Using the Beep Codes

The CD includes actual recordings of sample beep codes from computers using the AMI, Award, Phoenix, and Microid Research (MR) BIOSs saved in .WAV (uncompressed audio) format. .WAV files can be played back by the Windows Media Player and by most other audio playback programs.

The Award, AMI, and MR BIOS beep codes are those played when no video card (or a bad video card) is installed; this is one of the most common problems that will trigger beep codes, and it shows how different BIOS vendors use different types of beep codes to indicate the same problem.

The AMI BIOS uses different numbers of short beeps to indicate 11 different problems, and Award (now known as Phoenix FirstBIOS) uses beep codes sparingly; the video beep code heard here is the only beep code used by the Award BIOS. The MR BIOS beep code is an example of this BIOS's use of high- and low-pitched beep codes to report more than 30 different problems.

The Phoenix BIOS (now known as Phoenix FirstBIOS Pro) doesn't use a beep code to indicate video problems, so I chose the beep code that plays when the RTC (real-time clock) on the motherboard is defective. The Phoenix BIOS uses short and long beeps to report dozens of different system problems.