Each computer motherboard has a small battery on board that contains the system's basic input output system (BIOS). The BIOS controls many different configuration settings for the system and also produces error messages, via system board beeps, if it detects a problem. A four-beep code's meaning varies depending on the type of BIOS your computer uses.
Instructions
1. Start your computer. Watch the screen for a line indicating the type of BIOS your computer uses. Commonly used BIOS types include Award, Phoenix, IBM and American Megatrends.
2. Check your motherboard manual for a listing of beep codes, if you have the system manual.
3. Compare the beep codes with beep code charts found online. Four beeps can indicate a graphics problem in IBM, memory errors in American Megatrends, motherboard failure in Phoenix and keyboard failure in Award. If you are not experiencing a graphics adapter problem, the BIOS will also display an error message on screen when the boot process stops. Re-seat the problem component to see whether the problem is fixed. If not, replace the component.
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