 12 year old nephew, but your files are probably all still safe and can be transferred elsewhere. So don’t make it a doorstop until you at least try to retrieve your files.
8:01 pm on October 1st, 2014 103
Thanks for the thanks Bill. Glad you got the machine up and running again!
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
9:27 pm on October 5th, 2014 104
My laptop is 3 years old…..tried the blanket…and it worked perfect. Thank you do much! Saved the moment :-) much appreciated!
3:33 pm on October 9th, 2014 105
So the blanket technique is a success but is only temporarily.. If I buy a new motherboard is it going to be a permanent fix to this problem or will it eventually beep out again?
12:03 pm on October 10th, 2014 106
Hi
I too had the 7 bleeps, I just left it bleeping in another room without covering for about 15 minutes then turned off and turned on voila ! up and running again. Have so far done it a few times now and so far worked every time.
4:32 pm on October 14th, 2014 107
Soooo I guess I’ll be the first (I think) out of 106 comments to say… It did not work for me. I had really high hopes of this working for my laptop after seeing so many replies thanking you for this brilliantly simple method… Guess I shouldn’t have set my hopes so high.
Had the exact same problem as everyone else- blank screen, 7 beeps followed by a short pause followed by 7 beeps over and over again. I bundled the motherboard of my laptop very tightly in two warm blankets, making sure the fan was completely covered, turned the laptop on, and let the beeps drone on and on. The first time, I turned it off after 10 min, took the blanket off (both the blankets and the laptop were decently hot), turned it back on, and it still didn’t work. The second time, I let it keep going and it turned itself off after about 15 min. Tried turning it back on- no success. Tried it a third time- it turned itself off after about 10 min, no success. Guess I give up… :(
5:30 pm on October 14th, 2014 108
Hey Stephanie,
I’m really sorry that the fix didn’t work for you. You might want to try it one more time. The motherboard has to really heat up in order to reflow the video chip. It doesn’t work every time but I’ve had good success with this temporary fix.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
10:00 pm on October 15th, 2014 109
Professor Randy:
Thank you so much for sharing this excellent idea. Today, I had tried this idea on my Dell m5010 laptop computer, and it worked! I had this computer packed up in my closet for over a year, trying to figure out the best way to bring it back to life, especially since I had important files on there. I quickly backed up my files to an external hard drive. Currently, it is still working after the reflow. In the future, I may have to purchase a new laptop computer, but I will always keep this reflow idea in mind.
I am glad that this worked for me!
Have an awesome day!
-Vanessa-
4:03 am on October 17th, 2014 110
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
The blankets thing worked as a charm:)
This is not the first time to happened to me, first time I payed like 60 – 70 EUROS for fixing my DELL Inspiron 5010. Now my friend (who knows more than me), says it’s time to buy new motherboard, but they have only 1 year warranty. And I was gonna, but i wanted to try your “trick” first.
Works fine for now, i restart it several times and it’s still working.
Although, i think i should buy new motherboard….what say?
Will DELL fix this for me if i send them the purchase number and all that?
(i don’t think I keep the receipt and the warranty is over already…)
Once again – thank you, you’re life saver! (well, laptop saver:)
——–
P.S.: Guys, if doesn’t work the first time, try again. I got mine worked from the third try. Remember, wrapped it nicely, the laptop need to be VERY hot.
6:28 pm on October 20th, 2014 111
Hi! Yesterday my 3 1/2 years old M5030 just had the 7 beep issue. I want to try the wrap method but first i want to ask this: do you think this problem has a cheap solution (pc technician)that could have the laptop running For at least one more year? By cheap I mean no motherboard replacement Or something like that, because in my country that would cost a lot For a fix.
Thanks in advance!
7:42 pm on October 20th, 2014 112
Hi Matias,
A computer tech could reflow the video card with a genuine reflow/reball machine. I have seen this procedure done here in the U.S.A. for about $100.00 or even less. Take a look at this place in Florida: http://www.mixcatcomputers.com/reflow.php
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
10:02 pm on October 20th, 2014 113
Hi again! This time I’m writing from my revived M5030, so THANK YOU for publishing the wrap method.. Anyway, as I’ve seen, this is a temporary fix, so I guess I’ll have to do anything else later. What I wanted to know is, from your experience (or anyone who have done it), will this reflow/reball process make the laptop work a considerable time (1 year aprox.)? Or should I start looking for a new PC? Thanks for your Florida suggestion, but I live in Argentina.. ;)
Bye!
10:15 am on October 21st, 2014 114
wow…thanks a million! Am in Zimbabwe and tried your blanket wrap! It worked! I pray it keeps on working!
9:07 pm on November 7th, 2014 115
the reflow trick… wrapping this computer works on many units but no one seems to be addressing the real issue…why is the GPU unsoldering itself? Of course the answer is the unit is getting way to hot in that area probably due to poor design. Also the fan on these units is critical and must be free of dust and operating correctly. I took My 5030 apart and reheated the MB in an oven then purchased new heat paste and inserted hefty copper heatsinks (homemade) between the GPU and the stock heat sink. I also am using a cooler pad under the laptop. 4 weeks now and it doesn’t even get warm. (I put a new fan in also). This might just be the real fix everyone was looking for.
1:39 am on November 8th, 2014 116
i have done this twice and both times, they worked. Thank you so much. I did some back up of my files though just in case it wouldn’t work the 3rd time around.ü
10:19 am on November 21st, 2014 117
update on M5030….over six weeks and puter still working fine….fan does come on occasionally but the heat sinks and good heat paste are doing their job. I am typing this update on my old doorstop(M5030). Plan on giving it away now that I know its not a hopeless repair. Still surprised no one addresses the real root problem with this unit which is too much build up of heat. Oh well?
4:14 pm on December 4th, 2014 118
Thank you! Second time was the charm. (I think I didn’t get it hot enough the first time because I didn’t pay close enough attention to really covering over the fan exhaust area tightly). We will probably just pull our files off and transfer them over to a newer, faster, lighter computer, but this was a real help. I wasn’t looking forward to taking it somewhere or taking the hard drive out to rescue the files!
11:03 pm on December 6th, 2014 119
Wow!!! don’t believe this. It just came on. Thanks a mill.
1:07 pm on December 16th, 2014 120
Superstar, fixed my sisters machine nice one buddy
1:53 pm on December 17th, 2014 121
Wrote at the end of June, when I first did reflow. Bought a new laptop (not Dell), but I write this post on Dell machine M5010 which is from June to today, three times did reflow. Once again thanks for the help.
2:45 am on December 24th, 2014 122
Wow! Am I dreaming? It really worked. Thanks bro
10:07 am on December 24th, 2014 123
Thanks it worked great
1:34 pm on December 28th, 2014 124
Worked for mine. I left it wrapped and it turned off on its own. Booted like brand new!
Thank you!
2:48 pm on January 9th, 2015 125
I tried this and it really worked great don’t know why dell would make a product that they wouldn’t fix when this problem first happened once this dell gives up the ghost I will never buy another
12:07 pm on January 14th, 2015 126
Guys u r really an engineer,,, i had the similar problem of seven beeps,,, and i was really frustrated and very sad because for the service of my laptop it will cost around $300 and i don’t have the money,,, but the information shared by u is very helpful and i really thankful to u Man…really really thank u…!!! thanks for the information shared by u… u really saved my money… luv u guys….!!! u r such an engineer…!!!
one more thing i would like to tell u that after working of my laptop again,,, my laptop’s fan is working very fast and it createa a sound like buzzzzzzz,,,, is it any problem in it…kindly tell me sir…!!!
4:09 am on January 15th, 2015 127
is it a permanet solution or i must repair my computer . . ? By lapi do same problem after night. . . . Tell me sir?
5:17 pm on January 23rd, 2015 128
Hi aakash,
This procedure is most likely not permanent. At some point you will need to buy a new motherboard or computer. The video chip on the Dell 5030 is defective.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
11:41 am on February 2nd, 2015 129
Hi Randy Knowles
Dell experienced such problems but is now working perfectly,I’d like to ask if I can still play games on it. call of duty mw3,battlefield 3 and FIFA 14. Thanks
9:36 pm on February 2nd, 2015 130
Hi Dan,
You can do anything you want on the computer, but the video chip problem will most likely return at some point.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
6:02 pm on February 4th, 2015 131
thanks a lot
3:38 pm on February 8th, 2015 132
Hi my I started my PC (dell inspiron M5030), but it just displays blank screen no beeps at all,fan is running. What do you think I should do.
Thanks
8:00 pm on February 11th, 2015 133
Your solution worked perfectly for me about a year ago but alas, I went ahead to give the laptop to a repair shop and they end up returning it to me totally dead, no fan, no beep, no screen. Its been at home since then, but those repair guys told me when they returned it to bring it back later. Do you think I should try?
1:33 am on February 18th, 2015 134
i did the wrap it in a blanket thing and it didnt work for me i need help i have all my beats on the dell inspiron 5030 i tried it 3 times and nothing happen someone help me :(
9:29 am on February 18th, 2015 135
Hi John,
Sounds like your motherboard is toast. Your Hard Drive is probably OK and that is where all of your data is – you won’t lose any of your beats. Remove the Hard Drive from the laptop and at some point you can transfer all of the data to a new machine.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
1:14 am on February 19th, 2015 136
It’s been almost 2 years now that I first experienced the 7 beeps of death and wrapped the computer in a blanket……believe it or not, my computer still works perfectly. I disabled all updates and hibernation (the computer is on 24 hours a day) and only once did the computer turn-off due to a power outage and the 7 beeps returned(I wrapped the computer again and it worked once again)
8:49 am on February 19th, 2015 137
Glad to hear it Mitch! Hope your laptop runs forever!
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
12:55 pm on March 3rd, 2015 138
Thanks so much! The 7 beeps problem happened to me and after reading this article I gave it a go. Am backing up everything as I type – you have made my day!
4:14 pm on March 4th, 2015 139
I too have the 7 beeps on my son’s Dell Inspiron M5030. I called Dell at the given number mentioned above a few times (1-800-288-4410) and the lady on the phone said they would need $269.00 plus tax to fix it.
I demanded to speak with the manager or supervisor. After being on hold for approximately 15 minutes a gentlemen came to the phone. Said Dell has never issued a recall on this computer and that they will not fix it free. I told him that I was on this web site reading all the same problems listing back since 2013 and that I will send this web site to them and post it all over to get everyone aware of this. Could not believe Dell does not stand behind thier products when I am certain they know they produced a piece of JUNK with this laptop.
Anyway, the supervisor said he will have the corporate office call me. I hope they do so I can unleash on them.
I would recommend everyone to flood them with this issue and flood them with the information that you will pass this on to all of your friends and spread the word the Dell does not stand behind thier products.
Hopefully, we will all get Dell’s attention and be taken care of.
12:42 pm on March 5th, 2015 140
hello,
blanket solve problem to my dell m5030 over 100 times…but…now bcs overheating, gpu becomes unstable…in middle of work , specially game, monitor dead….after cooling everything is ok….it is time for new laptop…never again dell…
4:30 pm on March 6th, 2015 141
Been dealing with the 7 beeps of death for over a year. Does anyone know who can fix this and how much it should be? I’ve had bids from Dell $400, some locals at $150 and a place in Boston for $49 plus shipping back and forth. I don’t want to fix it myself, I need some kind of warranty and someone to trust. I live in LV, NV…any ideas?? Is there a Dell certified mechanic who is honest? Please help!
6:08 am on March 21st, 2015 142
You are a genius! Thank you profusely!!!!
1:21 pm on May 4th, 2015 143
Hi! I’m from Argentina. I was skeptical about this solution, but it worked!
First time I left the pc overheating 20 minutes but it was not enough then I tried again, almost 30 minutes, and eureka!
Now, I’m monitoring the temperature of the cpu and moves between 50 and 61 degrees (Cº). Maybe if overheating is prevented this solution last longer.
Thanks Randy!
11:38 am on May 26th, 2015 144
Oh Good Lord! This has to be the weirded fix ever but IT WORKS!! I’m in the middle of chemo and feeling awful but, today, right on cue just like they always do, the computer/laptop did the seven beep trick and I was soooo frustrated and ujpset about it! I just gave up and assumed it had permanently died and went back to bed very fed up. Then came across this post, tried it, left it 10 mins wrapped in towels, blankets, pillows (trust me, I smothered it!) and 20 mins later …. give it 10 seconds, reboot and IT WORKS!! I realize it may not be permanent but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
10:51 pm on May 26th, 2015 145
Glad the fix worked for you Elena,
I’ll say a little prayer that the chemo works and that you will feel better soon.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
1:15 am on June 10th, 2015 146
It took a couple tries, but it worked! I turned it on, wrapped it up in 2 blankets and left it in a room with the door shut. My dogs hated the beeps. I was going to leave it for 30 minutes, but I fell asleep. I think it went for about 45 minutes. When I went to check on it, it had shut itself down, but was really warm. I let it sit for about 10 minutes, pushed the button and it started right up!I have saved all my data to a ext hard drive and will use flash drives from now on. THANK YOU. It may sound strange, but I had nothing to lose!
7:07 pm on July 18th, 2015 147
Hi
I tried your idea and doesn’t work for me even after I put it into a blanket for a half hour any cost effective ideas?
7:17 pm on July 18th, 2015 148
Hi Randy
I tried your idea twice and it did not work for me do you have any other ideas I can ge this computer running from my house?
2:50 pm on July 19th, 2015 149
Read all 146 posts – friend gave me his 4 year old M5030 last year – no 7 beeps YET. NOT ENOUGH COOLING AIR. Raise back of computer at least 1-1/2 inch after “reflow” procedure described by users. THEN PRAY!—–GOOD LUCK!
9:53 am on September 2nd, 2015 150
Very happy I discovered this post. I can’t thank you enough. Had plans to work on my self appraisal today and was very concerned when I turned on my computer this morning and heard the dreadful repeating 7 beeps. I searched to find out what it meant and found out it was an issue with the CPU/Motherboard. While browsing for a self fix, I came across your recommendation to turn on my computer and wrap it up in a towel and blankets. I did this. Wrapped it up tight in a thick towel and grabbed two blankets from the couch and wrapped it some more. Could still hear the awfully loud beeping through the layers, and even when I put it in a back room and shut the door the faint beeping sounds were still audible.
After 30 minutes letting it beep (I set a timer), I uncovered it and allowed it to cool down for about 10 minutes. When I went to start it up after that it started right away.
I changed the settings on my computer so it stays on all the time now and will not turn it off.
Now in the process of transferring my files over to My Book external drive. Knew I should have done this before, but I’m a procrastinator when it comes to doing backups and updates. Hopefully this will be my lesson learned.
Thanks again for sharing this amazing tip. Saved me from having to spend money. I have another computer I can hook the external drive to and will be able to access my work now. You are a life saver, Randy Knowles!
6:51 pm on September 2nd, 2015 151
Thanks for your comment Cathleena. Glad that the ‘fix” worked for you!
Randy Knowles
8:01 am on September 13th, 2015 152
Do you have to strip the laptop down or just wrap it ? Also do you need the power cable connected cheers Gaz
6:14 pm on September 13th, 2015 153
Hello Garrie,
Just wrap the laptop and connect the power cable. Best wishes.
Randy Knowles
4:10 pm on September 17th, 2015 154
Hello Randy,
I had this issue killing me for about 2 months now, googled and came across your fix. It’s incredible how this worked out. the beeps stopped and my laptop came back to life. The only issue i have left is after some time, the screen goes blank, but with a torch light, i can see the display is still working. Don’t know what to do about this. The display light come on periodically, but after like 3 minutes from logging in, it goes off again. Any help would be welcomed. When connected to an external monitor, everything works fine, so i am kind of confused if it’s the display connector or something else. Thanks once more for your help. Peace…
3:11 pm on October 17th, 2015 155
My computer started with that problem about 4 days ago and I went nuts trying to figure out what was the problem. Then I saw this post and I was very excited thinking that I finally had found the solution (I saw that many people here solved the problem). But I tried several times already and it simply doesn’t stop beeping :( I don’t know if I’m warming it enough but it gets quite hot. Is it supposed to be so hot that it is hard to touch? Anyway, should I just accept that my motherboard is gone? Thanks.
7:58 pm on October 17th, 2015 156
Hi Luis,
The laptop should be very hot to the touch after twenty minutes or so with no ventilation whatsoever (wrap it up completely with blankets with only the screen showing). Try it one more time. If this fix doesn’t work then the mobo is beyond repair.
Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
5:09 pm on October 20th, 2015 157
I tried the blanket wrap for 30 minutes,
Then let it cool.
And it worked, but when I turned it off the 7 beeps returned,
So I am trying the wrap again.
I hope it works this time
Thanks
10:29 am on October 29th, 2015 158
It worked, thanks so much. My partner was laughing so hard when I wrapped the laptop…….now I am laughing of happiness. Thanks so much. The closest repair place is 100 miles from where I am, the Amazon jungle.
Seran
9:25 am on November 3rd, 2015 159
OMGosh..It worked!
I am backing up all files now!!THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I am no techy person whatsoever..so when I came across this solution, I thought just go for it. Did not even know about the number of beeps to count. All I know is that this morning, I pushed the power button and heard the beeping and blank screen. I googled a solution, via my cell phone, and came across this and thought this is the oddest of them all, it has to work :)
And work it did!! Thank you, thank you
Peace and everything good and thank you for sharing this solution for all to try.
7:53 pm on November 9th, 2015 160
This really works! First two times at 25 minutes each no good, so I buried the machine with more towels and pillows, and let it sit for 45 minutes. Turned it off for 15 seconds, The thing got really hot, turn it back on and it’s running like a champ. At first I thought this site was some sort of Internet joke, but it really works!
12:13 am on November 25th, 2015 161
Your awesome. It worked. I turned off sleep and hindrance. Hopefully tomorrow it will work. Thank you. Ill let u know.
9:24 am on November 28th, 2015 162
How many days this blanket trick will be work. whats the permanent work we do for it?
7:48 pm on January 7th, 2016 163
It worked!!!!! thank you!!!! The first time that I tried, it didn’t work I guess the laptop wasn’t getting hot enough since I only used one blanket. The second time I tried it I wrapped two blankets and I put another one just on top and the laptop got really hot. I unwrapped it and waited 10 seconds. After that, it started!
6:43 am on March 11th, 2016 164
it worked!!!! thank alot
10:15 pm on March 23rd, 2016 165
I’m trying it now….. will report back.
I do remember reading something about somebody doing this to some kinda laptop top many years ago – but of course I thought they were crazy – lol
Not my lappy but we’ll see :-P
10:56 pm on March 23rd, 2016 166
Yeppers…….
IT WORKS !!!!!
2:14 pm on April 10th, 2016 167
Another fix without exposing the entire computer to heat is to take the motherboard out and bake it at 385 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEV9FFqknsc
4:45 pm on April 21st, 2016 168
I also have a dell inspiron5030 laptop which is about five years old have recently start having the seven beeps and the laptop not turning on. I tried wrapping the lower part of my
laptop in a dry bathtowel with the beeping going on. After at
least a half hour the beeping hadn’t stopped, and I unwrapped the laptop, turn it off an d back on and this really does work.
I’ve found that this is not a permanent solution and after a
couple of days I have to do this again and it works everytime!
I did not need both blanket and bath towel. Just the bathtowel.
Don’t give up. Sometimes you may have to hit the power button three or five times.
8:37 am on May 2nd, 2016 169
Totally works thanks a lot man
9:08 am on June 3rd, 2016 170
i dont think zis will work but am trying it now on my dell M5300
9:53 pm on June 17th, 2016 171
Worked for me! I read about this fix 2 years ago when my Dell laptop developed this problem but i went ahead and paid $130 to have a pro repair it. Also second time it beeped 7 times a year later. This time I read about the blanket fix again and the favorable comments and decided to try. It worked on second attempt and more towels wrapped around.
5:42 am on July 6th, 2016 172
Yeah it works. ..but know have done it for
Over many times but now it doesn’t work any more. ..
5:21 am on September 10th, 2016 173
Believe it or not……it has now been almost 4 YEARS since the “7 beeps of death” affected my M5030. AND…..it STILL WORKS GREAT. I.ve done the blanket trick 5 times on this computer and it works great. Glad I didn’t spend more money on another laptop. I just bought another(used) M5030 that had the 7 beeps for $40……wrapped it up and it works greta, so now I have a back-up laptop. Randy, I’m so glad I found your page. THANK YOU
5:05 pm on September 11th, 2016 174
Good for you Mitch! I’ve fixed several M5030 laptops with this technique but they usually don’t remain fixed for four years. Dell knows about the motherboard problem but most of the time won’t do anything about it. Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
11:14 pm on September 13th, 2016 175
Disassemble down to the motherboard only. Place the motherboard on non-conductive dish or tray and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool, reassemble. I’ve done it several times on several units. the process reflows the solder connections on the video circuitry. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy but IT WORKS!
9:46 pm on September 14th, 2016 176
Thanks for the comment Mike. I do agree that your method will work, but I don’t think it is a practical fix for a “normal” user. How many “normal” users know how to disassemble and the reassemble a laptop? Very few. Best wishes,
Randy Knowles
6:15 am on December 13th, 2016 177
I tried this several times, First leaving it to beep for twenty minutes or so, the problem wasn’t fixed. After about the fourth attempt I left it to beep for about 45 minutes.
I was in the next room listening to it beeping away, then suddenly I heard two beeps then silence, It had shutdown.
I have tried to restart it, It powers up for about a second and then switches off.
It didn’t work, probably needs a new systemboard now and/or cpu.
10:28 am on January 11th, 2017 178
My m5030 fades to black over a period of about 5 minutes (Like renegades question above) I bought a new LCD for it because it did not have an invertor to replace. Same thing with the new screen. Any fixes for it or is the MB toast?
3:55 pm on January 26th, 2017 179
It worked. Wow. I’m impressed.
9:01 pm on March 1st, 2017 180
thank you man, now it works like a charm.
PD: if some of you are wondering why it doesnt work after doing what is recomended in this tutorial, just try one more time, or try leaving the notebook under the towels for a longer period of time.
3:16 pm on March 5th, 2017 181
My laptop only beeps once continually will this fix work for mine as well
10:03 am on June 29th, 2017 182
I tried 2 times , but still not working.
What to do ???
8:49 pm on July 2nd, 2017 183
From a previous comment:
thank you man, now it works like a charm.
PD: if some of you are wondering why it doesnt work after doing what is recomended in this tutorial, just try one more time, or try leaving the notebook under the towels for a longer period of time.
7:46 am on July 19th, 2017 184
I spilled milk on my laptop. Immediately, I took the battery out and switched it off. Cleaned it up and took it for repair. After that they tried to switch it on. It gives the same 7 beeps. They weren’t sure what the problem was. Now, when I came across your post, I’m gonna give it a try. But I’m kinda afraid it will cause fire. Lol. I know I might sound stupid but I’m just making sure. Just wondering if it will work.
10:50 am on August 25th, 2017 185
Thank you so much for putting this online. I was going nuts when some blogs said that I had to replace the CPU. I am so grateful to you. It worked the first time (I left my laptop wrapped for 29 minutes) and I posted this comment using that same laptop.
You are a true lifesaver. You Rock !..!
Those dell community are real trashes.
Thanks a lot.
8:02 am on September 12th, 2017 186
I had the 7 beeps on my Dell 5030 and I used a comforter and covered it for 15 minutes exactly, then held the power button in the off position for 30 seconds. During the 30 seconds the laptop powered on and off twice. On the 30 second mark, the computer powered on again and I let it power up. It started just fine this time. No more beeps! I have no idea how this fixes the computer but it worked. So give it a try if you have the same problem.
6:21 pm on September 16th, 2017 187
Unbelievable! This actually worked! Thank you!! Probably still need to purchase a new laptop…but, at least I haven’t lost all my files!
3:56 am on October 11th, 2017 188
Dell company did not help
8:02 am on January 31st, 2018 189
Wow-2018 and this blanket trick actually worked. I would have never believed it. Last time I took the motherboard out and did the oven trick. This was much easier. The oven solution worked for about 2 years.. curious to see how long this lasts.
4:40 pm on July 11th, 2018 190
It worked!
11:48 am on August 10th, 2018 191
It works but when I press F1 and brings up a screen what do I go from there to reset the motherboard I don’t know what to push.
Do I press F1 F2 do I go to certain settings I don’t know what to do
11:20 am on August 23rd, 2018 192
I have tried this about 4 times with no Sucess, any ideas ????? please advise
my daughter is desperate to get back on her laptop as she needs it for school
9:03 pm on August 23rd, 2018 193
Hi Tracy,
It just may be that the motherboard is completely gone. Try it one more time and follow the instructions to a “T”.
The laptop should be very hot to the touch after about twenty minutes. Best wishes.
Randy The Tech Professor
12:16 pm on November 3rd, 2019 194
This works and I am astounded. My mum’s laptop was “beyond repair” and “no chance to retrieve anything” according to the guys who wanted to charge her £55 for the privilege of “disposing” of the laptop
Yes it gets hot but allowed me to backup everything
Randy The Tech, you are a bloody genius!!!
10:27 pm on November 4th, 2019 195
Thanks Cliff. Anything for your “mum”.
I appreciate the comment.
You are a gentleman and a scholar!
Best wishes,
Randy The Tech Professor
3:08 am on January 7th, 2020 196
Hi,
My laptop is also doing the 7 beeps. However the battery is also not
Working and it’s running off the main AC power supply. Could I still do this while it’s running
Off the mains? Thanks
2:45 pm on January 8th, 2020 197
Hello Aisha,
Yes. Go for it! Let me know how it goes.
Good luck and best wishes,
Randy
1:53 am on March 16th, 2021 198
I have gone through your blog and I really liked it but, I need advice on Dell laptop repair Dubai.
8:44 pm on March 16th, 2021 199
What can I help you with?
10:37 pm on October 17th, 2022 200
Believe it or not, it’s been 8 years since my Dell 5030 had the 7 beeps…I’ve used the towel-rap to fix the issue and it has been working perfectly ever since. I have to keep the lap top running continuously, if I let the screen go black, the 7 beeps returns. Just wanted to thank you Randy, it’s nice to have an extra computer I can use when we lose the electric from hurricanes here in Florida.
9:39 am on October 18th, 2022 201
Thanks Mitch. Really nice to hear from you and I’m glad that your laptop is still going strong.
Be safe there in Florida. A great state and we are all always with you here in Tennessee.
Randy