Computer POST and beep codes

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Computer POST and beep codes

The computer POST (power-on self-test) checks a computer's internal hardware for
compatibility and connection before starting the remainder of the boot process. If
the computer passes the POST, the computer may give a single beep (some
computers may beep twice) as it starts and continue to boot. However, if the
computer fails the POST, the computer will either not beep or generate a beep code
that tells the user the source of the problem.
If your computer has an irregular POST or a beep code not mentioned below, follow the
POST troubleshooting steps to determine the failing hardware component.
AMI BIOS beep codes
Award BIOS beep codes
Dell beep codes
IBM BIOS beep codes
Macintosh startup tones
Phoenix BIOS beep codes
Motherboard help

AMI BIOS beep codes

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Computer POST and beep codes

Below are the AMI BIOS Beep codes that can occur. However, because of the wide variety
of different computer manufacturers with this BIOS, the beep codes may vary.
Beep Code

Descriptions

1 short

DRAM refresh failure

2 short

Parity circuit failure

3 short

Base 64K RAM failure

4 short

System timer failure

5 short

Process failure

6 short

Keyboard controller Gate A20 error

7 short

Virtual mode exception error

8 short

Display memory Read/Write test failure

9 short

ROM BIOS checksum failure

10 short

CMOS shutdown Read/Write error

11 short

Cache Memory error

1 long, 3 short

Conventional/Extended memory failure

1 long, 8 short

Display/Retrace test failed

two-tone siren

Low CPU Fan speed, Voltage Level issue

AWARD BIOS beep codes

Below are Award BIOS Beep codes that can occur. However, because of the wide variety
of different computer manufacturers with this BIOS, the beep codes may vary.
Beep Code
1 long, 2 short

Description
Indicates a video error has occurred and the BIOS cannot
initialize the video screen to display any additional
information

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Computer POST and beep codes

1 long, 3 short

Video card not detected (reseat video card) or bad video

card

Beeps repeating
endlessly

RAM problem.

Repeated high
frequency beeps while
PC is running

Overheating processor (CPU)

Repeated beeps
alternating high & low
frequency

Issue with the processor (CPU), possibly damaged

If any other correctable hardware issues are found, the BIOS displays a message.

Dell beep codes

Beep Code

Description

1 beep

BIOS ROM corruption or failure

2 beeps

Memory (RAM) not detected

3 beeps

Motherboard failure

4 beeps

Memory (RAM) failure

5 beeps

CMOS Battery failure

6 beeps

Video card failure

7 beeps

Bad processor (CPU)

For other Dell beep codes, please refer to Dell's Beep Codes and PSA Diagnostics Chart
page.

IBM BIOS beep codes

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

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Computer POST and beep codes

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.

1 Long and 1 Short Beep

Motherboard issue.

1 Long and 2 Short Beeps

Video (Mono/CGA Display Circuitry) issue.

1 Long and 3 Short Beeps.

Video (EGA) Display Circuitry.

3 Long Beeps

Keyboard or Keyboard card error.

1 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.

Phoenix BIOS beep codes

Below are the beep codes for Phoenix BIOS Q3.07 OR 4.X
Beep Code

Description and what to check

1-1-1-1

Unconfirmed beep code. Reseat RAM chips or replace RAM chips as

possible solution

1-1-1-3

Verify Real Mode.

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Computer POST and beep codes

1-1-2-1

Get CPU Type.

1-1-2-3

Initialize system hardware.

1-1-3-1

Initialize chipset registers with initial POST values.

1-1-3-2

Set in POST flag.

1-1-3-3

Initialize CPU registers.

1-1-4-1

Initialize cache to initial POST values.

1-1-4-3

Initialize I/O.

1-2-1-1

Initialize Power Management.

1-2-1-2

Load alternate registers with initial POST values.

1-2-1-3

Jump to UserPatch0.

1-2-2-1

Initialize keyboard controller.

1-2-2-3

BIOS ROM checksum.

1-2-3-1

8254 timer initialization.

1-2-3-3

8237 DMA controller initialization.

1-2-4-1

Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller.

1-3-1-1

Test DRAM refresh.

1-3-1-3

Test 8742 Keyboard Controller.

1-3-2-1

Set ES segment to register to 4 GB.

1-3-3-1

28 Autosize DRAM.

1-3-3-3

Clear 512K base RAM.

1-3-4-1

Test 512 base address lines.

1-3-4-3

Test 512K base memory.

1-4-1-3

Test CPU bus-clock frequency.

1-4-2-4

Reinitialize the chipset.

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Computer POST and beep codes

1-4-3-1

Shadow system BIOS ROM.

1-4-3-2

Reinitialize the cache.

1-4-3-3

Autosize cache.

1-4-4-1

Configure advanced chipset registers.

1-4-4-2

Load alternate registers with CMOS values.

2-1-1-1

Set Initial CPU speed.

2-1-1-3

Initialize interrupt vectors.

2-1-2-1

Initialize BIOS interrupts.

2-1-2-3

Check ROM copyright notice.

2-1-2-4

Initialize manager for PCI Options ROMs.

2-1-3-1

Check video configuration against CMOS.

2-1-3-2

Initialize PCI bus and devices.

2-1-3-3

Initialize all video adapters in system.

2-1-4-1

Shadow video BIOS ROM.

2-1-4-3

Display copyright notice.

2-2-1-1

Display CPU Type and speed.

2-2-1-3

Test keyboard.

2-2-2-1

Set key click if enabled.

2-2-2-3

56 Enable keyboard.

2-2-3-1

Test for unexpected interrupts.

2-2-3-3

Display prompt Press F2 to enter SETUP.

2-2-4-1

Test RAM between 512 and 640k.

2-3-1-1

Test expanded memory.

2-3-1-3

Test extended memory address lines.

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Computer POST and beep codes

2-3-2-1

Jump to UserPatch1.

2-3-2-3

Configure advanced cache registers.

2-3-3-1

Enable external and CPU caches.

2-3-3-3

Display external cache size.

2-3-4-1

Display shadow message.

2-3-4-3

Display non-disposable segments.

2-4-1-1

Display error messages.

2-4-1-3

Check for configuration errors.

2-4-2-1

Test real-time clock.

2-4-2-3

Check for keyboard errors

2-4-4-1

Set up hardware interrupts vectors.

2-4-4-3

Test coprocessor if present.

3-1-1-1

Disable onboard I/O ports.

3-1-1-3

Detect and install external RS232 ports.

3-1-2-1

Detect and install external parallel ports.

3-1-2-3

Re-initialize onboard I/O ports.

3-1-3-1

Initialize BIOS Data Area.

3-1-3-3

Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area.

3-1-4-1

Initialize floppy controller.

3-2-1-1

Initialize hard disk controller.

3-2-1-2

Initialize local bus hard disk controller.

3-2-1-3

Jump to UserPatch2.

3-2-2-1

Disable A20 address line.

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Computer POST and beep codes

3-2-2-3

Clear huge ES segment register.

3-2-3-1

Search for option ROMs.

3-2-3-3

Shadow option ROMs.

3-2-4-1

Set up Power Management.

3-2-4-3

Enable hardware interrupts.

3-3-1-1

Set time of day.

3-3-1-3

Check key lock.

3-3-3-1

Erase F2 prompt.

3-3-3-3

Scan for F2 key stroke.

3-3-4-1

Enter SETUP.

3-3-4-3

Clear in POST flag.

3-4-1-1

Check for errors

3-4-1-3

POST done - prepare to boot operating system.

3-4-2-1

One beep.

3-4-2-3

Check password (optional).

3-4-3-1

Clear global descriptor table.

3-4-4-1

Clear parity checkers.

3-4-4-3

Clear screen (optional).

3-4-4-4

Check virus and backup reminders.

4-1-1-1

Try to boot with INT 19.

4-2-1-1

Interrupt handler error.

4-2-1-3

Unknown interrupt error.

4-2-2-1

Pending interrupt error.

4-2-2-3

Initialize option ROM error.

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Computer POST and beep codes

4-2-3-1

Shutdown error.

4-2-3-3

Extended Block Move.

4-2-4-1

Shutdown 10 error.

4-3-1-3

Initialize the chipset.

4-3-1-4

Initialize refresh counter.

4-3-2-1

Check for Forced Flash.

4-3-2-2

Check HW status of ROM.

4-3-2-3

BIOS ROM is OK.

4-3-2-4

Do a complete RAM test.

4-3-3-1

Do OEM initialization.

4-3-3-2

Initialize interrupt controller.

4-3-3-3

Read in bootstrap code.

4-3-3-4

Initialize all vectors.

4-3-4-1

Boot the Flash program.

4-3-4-2

Initialize the boot device.

4-3-4-3

Boot code was read OK.

two-tone
siren

Low CPU Fan speed, Voltage Level issue

Additional information
Additional information on the POST and how a computer works?

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What is CPU (Central Processing Unit)?

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You are here: Dictionary > C - Definitions

CPU
Alternately referred to as a processor, central processor, or microprocessor,
the CPU (pronounced sea-pea-you) is the Central Processing Unit of the
computer. A computer's CPU handles all instructions it receives from hardware and
software running on the computer.
Tip: The CPU is often referred to as the brain of the computer. However, it is more
appropriate to refer to software as the brain and the CPU as a very efficient calculator.
Note: Many new computer users may improperly call their computer and sometimes
their monitor the CPU. When referring to your computer or monitor, it is proper to refer
to them as either the "computer" or "monitor" and not a CPU.
The picture below is an example of what the top and bottom of an Intel Pentium
processor. The processor is placed and secured into a compatible CPU socket found on the
motherboard. Processors produce heat so are covered with a heat sink to keep them cool
and running smoothly.

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What is CPU (Central Processing Unit)?

As you can see in the above picture, the CPU chip is usually in the shape of a square or
rectangle and has one notched corner to help place the chip properly into the CPU socket.
On the bottom of the chip are hundreds of connector pins that plug into each of the
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What is CPU (Central Processing Unit)?

corresponding holes in the socket. Today, most CPU's resemble the picture shown above;
however, Intel and AMD have also experimented with slot processors that were much
larger and slid into a slot on the motherboard. Also, over the years there have been
dozens of different types of sockets on motherboards. Each socket only supports specific
types of processors, and each has its own pin layout.

Components of the CPU

In the CPU, the primary components are the ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) that performs
mathematical, logical, and decision operations and the CU (Control Unit) that directs all of
the processors operations.

Over the history of computer processors, the speed (clock speed) and capabilities of the
processor have dramatically improved. For example, the first microprocessor was the Intel
4004 that was released November 15, 1971, and had 2,300 transistors and performed
60,000 operations per second. The Intel Pentium processor pictured above has 3,300,000
transistors and performs around 188,000,000 instructions per second.

Types of CPUs
In the past, computer processors used numbers to identify the processor and help identify
faster processors. For example, the Intel 80486 (486) processor is faster than the 80386
(386) processor. After the replace of the Intel Pentium processor (which would technically
be the 80586), all computer processors started using names like Athlon, Duron, and
Pentium.

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What is CPU (Central Processing Unit)?

Today, in addition to the different names of computer processors there are different
architectures (32-bit and 64-bit), speeds, and capabilities. Below is a list of the more
common types of CPUs for home or business computers.
Note: There are multiple versions for some of these CPU types.
AMD processors

K6-2

Sempron

Turion 64

Phenom X3

Athlon II

K6-III

Athlon 64

Athlon 64 X2

Athlon 6-series

E2 series

Athlon

Mobile Athlon 64

Turion 64 X2

Athlon 4-series

A4 series

Duron

Athlon XP-M

Phenom FX

Athlon X2

A6 series

Athlon XP

Athlon 64 FX

Phenom X4

Phenom II

A8 series
A10 series

Intel processors

4004

Pentium

Pentium 4

Pentium Extreme

Core

8080

Pentium w/

Mobile Pentium

Edition

i3

8086

MMX

4-M

Core Duo

Core

8087

Pentium Pro

Pentium D

Core 2 Duo

i5

8088

Pentium II

Core

80286

Celeron

i7

(286)

Pentium III

80386

Pentium M

(386)

Celeron M

80486
(486)

The AMD Opteron series and Intel Itanium and Xeon series are CPUs used with for servers
and high-end workstation computers.
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What is CPU (Central Processing Unit)?

Some mobile devices, like smartphones

and tablets, use ARM CPUs. These CPUs
are smaller in size, require less power
and generate less heat.
Full list of computer CPU
manufacturers.

CPU history
The CPU was first developed at Intel
with the help of Ted Hoff and others in
the early 1970's. The first processor
released by Intel was the 4004
processor, shown in the picture to the right.
CPU history.

Related pages
How to determine the type and speed of a processor.
How to install a computer processor.
Computer CPU help and support.

Also see: Coprocessor, CPU socket, Dual-core, Logic chip, Motherboard, Parallel
processing, CPU terms, Register

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