Power-On Error Codes
When power is first applied to the system, the POST BIOS code checks the
CPU, Keyboard, and various controllers and when it encounters an error, it
typically beeps and displays an error code and a brief message.
The earliest PCs, Xt, and ATs displayed a simple error code number and
left you wondering what happened. Later BIOSes provide more info, but
often use the same numbering convention as shown below.
█▌Beep Codes▐█
No beeps, no display: Power failure
Continuous beeps: Power failure
Repeating short beeps: Power failure
One short beep: Display failure
One long, two short beeps: Display failure
One long, three short beeps: EGA display failure
█▌100s: Motherboard▐█
101 Interrupt failure
102 Timer failure
103 Timer interrupt failure
104 Protected mode failure
107 Hot non-maskable interrupt (NMI) test
108 Timer bus test failure
109 Direct Memory Access (DMA) failure
110 Motherboard memory
111 Adapter memory
112,113,166 Adapter in system unit
121 Hardware interrupts
151 Defective battery
152 Real-time clock
161 Battery failure
162,165,199 System options not set correctly; run setup
163 Time and date not set correctly
164 Memory size error
█▌200s: Memory▐█
xxyyy yyzz 201 Bad Chip (note: code IDs chip, but differs for
various BIOSes, makes, and models
201,202 Memory test failed
203,215 Memory address error
216 Motherboard memory
█▌300s: Keyboard Errors▐█
301 Improper keyboard response or stuck key
302 User-indicated error from keyboard test or AT keylock locked
303 Keyboard or system
341 Replace keyboard
342 Replace interface cable
343 replace enhancement card or cable
█▌400s: Monochrome Monitor▐█
401 MDA video memory, horizontal sync, or video test failed
408,416,424 User-indicated display attributes failure
432 Parallel port test failed
█▌500s: Color Monitor▐█
501 Video memory, horizontal sync, or video test failed
408,516,424,532,540,548 User-indicated attribute or mode failure
█▌600s: Diskette Drive▐█
601 Diskette power-on diagnostics failed
602 Boot record not valid
603 Diskette size error
606 Diskette verify
607 Write protected
608 Bad command diskette status
610 Diskette initialization
611 Time out
612 Bad controller
613,614 Direct memory access (DMA)
621 Bad seek
622 Bad cyclic redundancy (CRC)
623 Record not found
624 Bad address mark
625 Bad controller seek
626 Diskette data compare
627 Diskette change line
628 Diskette removed
█▌600s: Math Coprocessor▐█
701 Coprocessor test failed
█▌900s: Parallel Printer Adapter LPT1▐█
901 Parallel printer adapter failure
█▌1000s: Parallel Printer Adapter LPT2▐█
1001 Alternate Parallel printer adapter failure
█▌1400s: Printer▐█
1401 Printer test failed
1404 Dot Matrix printer test failed
█▌1700s: Hard Disk▐█
1702 Time out error
1703 Seek error
1704 Disk adapter error
1705 No record found
1706 Write fault error
1707 Track 0 error
1708 Head select error
1709 Defective error check
1710 Read buffer overrun
1711 Bad address mark
1712 Undetermined error
1713 Data compare error
1714 Drive not ready
1780,1790 Disk 1 failure or error
1781,1791 Disk 2 failure or error
1782 Disk adapter error
See Also: POST
DOS Error Codes
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