SYSTEM BEEP CODES When errors occur during a boot routine that cannot be reported on the monitor, the computer may emit a beep code that identifies the problem. The beep code is a pattern of sounds: for example, one beep, followed by a second beep, and then a burst of three beeps (code 1-1-3) means that the computer was unable to read the data in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM). If the system loses power and beeps constantly when you turn it back on, the BIOS is probably corrupted. BeepCode Description BeepCode Description 1-1-2 CPU register test in progress 2-4-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit E 1-1-3 CMOS read/write test in progress or failure 2-4-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit F 1-1-4 BIOS ROM checksum in progress or failure 3-1-1 Slave DMA register test in progress or failure 1-2-1 Timer Test in progress or failure 3-1-2 Master DMA register test in progress or failure 1-2-2 DMA initialization in progress or failure 3-1-3 Master IMR test in progress or failure 1-2-3 DMA page register read/write test in progress or failure 3-1-4 Slave IMR test in progress or failure 1-3-1 RAM refresh verification in progress or failure 3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading in progress 1-3-2 1st 64K RAM test in progress or failure 3-2-4 Keyboard controller test in progress or failure 1-3-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure (multi bit) 3-3-1 CMOS power fail and checksum test in progress 1-3-4 1st 64K RAM odd/even logic failure 3-3-2 CMOS Config info validation in progress 1-4-1 1st 64K RAM address line failure 3-3-3 RTC/Keyboard controller not found 1-4-2 1st 64K RAM parity test in progress or failure 3-3-4 Screen memory test in progress or failure 1-4-3 Fail-safe timer test in progress 3-4-1 Screen initialization test in progress or failure 1-4-4 Software NMI port test in progress 3-4-2 Screen retrace tests test in progress or failure 2-1-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 0 3-4-3 Search for video ROM in progress 2-1-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 1 4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt test in progress or failure 2-1-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 2 4-2-2 Shutdown test in progress or failure 2-1-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 3 4-2-3 Gate A20 failure 2-2-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 4 4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in Protected Mode 2-2-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 5 4-3-1 RAM test in progress or failure above address 0FFFFh 2-2-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 6 4-3-2 No memory in Bank 0 2-2-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 7 4-3-3 Interval Timer Channel 2 test in progress or failure 2-3-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 8 4-3-4 Time-Of-Day Clock test in progress or failure 2-3-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 9 4-4-1 Super I/O chip failure 2-3-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit A 5-1-2-3 Memory read/write failure 2-3-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit B 5-2-2-1 Unsupported RIMM device count/technology 2-4-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit C 5-2-2-2 Unsupported RIMM timings or timing mismatch between Channel A and Channel B 2-4-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit D 5-2-2-3 Levelization failed (bad timings, or possible continuity card missing) RAMBUS Related Beep Codes The most common WorkStation RAMBUS memory Beep Codes are shown below. The recommended troubleshooting steps are based on current failure analysis. Beep Code Cause Recommendation 1-3-2 No RIMM detected Do not suspect a defective RIMM, but reseating or connectivity issues 5-1-2-3 Memory read/write failure Run the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the memory modules are operating properly 5-2-2-1 Mismatch RDRAM device count Replace RIMM pair with supported matching device count 5-2-2-2 Mismatch RDRAM technology or timing pair Replace RIMM pair with matching technology and timing 5-2-2-3 RDRAM levelization failure 1) Visually inspect the motherboard RIMM connectors for any obvious damage2) If the beep code is intermittant, suspect the motherboard first3) If the beep code is consistent on every reboot, suspect the RIMMs first
POST Diagnostic LED Patterns State LED Pattern State Name State Description
S0- OFF System power OFF
S0+ Reserved for future use
S1 RCM BIOS checksum failure was detected and the system is now in Recovery Mode
S2 CPU CPU configuration activity is in progress or a CPU failure was detected
S3 MEM Memory subsystem configuration activity is in progress or a memory failure was detected
S4 PCI PCI device configuration activity is in progress or PCI device failure was detected
S5 VID Video subsystem configuration activity in pro-gress or video subsystem failure
S6 STO Storage device configuration in progress or storage subsystem failure
S7 USB USB subsystem configuration activity in progress or USB subsystem failure
S8 Reserved for future use
S9 MBF Fatal motherboard failure detected
S10 Reserved for future use
S11 PRV Indicates routine system activity preceding video initialization
S12 CFG System resource configuration in progress
S13 Reserved for future use
S14 POV Indicates routine system activity subsequent to video initialization
S15 STD Indicates End of POST process and the LEDs remain in this pattern until the system is switched off or reset System P.O.S.T. Tests System P.O.S.T. tests are grouped into states, which are noted on the table above. The following chart illustrates which tests are performed during each state. This can be helpful when trying to identify which component generated the fault that resulted in the LED code failure. LED State System Activity or Failure CFG Configure option ROMs, PNP devices CPU Switch from protected mode/ real modeDisable CPU cacheµcode updateInitialize MTRR MSRsEnable L1 cacheCPUID signature mismatchConfiguring L2 cache or cache failureMicroprocessor initializationID and set boot processor.Interprocessor initializationInstall and test SMI handlerMultiprocessor synchronizationTurn ON L2 cache MBF CPU register test failureCMOS RAM test failureTimer 0 and 1 failureDMA channel 0 and 1 failurePage register failureVerify refresh failureKeyboard controller failureDMA port failureInterrupt mask register failureTimer tick failureSystem shutdown failureSuper I/O failure (Parallel port) MEM Memory configuration in progress or failureShadowing BIOS image to memory or failureExecute code from memory after configurationClear low 64K of RAMTest 64K ram or error including parity errorSize memoryTest memory PCI Early PCI initialization before VideoConfigure PCI POV All other activities after first video splash PRV All other activities before video STD Steady state entered just before boot hand off. STO Reset IDE controllersInitialize floppy drivesInitialize hard drive sub system. Identify devices VID Initialize video controllers using INT 10HSearch for video ROMs.Configure ISA/ PCI/ AGP video
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February 17th, 2004 10:00
SYSTEM BEEP CODES
When errors occur during a boot routine that cannot be reported on the monitor, the computer may emit a beep code that identifies the problem.
The beep code is a pattern of sounds: for example, one beep, followed by a second beep, and then a burst of three beeps (code 1-1-3) means that the computer was unable to read the data in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM).
If the system loses power and beeps constantly when you turn it back on, the BIOS is probably corrupted.
BeepCode Description BeepCode Description
1-1-2 CPU register test in progress 2-4-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit E
1-1-3 CMOS read/write test in progress or failure 2-4-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit F
1-1-4 BIOS ROM checksum in progress or failure 3-1-1 Slave DMA register test in progress or failure
1-2-1 Timer Test in progress or failure 3-1-2 Master DMA register test in progress or failure
1-2-2 DMA initialization in progress or failure 3-1-3 Master IMR test in progress or failure
1-2-3 DMA page register read/write test in progress or failure 3-1-4 Slave IMR test in progress or failure
1-3-1 RAM refresh verification in progress or failure 3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading in progress
1-3-2 1st 64K RAM test in progress or failure 3-2-4 Keyboard controller test in progress or failure
1-3-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure (multi bit) 3-3-1 CMOS power fail and checksum test in progress
1-3-4 1st 64K RAM odd/even logic failure 3-3-2 CMOS Config info validation in progress
1-4-1 1st 64K RAM address line failure 3-3-3 RTC/Keyboard controller not found
1-4-2 1st 64K RAM parity test in progress or failure 3-3-4 Screen memory test in progress or failure
1-4-3 Fail-safe timer test in progress 3-4-1 Screen initialization test in progress or failure
1-4-4 Software NMI port test in progress 3-4-2 Screen retrace tests test in progress or failure
2-1-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 0 3-4-3 Search for video ROM in progress
2-1-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 1 4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt test in progress or failure
2-1-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 2 4-2-2 Shutdown test in progress or failure
2-1-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 3 4-2-3 Gate A20 failure
2-2-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 4 4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in Protected Mode
2-2-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 5 4-3-1 RAM test in progress or failure above address 0FFFFh
2-2-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 6 4-3-2 No memory in Bank 0
2-2-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 7 4-3-3 Interval Timer Channel 2 test in progress or failure
2-3-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 8 4-3-4 Time-Of-Day Clock test in progress or failure
2-3-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit 9 4-4-1 Super I/O chip failure
2-3-3 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit A 5-1-2-3 Memory read/write failure
2-3-4 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit B 5-2-2-1 Unsupported RIMM device count/technology
2-4-1 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit C 5-2-2-2 Unsupported RIMM timings or timing mismatch between Channel A and Channel B
2-4-2 1st 64K RAM chip or data line failure - bit D 5-2-2-3 Levelization failed (bad timings, or possible continuity card missing)
RAMBUS Related Beep Codes
The most common WorkStation RAMBUS memory Beep Codes are shown below. The recommended troubleshooting steps are based on current failure analysis.
Beep Code Cause Recommendation
1-3-2 No RIMM detected Do not suspect a defective RIMM, but reseating or connectivity issues
5-1-2-3 Memory read/write failure Run the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the memory modules are operating properly
5-2-2-1 Mismatch RDRAM device count Replace RIMM pair with supported matching device count
5-2-2-2 Mismatch RDRAM technology or timing pair Replace RIMM pair with matching technology and timing
5-2-2-3 RDRAM levelization failure 1) Visually inspect the motherboard RIMM connectors for any obvious damage2) If the beep code is intermittant, suspect the motherboard first3) If the beep code is consistent on every reboot, suspect the RIMMs first
POST Diagnostic LED Patterns
State LED Pattern State Name State Description
S0- OFF System power OFF
S0+ Reserved for future use
S1 RCM BIOS checksum failure was detected and the system is now in Recovery Mode
S2 CPU CPU configuration activity is in progress or a CPU failure was detected
S3 MEM Memory subsystem configuration activity is in progress or a memory failure was detected
S4 PCI PCI device configuration activity is in progress or PCI device failure was detected
S5 VID Video subsystem configuration activity in pro-gress or video subsystem failure
S6 STO Storage device configuration in progress or storage subsystem failure
S7 USB USB subsystem configuration activity in progress or USB subsystem failure
S8 Reserved for future use
S9 MBF Fatal motherboard failure detected
S10 Reserved for future use
S11 PRV Indicates routine system activity preceding video initialization
S12 CFG System resource configuration in progress
S13 Reserved for future use
S14 POV Indicates routine system activity subsequent to video initialization
S15 STD Indicates End of POST process and the LEDs remain in this pattern until the system is switched off or reset
System P.O.S.T. Tests
System P.O.S.T. tests are grouped into states, which are noted on the table above. The following chart illustrates which tests are performed during each state. This can be helpful when trying to identify which component generated the fault that resulted in the LED code failure.
LED State System Activity or Failure
CFG Configure option ROMs, PNP devices
CPU Switch from protected mode/ real modeDisable CPU cacheµcode updateInitialize MTRR MSRsEnable L1 cacheCPUID signature mismatchConfiguring L2 cache or cache failureMicroprocessor initializationID and set boot processor.Interprocessor initializationInstall and test SMI handlerMultiprocessor synchronizationTurn ON L2 cache
MBF CPU register test failureCMOS RAM test failureTimer 0 and 1 failureDMA channel 0 and 1 failurePage register failureVerify refresh failureKeyboard controller failureDMA port failureInterrupt mask register failureTimer tick failureSystem shutdown failureSuper I/O failure (Parallel port)
MEM Memory configuration in progress or failureShadowing BIOS image to memory or failureExecute code from memory after configurationClear low 64K of RAMTest 64K ram or error including parity errorSize memoryTest memory
PCI Early PCI initialization before VideoConfigure PCI
POV All other activities after first video splash
PRV All other activities before video
STD Steady state entered just before boot hand off.
STO Reset IDE controllersInitialize floppy drivesInitialize hard drive sub system. Identify devices
VID Initialize video controllers using INT 10HSearch for video ROMs.Configure ISA/ PCI/ AGP video