The BIOS Chip and BIOS Recovery
The BIOS Chip and BIOS Recovery
Before 1990 or so BIOSes were held on ROM chips that could not be altered. As its complexity and need for updates grew, BIOS firmware was subsequently stored on EEPROM or flash memory devices. The first flash chips attached to the ISA bus. Starting in 1998, the BIOS flash moved to the LPC bus, a functional replacement for ISA, following a new standard implementation known as "firmware hub" (FWH). In 2006, the first systems supporting a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) appeared, and the BIOS flash moved again.
EEPROM chips are advantageous because they can easily be updated by the user; hardware manufacturers frequently issue BIOS updates to upgrade their products, improve compatibility and remove bugs. However, the risk is that an improperly executed or aborted BIOS update can render the computer or device unusable. To recover from BIOS corruption, some new motherboards have a backup BIOS (i.e. they are referred to as "Dual BIOS" boards, Gigabyte even offers a motherboard with quad BIOS). Also, most BIOSes have a "boot block" which is a portion of the ROM that runs first and is not updateable. This code will verify that the rest of the BIOS is intact (via checksum, hash, etc.) before transferring control to it. If the boot block detects that the main BIOS is corrupted, then it will typically initiate a recovery process, by booting to a removable device (floppy, CD or USB memory) so that the user can try flashing again.
Due to the limitation on the number of times that flash memory can be flashed, a flash-based BIOS is vulnerable to "flash-burn" viruses that repeatedly write to the flash, permanently corrupting the chip. Such attacks can be prevented by some form of write-protection, the ultimate protection being the replacement of the flash memory with a true ROM.
Bios Failure Trobule shooting
Problem: The BIOS fails to detect the hard disk(s), CD-ROM, floppy drive, etc.
Cause: All of a sudden, hard drives and floppies disappear from the list of devices, or you cannot boot because the BIOS declares that you have no hard drive!
Solution: The most common reason for this error is a bad or loosely connected cable or incorrect jumper settings on the device. Check all the cable connections to the device. Ensure that the data cable and the power cable are properly plugged in both to the device and to the motherboard. Next, check the jumper settings. If two disks are connected to a single port, make sure one is set to Master and the other to Slave. Also check the BIOS setup program and ensure that IDE controllers are enabled. Go to the Integrated Peripherals menu and confirm that the Primary and Secondary Channels are enabled. If you are not comfortable changing individual values, reset the settings using the “Load Fail-safe (or Factory) Defaults” option.
Problem: After powering off the PC and switching it back on after a few hours, the time has changed
Cause: The CMOS battery powers the real-time clock. This symptom indicates that the battery is dying. In rare cases, it could also mean there’s a problem with the battery port of the CMOS. Solution: Replace the battery. If the symptom persists, there’s a good chance that the battery port is damaged. In this latter case, you may need to replace the motherboard! Get it checked by a computer technician first.
Problem: An error message says there is a problem with IRQ, I/Oport, DMA configuration or resource allocation, and refers totroubleshooting the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS configures and allocates resources to the IRQ,and I/O ports. In most BIOSes, this allocation cannot be changed or modified by the user. Some BIOSes may provide a “soft menu” to change these allocations.
Solution: It’s preferable to get the BIOS checked by a computer engineer. Use the “Load Fail-safe (Factory) Defaults” options in the setup menu. If a soft menu is available, ensure you read up the associated documentation before changing any settings.
Problem: An error message asks to update the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS firmware does not support the device without an update.
Cause: All of a sudden, hard drives and floppies disappear from the list of devices, or you cannot boot because the BIOS declares that you have no hard drive!
Solution: The most common reason for this error is a bad or loosely connected cable or incorrect jumper settings on the device. Check all the cable connections to the device. Ensure that the data cable and the power cable are properly plugged in both to the device and to the motherboard. Next, check the jumper settings. If two disks are connected to a single port, make sure one is set to Master and the other to Slave. Also check the BIOS setup program and ensure that IDE controllers are enabled. Go to the Integrated Peripherals menu and confirm that the Primary and Secondary Channels are enabled. If you are not comfortable changing individual values, reset the settings using the “Load Fail-safe (or Factory) Defaults” option.
Problem: After powering off the PC and switching it back on after a few hours, the time has changed
Cause: The CMOS battery powers the real-time clock. This symptom indicates that the battery is dying. In rare cases, it could also mean there’s a problem with the battery port of the CMOS. Solution: Replace the battery. If the symptom persists, there’s a good chance that the battery port is damaged. In this latter case, you may need to replace the motherboard! Get it checked by a computer technician first.
Problem: An error message says there is a problem with IRQ, I/Oport, DMA configuration or resource allocation, and refers totroubleshooting the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS configures and allocates resources to the IRQ,and I/O ports. In most BIOSes, this allocation cannot be changed or modified by the user. Some BIOSes may provide a “soft menu” to change these allocations.
Solution: It’s preferable to get the BIOS checked by a computer engineer. Use the “Load Fail-safe (Factory) Defaults” options in the setup menu. If a soft menu is available, ensure you read up the associated documentation before changing any settings.
Problem: An error message asks to update the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS firmware does not support the device without an update.
The BIOS fails to detect the hard disk(s), CD-ROM, floppy drive,
Problem: The BIOS fails to detect the hard disk(s), CD-ROM, floppy drive, etc.
Cause: All of a sudden, hard drives and floppies disappear from the list of devices, or you cannot boot because the BIOS declares that you have no hard drive!
Solution: The most common reason for this error is a bad or loosely connected cable or incorrect jumper settings on the device. Check all the cable connections to the device. Ensure that the data cable and the power cable are properly plugged in both to the device and to the motherboard. Next, check the jumper settings. If two disks are connected to a single port, make sure one is set to Master and the other to Slave. Also check the BIOS setup program and ensure that IDE controllers are enabled. Go to the Integrated Peripherals menu and confirm that the Primary and Secondary Channels are enabled. If you are not comfortable changing individual values, reset the settings using the “Load Fail-safe (or Factory) Defaults” option.
Problem: After powering off the PC and switching it back on after a few hours, the time has changed
Cause: The CMOS battery powers the real-time clock. This symptom indicates that the battery is dying. In rare cases, it could also mean there’s a problem with the battery port of the CMOS. Solution: Replace the battery. If the symptom persists, there’s a good chance that the battery port is damaged. In this latter case, you may need to replace the motherboard! Get it checked by a computer technician first.
Problem: An error message says there is a problem with IRQ, I/Oport, DMA configuration or resource allocation, and refers totroubleshooting the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS configures and allocates resources to the IRQ,and I/O ports. In most BIOSes, this allocation cannot be changed or modified by the user. Some BIOSes may provide a “soft menu” to change these allocations.
Solution: It’s preferable to get the BIOS checked by a computer engineer. Use the “Load Fail-safe (Factory) Defaults” options in the setup menu. If a soft menu is available, ensure you read up the associated documentation before changing any settings.
Problem: An error message asks to update the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS firmware does not support the device without an update.
Solution: See the Updating the BIOS section
Cause: All of a sudden, hard drives and floppies disappear from the list of devices, or you cannot boot because the BIOS declares that you have no hard drive!
Solution: The most common reason for this error is a bad or loosely connected cable or incorrect jumper settings on the device. Check all the cable connections to the device. Ensure that the data cable and the power cable are properly plugged in both to the device and to the motherboard. Next, check the jumper settings. If two disks are connected to a single port, make sure one is set to Master and the other to Slave. Also check the BIOS setup program and ensure that IDE controllers are enabled. Go to the Integrated Peripherals menu and confirm that the Primary and Secondary Channels are enabled. If you are not comfortable changing individual values, reset the settings using the “Load Fail-safe (or Factory) Defaults” option.
Problem: After powering off the PC and switching it back on after a few hours, the time has changed
Cause: The CMOS battery powers the real-time clock. This symptom indicates that the battery is dying. In rare cases, it could also mean there’s a problem with the battery port of the CMOS. Solution: Replace the battery. If the symptom persists, there’s a good chance that the battery port is damaged. In this latter case, you may need to replace the motherboard! Get it checked by a computer technician first.
Problem: An error message says there is a problem with IRQ, I/Oport, DMA configuration or resource allocation, and refers totroubleshooting the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS configures and allocates resources to the IRQ,and I/O ports. In most BIOSes, this allocation cannot be changed or modified by the user. Some BIOSes may provide a “soft menu” to change these allocations.
Solution: It’s preferable to get the BIOS checked by a computer engineer. Use the “Load Fail-safe (Factory) Defaults” options in the setup menu. If a soft menu is available, ensure you read up the associated documentation before changing any settings.
Problem: An error message asks to update the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS firmware does not support the device without an update.
Solution: See the Updating the BIOS section
Troubleshooting the Blue Screen
Troubleshooting the Blue Screen Of Death
One of the most dreaded error messages for a Windows user is the blue screen, or the
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) as it is popularly known, which suddenly pops up
informing you that something is seriously wrong with Windows. What this screen
essentially means is that Windows has crashed and needs to reboot to recover.
Usually, you will be able to recover and continue without any problems, but it can sometimes be a hair-raising experience—like when you’re pressed for time and have to get that PowerPoint presentation ready for your boss!
Windows 9x/ME
In Windows 9x/ME this error is less serious but more common. You can usually recover from the error by simply pressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del] and restarting the computer, or by switching off the PC and switching it back on. However, the error message will contain very little information that you can use in troubleshooting.
Problems causing the BSOD
The BSOD is the main way for virtual device drivers to report a problem. The error description will state that Windows faced a problem (exception) at a particular memory address (a portion of the RAM) in a certain file, usually with the prefix VxD (virtual device driver), or the file name may have the DLL extension. At the minimum, it indicates that there was a problem with that particular file. Typically, this may have been caused by some action of the user that Windows does not allow—like accessing a document from a floppy and then removing the floppy before closing document. In other cases it may indicate that there is a problem with a particular software or hardware. If the BSOD repeats with the same message, then there is potentially something seriously wrong, and you should investigate further.
The basic approach
Use the file name in the error message to give you a clue as to what is causing the problem. Search the hard disk for the filename and look at the folder in which the file is located to give you an idea of which software program or hardware uses this file. Also search the Internet for any information on this file. Once you have identified the software or hardware associated with the filename, uninstall or remove the software or hardware. Verify that the software or hardware, as the case may be, is compatible with your version of Windows. Get updates if applicable and reinstall it. Also, see the Troubleshooting Startup, Shutdown and Power Management sections in this guide.
System Restore in Windows ME and Windows XP
In addition to the above, Windows ME/XP provides the extremely useful System Restore tool. System Restore takes daily snapshots of the system state—every 10 hours the system is on and every 24 hours of real-time. The snapshot contains all the information required to restore the system to that particular point in time. To restore the system to a previous point in time do the following: o Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System
Restore. o Choose “Restore my computer to an earlier time” and click Next. o On the calendar on the left, choose the last day you remember that Windows operated without problems. On the right, choose the Restore Point description; if there are multiple restore points that day, choose the one you’re most certain about or choose the latest time. Click Next. o Make sure you’ve closed all open files and running programs, and click OK. oThe system will roll back to the settings of that restore point and you can continue working normally.
Windows 2000/XP
Error reporting in Windows 2000/XP is more robust, nevertheless,hen you get a BSOD, it is just as mysterious at first glance. The “Windows Stop Message”, which is the official name for the BSOD, occurs when Windows encounters a problem from which it cannot recover. At this moment Windows stops and displays the error message shown on the screen. Additionally, the contents of the system memory are dumped to a file. This memory dump file can be analysed by competent support technicians to troubleshoot the problem in depth. All the stop errors are numbered according to the circumstances that caused the error. This is a big step up from Windows 9x/ME, where the stop errors were more generalised and hence were much more difficult to troubleshoot.
Problems causing the BSOD
The BSODs are generally associated with five problems faced by Windows:
o Software or device drivers may have a problem
o A hardware device is malfunctioning, or was removed while Windows was running, or does not fully support Windows. On older machines, outdated BIOS information can also cause errors.
o Hardware or hard disk errors during installation of Windows.
o Corrupted startup files, hardware and driver software during Windows startup can also be the cause. This type of error will always require troubleshooting before Windows can start up normally.
o Intermittent errors that appear randomly. These can be caused by an overheating processor, a defective memory system, a dying or dead hard disk, or faulty software and device drivers.
Possible solutions to the BSOD
When a BSOD occurs, the first step is to note down the Stop number, the ‘friendly name’ of the error and also the name of the file that is reported as the cause of the problem. The Stop number will be in hexadecimal format—something like this:
STOP : 0x0000000A (0xDB000000, 0x00000001, 0x00000002, 0xB04FB0DB)
The friendly name will be something like this:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
If the error comes up very briefly, before you can note it down, and the system restarts, you will need to change a setting to tell Windows not to automatically reboot. Right-click My Computer, select the Advanced tab, and click “Startup and Recovery”, in Windows 2000, clear the “Automatically Reboot” checkbox. In Windows XP, click Settings and clear the “Automatic Restart” checkbox. This, of course, assumes that Windows has rebooted normally and you are able to change the setting.
If you are not able to boot normally, restart Windows and press [F8] repeatedly during the POST cycle. This will take you to the Advanced Options menu. Choose Safe Mode. Windows will attempt to load with a minimum set of drivers. If Windows is able to boot into Safe Mode, this most likely means that the problem is with a particular software, and is not hardware-related. If Windows is not able to boot into Safe Mode, restart the computer, bring up the Advanced Options screen (by pressing [F8] during POST) and select “Last Known Good Configuration”. Windows will then attempt to load the last settings where everything worked normally. If that doesn’t work, then it most likely means you have a serious hardware or critical startup system file error. If this error has occurred after any recent hardware additions, remove the hardware and try to boot again.
If you are able to boot into Safe Mode, first perform a virus and spy-ware scan using a tool such as Norton AntiVirus and Spybot S&D. Uninstall any recently added software, and remove or roll back any updated device drivers. (To roll back device drivers, go to the Properties page of the device in Device Manager, select the Driver tab, and click Roll Back Driver). In XP, you can perform one additional step—running System Restore, as explained above for Windows ME.
Restart the computer normally and check if the problem recurs. If it is an intermittent problem, and occurs at random, you can note down the error number the next time it occurs, since you disabled Automatic Restart after a crash. Boot into Safe Mode and see if you get the same random error. If you do, then the problem is likely hardware-related. Resolve the issue by following the hardware troubleshooting steps explained below. If the error only occurs in normal mode, then it is likely a software problem. Follow the steps for software and device driver troubleshooting described below.
Look in Device Manager and troubleshoot any hardware device conflicts as explained in the Troubleshooting Hardware Device Conflicts in Windows section. You can remove or disable the device, or roll back its driver to a previous version.
If the BSOD is caused by a faulty program that crashes Windows at system startup, you can disable the software from starting up by using msconfig.exe. Type Start > Run, type in “msconfig” and press [Enter]. Select the Startup tab and disable any or all software you think may be the ones causing the problem. Better still, you could disable all the software in the list, enable them one at a time, and reboot the computer to identify the offending software.
If the BSOD is caused by faulty hardware, remove any recently added hardware—after switching off the PC, of course! If the BSOD still occurs, or there are no newly added hardware, test the RAM for errors by using a memory diagnostic program such as Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp). See the Memory section of this guide for further information. If the diagnostic reports errors, then you’ve found the culprit. Replace the defective RAM.
If the BSOD is due to corrupt system startup files, you can repair Windows by performing a Repair Install. Boot the PC from the Windows installation CD, press [Enter] to set up Windows XP, press [F8] to accept the license agreement, and then press [R] to start the Repair Installation. Windows will reinstall all the system files and redetect all the hardware. Note: You will have to visit the Windows Update site to reinstall any patches and Service Packs, since the repair installation will remove them.
If you are still getting BSODs, switch off the PC, open the cabinet and remove all but the essential hardware: the mouse, keyboard, hard disk, CD-ROM, display card and RAM, along with the PSU and processor of course! Now, first attempt booting into Safe Mode, and if that works, reboot normally. If you are successful, the problem is with one of the peripheral devices. Add all the peripherals back one by one till you get a BSOD again—the last added peripheral is the culprit.
If you are getting BSODs during installation, then the problem could be with the RAM, hard disk, processor, or one of the peripherals. Test the RAM using a memory diagnostic tool as described above, check the hard disk for errors (most hard disk manufacturers provide software utilities that can diagnose errors), verify that the CPU is not overheating by following the instructions in the Motherboard section of this guide, and remove all peripherals and run the installation with the minimum configuration as described above. If the installation is successful, you can troubleshoot the rest of the hardware devices from within Windows.
One of the most dreaded error messages for a Windows user is the blue screen, or the
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) as it is popularly known, which suddenly pops up
informing you that something is seriously wrong with Windows. What this screen
essentially means is that Windows has crashed and needs to reboot to recover.
Usually, you will be able to recover and continue without any problems, but it can sometimes be a hair-raising experience—like when you’re pressed for time and have to get that PowerPoint presentation ready for your boss!
Windows 9x/ME
In Windows 9x/ME this error is less serious but more common. You can usually recover from the error by simply pressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del] and restarting the computer, or by switching off the PC and switching it back on. However, the error message will contain very little information that you can use in troubleshooting.
Problems causing the BSOD
The BSOD is the main way for virtual device drivers to report a problem. The error description will state that Windows faced a problem (exception) at a particular memory address (a portion of the RAM) in a certain file, usually with the prefix VxD (virtual device driver), or the file name may have the DLL extension. At the minimum, it indicates that there was a problem with that particular file. Typically, this may have been caused by some action of the user that Windows does not allow—like accessing a document from a floppy and then removing the floppy before closing document. In other cases it may indicate that there is a problem with a particular software or hardware. If the BSOD repeats with the same message, then there is potentially something seriously wrong, and you should investigate further.
The basic approach
Use the file name in the error message to give you a clue as to what is causing the problem. Search the hard disk for the filename and look at the folder in which the file is located to give you an idea of which software program or hardware uses this file. Also search the Internet for any information on this file. Once you have identified the software or hardware associated with the filename, uninstall or remove the software or hardware. Verify that the software or hardware, as the case may be, is compatible with your version of Windows. Get updates if applicable and reinstall it. Also, see the Troubleshooting Startup, Shutdown and Power Management sections in this guide.
System Restore in Windows ME and Windows XP
In addition to the above, Windows ME/XP provides the extremely useful System Restore tool. System Restore takes daily snapshots of the system state—every 10 hours the system is on and every 24 hours of real-time. The snapshot contains all the information required to restore the system to that particular point in time. To restore the system to a previous point in time do the following: o Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System
Restore. o Choose “Restore my computer to an earlier time” and click Next. o On the calendar on the left, choose the last day you remember that Windows operated without problems. On the right, choose the Restore Point description; if there are multiple restore points that day, choose the one you’re most certain about or choose the latest time. Click Next. o Make sure you’ve closed all open files and running programs, and click OK. oThe system will roll back to the settings of that restore point and you can continue working normally.
Windows 2000/XP
Error reporting in Windows 2000/XP is more robust, nevertheless,hen you get a BSOD, it is just as mysterious at first glance. The “Windows Stop Message”, which is the official name for the BSOD, occurs when Windows encounters a problem from which it cannot recover. At this moment Windows stops and displays the error message shown on the screen. Additionally, the contents of the system memory are dumped to a file. This memory dump file can be analysed by competent support technicians to troubleshoot the problem in depth. All the stop errors are numbered according to the circumstances that caused the error. This is a big step up from Windows 9x/ME, where the stop errors were more generalised and hence were much more difficult to troubleshoot.
Problems causing the BSOD
The BSODs are generally associated with five problems faced by Windows:
o Software or device drivers may have a problem
o A hardware device is malfunctioning, or was removed while Windows was running, or does not fully support Windows. On older machines, outdated BIOS information can also cause errors.
o Hardware or hard disk errors during installation of Windows.
o Corrupted startup files, hardware and driver software during Windows startup can also be the cause. This type of error will always require troubleshooting before Windows can start up normally.
o Intermittent errors that appear randomly. These can be caused by an overheating processor, a defective memory system, a dying or dead hard disk, or faulty software and device drivers.
Possible solutions to the BSOD
When a BSOD occurs, the first step is to note down the Stop number, the ‘friendly name’ of the error and also the name of the file that is reported as the cause of the problem. The Stop number will be in hexadecimal format—something like this:
STOP : 0x0000000A (0xDB000000, 0x00000001, 0x00000002, 0xB04FB0DB)
The friendly name will be something like this:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
If the error comes up very briefly, before you can note it down, and the system restarts, you will need to change a setting to tell Windows not to automatically reboot. Right-click My Computer, select the Advanced tab, and click “Startup and Recovery”, in Windows 2000, clear the “Automatically Reboot” checkbox. In Windows XP, click Settings and clear the “Automatic Restart” checkbox. This, of course, assumes that Windows has rebooted normally and you are able to change the setting.
If you are not able to boot normally, restart Windows and press [F8] repeatedly during the POST cycle. This will take you to the Advanced Options menu. Choose Safe Mode. Windows will attempt to load with a minimum set of drivers. If Windows is able to boot into Safe Mode, this most likely means that the problem is with a particular software, and is not hardware-related. If Windows is not able to boot into Safe Mode, restart the computer, bring up the Advanced Options screen (by pressing [F8] during POST) and select “Last Known Good Configuration”. Windows will then attempt to load the last settings where everything worked normally. If that doesn’t work, then it most likely means you have a serious hardware or critical startup system file error. If this error has occurred after any recent hardware additions, remove the hardware and try to boot again.
If you are able to boot into Safe Mode, first perform a virus and spy-ware scan using a tool such as Norton AntiVirus and Spybot S&D. Uninstall any recently added software, and remove or roll back any updated device drivers. (To roll back device drivers, go to the Properties page of the device in Device Manager, select the Driver tab, and click Roll Back Driver). In XP, you can perform one additional step—running System Restore, as explained above for Windows ME.
Restart the computer normally and check if the problem recurs. If it is an intermittent problem, and occurs at random, you can note down the error number the next time it occurs, since you disabled Automatic Restart after a crash. Boot into Safe Mode and see if you get the same random error. If you do, then the problem is likely hardware-related. Resolve the issue by following the hardware troubleshooting steps explained below. If the error only occurs in normal mode, then it is likely a software problem. Follow the steps for software and device driver troubleshooting described below.
Look in Device Manager and troubleshoot any hardware device conflicts as explained in the Troubleshooting Hardware Device Conflicts in Windows section. You can remove or disable the device, or roll back its driver to a previous version.
If the BSOD is caused by a faulty program that crashes Windows at system startup, you can disable the software from starting up by using msconfig.exe. Type Start > Run, type in “msconfig” and press [Enter]. Select the Startup tab and disable any or all software you think may be the ones causing the problem. Better still, you could disable all the software in the list, enable them one at a time, and reboot the computer to identify the offending software.
If the BSOD is caused by faulty hardware, remove any recently added hardware—after switching off the PC, of course! If the BSOD still occurs, or there are no newly added hardware, test the RAM for errors by using a memory diagnostic program such as Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp). See the Memory section of this guide for further information. If the diagnostic reports errors, then you’ve found the culprit. Replace the defective RAM.
If the BSOD is due to corrupt system startup files, you can repair Windows by performing a Repair Install. Boot the PC from the Windows installation CD, press [Enter] to set up Windows XP, press [F8] to accept the license agreement, and then press [R] to start the Repair Installation. Windows will reinstall all the system files and redetect all the hardware. Note: You will have to visit the Windows Update site to reinstall any patches and Service Packs, since the repair installation will remove them.
If you are still getting BSODs, switch off the PC, open the cabinet and remove all but the essential hardware: the mouse, keyboard, hard disk, CD-ROM, display card and RAM, along with the PSU and processor of course! Now, first attempt booting into Safe Mode, and if that works, reboot normally. If you are successful, the problem is with one of the peripheral devices. Add all the peripherals back one by one till you get a BSOD again—the last added peripheral is the culprit.
If you are getting BSODs during installation, then the problem could be with the RAM, hard disk, processor, or one of the peripherals. Test the RAM using a memory diagnostic tool as described above, check the hard disk for errors (most hard disk manufacturers provide software utilities that can diagnose errors), verify that the CPU is not overheating by following the instructions in the Motherboard section of this guide, and remove all peripherals and run the installation with the minimum configuration as described above. If the installation is successful, you can troubleshoot the rest of the hardware devices from within Windows.
BIOS Beep Codes
When your system has a problem that won’t let it start up properly, the first thing you will hear is warning beeps. These could be because of hardware or even because of the BIOS itself.
Unfortunately, beep codes are not standardized across BIOS vendors and motherboard manufacturers. Below are mentioned the beep codes, along with the possible problem that could be causing the beep, and some suggestions towards resolution. These are for two popular BIOS vendors—AMI and Award. If your BIOS is from any other vendor, you will need to refer to the motherboard manufacturer’s or the BIOS vendor’s manual for details.
Also, motherboard manufacturers may modify the beep codes to their convenience and not maintain consistency. Keep an open mind when you decipher the beep, and don’t get into a tizzy if the codes don’t match what is in here or in the BIOS vendor’s manual! You should always try and contact the manufacturer to get the correct beep codes.
AMIBIOS (American Megatrends Inc.)
One beep: RAM failure
Problem: Motherboard problem or failed RAM.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or the RAM.
Two beeps: Parity Circuit Failure
Problem: Motherboard problem or failed RAM.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or the RAM.
Three beeps: Base 64K RAM failure
Problem: There is a failure within the first 64K of memory.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or the RAM.
Four beeps: System Timer Failure
Problem: One or more of the system timers on the motherboard has failed; usually indicates motherboard failure.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard. You may need to replace it.
Five beeps: Processor Failure
Problem: The processor is generating an error condition. This does not mean that the processor is not working—with a dead processor, the computer won’t boot at all.
Solution: Check if the processor is overheating, and whether it is set correctly on the motherboard. Troubleshoot the motherboard.
Six beeps: Keyboard controller or gate A20 failure
Problem: Keyboard, keyboard controller or motherboard error.
Solution: Check if the keyboard is connected properly. Use another keyboard to see if the problem persists. If it does, look for the keyboard controller chip on the motherboard and see if it is seated properly and that it is not damaged. If the problem continues, troubleshoot the motherboard.
Seven beeps: Virtual mode exception error
Problem: This error is reported when testing the processor’s virtual mode. Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard/processor. Verify that all jumpers are properly configured.
Eight beeps: Display memory read/write failure
Problem: The BIOS is not able to read/write the display card’s memory.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or display card.
Nine beeps: BIOS’ ROM checksum failure
Problem: The BIOS CMOS chip is most likely defective. May also be a problem with the motherboard.
Solution: The CMOS chip can be replaced, but replacing the motherboard is simpler and more cost-effective.
10 beeps: CMOS shutdown register read/write error
Problem: A motherboard component is creating an error when interacting with the CMOS.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and verify that all components are properly set up and configured.
11 beeps: Cache memory error
Problem: There is an problem with the processor’s L2 cache.
Solution: Verify that the L2 cache chip is inserted correctly. Verify that all connections inside the PC are correct. Replace the cache module if the problem persists.
Continuous beeps: Video / Memory problem
Problem: A problem with the RAM, display card or motherboard.
Solution: Troubleshoot the RAM first, followed by the display card and then the motherboard.
Other beeps: Check motherboard manual
Problem: Check the motherboard manual or the vendor’s Web site for more information. Treat it as a motherboard problem.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard.
Award BIOS Award has the least number of documented beep codes. They prefer to display an error message on the screen. Beep codes are used only if the BIOS can’t access the display subsystem.
One long beep: Memory problem
Problem: A problem with the memory or motherboard
Solution: Troubleshoot the memory and the motherboard
One long and two short beeps: Video error
Problem: The BIOS is not able to access the video sub-system
Solution: Troubleshoot the video card, and if the problem persists, go on to the motherboard.
One long and three short beeps: Video error
Problem: The BIOS is not able to access the video sub-system
Solution: Troubleshoot the video card, and the if problem persists, go on to the motherboard.
Continuous beeps: Video / memory problem
Problem: There is a problem with the RAM, display card or motherboard.
Solution: Troubleshoot the RAM first, followed by the display card and then the motherboard.
Other beeps: Check the motherboard manual
Problem: Check the motherboard manual or the vendor’s Web site for more information. Treat it as a motherboard problem.
Solution: Check the motherboard manual. Troubleshoot the motherboard.
Unfortunately, beep codes are not standardized across BIOS vendors and motherboard manufacturers. Below are mentioned the beep codes, along with the possible problem that could be causing the beep, and some suggestions towards resolution. These are for two popular BIOS vendors—AMI and Award. If your BIOS is from any other vendor, you will need to refer to the motherboard manufacturer’s or the BIOS vendor’s manual for details.
Also, motherboard manufacturers may modify the beep codes to their convenience and not maintain consistency. Keep an open mind when you decipher the beep, and don’t get into a tizzy if the codes don’t match what is in here or in the BIOS vendor’s manual! You should always try and contact the manufacturer to get the correct beep codes.
AMIBIOS (American Megatrends Inc.)
One beep: RAM failure
Problem: Motherboard problem or failed RAM.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or the RAM.
Two beeps: Parity Circuit Failure
Problem: Motherboard problem or failed RAM.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or the RAM.
Three beeps: Base 64K RAM failure
Problem: There is a failure within the first 64K of memory.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or the RAM.
Four beeps: System Timer Failure
Problem: One or more of the system timers on the motherboard has failed; usually indicates motherboard failure.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard. You may need to replace it.
Five beeps: Processor Failure
Problem: The processor is generating an error condition. This does not mean that the processor is not working—with a dead processor, the computer won’t boot at all.
Solution: Check if the processor is overheating, and whether it is set correctly on the motherboard. Troubleshoot the motherboard.
Six beeps: Keyboard controller or gate A20 failure
Problem: Keyboard, keyboard controller or motherboard error.
Solution: Check if the keyboard is connected properly. Use another keyboard to see if the problem persists. If it does, look for the keyboard controller chip on the motherboard and see if it is seated properly and that it is not damaged. If the problem continues, troubleshoot the motherboard.
Seven beeps: Virtual mode exception error
Problem: This error is reported when testing the processor’s virtual mode. Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard/processor. Verify that all jumpers are properly configured.
Eight beeps: Display memory read/write failure
Problem: The BIOS is not able to read/write the display card’s memory.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and/or display card.
Nine beeps: BIOS’ ROM checksum failure
Problem: The BIOS CMOS chip is most likely defective. May also be a problem with the motherboard.
Solution: The CMOS chip can be replaced, but replacing the motherboard is simpler and more cost-effective.
10 beeps: CMOS shutdown register read/write error
Problem: A motherboard component is creating an error when interacting with the CMOS.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard and verify that all components are properly set up and configured.
11 beeps: Cache memory error
Problem: There is an problem with the processor’s L2 cache.
Solution: Verify that the L2 cache chip is inserted correctly. Verify that all connections inside the PC are correct. Replace the cache module if the problem persists.
Continuous beeps: Video / Memory problem
Problem: A problem with the RAM, display card or motherboard.
Solution: Troubleshoot the RAM first, followed by the display card and then the motherboard.
Other beeps: Check motherboard manual
Problem: Check the motherboard manual or the vendor’s Web site for more information. Treat it as a motherboard problem.
Solution: Troubleshoot the motherboard.
Award BIOS Award has the least number of documented beep codes. They prefer to display an error message on the screen. Beep codes are used only if the BIOS can’t access the display subsystem.
One long beep: Memory problem
Problem: A problem with the memory or motherboard
Solution: Troubleshoot the memory and the motherboard
One long and two short beeps: Video error
Problem: The BIOS is not able to access the video sub-system
Solution: Troubleshoot the video card, and if the problem persists, go on to the motherboard.
One long and three short beeps: Video error
Problem: The BIOS is not able to access the video sub-system
Solution: Troubleshoot the video card, and the if problem persists, go on to the motherboard.
Continuous beeps: Video / memory problem
Problem: There is a problem with the RAM, display card or motherboard.
Solution: Troubleshoot the RAM first, followed by the display card and then the motherboard.
Other beeps: Check the motherboard manual
Problem: Check the motherboard manual or the vendor’s Web site for more information. Treat it as a motherboard problem.
Solution: Check the motherboard manual. Troubleshoot the motherboard.
General BIOS Problems
Problem: The BIOS fails to detect the hard disk(s), CD-ROM, floppy drive, etc.
Cause: All of a sudden, hard drives and floppies disappear from the list of devices, or you cannot boot because the BIOS declares that you have no hard drive!
Solution: The most common reason for this error is a bad or loosely connected cable or incorrect jumper settings on the device. Check all the cable connections to the device. Ensure that the data cable and the power cable are properly plugged in both to the device and to the motherboard. Next, check the jumper settings. If two disks are connected to a single port, make sure one is set to Master and the other to Slave. Also check the BIOS setup program and ensure that IDE controllers are enabled. Go to the Integrated Peripherals menu and confirm that the Primary and Secondary Channels are enabled. If you are not comfortable changing individual values, reset the settings using the “Load Fail-safe (or Factory) Defaults” option.
Problem: After powering off the PC and switching it back on after a few hours, the time has changed
Cause: The CMOS battery powers the real-time clock. This symptom indicates that the battery is dying. In rare cases, it could also mean there’s a problem with the battery port of the CMOS. Solution: Replace the battery. If the symptom persists, there’s a good chance that the battery port is damaged. In this latter case, you may need to replace the motherboard! Get it checked by a computer technician first.
Problem: An error message says there is a problem with IRQ, I/Oport, DMA configuration or resource allocation, and refers totroubleshooting the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS configures and allocates resources to the IRQ,and I/O ports. In most BIOSes, this allocation cannot be changed or modified by the user. Some BIOSes may provide a “soft menu” to change these allocations.
Solution: It’s preferable to get the BIOS checked by a computer engineer. Use the “Load Fail-safe (Factory) Defaults” options in the setup menu. If a soft menu is available, ensure you read up the associated documentation before changing any settings.
Problem: An error message asks to update the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS firmware does not support the device without an update.
Solution: See the Updating the BIOS section
Cause: All of a sudden, hard drives and floppies disappear from the list of devices, or you cannot boot because the BIOS declares that you have no hard drive!
Solution: The most common reason for this error is a bad or loosely connected cable or incorrect jumper settings on the device. Check all the cable connections to the device. Ensure that the data cable and the power cable are properly plugged in both to the device and to the motherboard. Next, check the jumper settings. If two disks are connected to a single port, make sure one is set to Master and the other to Slave. Also check the BIOS setup program and ensure that IDE controllers are enabled. Go to the Integrated Peripherals menu and confirm that the Primary and Secondary Channels are enabled. If you are not comfortable changing individual values, reset the settings using the “Load Fail-safe (or Factory) Defaults” option.
Problem: After powering off the PC and switching it back on after a few hours, the time has changed
Cause: The CMOS battery powers the real-time clock. This symptom indicates that the battery is dying. In rare cases, it could also mean there’s a problem with the battery port of the CMOS. Solution: Replace the battery. If the symptom persists, there’s a good chance that the battery port is damaged. In this latter case, you may need to replace the motherboard! Get it checked by a computer technician first.
Problem: An error message says there is a problem with IRQ, I/Oport, DMA configuration or resource allocation, and refers totroubleshooting the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS configures and allocates resources to the IRQ,and I/O ports. In most BIOSes, this allocation cannot be changed or modified by the user. Some BIOSes may provide a “soft menu” to change these allocations.
Solution: It’s preferable to get the BIOS checked by a computer engineer. Use the “Load Fail-safe (Factory) Defaults” options in the setup menu. If a soft menu is available, ensure you read up the associated documentation before changing any settings.
Problem: An error message asks to update the BIOS
Cause: The BIOS firmware does not support the device without an update.
Solution: See the Updating the BIOS section
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