BIOS Beep Codes And What They Mean - AMI, AWARD & IBM CodesA list of BIOS Beep Codes for AMI, Award and IBM to help you decode the sequence of beeps and determine the cause of a BIOS or system error.
The computer POST (Power On Self Test) checks the internal hardware for errors and connection before starting the boot process. If the computer passes the POST, the computer may give a single beep as it starts the bootloader. 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. You can use the table below to identify the cause of the error according to the code from the beeps.
There are a large number of manufacturers, each with differing codes, but here are the most common codes, with AMI BIOS being the most popular.
AMI BIOS Beep Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 Short Beep | System OK |
| 2 Short Beeps | Parity error in the first 64 KB of memory |
| 3 Short Beeps | Memory failure in the first 64 KB |
| 4 Short Beeps | Memory failure in the first 64 KB Operational of memory or Timer 1 on the motherboard is not functioning |
| 5 Short Beeps | The CPU on the motherboard generated an error |
| 6 Short Beeps | The keyboard controller may be bad. The BIOS cannot switch to protected mode |
| 7 Short Beeps | The CPU generated an exception interrupt |
| 8 Short Beeps | The system video adapter is either missing, or its memory is faulty |
| 9 Short Beeps | The ROM checksum value does not match the value encoded in the BIOS |
| 10 Short Beeps | The shutdown register for CMOS RAM failed |
| 11 Short Beeps | The external cache is faulty |
| 1 Long, 3 Short Beeps | Memory Problems |
| 1 Long, 8 Short Beeps | Video Card Problems |
| Two tone siren | CPU fan or temperature alert |
AWARD BIOS Beep Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 long, 2 short | Indicates a video error has occurred and the BIOS cannot initialize the video screen to display any additional information. |
| 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 |
| Repeated beeps alternating high & low frequency | Issue with the processor (CPU), possibly damaged |
Standard Original IBM POST Error Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 short beep | System is OK |
| 2 short beeps | POST Error - error code shown on screen |
| No beep | Power supply or system board problem |
| Continuous beep | Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem |
| Repeating short beeps | Power supply or system board problem |
| 1 long, 1 short beep | System board problem |
| 1 long, 2 short beeps | Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA) |
| 1 long, 3 short beeps | Display adapter problem (EGA) |
| 3 long beeps | 3270 keyboard card |
IBM POST Diagnostic Code Descriptions
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 100 - 199 | System Board |
| 200 - 299 | Memory |
| 300 - 399 | Keyboard |
| 400 - 499 | Monochrome Display |
| 500 - 599 | Colour/Graphics Display |
| 600 - 699 | Floppy-disk drive and/or Adapter |
| 700 - 799 | Math Coprocessor |
| 900 - 999 | Parallel Printer Port |
| 1000 - 1099 | Alternate Printer Adapter |
| 1100 - 1299 | Asynchronous Communication Device, Adapter, or Port |
| 1300 - 1399 | Game Port |
| 1400 - 1499 | Colour/Graphics Printer |
| 1500 - 1599 | Synchronous Communication Device, Adapter, or Port |
| 1700 - 1799 | Hard Drive and/or Adapter |
| 1800 - 1899 | Expansion Unit (XT) |
| 2000 - 2199 | Bisynchronous Communication Adapter |
| 2400 - 2599 | EGA system-board Video (MCA) |
| 3000 - 3199 | LAN Adapter |
| 4800 - 4999 | Internal Modem |
| 7000 - 7099 | Phoenix BIOS Chips |
| 7300 - 7399 | 3.5" Disk Drive |
| 8900 - 8999 | MIDI Adapter |
| 11200 - 11299 | SCSI Adapter |
| 21000 - 21099 | SCSI Fixed Disk and Controller |
| 21500 - 21599 | SCSI CD-ROM System |
