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4 BIOS Error Codes and Messages
4.1 BIOS Error Codes
The BIOS provides two types of Error Code indications during POST:
• Beep codes
• Blink codes
4.1.1 BIOS Beep Codes
Whenever a recoverable error occurs during POST, the BIOS causes the board’s
speaker (Figure 1, U) to beep an error code describing the problem (see Table 42).
Table 42. BIOS Beep Codes
Type Pattern Frequency
F2 Setup/F10 Boot Menu
Prompt
One 0.5 second beep when BIOS is ready to
accept keyboard input
932 Hz
BIOS update in progress None
Video error On-off (1.0 second each) two times, then
2.5-second pause (off), entire pattern repeats
(beeps and pause) once and the BIOS will
continue to boot.
932 Hz
When no VGA option ROM is
found.
Memory error On-off (1.0 second each) three times, then
2.5-second pause (off), entire pattern repeats
(beeps and pause) until the system is powered
off.
932 Hz
Thermal trip warning Alternate high and low beeps (1.0 second each)
for eight beeps, followed by system shut down.
High beep 2000 Hz
Low beep 1500 Hz