My Dell Inspiron n5110 (Core i7) makes a strange beep and clicking sound DURING NORMAL OPERATION

Unfortunately I cannot answer your question, however looking at the system tear down, I can't really see anything in the bottom left hand corner that would make a mechanical clicking sound.

The closest mechanical part is the fan + heatsink assembly and then you have your hard drive in the center of the system. Until something starts playing up, it may be hard to diagnose, unless you have parts to swap in to rule out the issue.

You can probably try running the Dell diagnostics, but there is a good chance it won't pick up anything.

Although, bad hard drives do make clicking sounds...

Hi NETMaestro,

Welcome to the Community. Though your system works fine,just to eliminate any hardware failure i suggest you can start by running the Onboard diagnostics.

To run the diagnostics Tap F12 on start up and select diagnostics.

If you get any error message/code please post it back here.

Thank You

Roshan.  

Hi,

I have the same exact problem as NETMaestro. My inspiron N5110 has been making the same click-beep noise for the past couple of months, also from the left side (looking from the top at the keyboard, left hand side).  I've run Onboard Diagnostics a number of times, no errors are found.

I found these complaints. They are from apple users but resemble my symptoms, especially the click + beep description:

discussions.apple.com/.../2049659

The discussion was extensive, but on page one twenty or thirty something or other, the problem was attributed to the harddisk, and solved with a firmware update.

I looked online and I believe there's no update for my harddisk, though I might be wrong (not that computer savvy haha).

I was wondering, NETMaestro, if this was your harddisk's model number: ST9640423AS?

Also wondering if the problem could be fixed by a firmware update, is it something we should be worried about? Thanks in advance for any contributions.

Thanx for your quick reply, Roshan and Joydotelledot :)

Roshan: i've ran the diagnotics, and it finished with no errors, how ever when i raun it with Throught test enabled, it appears to be taking forever in Hard Disk testing, it ran for over 2 hours, so i had to cancel it.

Joydotelledot: well my HDD number is HM641JI, and you know, at first i thought it might be the HDD, but then i ran every HDD testing tool ever know by man kind, and they all return nothing suspicious.

what bothers me the most, is that this beep-click sound happens with no OS awareness at all. everything keeps working as it is, no warnings, no information balloons, nothing.

by the way, this clicking sound sounds almost identical to the sound of DVD-ROM Ejection but not from the DVD-ROM side!

Hi NETMaestro,

The Single Beep, then a clicking sound does that happen when you first start the system? Is there any pattern or timing which you have noticed so far?

Beep codes are used as diagnostic indicator for hardware failure,but that beep sound is suppose to come when you start your system.

Refer to page 54 on the set up manual for your system.To view your system manual click on the link below:

support.dell.com/.../sg_en.pdf

Thank You

Roshan.

well Roshan L, that's the funny part, this beep happens randomly, nothing happens before it or after it, it has no notable time, it's not during boot, reboot, shutdown, nor any power mode change, it lasts less than a second, followed by a mechanical-click sound, like the DVD-ROM eject sound - almost the same -, comes from what most likely to be the Lower-Left corner fan and it doesn't happen because of any extensive heat, because it's not hot in here.

i reviewed the beep codes mentioned in the manual - thanks by the way :) - and nothing leads me to anything, the closest thing is the Single Beep, which is referring to possible system board failure, but it's not that, cuz while this beep is beeping, the system continues to run normally !

Million Thanks in advance :)

Hi,

Since you've run the diagnostics   and also considered the beep codes, it does not look like any hardware failure. More over the system has been running fine.To be on the safer side i recommended you to back up your data   and continue to use the system normally. If in case system stops working or if you need any help you can directly message me.

Please accept my friend request  to be able to send direct message.If you need to send direct message click on my user name and click on start conversation.

Thank you

Roshan.

Hello, i've got exaclty the same issue, same n5110 with the samsung hard drive, its just a little over a month old. And i too notice sometimes a single beep then a click.....the computer keeps acting normal nonetheless. I've also ran all dell diagnostics a few times with no errors. Since seagate now handles samsung hard drive division, i've ran their own diagnostic (long) with no errors.

The beep and click can happen at any time.....sometimes i go for days with it not happening.

I've upgraded the bios firmware to the latest, but that didn't help.

There is no firmware update for the samsung drive.

Hi DanDG,

Welcome to the Community.

I am still working on this issue.Unfortunately right  now i don't have a fix for this problem.

I will keep you posted.

Thank You,

Roshan

DanDG, so sorry to hear that you are having the same problem :(

i wish you all the luck with the tech. support guys

and please keep me posted about how it work, and the source of the error - if any -

and again, good luck, and thanks in advance :)

change the fan and it ll b ok..i had same problem in same model..this model sucks!!

its the fan.... i had same problem in same model and the technician came n fixed it...change the fan n it will be fine.