Decoding of laptop signals. Beeps and POST Errors for Different BIOS Versions

Almost every one of us, having started a computer or laptop, heard a beeping signal from its depths. If this did not happen, you need to check if you have the appropriate speaker installed.

But sometimes, when the computer is malfunctioning and preliminary testing carried out by the BIOS reveals errors, strange combinations of sounds, which will say practically nothing to an ignorant person, but can tell a lot to specialists about the causes of the breakdown and how to eliminate them.

Faced with such a situation, the first step is to determine version and the manufacturer of the BIOS installed in the patient. This largely determines what exactly went out of order, and, consequently, further costs and actions.

Everyone, regardless of manufacturer, communicates with the user using two types of sound signals: short squeak(KP) and long squeak(DP).

Ami Bios error signals

Signal list:

BIOS Award Errors

BIOS Award can beep on the following reasons:

Possible Phoenix BIOS malfunctions

The next part will be useful for decoding signals from the Phoenix BIOS language. Here I would like to note that he communicates with us only short beeps, and when decoding, you should pay attention to the combinations. Let's say combination 1C + 1C + 4C, should be read as Signal Interval Signal Interval 4 times Signal. Let's get started.

Compaq BIOS Alarms

As in most other cases, 1 CP when the computer is turned on, it indicates that there are no errors.

1. 1 DP + 1 CP- occurs when a CMOS error occurs, often indicates the need to replace the battery.
2. 2 CP- a global error.
3. 1 DP + 2 CP- there are problems with the video card.
4. 7 CP- if there is an AGP slot for connecting video cards, it indicates their malfunction.
5. 1 CP + 2 DP or Standing long signal, indicate a problem in the RAM.

How Dell BIOS Signals

Like the BIOS from Phoenix, in the Dell BIOS you should pay attention not so much to the sequence of short and long beeps, but rather to the quaternary combinations that are issued in the presence of errors.

• 1C + 2C- there is no video card.
• 1C + 2C + 2C + 3C- CMOS error.
• 1C +3C + 1C + 1C- DRAM update completed with an error.
• 1C + 3C + 1C + 3C- a malfunction has been detected in the keyboard.
• 1C + 3C + 3C + 1C, 1C + 3C + 4C + 1C, 1C + 3C + 4C + 3C, 1C + 4C + 1C + 1C- the appearance of any of these signal combinations indicates a malfunction of the RAM.

AST BIOS alerts

What signals and what do AST BIOS have.

What the UEFI BIOS signals

UEFI is the updated version of the BIOS that is used on newer motherboard models. UEFI also has a number of beeps. So how do you decipher them?

IBM BIOS faults

And finally, the IBM BIOS.

1. 1 CP- everything works as usual.
2. 2 CP- problems with the video equipment, the monitor is not connected.
3. 3 DP- the keyboard controller does not work on the motherboard
4. 1 DP + 1 CP- testing revealed faults in the motherboard.
5. 1 DP + 2 CP- Mono / CGA video system crashed.
6. 1 DP + 3 CP- EGA / VGA outputs fail.
7. Short squeak, constantly repeating indicates insufficient power supply or problems with the motherboard. As well as continuous sound.

BIOS 5 beeps are an audible BIOS information message that most users don't hear, and probably hate to hear, as it indicates a serious hardware problem in the computer. Such a malfunction is usually accompanied by the inability to boot the PC and use it normally.

Fortunately, 5 short BIOS beeps are not a common error message. In most cases, the user can encounter it only when using BIOS versions from American Megatrends (AMI) and AST. In the first case, we can talk about a processor malfunction, and in the second, an error related to the keyboard.

If your motherboard has a BIOS manufactured by AMI, then, having heard this sound message - five short BIOS beeps, you will need to take a number of measures to try to fix a possible problem. First, you will need to try restarting your computer again. If the error is the result of an accidental BIOS failure, it may not appear again.

If you hear five beeps again, then this means that the cause of the error lies in the processor itself. However, this may not necessarily be a hardware malfunction of the processor. In many cases, the error can be caused by a poor electrical connection between the processor and the socket in which it is installed. In order to completely eliminate this possibility, you will have to check the reliability of the contact - pull the processor out of its socket and insert it back. If this procedure does not lead to the desired result, then the central processor, most likely, will have to be replaced with a serviceable one.

If your motherboard has AST BIOS, then five short BIOS beeps are usually associated with a keyboard malfunction. In order to try to get rid of it, you should try to check the reliability of the keyboard connection to the corresponding connector of the system unit, and if this does not help, then the performance of the keyboard itself, for example, by connecting it to another system unit.

Compared to AMI signals, Award BIOS sound signals are not so diverse, however, in the overwhelming majority of cases, their set is quite enough to encode all possible motherboard errors. Distinctive features of the Award BIOS are the wide use of a long signal, as well as the use of such types of signals as continuous and constantly repeating sound signals.

Below is a list showing the Award sound signals and the corresponding problem situations, as well as possible solutions.

• Lack of signals

This may indicate a malfunction of both the power supply unit and the motherboard itself. In some cases, the system speaker of the motherboard may be faulty. To fix the situation, you can try to check the contact of the power cable from the power supply to the motherboard.

• One short

The user hears such a signal most often. It means that the BIOS POST was successful and the computer can continue booting.

• Two short

This Award BIOS message is reserved for cases where the error is not serious and allows the computer to operate normally. A detailed text message about the nature of the error is displayed on the monitor screen. Further actions of the user to eliminate the error usually depend on the type of situation. For example, a dead CMOS battery may be the cause of the error. In such a case, it must be replaced.

• Short repeating

The signal indicates a malfunction of the power supply or damage to the power circuits. To remedy the situation, you can try to check the contacts of the wires going from the power supply to the motherboard.

• One long and one short

A message indicating a malfunction of the RAM or its absence at all. If the latter option takes place, then the RAM modules must be installed, and if the memory is already present in the slots, then you can try to reinstall the RAM chips. If this does not help, then most likely the problem lies in a faulty memory module. Sometimes these signals can be generated when the video memory is faulty.

• Long repeating

An error similar to the previous one, indicating problems with the RAM. This error most often occurs when memory modules are incorrectly installed. To rectify the situation, you should check if the modules are installed correctly, and if not, then reinstall them.

• One long and two short

Sounds like these indicate a video card error. Often in such a situation, the problem lies only in the poorly installed graphics accelerator card in the expansion slot, although the cause may also be a malfunction of the video card microcircuit.

• Three long

This message means that the BIOS has detected a keyboard controller error. As in other cases, here you can try to check the connection between the keyboard and the system unit. In some cases, the signal disappears after restarting the computer again. If the keyboard works, but the signals still remain, then they can usually be disabled using a special BIOS option.

• One long and three short

Sound message, like the previous one, indicating a keyboard error. But, unlike the previous error, in this case the signals indicate that the error manifests itself in a slightly different situation - the BIOS detected the keyboard, but was unable to access it.

• One long and nine short

Signals indicate a permanent CMOS memory error. This failure can be either random, disappearing after restarting the PC, or be the result of a malfunction of the CMOS memory chip, as well as an incorrect BIOS flashing.

• Repetitive signal with high and low frequencies

An error indicating a malfunctioning or incorrect installation of the central processor. To rectify the situation, you should try to check the reliability or correctness of the processor installation and its fastening in the socket.

Have you noticed that when the system boots up, the computer emits a short beep? Let's see what kind of sound it is, what other system sound signals are there and what do they mean?

What do the BIOS beeps mean when you turn on the computer?

A modern computer system consists of the following components:

• motherboard;

  

• CPU;

  

• random access memory (RAM);

  

• video card;

  

• hard disk (hard drive);

  

• power unit;

  

• sound card;

  

• monitor / display (on laptops);

  

• LAN card;

  

• peripheral devices (keyboard, mouse).

  

The main board of the PC is the motherboard or system board. It is she who unites all the elements of the computer - built-in and peripheral, and also controls them.

The board contains several control microcircuits, of which we are interested in the BIOS chip. Its distinctive feature is the presence of its own permanent memory (Flash memory), which, like a hard disk, stores important information. This microcircuit is powered by a battery located on the motherboard.

BIOS - basic input-output system - a program whose main purpose is to initially test the PC and transfer control to the boot sector of the hard drive to load the installed operating system. If the operating system is not installed, the BIOS will try to find another boot device - CD or DVD drive, Flash device.

The operating system will be loaded if no critical errors were detected during testing of PC devices. Otherwise, the display will show an error code and one or more beeps will sound through the system speaker, according to the error code.

This is necessary if, for some reason, it is not possible to observe the information on the screen. For example, the video card or the display itself is faulty.

When you press the power button of the PC, the POST program starts, which performs a self-test.

It polls all major components of the system and compares the current configuration with the one that was written to memory during the previous boot. If any changes have been made to the system, POST will make the corrections in its own CMOS memory.

Advice! The BIOS SETUP subroutine allows you to change some items of the boot process and hardware settings. For example, you can turn off some built-in devices if they are not needed, set up the thermal control of the processor, etc.

If one or more devices are found to be faulty or not supported by the system, the user will hear a combination of sound signals and see a corresponding message on the monitor.

The sound of these signals depends on the motherboard model, or rather, the manufacturer of the BIOS chip.

Major manufacturers of BIOS chips

If from the point of view of the basic settings, the name of the manufacturer does not really matter, since they are standard for everyone, then when troubleshooting by sound signals, you need to know the manufacturer of the factory firmware.

The main types of BIOS:

1. Award BIOS - Award Software Company.
2. AMI BIOS is manufactured by American Megatrends.
3. Phoenix BIOS - from Phoenix Technologies.

Less common are chips from computer electronics manufacturers Intel, IBM, Compaq, Toshiba, Dell.

The system sound notification is a combination of long and short signals.

Award BIOS Signal Table

One of the most common manufacturers.

AMI BIOS Signal Table

Phoenix BIOS Signal Table

This manufacturer uses beep-codes of the format: beep-pause-beep.

On a note! For example, 1-1-2: beep-pause-beep-pause-two beeps.

Addition! DMA is a mechanism for direct access to RAM from the side of system peripherals. Required to speed up the CPU and the system as a whole. DMA channel errors can appear if there are corresponding difficulties with peripheral devices.

If, after testing the BIOS, the PC does not boot, the video system does not work, and there is a suspicion of a malfunction of a specific device, do not rush to buy a new spare part. It is important to make sure that this particular part is the problem. For example, a video card or RAM modules can be removed and tested on another PC. The connectors on the motherboard or any chips may be faulty or dirty (oxidized).

Some components will not work correctly on unsupported motherboards, in which case they should be replaced.

Video - Computer beeps when turned on. What's this?

The BIOS AMI beeps are very different compared to other BIOS manufacturers' beeps. In most cases, these beeps help identify a problem during the computer boot phase and hardware POST. Typically, you only need to count the number of signals emitted by the system speaker to determine which component is causing the problem.

Below are the beeps emitted by 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 power is not supplied to the motherboard or the BIOS is generally faulty. A lack of power on the motherboard usually means either a faulty / broken power cable or a malfunctioning computer power supply.

• One short

One 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 and problems were found during the hardware check, and the computer can continue to boot.

• Long continuous

Such a signal means that the PC power supply is defective. Nevertheless, in contrast to the situation with a 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 RAM. This error may indicate a malfunction of the memory modules themselves, or just the fact that some of the modules are 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 seen - it is a bug 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 malfunction of the heart of a personal computer - the central processor. However, this malfunction may not always 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 malfunctioning 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

Such a 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 motherboard.

• Eight short

BIOS message indicating a video memory failure. But here, as with many other errors, sometimes the problem may be just poor contact - 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 can be different - an error in the new BIOS version or an accidental failure in the CMOS memory. Often the problem can be fixed by flashing the BIOS.

• Ten short

With this set of signals, the BIOS reports an error in writing 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 a 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. Usually, such sound signals are given only when using old video cards (Mono / CGA / EGA), so the chance of encountering them at the present time is extremely small. In most cases, this malfunction is eliminated by carefully installing the video card in the connector.