Warning Error When Booting on a PC through POST

By arie

When we turn on the computer, the BIOS will control the computer and do P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test). After POST is complete the computer will issue voice 'BEEP' short beeps once to know that the testing success.

But if the POST of the BIOS has problems, which in normal circumstances would visual displays an error message on the monitor. If the problem occurs before BIOS initialization video card or video card is not detected, the BIOS will sounds 'BEEPS' to find out the problem.

It is important we know the meaning of 'BEEP' it for reference in improve. This is a table of AMI(American Megatrends International), Phoenix and Award BIOS beep codes. Errors can be known by the number of beeps. Examples 4 timer beeps indicates failed.

  • 1 Beep (No video) Memory refresh failure Bad memory
  • 2 Beeps Memory parity error Bad memory
  • 3 Beeps Base 64K to 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 uses beeps with different duration. Beep usually long duration of 2 seconds and short beeps 1 second duration. Also Award BIOS, also use a different frequency to the problem critical, such as the CPU overheating beep will sound frequencies continuous high at the computer running.

  • 1 Long, 2 Short means Video adapter failure or Bad video adapter
  • Repeating (Endless loop) means Memory error, Bad memory or bad connection
  • 1 Long, 3 Short means Video adapter failure, Bad video adapter or memory
  • High freq. beeps (while running) CPU means overheating CPU fan failure
  • Repeating High, Low beeps means CPU failure Bad processor


Phoenix BIOS uses beep code to indicate a definite problem.
In the table, the sign '-' which means that the pause between beeps.
For example: 1 - 1 - 2 were BEEP (pause) BEEP (pause) BEEP BEEP

  • 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 - 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 - 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 - 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
  • 9 - 2 - 1 : Video adapter incompatibility Use a different brand of video card

Hopefully helpful....

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