It’s just one of those little things that most people don’t normally notice. When your computer starts up, you will probably recognize the familiar Windows start up sounds. But, did you know that those little beeps when you first push the power button actually mean something?
When your computer performs a power on self test (POST), it basically runs a short diagnostic to make sure that everything it needs to run is present and functioning correctly. Most computers will start up with no beeps or a single beep, giving you the satisfaction in knowing that your computer is functioning and has just passed its POST (depending upon your BIOS, you may get a different set of beeps).
But what happens if your computer doesn’t pass its POST? Well, your BIOS is setup to help you isolate the source of the hardware problem with a series of short and long beeps, which are known as beep codes. Different BIOS manufacturers have different beep codes, so you’ll have to first determine what type of BIOS you have on your mainboard. The most common types are AMI, Award, and Phoenix.
If you get a strange set of beep codes, then you are going to want to write them down and call your preferred computer technician. It helps computer techs to know what the problem is when you call them up rather than just saying, “my computer won’t start.” Press the power button and wait for the mainboard to sound off. Some mainboards are very quick, so an extra set of ears may be helpful in counting the beeps, especially if there are a lot of them. Write them all down, using dots and dashes – kind of like Morse code for your computer. Long beeps get a dash while short beeps get a dot. All of this information is extremely helpful to your computer technician. He’ll probably want to confirm the beep codes himself when he visits, so don’t be offended.
You can look up the BIOS beep codes yourself by looking at the charts below or call your IT guy. He’ll be able to decode the dots and dashes and tell you what may be the problem. Multiple problems can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, so while these charts have been setup to be a general troubleshooting guide, they should not be considered accurate for all problems in every situation.
AMI BIOS Beep Codes
AMI BIOS beep code chart:
| Beep Code | Troubleshooting |
| 1 short beep | Problem with Memory Module |
| 2 short beeps | Problem with Memory Module |
| 3 short beeps | Problem with Memory Module |
| 4 short beeps | Problem with Mainboard |
| 5 short beeps | Problem with System Processor / CPU |
| 6 short beeps | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 7 short beeps | Problem with System Processor / CPU |
| 8 short beeps | Problem with Video Card |
| 9 short beeps | Problem with BIOS Chip |
| 10 short beeps | Problem with Mainboard |
| 11 short beeps | Problem with Cache Memory on Mainboard |
| 1 long beep, 3 short beeps | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1 long beep, 8 short beeps | Problem with Video Card |
| Any Other Beeps | Serious Problem with Mainboard |
Award BIOS Beep Codes
Award BIOS beep code chart:
| Beep Code | Troubleshooting |
| 1 long beep | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1 long, 2 short beeps | Problem with Video Card |
| 1 long, 3 short beeps | Problem with Video Card |
| Continuous beeping | Problem with Memory Module, Video Card or Mainboard |
Phoenix Beep Codes
Phoenix BIOS beep codes are a series of beeps followed by a pause, then another series of beeps. In the chart below, the pauses are indicated by a dash (-) and the number represents the number of beeps. The following Phoenix BIOS beep codes are for version 4 or greater. Please note that many of these beep codes (in addition to the problem indicated) may also indicate a general mainboard failure or a problem that isn’t even listed.
| Beep Code | Troubleshooting |
| 1-1-1-3 | Problem with Processor / CPU |
| 1-1-2-1 | Problem with Processor / CPU |
| 1-1-2-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-1-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-1-3-2 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-1-3-3 | Problem with Processor / CPU |
| 1-1-4-1 | Problem with Cache Memory on Mainboard |
| 1-1-4-3 | Problem with I/O Port |
| 1-2-1-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-2-1-2 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-2-1-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-2-2-1 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 1-2-2-3 | Problem with BIOS Chip |
| 1-2-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-2-3-3 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 1-2-4-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 1-3-1-1 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1-3-1-3 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 1-3-2-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-3-3-1 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1-3-3-3 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1-3-4-1 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1-3-4-3 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 1-4-1-3 | Problem with Processor / CPU |
| 1-4-2-1 | Problem with BIOS Chip |
| 1-4-2-4 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-4-3-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 1-4-3-2 | Problem with Cache Memory on Mainboard |
| 1-4-3-3 | Problem with Cache Memory on Mainboard |
| 1-4-4-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 1-4-4-2 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 2-1-1-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 2-1-1-3 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 2-1-2-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 2-1-2-3 | Problem with BIOS Chip |
| 2-1-2-4 | Problem with I/O Port |
| 2-1-3-1 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-1-3-2 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 2-1-3-3 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-1-4-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 2-1-4-3 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-2-1-1 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-2-1-3 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 2-2-2-1 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 2-2-2-3 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 2-2-3-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 2-2-3-3 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-2-4-1 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 2-3-1-1 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 2-3-1-3 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 2-3-2-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 2-3-2-3 | Problem with Cache Memory on Mainboard |
| 2-3-3-1 | Problem with Cache Memory on Mainboard |
| 2-3-3-2 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 2-3-3-3 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-3-4-1 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-3-4-3 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-4-1-1 | Problem with Video Card |
| 2-4-1-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 2-4-2-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 2-4-2-3 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 2-4-4-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 2-4-4-3 | Problem with Processor / CPU |
| 3-1-1-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 3-1-1-3 | Problem with I/O Port |
| 3-1-2-1 | Problem with I/O Port |
| 3-1-2-3 | Problem with I/O Port |
| 3-1-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-1-3-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-1-4-1 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |
| 3-2-1-1 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |
| 3-2-1-3 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |
| 3-2-1-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-2-2-1 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 3-2-2-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-2-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-2-3-3 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 3-2-4-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-2-4-3 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 3-3-1-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-3-1-3 | Problem with Key Lock |
| 3-3-3-1 | Problem with Video Card |
| 3-3-3-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-3-4-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-3-4-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-4-1-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-4-1-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-4-2-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-4-2-3 | Problem wtih Mainboard |
| 3-4-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-4-4-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 3-4-4-3 | Problem with Video Card |
| 3-4-4-4 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-1-1-1 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |
| 4-2-1-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 4-2-1-3 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 4-2-2-1 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 4-2-2-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-2-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-2-3-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-2-4-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-2-4-3 | Problem with Keyboard or Keyboard Controller |
| 4-3-1-3 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-3-1-4 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-3-2-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-3-2-2 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-3-2-3 | Problem with BIOS Chip |
| 4-3-2-4 | Problem with Memory Module |
| 4-3-3-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-3-3-2 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 4-3-3-3 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |
| 4-3-3-4 | Problem with Expansion Card |
| 4-3-4-1 | Problem with Mainboard |
| 4-3-4-2 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |
| 4-3-4-3 | Problem with Drive or Drive Controller |