Bios (Basic Input Output System)

source : https://www.biosflash.com/e/drivers-bios-updates.htm 

 

Identify hardware errors with unknown beep tones

If you can't find your beep code in our list, you can use the following method to identify the defective hardware:

1. Remove RAM memory, Graphics card, other Plug-in cards, and Drive cables from your mainboard.
   Only CPU + Fan + Power cable are installed on the mainboard.
2. Power on the PC, and listen to the beeps:
• no beeps => Power supply, CPU, mainboard or BIOS is most likely defective.
• some beeps => remember the beeps and next step.
  
3. Power off the PC, and insert the RAM memory.
4. Power on the PC, and listen to the beeps:
• no beeps => RAM incorrectly installed.
• same beeps as before => RAM is most likely defective.
• beeps have changed => next step.
  
5. Power off the PC, and insert the Graphics card.
6. Power on the PC:
• some beeps => Graphics card is most likely defective.
• blank screen =>Graphics card is most likely defective.

AMI   (long+short beeps)
1x short	DRAM refresh failure
2x short	Parity circuit failure
3x short	Base 64K RAM failure
4x short	System timer failure
5x short	Process failure
6x short	Keyboard controller Gate A20 error
7x short	Virtual mode exception error
8x short	Display memory Read/Write test failure
9x short	ROM BIOS checksum failure
10x short	CMOS shutdown Read/Write error
11x short	Cache Memory error
1x long, 3x short	Conventional/Extended memory failure
1x long, 8x short	Display/Retrace test failed
AWARD   (long+short beeps)
1x long, 2x short	Indicates a video error has occurred and the BIOS cannot initialize the video screen to display any additional information
Repeating (Endless loop)	Memory error. Bad memory or bad connection
1 Long, 3 Short	Video adapter failure. Bad video adapter or memory
High freq. beeps (while running)	CPU is overheating. CPU fan failure
Repeating High, Low beeps	CPU failure. Bad processor
Any other beep(s)	RAM problem.
New BIOS-Chips (incl. programming) --> in my Shop
IBM   (long+short beeps)
No Beeps	No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
1 Short Beep	Normal POST, computer is ok.
2 Short Beep	POST error, review screen for error code.
Continuous Beep	No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
Repeating Short Beep	No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
One Long and one Short Beep	Motherboard issue.
One Long and Two short Beeps	Video (Mono/CGA Display Circuitry) issue.
One Long and Three Short Beeps.	Video (EGA) Display Circuitry.
Three Long Beeps	Keyboard / Keyboard card error.
One Beep, Blank or Incorrect Display	Video Display Circuitry.
MACINTOSH   (different tones)
Error Tone. (two sets of different tones)	Problem with logic board or SCSI bus.
Startup tone, drive spins, no video	Problem with video controller.
Powers on, no tone.	Logic board problem.
High Tone, four higher tones.	Problem with SIMM.
New BIOS-Chips (incl. programming) --> in my Shop
PHOENIX   (different intervals)
1-1-1-3	Verify Real Mode.
1-1-2-1	Get CPU type.
1-1-2-3	Initialize system hardware.
1-1-3-1	Initialize chipset registers with initial POST values.
1-1-3-2	Set in POST flag.
1-1-3-3	Initialize CPU registers.
1-1-4-1	Initialize cache to initial POST values.
1-1-4-3	Initialize I/O.
1-2-1-1	Initialize Power Management.
1-2-1-2	Load alternate registers with initial POST values.
1-2-1-3	Jump to UserPatch0.
1-2-2-1	Initialize keyboard controller.
1-2-2-3	BIOS ROM checksum.
1-2-3-1	8254 timer initialization.
1-2-3-3	8237 DMA controller initialization.
1-2-4-1	Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller.
1-3-1-1	Test DRAM refresh.
1-3-1-3	Test 8742 Keyboard Controller.
1-3-2-1	Set ES segment to register to 4 GB.
1-3-3-1	28 Autosize DRAM.
1-3-3-3	Clear 512K base RAM.
1-3-4-1	Test 512 base address lines.
1-3-4-3	Test 512K base memory.
1-4-1-3	Test CPU bus-clock frequency.
1-4-2-4	Reinitialize the chipset.
1-4-3-1	Shadow system BIOS ROM.
1-4-3-2	Reinitialize the cache.
1-4-3-3	Autosize cache.
1-4-4-1	Configure advanced chipset registers.
1-4-4-2	Load alternate registers with CMOS values.
2-1-1-1	Set Initial CPU speed.
2-1-1-3	Initialize interrupt vectors.
2-1-2-1	Initialize BIOS interrupts.
2-1-2-3	Check ROM copyright notice.
2-1-2-4	Initialize manager for PCI Options ROMs.
2-1-3-1	Check video configuration against CMOS.
2-1-3-2	Initialize PCI bus and devices.
2-1-3-3	Initialize all video adapters in system.
2-1-4-1	Shadow video BIOS ROM.
2-1-4-3	Display copyright notice.
2-2-1-1	Display CPU type and speed.
2-2-1-3	Test keyboard.
2-2-2-1	Set key click if enabled.
2-2-2-3	56 Enable keyboard.
2-2-3-1	Test for unexpected interrupts.
2-2-3-3	Display prompt "Press F2 to enter SETUP".
2-2-4-1	Test RAM between 512 and 640k.
2-3-1-1	Test expanded memory.
2-3-1-3	Test extended memory address lines.
2-3-2-1	Jump to UserPatch1.
2-3-2-3	Configure advanced cache registers.
2-3-3-1	Enable external and CPU caches.
2-3-3-3	Display external cache size.
2-3-4-1	Display shadow message.
2-3-4-3	Display non-disposable segments.
2-4-1-1	Display error messages.
2-4-1-3	Check for configuration errors.
2-4-2-1	Test real-time clock.
2-4-2-3	Check for keyboard errors
2-4-4-1	Set up hardware interrupts vectors.
2-4-4-3	Test coprocessor if present.
3-1-1-1	Disable onboard I/O ports.
3-1-1-3	Detect and install external RS232 ports.
3-1-2-1	Detect and install external parallel ports.
3-1-2-3	Re-initialize onboard I/O ports.
3-1-3-1	Initialize BIOS Data Area.
3-1-3-3	Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area.
3-1-4-1	Initialize floppy controller.
3-2-1-1	Initialize hard-disk controller.
3-2-1-2	Initialize local-bus hard-disk controller.
3-2-1-3	Jump to UserPatch2.
3-2-2-1	Disable A20 address line.
3-2-2-3	Clear huge ES segment register.
3-2-3-1	Search for option ROMs.
3-2-3-3	Shadow option ROMs.
3-2-4-1	Set up Power Management.
3-2-4-3	Enable hardware interrupts.
3-3-1-1	Set time of day.
3-3-1-3	Check key lock.
3-3-3-1	Erase F2 prompt.
3-3-3-3	Scan for F2 key stroke.
3-3-4-1	Enter SETUP.
3-3-4-3	Clear in-POST flag.
3-4-1-1	Check for errors
3-4-1-3	POST done--prepare to boot operating system.
3-4-2-1	One beep.
3-4-2-3	Check password (optional).
3-4-3-1	Clear global descriptor table.
3-4-4-1	Clear parity checkers.
3-4-4-3	Clear screen (optional).
3-4-4-4	Check virus and backup reminders.
4-1-1-1	Try to boot with INT 19.
4-2-1-1	Interrupt handler error.
4-2-1-3	Unknown interrupt error.
4-2-2-1	Pending interrupt error.
4-2-2-3	Initialize option ROM error.
4-2-3-1	Shutdown error.
4-2-3-3	Extended Block Move.
4-2-4-1	Shutdown 10 error.
4-3-1-3	Initialize the chipset.
4-3-1-4	Initialize refresh counter.
4-3-2-1	Check for Forced Flash.
4-3-2-2	Check HW status of ROM.
4-3-2-3	BIOS ROM is OK.
4-3-2-4	Do a complete RAM test.
4-3-3-1	Do OEM initialization.
4-3-3-2	Initialize interrupt controller.
4-3-3-3	Read in bootstrap code.
4-3-3-4	Initialize all vectors.
4-3-4-1	Boot the Flash program.
4-3-4-2	Initialize the boot device.
4-3-4-3	Boot code was read OK.

 

Bios Software Links

 

BIOS-Boot-USB-Stick - Instruction to create a bootable USB-Stick to make a BIOS Update.
BIOS-Boot-CD - Instruction to create a bootable CD to make a BIOS Update.
BIOS-Boot-Diskette - Instruction to create a bootable DOS-Diskette to make a BIOS Update.
ctbios v1.5 - shows Passwords, BIOS-ID, Mainboard type and -manufacturer, DMI, ESCD, etc. (contains ctdmi.exe v1.50).
Cmospwd v4.3 - CMOS-Password encoding for different BIOS manufacturers.
pwdigit - Password-Cracker for AWARD-BIOS. Version 4.3 up to 4.51 (incl. Sourcecode).
ctdmiw v1.3 - shows Desktop Management Interface (DMI) informations.
Bootdisk - creates a FreeDOS Bootdiskette (for BIOS flashing).