Bios one long beep. BIOS signals short and long beeps when turning on the PC

The BIOS is responsible for checking the functionality of the main components of the computer before each startup. Before the OS is loaded, BIOS algorithms check the hardware for critical errors. If any are detected, then instead of loading the operating system, the user will receive a series of specific sound signals and, in some cases, information displayed on the screen.

BIOS is actively developed and improved by three companies - AMI, Award and Phoenix. Most computers have a built-in BIOS from these developers. Depending on the manufacturer, sound alerts may vary, which is sometimes not entirely convenient. Let's look at all the computer startup signals from each developer.

AMI beeps

This developer distributes sound alerts by beeps - short and long signals.

Audio messages are given without pauses and have the following meanings:

• No signal means the power supply is faulty or the computer is not connected to the network;
• 1 short signal - accompanied by system startup and means that no problems were detected;
• 2 and 3 short messages are responsible for certain faults with RAM. 2 signal - parity error, 3 – inability to start the first 64 KB of RAM;
• 2 short and 2 long signal – failure of the floppy disk controller;
• 1 long and 2 short or 1 short and 2 long– video adapter malfunction. Differences may be due to different BIOS versions;
• 4 short signal indicates a malfunction of the system timer. It is noteworthy that in this case the computer may start, but the time and date in it will be lost;
• 5 short messages indicate CPU inoperability;
• 6 short signals indicate a problem with the keyboard controller. However, in this case, the computer will start, but the keyboard will not work;
• 7 short messages – system board malfunction;
• 8 short beeps indicate an error in video memory;
• 9 short signals is a fatal error when starting the BIOS itself. Sometimes restarting the computer and/or resetting the BIOS settings helps get rid of this problem;
• 10 short messages indicate an error in the CMOS memory. This type of memory is responsible for correctly saving BIOS settings and starting it when turned on;
• 11 short beeps in a row means that there are serious problems with the cache memory.

Sound signals Award

Sound alerts in BIOS from this developer are somewhat similar to signals from the previous manufacturer. However, Award has fewer of them.

Let's decipher each of them:

• The absence of any sound alerts may indicate problems with the electrical connection or problems with the power supply;
• 1 short a non-repeating signal is accompanied by a successful launch of the operating system;
• 1 long the signal indicates problems with RAM. This message can be played either once or repeated for a certain period of time depending on the motherboard model and BIOS version;
• 1 short the signal indicates problems with the power supply or a short circuit in the power supply circuit. It will run continuously or repeat at a certain interval;
• 1 long And 2 short alerts indicate the absence of a graphics adapter or the inability to use video memory;
• 1 long signal and 3 short warns about a video adapter malfunction;
• 2 short signals without pauses indicate small errors that occurred during startup. Data on these errors is displayed on the monitor, making it easy to figure out how to solve them. To continue loading the OS, you will have to click on F1 or Delete, more detailed instructions will appear on the screen;
• 1 long message and subsequent ones 9 short indicate a malfunction and/or failure to read BIOS chips;
• 3 long signals indicate a problem with the keyboard controller. However, the operating system will continue to load.

Phoenix Sounds

This developer has made a large number of different combinations of BIOS signals. Sometimes this variety of messages causes problems for many users in identifying the error.

In addition, the messages themselves are quite confusing, since they consist of certain sound combinations of different sequences. The decoding of these signals is as follows:

• 4 short—2 short—2 short messages indicate completion of component testing. After these signals, the operating system will begin loading;
• 2 short—3 short—1 short the message (the combination is repeated twice) indicates errors when processing unexpected interrupts;
• 2 short—1 short—2 short—3 short signal after a pause indicates an error when checking the BIOS for copyright compliance. This error occurs more often after updating the BIOS or when starting the computer for the first time;
• 1 short—3 short—4 short—1 short the signal indicates an error that was made when checking the RAM;
• 1 short—3 short—1 short—3 short messages occur when there is a problem with the keyboard controller, but the operating system will continue to load;
• 1 short—2 short—2 short—3 short a beep warns of an error in calculating the checksum when starting the BIOS.;
• 1 short And 2 long a beep means an error in the operation of adapters that may have their own BIOS built into them;
• 4 short—4 short—3 short you will hear a beep if there is an error in the math coprocessor;
• 4 short—4 short—2 long signal will report an error in the parallel port;
• 4 short—3 short—4 short signal indicates a real time clock failure. With this failure, you will be able to use the computer without any difficulties;
• 4 short—3 short—1 short signal indicates a problem with the RAM test;
• 4 short—2 short—1 short the message warns of a fatal failure in the central processor;
• 3 short—4 short—2 short you will hear if any problems are detected with the video memory or the system cannot find it;
• 1 short—2 short—2 short beeps indicate a failure to read data from the DMA controller;
• 1 short—1 short—3 short beeps will sound when there is an error related to CMOS operation;
• 1 short—2 short—1 short A beep indicates a problem with the system board.

Not everyone will think about what they mean BIOS beeps when we press the PC power button. It is the BIOS that causes such sounds, which can be short or long. Different types of BIOS have different sound signals, in this article I will try to talk about all of them, as well as solve some of the problems that accompany them.

Purpose of BIOS beeps

When you turn on your computer, you hear a squeaking sound. Usually it is short and comes out of the speaker located inside the system unit. Such a signal does not bode well and indicates that the program has successfully diagnosed the POST self-test, which is responsible for checking components for serviceability. If everything is fine, this will be the signal.

On some PC models, you may not hear anything at all, but this is only thanks to the manufacturer, who did not build a speaker into the computer. Unfortunately, the absence of a speaker is not a good solution, since it will not be possible to determine a malfunction, for example, of a video card.

If some kind of malfunction occurs, you will hear a sound when you turn on the computer. There may be several of them, and they may be long, depending on what is faulty. Usually the instructions already contain all the necessary information about BIOS signals, but if you don’t already have this manual, then read this article and perhaps you will find a definition of certain BIOS signals.

Recommendation! If you decide to look inside the system unit, for example, to check the presence of a speaker, then be sure to turn off the power to the PC, and do not look immediately, but a few minutes after turning it off.

How to find out who made the BIOS?

In this section, I will show you how to find out who made your motherboard BIOS firmware. You need to know this, because in different models, sound signals indicate different violations.

First option

The simplest thing you can do is turn on the PC and for a couple of seconds you will notice a window in which the BIOS manufacturer and some other parameters are already indicated. The most popular manufacturers are AMI And AWARD. There are, of course, others.

Second option

To do this, you need to find an item that shows information about the computer and the BIOS firmware itself. Usually the tab is called System Information.

Third option

Boot into Windows andOpen the window "Run" using keys Win+R. Enter the command there msinfo32. On the left you should be in the section "System Information". On the right we look at the point "BIOS version».

Fourth option

You can also use various utilities, for example, AIDA64 or CPU-Z. The free program CPU-Z has a tab "Pay", where you go. There is a subsection "BIOS" and all the necessary information about it.

Using the AIDA64 program, go to the section "Motherboard" on the left and click on the item there "BIOS", all information about Bios will be listed there.

How to decipher BIOS beeps?

So, we figured out the BIOS manufacturer, now I will show the designation of beeps, but only for a few versions.

BIOS AMI beeps

One of the most famous companies American Megatrends Inc. Abbreviated as AMI BIOS. In 2002 it was already such. So, the normal beep is a short sound. It means that everything is fine, after which the OS will begin loading. Now let's look at other sounds.

Sometimes the sounds are false; if you turn off the PC again and then turn it on, there is a possibility that such a signal will no longer appear. If you hear more than one short sound, but ones like those shown in the table, then you need to solve the problem.

Sound signals AWARD

The next popular manufacturer is AWARD. Let's consider its sound signals. Then someday I’ll write about all the existing types of BIOS, and also recommend a book in which everything is described in great detail.

The normal sound signal, indicating the serviceability of all computer components, is still the same as in the first option - a short signal. The remaining sounds are listed in the table below.

Phoenix Sounds

In this type of BIOS, sounds are accompanied by pauses, that is, if 1 sound is heard, then there is a pause, then another sound, and another pause, and then two sounds, then the signal is recorded in the form of these same sequences of pauses and sounds - 1-1-2 . Now I will show this in the table.

This is interesting:

The most common BIOS beeps

Of course, there are many more sound sequences for different types of BIOS, and there would be much more tables here. Therefore, I decided to consider the most popular signals that most users encounter.

• 1 long and 2 short sounds– usually this signal indicates problems with the video card. Check whether the video card is inserted well into its slot, also do not forget that due to dust and dirt there may be problems with connecting devices, so it is better to clean everything. Take out the video cards, wipe the contact tracks with an eraser, and do it very carefully. Then put it back in. If the difficulty persists, then you can try inserting the video card into another slot or switching to the built-in one, provided that it is on the motherboard. We are talking about integrated.

• 1 long sound– indicates a problem with the RAM.

• 3 short sounds– Again errors in the random access memory device. There is the following option - remove the RAM modules and clean the contacts, as well as the slots from dust and dirt, swap them, replace them with other RAM modules. Alternatively, you can reset the BIOS.

• 5 short sounds– this signal indicates a processor malfunction. It is possible that you purchased a new processor that is not compatible with your motherboard. Also check all contacts and clean any dust.

• 4 long sounds– the signal indicates problems with the cooling system, that is, with coolers. Perhaps they are completely faulty or work slowly. There are two options: clean them from dust, or change them.

• 1 long + 2 short sounds– a malfunction of the video card or from the RAM connectors.

• 1 long + 3 short sounds– may also indicate problems with the video card and RAM, or something with the keyboard. We'll have to check everything.

• 2 short sounds– I can’t say for sure, check your documentation. There may be a problem with the RAM.

• Several short sounds– just count how many sounds and see if such a combination is in the table.

• No PC boot or BIOS sound– if there is no sound, then most likely you do not have a speaker, or it is faulty. If the computer does not boot, check the power supply.

Tips for troubleshooting problems with your computer emitting BIOS beeps

I almost never had any components fail, and sound signals only appeared due to poor contact of some components. For example, the RAM modules or video card were inserted poorly. Sometimes something just went wrong and simply restarting the computer helps. Sometimes it can help in solving problems altogether.

I want to say that people who do not know should not take any action. If you have friends who can help, then contact them, or go to the service.

1. Sometimes you can correct the situation like this: remove some component and wipe its contact from dust, and also blow out the connector. Then put everything back in. You can clean the contacts with alcohol and a dry cloth or an eraser.
2. Look at all the components and elements located inside the system unit. Is there a smell of burnt components, swollen capacitors, oxide and other bad phenomena?
3. Before you climb inside the system unit, disconnect it from the power supply, and also remove static electricity from yourself. You can simply touch the power supply itself with your hands.
4. Do not touch the board pins.
5. Never use metal tools to clean modules.
6. Assess the situation before starting work. Your computer is under warranty, but you don’t even have work experience? Then give it back under warranty, or ask a knowledgeable friend to help.

Please ask any questions in the comments. I hope this article helped you in solving your problems.

AMI BIOS of all versions inform the user about the successful completion of the self-test procedure with a characteristic “squeak” - one long sound signal, after which control is transferred to the operating system loader.

In order for you to hear this sound signal, the computer system unit or laptop must be equipped with a system speaker - a built-in beeper. Alas, this condition is not always met. Sometimes the manufacturer saves on a cheap accessory, and loading occurs in complete silence.

If something goes wrong, during the POST procedure certain problems are identified, the computer’s BIOS will report this using a combination of several sound signals indicating a faulty component. In most cases, when the problems do not affect the video card, you will also see an error message on the computer screen. But if the video card failed to initialize (for example, it itself is the source of problems), sound signals remain the only way to localize the problem.

Old versions of AMI BIOS used a fairly large number of various combinations. All of them are summarized in one table.

Do not forget all manipulations with computer hardware components, such as replacing memory modules, removing and adding expansion cards, etc. can only be carried out if the computer is completely de-energized - it must be physically disconnected from the power supply. Before opening the case of the system unit, it is recommended to remove the power plug of the system unit from the outlet. This will ensure that there is no standby power supply to the motherboard, plus, you will protect yourself from possible electric shock.

Modern versions of AMI BIOS are much more “modest”; the number of signals has been significantly reduced: now only simple combinations of short signals are used.

Moreover, in the latest revisions of AMI BIOS, sequences of 1 long, 1, 3, 6, 7 or 8 short beeps remain; other combinations are no longer used.

Separately, it is worth noting a continuous sound signal that changes in tone, reminiscent of a siren. It can be caused by two reasons: a faulty power supply, or overheating of the computer. If you have access to the insides of the system unit, check all power connectors on the motherboard, check that the radiators are properly attached, and that all fans on the coolers are working.

Very often people ask me what they mean BIOS beeps when turning on PC. In this article we will take a detailed look at BIOS sounds depending on the manufacturer, the most likely errors and how to eliminate them. In a separate paragraph, I will tell you 4 simple ways to find out the BIOS manufacturer, and also remind you of the basic principles of working with hardware.

1. What are BIOS beeps for?

Every time you turn it on, you hear the computer beeping. Often this is heard from the speaker of the system unit. It indicates that the POST diagnostic self-test has successfully completed the test and has not detected any faults. After which the installed operating system begins loading.

If your computer does not have a system speaker, then you will not hear any sounds. This is not an indication of an error, just that the manufacturer of your device decided to save money.

Most often, I observed this situation with laptops and DNS stationary systems (now they produce their products under the DEXP brand). “What is the danger of not having a speaker?” - you ask. It seems like such a small thing, and the computer works fine without it. But if it is impossible to initialize the video card, it will not be possible to identify and fix the problem.

If a problem is detected, the computer will emit a corresponding sound signal - a certain sequence of long or short squeaks. Using the instructions for the motherboard, you can decipher it, but which of us keeps such instructions? Therefore, in this article I have prepared for you tables with decoding of BIOS sound signals that will help you identify the problem and fix it.

Modern motherboards have a built-in system speaker.

Attention! All manipulations with the computer’s hardware configuration should be carried out if it is completely disconnected from the power supply. Before opening the case, be sure to remove the power plug from the outlet.

2. How to find out the BIOS manufacturer

Before looking for a decoding of computer sounds, you need to find out the BIOS manufacturer, since their sound signals are significantly different.

2.1. Method 1

“Identification” can be done in various ways, the simplest is look at the screen while loading. The manufacturer and BIOS version are usually indicated at the top. To capture this moment, press the Pause key on your keyboard. If instead of the necessary information you see only the motherboard manufacturer's splash screen, press Tab.

The two most popular BIOS manufacturers are AWARD and AMI

2.2. Method 2

Go to BIOS. Browse the sections and find the item - System Information. The current BIOS version should be indicated there. And at the bottom (or top) of the screen the manufacturer will be indicated - American Megatrends Inc. (AMI), AWARD, DELL, etc.

2.3. Method 3

One of the fastest ways to find out the BIOS manufacturer is to use the Windows + R hotkeys and enter the MSINFO32 command in the “Run” line that opens. This way it will be launched System Information utility, with which you can get all the information about the hardware configuration of your computer.

Launching the System Information utility

You can also launch it from the menu: Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information

You can find out the BIOS manufacturer through "System Information"

2.4. Method 4

Use third party programs. Most often used CPU-Z, it is absolutely free and very simple (you can download it on the official website). After starting the program, go to the “Board” tab and in the BIOS section you will see all the information about the manufacturer:

How to find out the BIOS manufacturer using CPU-Z

3. Decoding BIOS signals

After we have found out the BIOS type, we can begin to decipher the sound signals depending on the manufacturer. Let's look at the main ones in tables.

3.1. AMI BIOS - beeps

AMI BIOS (American Megatrends Inc.) since 2002 is the most popular manufacturer in the world. In all versions, successful completion of the self-test is one short beep, after which the installed operating system is loaded. Other AMI BIOS beeps are listed in the table:

No matter how trivial it may sound, I advise my friends and clients in most cases turn off and turn on the computer. Yes, this is a typical phrase from the guys from your provider’s technical support, but it helps! However, if after the next reboot you hear squeaks from the speaker that are different from the usual one short beep, then you need to fix the problem. I will talk about this at the end of the article.

3.2. AWARD BIOS - signals

Along with AMI, AWARD is also one of the most popular BIOS manufacturers. Nowadays, many motherboards have version 6.0PG Phoenix Award BIOS installed. The interface is familiar, you can even call it classic, because it has not changed for more than ten years.

Like AMI, one short beep AWARD BIOS signals a successful self-test and the start of the operating system. What do the other sounds mean? Let's look at the table:

3.3. Phoenix BIOS

PHOENIX has very characteristic “beeps”; they are written in the table differently from AMI or AWARD. In the table they are indicated as combinations of sounds and pauses. For example, 1-1-2 would sound like one beep, a pause, another beep, another pause and two beeps.

4. The most popular BIOS sounds and their meaning

I could make for you a dozen more different tables with beep decoding, but I decided that it would be much more useful to pay attention to the most popular BIOS sound signals. So, what do users most often search for:

• one long two short BIOS beeps - almost certainly this sound does not bode well, namely problems with the video card. The first thing you need to check is whether the video card is fully inserted into the motherboard. Oh, by the way, how long has it been since you cleaned your computer? After all, one of the reasons for problems with loading may be banal dust that has clogged up in the cooler. But let's return to the problems with the video card. Try pulling it out and cleaning the contacts with an eraser. It would be a good idea to make sure there is no debris or foreign objects in the connectors. Still getting an error? Then the situation is more complicated, you will have to try to boot a computer with an integrated video camera (provided that it is on the motherboard). If it boots, it means that the problem is in the removed video card and you cannot do without replacing it.
• One long BIOS signal when turning on - possibly problems with RAM.
• 3 short BIOS beeps – RAM error. What can be done? Remove the RAM modules and clean the contacts with an eraser, wipe with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol, and try swapping the modules. You can also reset the BIOS. If the RAM modules are working, the computer will boot.
• 5 short BIOS signals – the processor is faulty. A very unpleasant sound, isn't it? If this is the first time the processor has been installed, check its compatibility with the motherboard. If everything worked before, but now the computer beeps like crazy, then you need to check whether the contacts are clean and even.
• 4 long BIOS beeps – low speed or CPU fan stops. It needs to be either cleaned or replaced.
• 1 long 2 short BIOS beeps – problems with the video card or faulty RAM connectors.
• 1 long 3 short BIOS beeps – either problems with the video card, or RAM problems, or keyboard errors.
• two short BIOS signals - see the manufacturer to clarify the error.
• three long BIOS beeps – problems with RAM (the solution to the problem is described above), or problems with the keyboard.
• There are many short BIOS signals - you need to count exactly how many short signals.
• The computer does not boot and there is no BIOS signal - the power supply is faulty, there is a processor performance problem, or there is no system speaker (see above).

From my own experience, I can say that quite often all problems with booting a computer are due to poor contact between various modules, for example RAM or a video card. And, as I wrote above, in some cases a regular reboot helps. Sometimes you can solve the problem by resetting the BIOS settings to factory settings, flashing it, or resetting the motherboard settings.

Attention! If you doubt your abilities, it is better to entrust diagnostics and repairs to professionals. There is no point in taking risks and then blaming the author of the article for something that is not his fault :)

1. To solve the problem it is necessary pull out the module from the connector, remove dust and insert back. The contacts can be carefully cleaned and wiped with alcohol. To clean the connector from dirt, it is convenient to use a dry toothbrush.
2. Don't forget to spend visual inspection. If some elements are deformed, have a black coating or streaks, the cause of problems with loading the computer will be in plain sight.
3. Let me also remind you that any manipulations with the system unit should be performed only when power is off. Don't forget to remove static electricity. To do this, it will be enough to grasp the computer system unit with both hands.
4. Dont touch to the pins of the microcircuits.
5. Do not use metal and abrasive materials to clean the contacts of RAM modules or video cards. For this purpose, you can use a soft eraser.
6. Soberly evaluate your capabilities. If your computer is under warranty, it is better to use the services of service center specialists than to delve into the “brains” of the machine yourself.

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments to this article, we’ll sort it out!

When you turn on the computer, it must undergo a self-diagnosis process and if you hear one short signal, then there is nothing to worry about, the computer is working properly. But if errors are detected during the self-test and the BIOS cannot display information on the monitor, you can hear various beeps. Different BIOS versions have different error notification options, and it’s worth mentioning right away that POST diagnostics is not a panacea; the BIOS tells us about “possible” system problems.

The BIOS version can be found out when the computer boots, the BIOS name usually appears on the screen first, or the BIOS brand can also be found out by entering it using the DEL key (F 2, F 12, F 4, depending on the version). Alternatively, you can look at the chip markings on the motherboard. Below are tables of BIOS beeps from various manufacturers.

If, after successfully booting your computer, some data turns out to be damaged, contact our specialists, who perform high-quality and fast repairs.

AWARD BIOS signals:

Messages AwardBIOS displayed on the monitor screen:

AMI BIOS signals

AST BIOS signals:

Phoenix BIOS Signals:

Compaq BIOS Signals:

IBM Desktop BIOS signals:

IBM Thinkpad BIOS signals:

Mylex BIOS Signals:

Mylex 386 BIOS Signals:

Signals Quadtel BIOS: