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BIOS Beep Codes Explained

The document provides a comprehensive beep code table used by various BIOS brands to indicate hardware issues during PC startup. It details specific beep sequences and their corresponding errors for different BIOS types, including Award, IBM, AMI, and Phoenix. Additionally, it cites the source of the information as 'The Great Book of Hardware' by Klaus Dembowski.

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16 views2 pages

BIOS Beep Codes Explained

The document provides a comprehensive beep code table used by various BIOS brands to indicate hardware issues during PC startup. It details specific beep sequences and their corresponding errors for different BIOS types, including Award, IBM, AMI, and Phoenix. Additionally, it cites the source of the information as 'The Great Book of Hardware' by Klaus Dembowski.

Translated by

ScribdTranslations
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Beep code table

These sounds are emitted at startup by the small speaker and communicate possible problems.
de los dispositivos de hardware.

It is normal to hear a beep when the PC starts up.

There are BIOS brands that have their own codes, but mainly these are the ones.

No sound --------- faulty power supply.


Constant sound------incorrect power supply voltage.
Long sound------------DRAM error (refresh).
1 long, 1 short--------motherboard error.
1 long, 2 short ------- error in the graphics controller or graphics memory.
1 brief----------------error of the graphics unit controller, also possible DRAM error.
3 brief---------------DRAM error, the most common.
4 brief---------------error in the clock component.
5 brief---------------processor error.
6 short---------------keyboard controller error (8042), Gate-A20 error.
9 brief---------------ROM error.

Now special beep codes from Award BIOS

1 brief---------------Normal, no errors during the POST.


1 short, 2 long------graphic error.
1 short, 3 long------keyboard error.
2 briefs--------------any non-fatal error.

Special codes of IBM

1 Brief----------------Normal, everything fine in the POST.


2 Briefs---------------error in the POST, indication on the monitor.
Constant sound-----power supply error.
1 long, 1 short------motherboard error.
1 long, 2 short-----graphic error (Mono/CGA)
1 long, 3 short-----Graphic Error (EGA)
3 long ones----------------keyboard error.

AMI brand BIOS

1 brief--------------DRAM refresh error.


2 brief-------------parity error.
3 briefs-------------RAM error (64 k Base).
4 Briefs-------------clock error.
5 briefings-------------processor error.
6 briefs-------------keyboard error.
7 briefs-------------virtual mode error.
8 briefs-------------general graphics memory error.
9 brief-------------error in checksum of ROM-BIOS.
1 short, 3 long---error Base/Extended-Memory.
1 long, 8 short---Incorrect graphic memory test.
The BIOS codes from Phoenix are special. They do not differentiate between long and short sounds but are
formed by sequences of sounds.

1, 2 and 3 beeps--------CMOS error.


1, 1 and 4 --------------- ROM BIOS checksum error.
1, 2 AND 1 ---------------CLOCK ERROR.
1, 2 and 2 ---------------DMA initialization error.
1, 2 and 3 --------------- DMA Page Register error.
1, 3 and 1 --------------- RAM refresh error.
1, 3 and 3 ---------------RAM error (64 kb).
1, 4 and 2 --------------- parity error, 64 Kb RAM.
1, 4, and 3 ---------------error Fail-Safe-Timer (EISA).
1, 4, and 4 --------------- NMI port error (EISA).
2, 1 and 1 --------------- error of 64 Kb RAM.
2, 1 and 4 ---------------RAM error (64 Kb).
2, 2 and 1 --------------- RAM error (64 Kb).
2, 2 and 4 ---------------RAM error (64 Kb).
2, 3 and 1 ---------------RAM error (64 Kb).
2, 3 and 4 ---------------RAM error (64 Kb).
2, 4 and 1 ---------------RAM error (64 Kb).
3, 1 and 1 ---------------error in the first DMA controller.
3, 1 and 2 ---------------error in the second DMA controller.
3, 1 and 3 --------------- error in the first interrupt controller.
3, 1 and 4 ---------------error in the second interrupt controller.
3, 2 and 4 ---------------keyboard controller error.
3, 3 and 4 --------------- graphic memory error.
3, 4 and 2 ---------------graphics card error.
4, 2 and 1 ---------------Timer-Tick error.
4, 2 and 2 ---------------Shutdown error (Reset).
4, 2 and 3 --------------- Gate-A20 error.
4, 2 and 4 --------------- An unexpected interruption has occurred in protected mode.
4, 3 and 1 ---------------error test RAM (>64 Kb).
4, 3 and 2 ---------------error in clock 2.
4, 3 and 4 ---------------Realtime-Clock error.
4, 4 and 1 ---------------serial port error.
4, 4 and 2 --------------- parallel port error.
4, 4 and 3 ---------------Mathematical coprocessor defect.

I obtained all the code tables from a very good book about hardware titled The Great Book.
the hardware of Klaus Dembowski (Boixareu editorial).

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