Troubleshoot PC / MAC problems via computer start up beeps
When you start your computer you may hear a beep and after which the CPU boots in to the BIOS and loads up your computer OS….
Before the PC / MAC can load up your OS, it will check the hardware via a self test and some time when your system encounters any Hardware post BIOS error, the computer singles its user via a series of BEEPs…
How do you under stand the meaning of those beeps ??
Originally the process was implemented by IBM on their IBM systems, bellow is the original IBM beep codes… which you may refer as general trouble shooting guide…
1 short beep – Normal POST – system is OK
2 short beeps – POST error – error code shown on screen
No beep – Power supply, system board problem, or disconnected speaker
Continuous beep – Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem
Repeating short beeps – Power supply or system board problem or keyboard
1 long, 1 short beep – System board problem
1 long, 2 short beeps – Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA)
1 long, 3 short beeps – Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA)
3 long beeps – 3270 keyboard card
However that’s a general guide to look up to… Most of the modern systems at our homes or offices uses AMI BIOS… Over the years the process has also evolved from just identifying few errors to pin point the exact place of hardware which is causing the system to malfunction…
1 - Memory refresh timer error
2 - Parity error in base memory (first 64 KiB block)
3 - Base memory read/write test error
4 - Mother board timer not operational
5 - Processor error
6 - 8042 Gate A20 test error (cannot switch to protected mode)
7 - General exception error (processor exception interrupt error)
8 - Display memory error (system video adapter)
9 - AMI BIOS ROM checksum error
10 - CMOS shutdown register read/write error
11 - Cache memory test failed
Downloa the detailed Boot BEEP trouble shooting reference guide from AMI
Apple Computers, which are know to us as MAC’s too come with beeps at their POST BIOS check…
Intel MAC’s POST BIOS beep trouble shooting guide…
The basic guide is,
1 beep = no RAM installed
2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
3 beeps = no good banks
4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
5 beeps = processor is not usable
For those older MAC’s without Intel Processors would refer to this bellow information…
1 beep = No RAM installed/detected
2 beeps = Incompatible RAM type installed (for example, EDO)
3 beeps = No RAM banks passed memory testing
4 beeps = Bad checksum for the remainder of the boot ROM
5 beeps = Bad checksum for the ROM boot block
To be honest you should always pray that you never have to encounter the beeps, but they are hardware so problems may (I would say sooner or latar they will) come up…
Rashedul Islam on January 1st, 2008
My computer is restarting again and again.How I can solve this problem. I am using Windows XP.
When I enter password and click ok then the system is logg off.