# Beep, beep, beep



## safegezaaa (Jul 31, 1999)

Hi all, The pc that we use for inventory at work is a cyrix 200MX, 32Mb Ram, 24x CD, 3.5 Floppy, and a Colorado 350 Tape backup, and running win 3.11 Everything was working fine until a few days ago when we went to turn it on. As soon as you hit power it beeps on and off at one second intervals. The processor fan spins the hd sounds like it's working but nothing else. Just this beep, beep, beep, beep, beep..... I have checked all of the connections and they are good. Do you have any Ideas ?
Thanks - Safe


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## Ari (Aug 27, 1999)

Two bits of info we need from you.

Does ANYTHING at all show on the monitor ? Mainly the Bios manufacturer (Ami, Pheonix etc..) and also ANY error messages that it displays.

The second thing we need is the beeps themselves. Pay close attention to them and look/listen for long/short beeps and the "pattern" of the beeps (ie 1 Long then 2 short etc.)

The beeps and thier "pattern" actually tell something about the problem, and that info will help us in helping you

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To err is human, to really foul things up you need a computer.


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## safegezaaa (Jul 31, 1999)

the beeps are short and sound at 1/2 second intervals. The monitor displays nothing. Hope this helps you to help me


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## Ari (Aug 27, 1999)

Well..... The short beeps part helps a bit, but the number and pattern of beeps will help even more. 

Pay close attantion to how many beeps you get. there should be a certain nummer of beeps (up to 4) a pause, then more beeps etc.

Since BIOS manufacturers have thier own beep code sequences, the exact number/pattern of beeps should get us closer to an answer.

In the meantime, NOTHING showing on the monitor tells me you should try (in order) a different video card, ram chips and CPU.

Unless you have those items available to try, give us the beep code/pattern and lets see what that tells us first. Save the different CPU test as a last resort. I have yet to see a bad CPU let the system get far enough to let the BIOS beep the speaker.

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To err is human, to really foul things up you need a computer.


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## safegezaaa (Jul 31, 1999)

Ari, I will be e-mailing you with a wav file of the beeps in question as they are pretty hard to describe with text.


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## Ari (Aug 27, 1999)

The beeps in question are a single beep repeated about every 1/2 second (8 times in the .wav file sent, with NO pauses at all between any beeps.) sounds almost like a heart monitor in a hospital. I am posting this info in case one of ya'll recognize/know something about it.

safegezaaa, I will do a search for this beep code, It's a totally new one on me and I'm hoping someone else knows something about it. If there is ANY more info you can give us about the system, manufacturer, model number ANYTHING at all will help.


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To err is human, to really foul things up you need a computer.


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## Ari (Aug 27, 1999)

The only beep code I have found that matches the .wav file you sent is an AMI Bios code, it says that 

"Your video card isn't working. Make sure it is seated well in the bus. If it still beeps, either the whole card is bad or the memory on it is. Best bet is to install another video card."

Try a known working video card from another system if you can and let us know what happens.





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To err is human, to really foul things up you need a computer.


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## safegezaaa (Jul 31, 1999)

I have tried a different video card, same thing happens. here's some more info.
the MB is an EP-5BVPXA (Sorry no company name) and the processor is a genuine Cyrix 6x86 MX - PR200 and have 2 72pin 16mb simms. 4x PCI slots, 3 x ISA - the bios chip is an ATMEL AT29C010A 12PC 9720 (Whatever that means?)hope this sheds some more light on to my problem
Thank you


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## safegezaaa (Jul 31, 1999)

Ok some more info on my problem (starting to be a pain in the *** !) I have several pc's at home including an old Gateway P60 Using this I have tested as many of the suspect things that I can. The ram sticks are ok. The floppy drive works, it boots up using the suspect video card, the HD works fine. This leaves only the motherboard, the cpu and the bios. this may be a stupid question but could the mb's battery be the cause (it's a CR2032) or is this just for the clock? Also is there any way to test the bios chip, the cpu or the motherboard ?
I think i can see light at the end of the tunnel (could it be another train?!?!?)
Regards, Safe


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## Ari (Aug 27, 1999)

Much as I hate to admit it, you've gotten beyond me now. The markings on the BIOS chip don't ring a bell with me at all (no time to do a search tonight and I get my kids for the weekend, so it might be Monday before I have time to "research"). 

You seem to have elimated the Video card and ram chips. The only other things (except a bad monitor of course, in which case you wouldn't have beep codes) that I have seen leave the display blank are a bad MB, bad CPU and an HDD with the cable connetced backwards (but again no beeps). 


If you can, test the CPU in a different systen and/or test a different CPU in the teh non-working system. The best bet is to try the CPU in a different system. Even though I haven't personally seen it, I have heard of MBs developing problem that cna/did fry teh CPU also, I have yet to hear of a bad CPU managing to fry the MB.



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To err is human, to really foul things up you need a computer.


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## Caper (Feb 12, 1999)

I have a very similar machine (AMI bios, pentium, 32mb)sitting in front of me with very similar problems:

First I was getting a bunch of beeps; one long, then 8 short, then, after a few seconds, two more. Changing video cards seemed to help for a while, but now the POST freezes right after the memory test and the detection of the Primary Master HDD.. Between the beep problem and this freezing I HAVE been able to get Windows 98 loaded onto a new HDD.. but now I can't even boot at all.

safegazza, I think we have bad motherboards, or at least some part of the board is gone bad..

Ari, where did you find all that info on AMI beeps?


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## Caper (Feb 12, 1999)

Never mind, I just found this:

AMIBIOS Beep Codes


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## Ari (Aug 27, 1999)

Just to help any other readers of this post. I use/used Metacrawler to search for Bios Beep Codes. Most of the links it gives give practically the same info so it's relatively easy to find the info you need.

I get pretty much the same links when I try a specific search like "Ami Bios Beep Codes" since most of the sites have a listing for all the major Bios manufacturers.

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To err is human, to really foul things up you need a computer.


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## safegezaaa (Jul 31, 1999)

OK people, I have been playing a little over the weekend (thanks to my boss for allowing me to use his other Crix 6x86 PR200 machine- that's if he ever finds out!)First i took the suspect cpu and installed it in the good pc - suprise suprise it didn't boot. No beeps, but it didn't boot. So i put back in the good CPU and replaced the bios with the suspect one, this too didn't boot but did produce the constant string of beeps - Is it possible that the CPU and Bios chip are both dead? I also tried to make a temp computer with the suspect motherboard, the good cpu and the good bios - but it didn't work - I'm not sure wether it was the motherboard at fault or my limited knowledge of building pc's. What exactly do you need to have connected to the MB for it to work - I had power, CPU, Bios, Ram, floppy , video card and HD - I didn't connect the CD-Rom or com ports, should this have worked ? I'm so close to finding the problem I can smell it
Thanks - Safe


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## LarryCore (Aug 26, 1999)

To work and get a picture, you need a CPU, RAM, video card, motherboard with working BIOS. No drives are needed, no ports, no keyboard, etc.

Oh - you need a good power supply too.

Yes, it is possible that you have a bad BIOS and CPU. Whatever killed one, may have killed both. Maybe killed the motherboard too - a static shock or something could have taken all three at once, for instance.


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