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If your PC beeps whilst booting up, this usually indicates an error. Each error message has its own specific meaning. We’ll show you how to interpret the BIOS beeps correctly.
PC beeps: Various error messages during boot-up
If your PC beeps and does not start up properly, you can use the beeps to determine which error message is being displayed.
- During start-up, the BIOS checks all installed hardware components.
- Unfortunately, the error messages are not standardised; each BIOS uses its own error code.
- You can see which BIOS you have briefly displayed in the top-left corner at start-up.
- Alternatively, you can also identify your BIOS using the CPU-Z programme. Once you have installed this, click on the ‘Mainboard’ tab in the software. Under ‘BIOS’, you will now see the brand, version and release date of your BIOS (see image).
AMI BIOS: Audible error codes
With an AMI BIOS, a long beep at start-up means that everything is in order and the operating system can now boot without errors. A continuous beep at start-up indicates a fault with the power supply. However, before you buy a new one, switch off the computer first and restart your PC.
- If your computer beeps once briefly whilst booting with an AMI BIOS, either a RAM module is not seated correctly in its slot, the modules are not paired correctly, or a RAM module is faulty. In this case, you should therefore first check whether the RAM is firmly seated in the slot, i.e. fitted correctly.
- Two or three short beeps indicate a parity error in the first 64 kilobytes of memory. This means that one of the hardware test routines is faulty. Check the RAM.
- Four short beeps also indicate errors in the first 64 kilobytes of memory. Either the BIOS battery is faulty or you need a new motherboard. However, you should also check the RAM settings.
- If it beeps five short beeps, there is a fault with the processor. This may be due to insufficient cooling or the processor being overclocked.
- Six short beeps: This beep sequence indicates a Gate-A2O error. A faulty keyboard is usually the cause of this error message. In this case, try connecting a different keyboard to the computer.
- If it beeps seven short beeps, this indicates that the processor is generating an exception interrupt. Either there is a contact issue with the socket, or the processor has been overclocked.
- Eight short beeps indicate that the BIOS cannot detect the graphics card. Either it is not seated correctly in the slot or it is faulty. If this error message appears, follow the same procedure as for the RAM. Check that the graphics card is correctly positioned and firmly seated in the slot.
- Nine short beeps indicate a ROM BIOS checksum error. The BIOS may be faulty or not updated correctly.
- Ten short beeps mean that the CMOS cannot be read. The motherboard is faulty; the only option is to replace it.
- If the computer emits eleven short beeps in succession during start-up, it is telling you that there is a checksum error. This sounds worse than it is. It means that the CMOS battery is flat. All customised start-up settings are stored in the CMOS memory. If the battery is flat, you’ll either have to go to the trouble of manually resetting the BIOS settings every time you start up, or simply replace the CMOS battery.
- Three short beeps, three long beeps, three short beeps: your only option is to replace the RAM, as it is faulty.
- One long beep, one short beep: This error message indicates a serious fault on the motherboard. This could be, for example, an incorrect CPU clock speed.
- One long beep, two short beeps: The PC cannot detect the graphics card. Check that it has been fitted correctly.
Award BIOS and its error messages: What you need to know
If you have an Award BIOS, it should beep once briefly at start-up. If this happens, everything is fine. A continuous beep or a short, repeated BIOS beep indicates a fault in the motherboard’s power supply. This is usually caused by the memory or the graphics card.
- Two short beeps: There is a graphics error. Instructions on how to proceed when this message appears will be displayed on the screen.
- One long beep, one short beep: The RAM is faulty or is not seated correctly in its socket.
- One long beep, two short beeps: This sequence of beeps indicates that the graphics card is either faulty or may simply not be seated correctly.
- One long beep, three short beeps or three long beeps: There is a problem with the keyboard. Either it is faulty or it is simply not connected properly.
Phoenix BIOS: These are the beeps
The Phoenix BIOS messages are not combinations of short and long beeps, but consist solely of short, intermittent intervals.
- 1-1-3: A CMOS read/write error. To resolve this, you should run the BIOS setup.
- 1-1-4: If there is a BIOS checksum error, you can either replace or update the BIOS.
- 1-2-1; 1-2-2; 1-2-3: If you hear one of these sequences of beeps, the DMA controller or the system timer is faulty. You will need a new motherboard.
- 1-3-3; 1-3-4; 1-4-1; 1-4-2: Check that the RAM modules are correctly seated and securely locked into their slots.
- 3-1-1; 3-1-2; 3-1-3; 3-1-4: You must interpret all of these beeps as faults in different registers. In all cases, your only option is to fit a new motherboard.
- 3-2-4: The keyboard controller is reporting a fault. Here, too, you may need to replace the board.
- 3-3-4; 3-4-1; 3-4-2: These sequences relate to the graphics card. Either the card itself or the graphics memory is faulty. Another possibility is that you have not connected the cable correctly.
- 4-2-1; 4-2-2; 4-2-3; 4-2-4: There are problems with the timer interrupt, the shutdown function, an error in Gate A20 or an unexpected interrupt in Protected Mode. Here too, the only way to resolve the problem is to replace the board.
- 4-3-1: The PC is reporting a DRAM error. Check that the DRAM modules are seated correctly.
- 4-3-2; 4-3-4: In this case, either the timer is faulty or there was a problem whilst testing the real-time clock. In any event, the PC is telling you that you need a new board.
- 4-4-1: A serial interface has failed the test. You can disable it in the BIOS and install an interface card
- 4-4-2: A parallel port has failed the test. In this case, too, your only option is to disable it in the BIOS and install an interface card.
- 4-4-3: This error message indicates that a coprocessor has failed the test. Replace it if it is socketed.
