Hi all.
I did some searching on these forums, and I see that others have also asked about beep codes; I even found this outside link:
PCGuide - TSX - BIOS Beep Codes
Anyway, I'll describe my situation, and please tell me what you think.
First, I'll try to answer some questions that might get asked anyway:
No, I am not overclocking.
No, there have been no recent "changes" to my system.
No, I don't think this is a "heat" issue, as the situation that I am about to describe was from a "cold boot" (computer had been off all night).
My motherboard is a Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R. In the manual, it says this about beep codes:
The following Award BIOS beep code descriptions may help you identify possible computer problems.
(For reference only.)
1 short: System boots successfully
2 short: CMOS setting error
1 long, 1 short: Memory or motherboard error
1 long, 2 short: Monitor or graphics card error
1 long, 3 short: Keyboard error
1 long, 9 short: BIOS ROM error
Continuous long beeps: Graphics card not inserted properly
Continuous short beeps: Power error
When I powered on my computer today - expecting to hear the usual one short beep that everything's A-Okay - I head many short beeps right in a row. I turn to look at the screen, and it had not even reached the BIOS splash screen. I hear my system and case fans blowing.....and all those beeps.
How many beeps? I'm not sure. I guess I was just shocked and not hearing the usual one short beep and then going to the Windows logon.
After these many beeps in a row.....the system just powers down and is silent for a moment. And then without me touching anything, it just starts back up by itself and then does it's one short beep, then on into Windows.......and here I am now.
From this boot-up error, since it never even got to the motherboard splash screen (let alone the Windows screen), there's not going to be a log of this somewhere, is there?
So what do you think? From the manual's info I listed above, I'm thinking either:
1 long, 9 short: BIOS ROM error
OR
Continuous long beeps: Graphics card not inserted properly
OR
Continuous short beeps: Power error
Although, from what I can remember, I don't think they were continuous long beeps, so I'm leaning away from the graphics card insertion issue. Besides, if that was the problem, wouldn't I have had to open the case and more firmly situate the graphics card for the system to boot?
So, the other choices:
BIOS ROM error? What exactly does that mean? When I Googled it, the results mentioned that item known as "checksum error"; that's not what I got. That's happened in the past when I cleared my BIOS.
Continuous short beeps: Power error? How about that one? By power, is it referring to the PSU itself? My PSU is a Corsair TX 750W. It's about a year or year-and-a-half old.
Or by "power", is it referring to the AC power that's coming from my wall socket?
The problem did not repeat itself, or else I could be more precise on the exact amount of beeps. But like I mentioned, after it did these many beeps, the system shut down by itself, was quiet a moment, then powered back up by itself and booted normally.
Please let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Pez
I did some searching on these forums, and I see that others have also asked about beep codes; I even found this outside link:
PCGuide - TSX - BIOS Beep Codes
Anyway, I'll describe my situation, and please tell me what you think.
First, I'll try to answer some questions that might get asked anyway:
No, I am not overclocking.
No, there have been no recent "changes" to my system.
No, I don't think this is a "heat" issue, as the situation that I am about to describe was from a "cold boot" (computer had been off all night).
My motherboard is a Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R. In the manual, it says this about beep codes:
The following Award BIOS beep code descriptions may help you identify possible computer problems.
(For reference only.)
1 short: System boots successfully
2 short: CMOS setting error
1 long, 1 short: Memory or motherboard error
1 long, 2 short: Monitor or graphics card error
1 long, 3 short: Keyboard error
1 long, 9 short: BIOS ROM error
Continuous long beeps: Graphics card not inserted properly
Continuous short beeps: Power error
When I powered on my computer today - expecting to hear the usual one short beep that everything's A-Okay - I head many short beeps right in a row. I turn to look at the screen, and it had not even reached the BIOS splash screen. I hear my system and case fans blowing.....and all those beeps.
How many beeps? I'm not sure. I guess I was just shocked and not hearing the usual one short beep and then going to the Windows logon.
After these many beeps in a row.....the system just powers down and is silent for a moment. And then without me touching anything, it just starts back up by itself and then does it's one short beep, then on into Windows.......and here I am now.
From this boot-up error, since it never even got to the motherboard splash screen (let alone the Windows screen), there's not going to be a log of this somewhere, is there?
So what do you think? From the manual's info I listed above, I'm thinking either:
1 long, 9 short: BIOS ROM error
OR
Continuous long beeps: Graphics card not inserted properly
OR
Continuous short beeps: Power error
Although, from what I can remember, I don't think they were continuous long beeps, so I'm leaning away from the graphics card insertion issue. Besides, if that was the problem, wouldn't I have had to open the case and more firmly situate the graphics card for the system to boot?
So, the other choices:
BIOS ROM error? What exactly does that mean? When I Googled it, the results mentioned that item known as "checksum error"; that's not what I got. That's happened in the past when I cleared my BIOS.
Continuous short beeps: Power error? How about that one? By power, is it referring to the PSU itself? My PSU is a Corsair TX 750W. It's about a year or year-and-a-half old.
Or by "power", is it referring to the AC power that's coming from my wall socket?
The problem did not repeat itself, or else I could be more precise on the exact amount of beeps. But like I mentioned, after it did these many beeps, the system shut down by itself, was quiet a moment, then powered back up by itself and booted normally.
Please let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Pez