Why you need a BIOS:
1. When the computer boots, it checks for the presence of the main hardware and its performance. If, for example, the RAM, processor, or other device necessary for the PC to work is “burned out”, the BIOS will signal with a special sound (the set of signals will be different for each component).
2. The BIOS loads the bootloader, which in turn loads the OS.
3. The BIOS allows the OS to communicate with peripheral equipment.
4. The BIOS allows you to configure many hardware components, monitor their status and operation parameters. The settings made by the user are saved there, for example, the current date and time, it allows you to turn on / off the equipment built into the motherboard.
To determine the type of BIOS
I recommend looking at the time of boot, usually in the upper left part of the screen there is information about the manufacturer and BIOS version, or go to BIOS settings, usually by pressing the Delete key several times after turning on the PC.
UEFI BIOS
|
Error Description |
|
|
1 short |
|
|
2 short |
There are non-critical errors. |
|
3 long |
An error was thrown by the keyboard controller |
|
1 short + 1 long |
Faulty RAM |
|
1 long + 2 short |
The error is signaled by the video card |
|
1 long + 3 short |
Video memory error |
|
1 long + 9 short |
Error while reading from ROM |
|
Continuous short beeps |
Power supply failure or random access memory |
|
Continuous long beeps |
RAM problems |
|
Alternating long and short beeps |
Processor failure |
|
Continuous signal |
Indicates problems with the power supply |
| Beep sequence | Bios error description |
| 1 short | Successful POST |
| 1 beep and blank screen | Faulty video system |
| 2 short | Monitor not connected |
| 3 long | Faulty motherboard (keyboard controller error) |
| 1 long 1 short | Faulty motherboard |
| 1 long 2 short | Faulty video system (Mono/CGA) |
| 1 long 3 short | Faulty video system (EGA/VGA) |
| Repetitive short | Faults are related to the power supply or motherboard |
| Continuous | Problems with the power supply or motherboard |
| Missing | Faulty power supply, motherboard, or speaker |
| Beep sequence | Error Description |
| 1 short | Successful POST |
| 2 short | Minor bugs found. A prompt to enter appears on the monitor screen to the CMOS Setup Utility program and correct the situation. Check the fastening loops in connectors hard drive and motherboard. |
| 3 long | Keyboard controller error |
| 1 short 1 long | Random Access Memory (RAM) Error |
| 1 long 2 short | Video card error |
| 1 long 3 short | Video memory error |
| 1 long 9 short | Error while reading from ROM |
| Repetitive short | Problems with the power supply; RAM problems |
| recurring long | RAM problems |
| Repetitive high-low frequency | CPU issues |
| Continuous | Problems with the power supply |
| Beep sequence | Error Description |
| 1 short | No errors found, PC is OK |
| 2 short | RAM parity error or you forgot to turn off your scanner or printer |
| 3 short | Error in the first 64 KB of RAM |
| 4 short | System timer failure |
| 5 short | CPU issues |
| 6 short | Keyboard controller initialization error |
| 7 short | Motherboard problems |
| 8 short | Video card memory error |
| 9 short | BIOS checksum is incorrect |
| 10 short | CMOS write error |
| 11 short | Cache error located on the motherboard |
| 1 long 1 short | Problems with the power supply |
| 1 long 2 short | Video Card Error (Mono-CGA) |
| 1 long 3 short | Video card error (EGA-VGA) |
| 1 long 4 short | No video card |
| 1 long 8 short | Problems with the video card or the monitor is not connected |
| 3 long | RAM - Read/Write test completed with an error. Reinstall the memory or replace with a good module. |
| Missing and blank screen | Processor defective. Probably bent (broken) contact leg of the processor. Check the processor. |
| Continuous beep | Power supply failure or computer overheating |
AST BIOS
| Beep sequence | Error Description |
| 1 short | Error while checking processor registers. Processor failure |
| 2 short | Keyboard controller buffer error. Keyboard controller malfunction. |
| 3 short | Keyboard controller reset error. Malfunction of the keyboard controller or system board. |
| 4 short | Keyboard communication error. |
| 5 short | Keyboard input error. |
| 6 short | System board error. |
| 9 short | BIOS ROM checksum mismatch. Faulty BIOS ROM chip. |
| 10 short | System timer error. The system timer chip is faulty. |
| 11 short | Chipset error. |
| 12 short | Power management register error in NVRAM. |
| 1 long | DMA controller 0 error. Faulty channel 0 DMA controller chip. |
| 1 long 1 short | DMA controller error 1. Faulty channel 1 DMA controller chip. |
| 1 long 2 short | Error damping the reverse motion of the vertical scan. The video adapter may be defective. |
| 1 long 3 short | Error in video memory. Faulty video adapter memory. |
| 1 long 4 short | Video adapter error. Faulty video adapter. |
| 1 long 5 short | Memory error 64K. |
| 1 long 6 short | Failed to load interrupt vectors. BIOS was unable to load interrupt vectors into memory |
| 1 long 7 short | Failed to initialize video hardware. |
| 1 long 8 short | Video memory error. |
Sound signals Phoenix BIOS consists of several series of short beeps that follow at some interval. For example, a signal with the code 1-2-3 will sound like this: one short beep, pause, two short beeps, pause, three short beeps.
|
Signal |
Meaning (decryption) |
|
Error when reading data from the built-in memory chip CMOS |
|
|
CMOS chip checksum error |
|
|
Error on the system board |
|
|
Motherboard DMA controller error |
|
|
Error reading or writing data to one of the DMA channels |
|
|
Error in RAM |
|
|
Error of the first 64 KB of main memory |
|
|
System board error |
|
|
RAM test error |
|
|
2-1-1 to 2-4-4 |
Error in one of the bits of the first 64 KB of RAM |
|
Error in first DMA channel |
|
|
Error in second DMA channel |
|
|
Interrupt handling error |
|
|
Motherboard interrupt controller error |
|
|
Keyboard controller error |
|
|
Video adapter error |
|
|
Video memory test error |
|
|
Error while searching video memory |
|
|
System timer error |
|
|
Completion of testing |
|
|
Keyboard controller error |
|
|
Error CPU |
|
|
RAM test error |
|
|
System timer error |
|
|
Real time clock error |
|
|
Serial port error |
|
|
Parallel port error |
|
|
Math coprocessor error |
|
|
Error in the operation of adapters that have their own BIOS |
|
|
BIOS checksum calculation error |
|
|
RAM error |
|
|
Keyboard controller error |
|
|
Errors when testing RAM |
|
|
Error while handling unexpected interrupts |
The sequence of sound signals, description of errors without a table:
1-1-2 Processor test error. The processor is defective. Replace processor
1-1-3 Error writing/reading data to/from CMOS memory.
1-1-4 An error was detected while calculating the checksum of the BIOS content.
1-2-1 Motherboard initialization error.
1-2-2 or 1-2-3 DMA controller initialization error.
1-3-1 Error initializing RAM refresh circuit.
1-3-3 or 1-3-4 Error initializing the first 64 KB of RAM.
1-4-1 Motherboard initialization error.
1-4-2 Error initializing RAM.
1-4-3 System timer initialization error.
1-4-4 Write/read error to/from one of the I/O ports.
2-1-1 An error was detected while reading/writing the 0th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-1-2 An error was detected while reading/writing the 1st bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-1-3 An error was detected while reading/writing the 2nd bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-1-4 An error was detected while reading/writing the 3rd bit (hexadecimal) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-2-1 An error was detected while reading/writing the 4th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-2-2 An error was detected while reading/writing the 5th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-2-3 An error was detected while reading/writing the 6th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-2-4 An error was detected while reading/writing the 7th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-3-1 An error was detected while reading/writing the 8th bit (hexadecimal) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-3-2 An error was detected while reading/writing the 9th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-3-3 An error was detected while reading/writing the 10th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-3-4 An error was detected while reading/writing the 11th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-4-1 An error was detected while reading/writing the 12th bit (hexadecimal) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-4-2 An error was detected while reading/writing the 13th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-4-3 An error was detected while reading/writing the 14th bit (hexadecimal) of the first 64 KB of RAM
2-4-4 An error was detected while reading/writing the 15th bit (in hexadecimal notation) of the first 64 KB of RAM
3-1-1 Error initializing the second DMA channel.
3-1-2 or 3-1-4 Error initializing the first DMA channel.
3-2-4 Keyboard controller initialization failed.
3-3-4 Video memory initialization error.
3-4-1 Serious problems occurred while trying to access the monitor.
3-4-2 Failed to initialize the BIOS of the video card.
4-2-1 System timer initialization error.
4-2-2 Test completed.
4-2-3 Keyboard controller initialization failed.
4-2-4 Critical error when CPU enters protected mode.
4-3-1 RAM initialization error.
4-3-2 First timer initialization error.
4-3-3 Second timer initialization error.
4-4-1 Error initializing one of the serial ports.
4-4-2 Parallel port initialization error.
4-4-3 Math coprocessor initialization error.
Long, incessant beeps - the motherboard is faulty.
The sound of a siren from high to low frequency - the video card is faulty, check the electrolytic capacities for leakage or replace everything with new ones that are known to be good.
Continuous signal - the CPU cooler is not connected (faulty).
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Greetings, friends! Today I will tell you about BIOS beeps. You may have noticed that when you turn on your computer, it beeps or, in other words, beeps. In fact, this is beeping your computer's BIOS, thereby telling you if everything is fine with your computer or if there are any problems. Let's try to understand this topic in as much detail as possible.
What do BIOS beeps mean when you turn on your computer?
Whatever BIOS is installed on your motherboard, you should hear one short beep when you turn on the PC. This means that everything is working fine and after it will start Windows boot. However, sometimes the opposite is true. The BIOS squeaks like crazy, and the computer either does not turn on at all, or else the inclusion ends on the very first black screen - the BIOS bootloader.
This is where today's knowledge will come in handy. Because by this beeping you can determine what exactly is out of order in your PC.
Well, have you already looked at what BIOS you have? Now you can look at the decoding of BIOS audio signals.
AMI BIOS beeps. Full transcript
| 1 short | Everything is working properly. Pay no attention to him. |
| 2 short | The RAM is not working properly or is defective. Try to parse system unit, remove the RAM from the slots and insert it back. Perhaps this will solve the problem. Otherwise, you will have to contact a service center or buy a new RAM. |
| 3 short | Almost the same as 2 short beeps. Do the same as in the previous paragraph. |
| 4 short | You have something wrong with the system timer on the motherboard. Try resetting BIOS to factory settings. If that doesn't help, then try replacing the battery, it's cheap. |
| 5 short | One of the worst mistakes ever. Your CPU is faulty. A simple restart of the computer may or may not help. |
| 6 short | Check if the keyboard is connected properly. If yes, but the BIOS still beeps, then you will either have to replace the keyboard or repair the connector on the motherboard. |
| 7 short | It's also scary. The motherboard is faulty. And it would seem that 7 - lucky number. Such a surprise. |
| 8 short | Transcendent to your video card. Although, try to pull it out and insert it back into the slot, maybe that will help. In the same case, if the video card is integrated, you will have to replace the entire motherboard or take it to a service center. Although I would not advise, if they fix it, then not for long. |
| 9 short | You need to update or flash the BIOS of your computer. |
| 10 short | CMOS memory error. Take it to the service center, they will help you. |
| 11 short | This error is also related to RAM. |
| 1 long and 1 short | The power supply is not working properly (or not working at all, you know better). |
| 1 long and 4 short | The video card is not connected. Have you forgotten anything? |
| 1 long and 8 short | You have not connected a monitor or the video card has a problem with displaying images on the monitor. |
| 3 long | RAM is not working properly. |
| 5 short and 1 long | There is no RAM. Insert it please. |
| Infinitely long | This is either overheating of the computer, or problems in the operation of the computer's power supply. So the BIOS beeps, which has stress, shock and severe panic. |
Decoding of BIOS AWARD audio signals
| 1 short | It's all right, don't worry. |
| 2 short | Minor error in BIOS settings. Enter BIOS settings and reset it to optimal settings or undo your last setting if you remember exactly what you changed. |
| 3 long | This is a keyboard. Try restarting your computer. |
| 1 short and 1 long | RAM is not working properly. Disassemble the system unit, remove the RAM from the slots and insert it back. If the problem persists, then you will have to contact the service center or buy new RAM. |
| 1 long and 2 short | Problems with the video adapter, or rather video memory. Perhaps everything will be fixed if you remove the video card from the slot and insert it back. If the video card is integrated, you will either have to switch to a discrete one or replace the motherboard. |
| 1 long and 3 short | Keyboard connection error. Try another keyboard if you have one. If the BIOS keeps beeping, then most likely the problem lies in the motherboard. |
| 1 long and 9 short | BIOS needs to be flashed. It is better to do this at a service center if you are not sure that you can handle it yourself. And then you can lose the motherboard forever. |
| Infinitely repeating short signal | Problems with the power supply. It is buggy and can burn other components of your computer. |
| Infinitely repeating long beep | BIOS AWARD beeps in this way if your RAM is damaged. Possibly just one of the bars. Try it one by one |
Here's how Phoenix BIOS beeps in a special way
BIOS Phoenix squeaks a little differently than its counterparts. It is more melodic, if I may say so in this context. Phoenix BIOS dot beeps alternate with pauses between them. And absolutely all the signals of that BIOS are always short.
| 1-1-2, | BIOS detected errors in the operation of the central processor. |
| 1-1-3 | Error reading information from the CMOS memory of the motherboard. |
| 1-3-2 | Unable to run RAM test. |
| 1-3-3, 1-3-4 |
One of the RAM controllers is damaged. |
| 1-4-1, | These BIOS beeps indicate errors in RAM. |
| 3-3-1 | The battery on the motherboard is dead or low. |
| 3-3-4, | BIOS errors indicating the incorrect operation of the video adapter. |
| 4-2-3 | Check keyboard connection. |
BIOS does not beep when you turn on the PC
Quite often it happens that when you turn on the PC, the BIOS does not beep at all. Why? Depends on the specific situation. To be in the subject, first you need to know what a speaker is and why you need it.
What is a motherboard speaker?
Motherboard speaker is a miniature tweeter that warns the user of malfunctions in your computer even before it is turned on. In other words, the speaker is a means of displaying information about the state of the computer. Also, the speaker is a device that emits BIOS beeps!
Here is what the speaker looks like on the motherboard. It is he who helps to emit BIOS signals!
Some reasons why the PC may not beep at startup
It often happens that manufacturers budget computers(and not only budget ones) they either forget to install the speaker on the motherboard, or deliberately save on this spare part. Accordingly, the BIOS does not beep, because there is simply nothing to beep. If you urgently need to diagnose a problem with your computer, you can simply borrow a speaker from your friend for a day. Fortunately, pulling it out and inserting it will not be difficult for you.
Another reason why you may not hear BIOS beeps when you turn on the computer is that you accidentally touched it or pulled it, and it just detached a little. In this case, insert it more tightly and everything will squeak with you. By the way, there are also such motherboards in which the speaker does not disconnect at all.
BIOS does not beep on laptops, because the speaker is not installed on them for aesthetic reasons. Imagine if every time you turn on your laptop, it gave you a characteristic, high-frequency signal. It's annoying.
Especially if the wife has already fallen asleep, and you decide to play tanks in secret, turn on the laptop, and here you are BEEEEEEE!!! The wife immediately woke up and filled you with a star. In general, the speaker is not so relevant on a laptop.
Although some laptops can output similar beeps through external speakers and even through headphones. Everyone who encounters this is trying to get rid of this squeak (peep) as soon as possible by any means.
Where and how to connect the speaker on the motherboard?
You will need to know this if you still decide to borrow the missing speaker from a friend or buy it. When you took the speaker out of a friend's motherboard, you should have noticed that the place of its connection is marked with characteristic inscriptions, most often it appears there speaker or spk or spkr. Polarity for the speaker does not matter, so you can connect the speaker accurately.
A few examples of motherboards with marked places for connecting a speaker.
Useful video about BIOS signals
Summarizing
The article turned out to be quite voluminous, but I hope it helped you understand today's topic. At a minimum, you can now connect the speaker to the motherboard and know why you need it. We also examined the decoding of sound signals for the main and most popular BIOS versions. If your BIOS version differs from those considered, then just specify your query in the search engine, for example " decoding sound signals BIOS IBM / DELL».
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I am often asked what it means BIOS beeps when PC is turned on. In this article, we will take a closer look at BIOS sounds depending on the manufacturer, the most likely errors and how to fix them. In a separate paragraph, I will tell 4 simple ways how to find out the manufacturer of the BIOS, and also let me remind you of the basic principles of working with hardware.
Let's get started!
1. What BIOS beeps are for
Every time you turn it on, you hear the computer beeping. Often this is the one that is heard from the speaker of the system unit. It means that the POST diagnostic program completed successfully and did not find any problems. After that, the download of the installed operating system.
If your computer does not have a system speaker, then you will not hear any sounds. This is not an indication of a bug, it's just that the manufacturer of your device decided to save money.
Most often, I observed this situation with laptops and DNS desktops (now they release their products under the DEXP brand). "What threatens the lack of dynamics?" - you ask. It seems to be such a trifle, and the computer works fine even without it. But if the video card cannot be initialized, it will not be possible to identify and fix the problem.
If problems are detected, the computer will emit an appropriate beep - a certain sequence of long or short beeps. You can decipher it using the instructions for the motherboard, but who among us keeps such instructions? Therefore, in this article, I have prepared tables for you with the decoding of BIOS sound signals that will help you identify the problem and fix it.
In modern motherboards, the system speaker is built-in.
Attention! All manipulations with the hardware configuration of the computer should be carried out if it is completely disconnected from the mains. Before opening the case, be sure to remove the power plug from the socket.
2. How to find out the BIOS manufacturer
Before looking for a decoding of computer sounds, you need to find out the manufacturer of the BIOS, since their sound signals differ significantly.
2.1. Method 1
You can make "identification" in various ways, the simplest - look at the screen while loading. At the top, the manufacturer and BIOS version are usually indicated. To capture this moment press the Pause key on your keyboard. If instead of the necessary information you see only the splash screen of the motherboard manufacturer, press Tab.
The two most popular BIOS manufacturers are AWARD and AMI
2.2. Method 2
Go to BIOS. I wrote in detail about how to do this. Browse the sections and find the item - System Information. The current BIOS version should be indicated there. And at the bottom (or top) of the screen, the manufacturer will be indicated - American Megatrends Inc. (AMI), AWARD, DELL, etc.
2.3. Method 3
One of the fastest ways to find out the BIOS manufacturer is to use the Windows + R hotkeys and enter the MSINFO32 command in the Run line that opens. Thus it will be launched System Information utility, with which you can get all the information about the hardware configuration of the computer.
Launching the System Information utility
It can also be launched from the menu: Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information
You can find out the BIOS manufacturer through "System Information"
2.4. Method 4
Use third party programs, they were described in detail in. Most often used CPU-Z, it is absolutely free and very simple (you can download it on the official website). After starting the program, go to the "Board" tab and in the BIOS section you will see all the information about the manufacturer:
How to find BIOS manufacturer using CPU-Z
3. Decoding BIOS signals
After we have figured out the type of BIOS, you can begin to decipher the sound signals, depending on the manufacturer. Consider the main ones in the tables.
3.1. AMI BIOS - beeps
AMI BIOS (American Megatrends Inc.) since 2002 is most popular manufacturer in the world. In all versions, the successful completion of the self-test is one short beep , after which the installed operating system is loaded. Other AMI BIOS beeps are listed in the table:
| Signal type | Decryption |
| 2 short | RAM parity error. |
| 3 short | Error of the first 64 KB of RAM. |
| 4 short | |
| 5 short | CPU failure. |
| 6 short | Keyboard controller error. |
| 7 short | Motherboard failure. |
| 8 short | Video card memory failure. |
| 9 short | BIOS checksum error. |
| 10 short | Unable to write to CMOS. |
| 11 short | RAM error. |
| 1 dl + 1 box | Computer power supply failure. |
| 1 dl + 2 kor | |
| 1 dl + 3 kor | Video card error, RAM malfunction. |
| 1 dl + 4 kor | The video card is missing. |
| 1 dl + 8 kor | The monitor is not connected, or problems with the video card. |
| 3 long | RAM problems, test ended with an error. |
| 5 cor + 1 dl | There is no RAM. |
| Continuous | Problems with the power supply or overheating of the PC. |
No matter how trite it may sound, but I advise my friends and clients in most cases turn off and turn on the computer. Yes, this is a typical phrase from the guys from your provider's technical support, but it really helps! However, if after the next reboot, squeaks are heard from the speaker that are different from the usual one short beep, then you need to fix the problem. I will talk about this at the end of the article.
3.2. AWARD BIOS Signals
Like AMI, one short beep AWARD BIOS signals a successful self-test and the start of the operating system startup. What do other sounds mean? Let's look at the table:
| Signal type | Decryption |
| 1 recurring short | Problems with the power supply. |
| 1 repetitive long | RAM problems. |
| 1 long + 1 short | RAM failure. |
| 1 long + 2 short | Video card error. |
| 1 long + 3 short | Keyboard problems. |
| 1 long + 9 short | Error reading data from ROM. |
| 2 short | Minor malfunctions |
| 3 long | Keyboard controller error |
| continuous sound | Power supply defective. |
3.3. Phoenix BIOS
PHOENIX has very characteristic "beeps", they are written in the table differently from AMI or AWARD. In the table they are indicated as combinations of sounds and pauses. For example, 1-1-2 would sound like one beep, pause, another beep, another pause, and two beeps.
| Signal type | Decryption |
| 1-1-2 | CPU error. |
| 1-1-3 | Unable to write to CMOS. Probably the battery on the motherboard is dead. Motherboard failure. |
| 1-1-4 | Invalid BIOS ROM checksum. |
| 1-2-1 | Faulty programmable interrupt timer. |
| 1-2-2 | DMA controller error. |
| 1-2-3 | Error reading or writing DMA controller. |
| 1-3-1 | Memory refresh error. |
| 1-3-2 | RAM test does not run. |
| 1-3-3 | Faulty RAM controller. |
| 1-3-4 | Faulty RAM controller. |
| 1-4-1 | Error address bar RAM. |
| 1-4-2 | RAM parity error. |
| 3-2-4 | Keyboard initialization error. |
| 3-3-1 | The battery on the motherboard is dead. |
| 3-3-4 | Video card failure. |
| 3-4-1 | Video adapter failure. |
| 4-2-1 | System timer malfunction. |
| 4-2-2 | CMOS termination error. |
| 4-2-3 | Keyboard controller failure. |
| 4-2-4 | CPU error. |
| 4-3-1 | Error in RAM test. |
| 4-3-3 | Timer error |
| 4-3-4 | RTC error. |
| 4-4-1 | Serial port failure. |
| 4-4-2 | Parallel port failure. |
| 4-4-3 | Coprocessor malfunction. |
4. The most popular BIOS sounds and their meaning
I could make a dozen more different tables for decoding beeps for you, but I decided that it would be much more useful to pay attention to the most popular BIOS beeps. So, what are users most often looking for:
- one long two short BIOS beeps- almost certainly this sound does not bode well, namely problems with the video card. The first step is to check if the video card is fully inserted into the motherboard. Oh, by the way, how long have you been? After all, one of the reasons for problems with loading can be banal dust that has clogged into the cooler. But back to the problems with the video card. Try pulling it out and cleaning the contacts with an eraser. It will not be superfluous to make sure that there are no debris or foreign objects in the connectors. Does the error still occur? Then the situation is more complicated, you will have to try to boot a computer with an integrated "vidyuha" (provided that it is on the motherboard). If it boots up, it means that the problem is in the removed video card and you can’t do without replacing it.
- one long BIOS beep on power up- Possibly memory problems.
- 3 short BIOS beeps- RAM error. What can be done? Remove the RAM modules and clean the contacts with an eraser, wipe with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol, try to swap the modules. It is also possible. If the RAM modules are working, the computer will boot.
- 5 short BIOS beeps- Faulty processor. Very unpleasant sound, isn't it? If the processor was installed for the first time, check its compatibility with the motherboard. If everything worked before, but now the computer squeaks like a cut, then you need to check whether the contacts are clean and even.
- 4 long BIOS beeps- low speed or stop of the CPU fan. You need to either clean it or replace it.
- 1 long 2 short BIOS beeps- problems with the video card or malfunction of the RAM connectors.
- 1 long 3 short BIOS beeps- either problems with the video card, or problems with RAM, or keyboard errors.
- two short BIOS beeps – see the manufacturer to clarify the error.
- three long BIOS beeps- problems with RAM (the solution to the problem is described above), or problems with the keyboard.
- BIOS signals are too short- you need to count exactly how many short signals.
- Computer won't boot and no BIOS signal- the power supply is faulty, the processor is not working properly, or the system speaker is missing (see above).
From my own experience, I can say that quite often all problems with loading a computer are due to poor contact between various modules, such as RAM or a video card. And, as I wrote above, in some cases a regular reboot helps. Sometimes you can solve the problem, or by resetting the system board settings.
Attention! If you doubt your abilities, it is better to entrust diagnostics and repairs to professionals. You should not take risks, and then blame the author of the article for what he is not guilty of :)
- To solve the problem, it is necessary pull out the module from the connector, remove dust and reinsert. Contacts can be carefully cleaned and wiped with alcohol. It is convenient to use a dry toothbrush to clean the connector from dirt.
- Don't forget to spend visual inspection. If some elements are deformed, have a black coating or streaks, the cause of problems with loading the computer will be in full view.
- Let me also remind you that any manipulations with the system unit should be performed only when power off. Don't forget to remove static electricity. To do this, it will be enough to take hold of the computer system unit with both hands.
- Dont touch to the pins of the microcircuit.
- Do not use metal and abrasive materials to clean the contacts of the RAM or video card modules. For this purpose, you can use a soft eraser.
- sober evaluate your possibilities. If your computer is under warranty, it is better to use the services of specialists service center than to delve into the “brains” of the machine on your own.
If you have any questions - ask them in the comments to this article, we will figure it out!
Compared to the beeps of other BIOS manufacturers, AMI BIOS beeps are very diverse. In most cases, these beeps allow you to identify a malfunction even at the stage of booting the computer and the POST hardware test procedure. As a rule, to determine the component that causes the problem, you only need to count the number of signals emitted by the system speaker.
Below are the beeps emitted by the BIOS AMI. In all cases, the number of signals and their type (long/short) are indicated.
- No signals
This situation is perhaps the most unpleasant of those that a user may encounter. As a rule, it means that the power is not supplied to the motherboard or the BIOS is completely faulty. No power to the motherboard usually means either a faulty/broken power cable or a faulty computer power supply.
- one short
A single short beep is the same beep that all users are used to hearing every time they start their PC. It means that no errors or problems were found during the hardware check, and the computer can boot further.
- long continuous
Such a signal means that the PC power supply is faulty. However, in contrast to the situation with the complete absence of signals, in this case Power is supplied to the motherboard, but its parameters do not correspond to the nominal value.
- Two short
This signal indicates an error in the RAM. This error may indicate a malfunction of the memory modules themselves, or simply that one of the modules is poorly inserted into the slot.
- Three short
This type of signal also indicates an error in the RAM. But this error is quite specific and rarely encountered - this is an error in the first 64 KB of RAM.
- Four short
This signal indicates a malfunction of the system timer. Fortunately, this type of malfunction is rare, but often the only way to fix it is to replace the entire motherboard.
- five short
In a similar way, the BIOS informs the user about a heart failure. personal computer- the central processor. However, not always this malfunction can be associated with a defect in the processor chip itself. Often, to fix the problem, it is enough to check the reliability of the processor installation in the socket.
- six short
This message indicates a malfunction of the keyboard controller, as well as the absence of the keyboard itself. Very often, to correct this situation, it is enough to check the contact in the keyboard connector on the system unit.
- seven short
A similar set of sounds indicates a rather serious malfunction - namely, a motherboard failure. However, sometimes the error may disappear after checking the power cable pins on the system board.
- eight short
BIOS message indicating video memory failure. But here, as with many other errors, sometimes the problem can be just a bad connection - in this case, between the motherboard slot and the video card.
- Nine short
In this case, the BIOS signals a BIOS memory checksum error. The reasons for this phenomenon may be different - an error in new version BIOS or random failure in CMOS memory. Often the problem can be fixed by flashing the BIOS.
- ten short
With this set of signals, the BIOS reports a write error to the CMOS memory. As a rule, this error is more serious than the previous one and often requires the intervention of a specialist from the service workshop.
- Eleven short
- One long, then two, three or eight short
This type of informational message tells the user that there are video card errors. Typically, these beeps only occur when using older graphics cards (Mono/CGA/EGA), so the chance of encountering them is currently extremely small. In most cases, this malfunction is eliminated by carefully installing the video card in the slot.
It is quite familiar to many users to hear a beep from the system unit when the computer is turned on. A single short signal indicates that "everything is in order." And if, for example, 1 long signal or a series of sounds sounds instead of it, then it immediately becomes clear that there is a problem. This emits signals to the BIOS, the same program that runs first and tests all components of the computer (from the CPU to the monitor).
The BIOS emits signals during the initial testing of the components of the system unit, while the video card has not yet been initialized, which can display certain text and tabular data on the monitor. With the help of them, you can determine the faulty unit inside the system unit or identify poor contact of external connections.
BIOS errors are encoded into a specific combination of long and short beeps. Moreover, all of them are the same for motherboards of different years of production from almost all manufacturers (from the most famous to "noname"). Sound codes BIOS errors have detailed description in the instructions for the motherboard, however, often in English.
The BIOS can make sounds on a mandatory condition: a small, as it is called, system speaker must be connected to the motherboard. Otherwise, BIOS errors will go unnoticed and the user will only see dark screen monitor.
Sound signals: what is needed to decipher them?
If a single BIOS signal indicates a normal computer startup, then a series of the same short or long sounds (combinations of them) indicates that problems have been detected, and hardware character. Then you have to open the cover of the system unit. And even if the user does not interfere with the PC device himself, for example, due to the presence of factory seals on the screws of the cover, decoding these signals will help determine the source of the problem.
For different manufacturers computers, the sound signals may be different due to the fact that they use different versions BIOS. Nevertheless, among them you can find those that are typical and most commonly used.
Diagnostics using BIOS sound signals is one of the most effective methods, without the use of special test boards (such as POST-card), therefore, despite the systematic development of production technologies, all motherboards come with a small speaker or, at least, with a connector for its connections.
Sound signals are emitted in the presence of a working power supply and speaker. If they are faulty, then no diagnostics will work. A speaker malfunction can only be determined by replacing it with a known-good copy, which is not always available.
When everything works as intended, then in order to decrypt error codes, you should use a special list that indicates the typical signals for this BIOS version.
Award BIOS beep codes
The most common among the numerous BIOS versions are the versions from the Award developer, who has been making his programs for motherboards since the days when the Pentium trademark did not even exist.
The list of typical signals that are the same for all versions of the Award BIOS is as follows:
- Continuous signal. Breakdown in the power supply. The easiest way to check if this is the case is by replacing the power supply with a known-good copy.
- 2 short. The BIOS pays attention to minor errors, which, nevertheless, require the correct parameters to be entered, for example, by loading standard factory settings.
- 3 long. The problem is in the keyboard block on the motherboard. The reason may be as short circuit in the keyboard or connecting cable, and in the motherboard (connector, electronics, electrically conductive dust, etc.).
- 1 long, 1 short. BIOS errors cause RAM modules. The easiest way to fix the problem is to pull out the modules, blow out the accumulated dust from the connector, clean the contacts on the modules themselves and insert them back into the connector. You can leave only one module for the test period and, if necessary, change them, determining which one causes sound signals.
- 1 long, 2 short. . For some models of video cards, such codes are issued when there is poor contact in the monitor connector, when at the moment the BIOS is turned on it cannot determine whether there is a connection with it. To fix the problem, you can do with the video card in the same way as with the RAM in the previous paragraph.
- 1 long, 3 short. The BIOS was unable to initialize the keyboard, which may indicate a malfunction of the keyboard itself, as well as the connector or electronics of the motherboard. The easiest way is to temporarily disable the keyboard, then it will immediately become clear whether it is the source of the problem.
- 1 long, 9 short. Malfunction of the BIOS chip itself. You should just turn off the computer for a while and try turning it on again. If the situation persists and the BIOS error codes do not change, then you should replace the motherboard or try to flash the chip using a special programmer.
- 1 long, constantly repeating. Error initializing memory. It is necessary to replace the modules or at least clean the contacts in the connector and try again.
- 1 short, constantly repeating. Incorrect operation of the power supply. In any case, only a replacement with a serviceable unit or repair of an existing unit will help. Bad contacts are almost never found here due to the large connectors compared to other components of the system unit.
AMI BIOS beep codes
AMI developer meets in motherboard BIOS motherboards are less frequent than its competitor Award, but, nevertheless, it has firmly occupied its own, albeit small, niche in this market, so you should be ready to meet with its audio signal coding system.
Deciphering the encoding of audio signals:
- 2 short. The error is caused by incorrect operation of the RAM. In any case, you should start by cleaning the connectors from dust, even if you plan to immediately install new modules to replace the "suspicious" ones.
- 3 short. Like the previous paragraph, indicates a malfunction of the RAM module.
- 4 short. The system timer, which is the basis for the operation of all other components of the motherboard, is faulty. The only thing that can be done without replacing it is to turn off the system unit for a while.
- 5 short. An error occurred while initializing the CPU. You can either turn off the system unit for a while, or remove the cooling system from the processor, pull it out of the socket, and then insert it back. If nothing helps, then you have to change the processor.
- 6 short. The keyboard or its processing unit on the motherboard is faulty. To clarify the source, you can temporarily disable the keyboard, replace it with a known-good copy.
- 7 short. Fault in the motherboard. In such a situation, careful visual inspection boards for the presence of contact-closing debris.
- 8 short. Bad video card. You should replace it or, in extreme cases, clean the contacts in the connector. You can temporarily enable the built-in video card and check the operation of the computer with it (if, of course, it is available).
- 1 long, 2 short. Error while initializing video card. The elimination methods are the same as in the previous paragraph.
- 1 long, 3 short. Fault in the video card.
- 1 long, 8 short. The problem is either in the video card or in the monitor.
The following lists of BIOS signals are the basis for diagnosing a computer when there are no other options. In most cases, they allow you to determine the source of the problem, which can simply be replaced with a known-good unit.