Computer Error Beep Codes

BIOS Beep Codes

When a computer is first turned on, or rebooted, its BIOS performs a power-on self test (POST) to
test the system's hardware, checking to make sure that all of the system's hardware components
are working properly. Under normal circumstances, the POST will display an error message;
however, if the BIOS detects an error before it can access the video card, or if there is a problem
with the video card, it will produce a series of beeps, and the pattern of the beeps indicates what
kind of problem the BIOS has detected.

What is a BIOS Beep Code?

When you power on a computer the BIOS immediately takes control of the computer and performs
the P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test). At the end of the POST the computer will play an audible 'BEEP'
through either the PC's internal speaker of through speakers attached to the sound card (if you
have a built-in sound chip). If the POST completed successfully without detecting any problems with
then system will play a single short beep to let you know the test is complete and the computer will
continue to startup and load the operating system.

If during the POST the BIOS detects a problem it will normally display a visual error message on the
monitor explaining what the problem is. However, if a problem is detected before the BIOS
initializes the video card, or a video card is not present or not detected then the BIOS will play
several 'BEEPS' through the speaker to let you know there is a problem. Depending on the type of
the BIOS you have the BIOS may play beeps in a specific pattern to indicate what the problem is, or
play the same beep a number of times indicating the problem. It is very important that you pay
close attention to the number and/or pattern of the beeps your computer plays on startup.

The exact meaning of the beep codes depends on the type and version of BIOS that you have. The
three most popular types of BIOS are those made by Award, American Megatrends (AMI) and
Phoenix. The beep codes for these BIOS products are described in this part of the troubleshooter. If
you are using a PC made by a company that writes its own BIOS, you will have to consult your
owner's manual or the company's web site or other technical information for assistance.

Warning: The normal procedure is for a motherboard or computer manufacturer to purchase the
BIOS code from one of these companies and then modify it as they see fit to match what they are
doing with their hardware. So it is possible that the codes may be slightly different for your PC than
what I have here, which is for the generic products. In general, the beep codes are usually identical
or very close to what I have here, but the tests performed by the BIOS can easily be different or be
executed in a different order.

Note: A single beep during the boot process, usually right before the BIOS startup screen is
displayed, is normal and does not indicate a failure as long as the boot continues on.

Beep codes can be in several different patterns, depending on the BIOS that you are using. Some
BIOSes use very simple beep codes in a pattern of varying numbers of short beeps, while others
may mix short and long beeps. The Phoenix BIOS is famous for its complicated beep patterns that
are actually in up to four groups--one or more beeps and then a pause, followed by as many as
three more patterns.

Warning: Despite what the BIOS companies say, these codes are not always that consistent. I have
seen systems that when booted without a video card give just a single beep and not the code that
they are supposed to give when the video card is missing.

THE POST TEST

Each time the computer boots up the computer must past the POST. Below is the common
procedure of the POST:

1. The first step of POST is the testing of the Power Supply to ensure that it is turned on and that
it releases its reset signal.
2. CPU must exit the reset status mode and thereafter be able to execute instructions.
3. BIOS must be readable.
4. BIOS checksum must be valid, meaning that it must be readable.
5. CMOS be accessible for reading.
6. CMOS checksum must be valid, meaning that it must be readable.
7. CPU must be able to read all forms of memory such as the memory controller, memory bus,
and memory module.
8. The first 64KB of memory must be operational and have the capability to be read and written to
and from, and capable of containing the POST code.
9. I/O bus / controller must be accessible.
10. I/O bus must be able to write / read from the video subsystem and be able to read all video
RAM.

Beep Code: Description of Problem:

Short, No power, Bad CPU/MB, Loose
No Beeps
Peripherals
Everything is normal and Computer
One Beep
POSTed fine
Two Beeps POST/CMOS Error
One Long Beep, One Short
Motherboard Problem
Beep
One Long Beep, Two Short
Video Problem
Beeps
One Long Beep, Three Short
Video Problem
Beeps
Three Long Beeps Keyboard Error
Repeated Long Beeps Memory Error
Continuous Hi-Lo Beeps CPU Overheating

If the computer does not pass any of the above tests, your computer will receive an irregular POST.
An irregular POST is a beep code which is different from the standard, which can be either no beeps
at all or a combination of different beeps indicating what is causing the computer not to past the
POST.

Below is a table of the most common AMI, Phoenix and Award BIOS beep codes.

AMI (American Megatrends International) BIOS Beep Codes.

AMI BIOS uses beeps of the same length and pitch. The error is displayed as a
number of beeps. For example, 4 beeps indicated a timer failure.
BEEP CODE MEANING POSSIBLE CAUSE
1 Beep (No video) Memory refresh failure Bad memory
2 Beeps Memory parity error Bad memory
3 Beeps Base 64K mem failure Bad memory
4 Beeps Timer not operational Bad motherboard
5 Beeps Processor error Bad processor
6 Beeps 8042 Gate A20 failure Bad CPU or Motherboard
7 Beeps Processor exception Bad processor
8 Beeps Video memory error Bad video card or memory
9 Beeps ROM checksum error Bad BIOS
10 Beeps CMOS checksum error Bad motherboard
11 Beeps Cache memory bad Bad CPU or motherboard

Award BIOS Beep Codes

Award BIOS uses beeps of varying duration. A long beep will typically last for 2
seconds while a short beep will last only 1 second. Award BIOS also uses beeps
of different frequency to indicate critical errors. If an Award BIOS detects that the
CPU is overheating it may play a high pitched repeating beep while the computer
is running.
BEEP CODE MEANING POSSIBLE CAUSE
1 Long, 2 Short Video adapter failure Bad video adapter
Repeating (Endless loop) Memory error Bad memory or bad connection
1 Long, 3 Short Video adapter failure Bad video adapter or memory
High freq. beeps (while
CPU is overheating CPU fan failure
running)
Repeating High, Low beeps CPU failure Bad processor

Phoenix BIOS Beep Codes

Phoenix BIOS uses beep code patterns to indicate problems. In the table below the '-'
indicates a brief pause between beeps.

Example: 1 - 1 - 2 would sound like BEEP <pause> BEEP <pause> BEEP BEEP
BEEP CODE MEANING POSSIBLE CAUSE
1-1-2 CPU / motherboard failure Bad CPU / motherboard
1-1-3 CMOS read/write failure Bad motherboard
1-1-4 BIOS ROM failure Bad BIOS chip
1-2-1 Timer failure Bad motherboard
1-2-2 DMA failure Bad motherboard
1-2-3 DMA failure Bad motherboard
1-3-1 Memory refresh failure Bad memory
1-3-2 64K memory failure Bad memory
1-3-3 64K memory failure Bad memory
1-3-4 64K memory failure Bad memory
1-4-1 Address line failure Bad memory
1-4-2 Parity error Bad memory
1-4-3 Timer failure Bad motherboard
1-4-4 NMI port failure Bad motherboard
2-1-1 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-1-2 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-1-3 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-1-4 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-2-1 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-2-2 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-2-3 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-2-4 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-3-1 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-3-2 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-3-3 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-3-4 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-4-1 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-4-2 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-4-4 64K memory failure Bad memory
2-4-4 64K memory failure Bad memory
3-1-1 Slave DMA failure Bad motherboard
3-1-2 Master DMA failure Bad motherboard
3-1-3 Interrupt controller failure Bad motherboard
3 - 1 -4 Slave IC failure Bad motherboard
3 - 2 -2 Interrupt Controller failure Bad motherboard
3-2-3 <RESERVED>
3-2-4 Keyboard control failure Bad motherboard
3-3-1 CMOS batter failure Bad CMOS battery
3-3-2 CMOS configuration error Incorrect setting
3-3-3 <RESERVED>
3-3-4 Video memory failure Bad video card or memory
3-4-1 Video init failure Bad video card or memory
4-2-1 Timer failure Bad motherboard
4-2-2 CMOS shutdown failure Bad motherboard
4-2-3 Gate A20 failure Bad motherboard
4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt Bad processor
4-3-1 RAM test failure Bad memory
4-3-3 Timer failure Bad motherboard
4-3-4 RTC failure Bad motherboard
4-4-1 Serial port failure Bad motherboard
4-4-2 Parallel port failure Bad motherboard
4-4-3 Coprocessor failure Bad motherboard or CPU.
Use a different brand of video
9-2-1 Video adapter incompatibility
card

IBM BIOS

Below are IBM BIOS Beep codes that can occur. However, because of the wide variety of models
shipping with this BIOS, the beep codes may vary.

Beep Code Description

No Beeps No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
1 Short Beep Normal POST, computer is ok.
2 Short Beep POST error, review screen for error code.
Continuous Beep No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
Repeating Short Beep No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
One Long and one Short Beep Motherboard issue.
One Long and Two Short Beeps Video (Mono/CGA Display Circuitry) issue.
One Long and Three Short Beeps. Video (EGA) Display Circuitry.
Three Long Beeps Keyboard / Keyboard card error.
One Beep, Blank or Incorrect Display Video Display Circuitry.

MACINTOSH STARTUP TONES

TONES ERROR
Error Tone. (two sets of different tones) Problem with logic board or SCSI bus.
Startup tone, drive spins, no video Problem with video controller.
Powers on, no tone. Logic board problem.
High Tone, four higher tones. Problem with SIMM.