Computer beeps .. major problem ?

Ok My Dell computer oldish one about 3 years i think and running windows XP .. has started making a single beep through the speakers about every 2-4 minutes or so i guess
IT also tossed out the local network ( internet connection via modem) befor this beep thing started
I unplugged the modem when computer was off and left it all off for a while
Plugged modem back in and turened computer on .. am at least able to use internet now just it beeps every 3 minutes
Is this like the beep codes on the system motherboard type thing ? .. as in , is it trying to tell me something like a ram problem or something like that ?

any help from computer experts greatly appreciated
I will just keep use it if there is no big problem with it .. one can get used to a beep through speakers

not an expert..but turn down the volumn on your speakers .. that will stop the annoying beep anyway

lol lol yeah .. is ok its not THAT loud lol lo .. and yeah speakers are only on about 3 out of 10 on volume lol

no idea what it was .. and it went on for about an hour all up .. but what ever it was , it has stopped doing it now and everything seems to be working just fine
Buggered if i know , got me beat totally
Such is life

Is it an overheating device? We have some computers where I work that have heat alarms. At least one of those beeps, another makes a bebblebebble sort of noise, like a quiet siren.

nope was just a beep through speakers .. um buggered if i know .. but its not doing it anymore

Then perhaps it's just a truck.......backing up slowly
or, the internal battery is in need of changing.

No, it'd be a bus, inside a computer.

Could pay to take the cover off and have a look inside, maybe the heat issue could be at fault, if the fan looks chocka a suck with the hoover should clean them out.

It definitely means something. I'd be fairly sure it's overheating. Get the lid off and vacuum out the innards paying special attention to the fan cos with a PC that age there's going to be a whole colony of dust bunnies in there.

Dell uses beep diagnostics for faults. If it does it again, look at the lights on the front, and google the model of your PC with 'beep diagnostic' to find the fault.

If you still have the original manuals that came with your machine check the motherboard manual - it should have a guide in there as to what the beep is for relative to when it makes the noise and the frequency/duration of the beep.

If you don't have the books you will be able to find downloadable versions online.

FWIW I'd had problems with Dell computers quite some time ago and a good friend had his own set of woes ordering a graphics workstation with them and getting dramatically short-changed on the spec' repeatedly.

Good luck!