Bios Beep Codes

[Dude111]

Award and Phoenix BIOS:

1 short beep: Normal
2 short beeps: CMOS error
1 long and 1 short beep: DRAM error
1 long and 2 short beeps: Video card error
1 long and 3 short beeps: Keyboard error
1 long and 9 short beeps: ROM error
Long continuous beeps: DRAM not installed correctly
Short continuous beeps: Bad power supply

AMI BIOS:

1 short beep: DRAM flash error
2 short beeps: DRAM ECC check error
3 short beeps: DRAM detect error
5 short beeps: CPU error
6 short beeps: Keyboard error
8 short beeps: Video card error
9 short beeps: ROM error
1 long and 3 short beeps: Bad DRAM
1 long and 8 short beeps: Video card error

Phoenix BIOS:

1-1-3 - CMOS read/write failure
1-1-4 - ROM BIOS checksum error
1-2-1 - Programmable interval timer failure
1-2-2 - DMA initialisation failure
1-2-3 - DMA page register read/write failure
1-3-1 - RAM refresh verification failure
1-3-3 - First 64k RAM chip or data line failure
1-3-4 - First 64k RAM odd/even logic failure
1-4-1 - Address line failure first 64k RAM
1-4-2 - Parity failure first 64k RAM
2-_-_ - Faulty Memory
3-1-_ - Faulty Motherboard
3-2-4 - Keyboard controller Test failure
3-3-4 - Screen initialisation failure
3-4-1 - Screen retrace test failure
3-4-2 - Search for video ROM in progress
4-2-1 - Timer tick interrupt in progress or failure
4-2-2 - Shutdown test in progress or failure
4-2-3 - Gate A20 failure
4-2-4 - Unexpected interrupt in protected mode
4-3-1 - RAM test in progress or failure>ffffh
4-3-2 - Faulty Motherboard
4-3-3 - Interval timer channel 2 test or failure
4-3-4 - Time of Day clock test failure
4-4-1 - Serial port test or failure
4-4-2 - Parallel port test or failure
4-4-3 - Math coprocessor test or failure
Low 1-1-2 - System Board select failure
Low 1-1-3 - Extended CMOS RAM failure

HP Multimedia PCs:

Continuous tone - Power supply defective
Many short beeps - Defective motherboard
1 Long - RAM refresh
1 Long, 1 Short - Defective motherboard or RAM-Basic
1 Long, 2 Short - Video Card error
1 Long, 3 Short - Error on EGA card
2 Long, 1 Short - Synchronization of monitor adapter
2 Short - Parity error (incorrect memory checksum)
3 Short - Errors in the first 64K of RAM
4 Short - Timer or counter defective
5 Short - Processor failure or Video RAM
6 Short - Error in keyboard Processor
7 Short - Virtual processor mode det (AT)
8 Short - Incorrect writing to Video RAM
9 Short - Wrong ROM BIOS checksum

IBM IntelliStation and IBM PC:

Beep error code
FRU/Action
1-1-3 CMOS read/write error
1. Run Setup
2. System Board
1-1-4 ROM BIOS check error
1. System Board
1-2-X DMA error
1. System Board
1-3-X
1. Memory Module
2. System Board
1-4-4
1. Keyboard
2. System Board
1-4-X Error detected in first 64 KB of RAM.
1. Memory Module
2. System Board
2-1-1,2-1-2
1. Run Setup
2. System Board
2-1-X First 64 KB of RAM failed.
1. Memory Module
2. System Board
2-2-2
1. Video Adapter (if installed)
2. System Board
2-2-X First 64 KB of RAM failed.
1. Memory Module
2. System Board
2-3-X
1. Memory Module
2. System Board
2-4-X
1. Run Setup
2. Memory Module
3. System Board
3-1-X DMA register failed.
1. System Board
3-2-4 Keyboard controller failed.
1. System Board
2. Keyboard
3-3-4 Screen initialization failed.
1. Video Adapter (if installed)
2. System Board
3. Display

3-4-1 Screen retrace lest detected an error.
1. Video Adapter (if installed)
2. System Board
3. Display
3-4-2 POST is searching for video ROM.
1. Video Adapter (if installed)
2. System Board
4
1. Video Adapter (if installed)
2. System Board
All other beep code sequences.
1. System Board
One long and one short beep during POST. Base 640 KB memory error or shadow RAM error.
1. Memory Module
2. System Board
One long beep and two or three short beeps during POST.(Video error)
1. Video Adapter (if installed)
2. System Board
Three short beeps during POST.
1. See "System board memory" on page 62.
2. System Board
Continuous beep.
1. System Board
Repeating short beeps.
1. Keyboard stuck key?
2. Keyboard Cable
3. System Board

Gateway:
Beeps
Meaning
1 short beep
Normal POST completion
1 long 1 short
Refresh failure
1 long 2 short
Video configuration failed or parity error
1 long 3 short
Base 64 KB memory failure
1 long 4 short
Timer not operational
1 long 5 short
Processor error
1 long 6 short
8042 Gate A20 failure
1 long 7 short
Processor exception interrupt error
1 long 8 short
Display memory R/W error
1 long 9 short
ROM checksum error
1 long 10 short
CMOS shutdown register R/W error
1 long 11 short
Cache memory bad .. Newer Boxes have what we call idiot lights on the back and when you check them against your manual that also will let you know what the problem is.

[quickoldcar]

Handy to know.

[Dino_Martino]

solved one more problem thanks to this! The culprit? A hair in the AGP slot 0_0

[#43 fan]

This top post should be stickyed IMO.

A hair in the AGP slot? Sounds like a personal problem.

But that is a very unique issue I must say.

[Dino_Martino]

I know
I removed the AGP card, and put it back... somehow a hair got in the middle.
No I am not a spaniel...

And it should definatly be sticky.
bios beeps are lifesavers... But not something you know by heart.

[#43 fan]

I know
I removed the AGP card, and put it back... somehow a hair got in the middle.
No I am not a spaniel...

And it should definatly be sticky.
bios beeps are lifesavers... But not something you know by heart.

IP addresses of key servers are something you know by heart. But definitely not BIOS codes. Unless you created them.

[Dino_Martino]

Did I detect some irony? =)

[#43 fan]

Did I detect some irony? =)

No, I haven't created BIOS codes. I'm no electrical engineer that's for sure.

[Dino_Martino]

I meant the IP's, but never mind, we're wondering off

[Dude111]

This top post should be stickyed IMO

Yes and IT IS MY FRIEND

When i posted this thread i asked it to be a sticky cause i assumed it would come in handy to many

[ryanspano7]

hi Dude111, This is ryan. You post the bios beep codes. Tese codes are so benefitial to me because, sometimes my window is fail so i can understand through beep codes .

Thankyou

[B_asit]

From the day of purchasing new motherboard and processor, im facing 2 beeps problem. but my computer works fine. what does it means?

[stroyal]

From the day of purchasing new motherboard and processor, im facing 2 beeps problem. but my computer works fine. what does it means?

Since beep codes are for the most part different with every brand of computer, we would need to at least know what BIOS you have.

1 beep, on most computers, means the memory test went OK.
2 beeps on some is a memory error.

The problem is there are many more beep codes, than the ones on Dudes list.
Even if you have one of the BIOS on Dudes list, computer manufacturers modify them to there own, and end up being different, so we really need the computer brand as well as the BIOS brand.
Even with that, we may not be able to identify it.

[B_asit]

Well as you asking about my pc brand then my answer for you is that i have non branded pc. But i have intel motherboard (not the asus-intel). i have DG41RQ motherboard.

[stroyal]

In that case Intel is the brand.
Here are the beep codes, for what they are worth.
Intel says, they are just for diagnosing, if the computer doesn't start.

Desktop Boards — BIOS beep codes

If it is old enough to be considered legacy board, the 2 beeps mean parity can't be reset.
I doubt you have parity memory, but you could.
Maybe the board is just telling you, you don't have parity memory, and that would not indicate a problem, unless you have parity memory.

[B_asit]

what is the meaning parity memory? i dont know what the thing is, please tell me.

[stroyal]

what is the meaning parity memory? i dont know what the thing is, please tell me.

Parity memory is the kind of memory that checks itself for errors constantly.

It has an extra chip, and few more tracers/connections.

It is usually used for banks, business, and any other computer, where data integrity is critical.

Most boards, won't run parity, memory.
AFAIK most if not all server boards, have parity memory.

In fact, if you are looking, for parity memory on New Egg, you will find it under"Server Memory"

Parity boards, can also run non parity, but non parity boards, can't run parity memory.

Not sure if all parity boards, can run non parity.

There was also a time, when a first release of a chip, required parity, but I can't remember what or when.

It was either at the beginning of Rambus, or DDR, I think, but that was a stability problem.
It was a very short time, and a handful of boards, though.

[stroyal]

Checking your board, it is a non-parity board.

Intel uses another term, for a similar thing, ECC and Non-ECC,( Error-correcting code)
ECC is a higher type of parity, as it can correct errors as well as detect them.

Intel® Desktop Board DG41RQ — System memory

[stroyal]

Checking Wiki, it sounds like parity isn't used anymore, and ECC is what is used.

Parity would actually stop the computer, and give you a message, about the error.
ECC just corrects it, and keeps going.

ECC and Parity memory are slower, than, non-parity, because of extra steps.

RAM parity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[itsupportlondon2]

Good Day! Thanks for posting it here. This one is an interesting post. Glad to find this.