The list below is a brief overview of the POST (Power On Self Test) error codes for most IBM PCs and Compatibles:

Major IBM Error Messages and Codes:
**Note: x= number of beeps will vary**

             What this means:                 
 

IBM PC/XT IBM PC AT
101 101 to 109	Motherboard error
161 to 164	CMOS RAM error or bad setup data
201 201 to 203	Bad or loose memory chip
301 301 to 304	Keyboard locked, disconnected, or bad
401, 501	Video Monitor or adapter card is bad
601 601	Disk drive or controller is bad
1701	Hard drive or controller failure
1780	Primary Hard Disk failure
1781	Secondary Hard Disk failure
1782	Hard Disk Controller Error

 

1790	Error on Primary Hard Drive
1791	Error on Secondary Hard Drive
1801	Expansion Box Error
ROM ROM	Error Error reading ROM BIOS
Parity Check 1	Memory parity error on expansion card
Parity Check 2	Memory parity error on motherboard
?????	Unknown parity (NMI) error
POST Beep Codes:
IBM PC/XT Phoenix XT	Award XT
What you hear:	What it means:
1 Short 1 Short 1 Short	PreVideo Check OK
1 Long,1 Short 1 Long,1 Short	General POST failure during Prevideo Check.
IBM PC AT Phoenix AT	Award AT AMI AT
1 Short 1 Short 1 Short	PreVideo Check OK
5	CPU failure
1-1-3	CMOS RAM failure
1-1-4 9	ROM BIOS failure
1-2-1 4	Program timer failure
1-2-2 (or 3) 1	DMA chip failure
1-3-x, 1-4-x 3 or 2-x-x	Failure of 1st 64KB of RAM
3-1-1,3-1-2	Failure of Slave DMA
3-1-3,3-1-4	Interrupt controller failure
3-2-4 6	Keyboard controller failure
7	Virtual mode error (386 only)
3-3-4	Screen initialisation error
3-4-x	Video failure

 

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