What good is an undocumented mobo beep code?

[struggle4progress]

So I put this mofo together and turn it on and it goes beeep beeep beeep again and again. So I rush over to the mobo manual and it says stuff like continuous short beeps this, continuous long beeps power supply problem. Now, I don't know whether the beeps are "short" or "long" cuz I haven't heard any of the beeps before. And actually, I might guess it wasn't continuous long beeps but continuous sequence of three long beeps but the mofo mobo manual doesn't say anything about three beeps: it's only got stuff like short beep followed by three beeps or long beep followed by three beeps. So, since it can be this, I guess I'm hearing a power supply problem. Disassemble everything possible and reboot: still beeep beeep beeep again and again. Power cables seated: yep

Off to get a cheap power supply tester

Quick dirty test: everything looks ok -- except no -5V from the 24-pin power promised demanded by the mobo manual. Wait: the power supply manual says the single pin that should be -5V is not connected. Off to googleland, where it is rumored that this -5V is "optional" and obsolete. But the mofo mobo manual doesn't say it's optional. Something nonstandard somewhere? Check the mofo pinouts of everything exhaustively. Everything looks ok -- except wait! WTF is this on two four-pin 12V plugs for the 8-pin 12V mobo power connector? This is supposed to be a foolproof design, but only one of the four-pin connectors has the expected foolproof design: the other is decidedly not foolproof. Double-check the pinouts again. Nope: it's wired correctly, and I'm pretty sure I had it in correctly. Reinsert all the frickin power plugs into the mobo and reboot: beeep beeep beeep again and again

Don't really want to go buy a multitester unless I have to. WTF else could it be? Nothing's connected. The powersupply fan spins; the cpu fan spins. Off to googleland. Somebody in an obscure gamers forum says beeep beeep beeep for this mofo mobo indicates a memory problem. Uh-oh. I had checked the memory for mobo compatibility before I bought it, but I then bought a 2x2gb kit instead of two separate 2gb pieces -- and the manufacturer number isn't XXXXXXXXXX/2G but XXXXXXXXXXK2/4G.I'd assumed XXXXXXXXXXK2/4G just meant 2-piece kit of XXXXXXXXXX/2G but could I be wrong? Memory listed as compatible with the mobo from this RAM manufacturer has components from widely varying companies. Well, let's switch DIMM sockets and see whethyer that's the problem. Pull two sticks. It's a pain because the sockets are extrusion moulded plastic and they're not quite cleanly moulded: a bit tight at the top. Put the sticks in the other two sockets and reboot: still beeep beeep beeep again and again. Well, cuss. Are the sticks pushed down tight? Seem to be. Are they really pushed down tight? Seem to be. How about if I really really press hard. Damn: they go about another 1/16 of an inch and click. Reboot: beep and then silence with fans spinning. Connect a monitor: yep, I can get into BIOS. Reassemble everything and install an operating system

It would have saved me hours if the mofo mobo manual had bothered to tell me: continuous sequence of three long beeps = memory problem

[hobbit709]

1. beep codes are listed here

http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/awardbeep.htm

But 3 long beeps is pretty much standard for memory.

[struggle4progress]

2. Thanks. But my mobo manual says

the following AWARD BIOS beep codes may help you and then lists eight (8) not five (5) beep codes, which don't always agree with the website, despite the website claim that "Award specifies these codes as the only valid beep codes"

What, for example, is beeep bep bep bep? Website says no video card or bad video RAM and mobo manual says keyboard error

The website you cite may indeed be correct

But I also found this: Award states that they now only use one beep from there BIOS. This beep is one long beep and then two short beeps. This indicates a graphics card problem. Any other beeps should be treated as a RAM problem first and then the board sent in to be inspected. On that website repeating beeps is the AWARD beep code for memory error, whereas my mobo manual distinguishes continuous long beeps from continuous short beeps -- and "memory" is not given as the interpretation for either. See http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/Articles/Motherboard/BIOSbeep.shtml

<edit;> Also found this: "Former vendors include Award Software which was acquired by Phoenix Technologies in 1998. Phoenix has now phased out the Award Brand name" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS

So my mobo manual is referring to BIOS beep codes from a company that has disappeared

"The guy who designed and really understood our beep code circuitry retired twenty years ago, and we accidentally threw away all his documents, so nobody here can make any effen sense of the circuits anymore, and error beeps change randomly whenever we redesign the BIOS. So we've decided to phase out beep codes. Your computer will still beep when it doesn't post, and we'll still use this fact in sales, but nobody will be able to help you interpret them" :shrug:

[hobbit709]

3. And an origina error messagel from the old BIOS POST

"Keyboard error, press any key to continue" So it doesn't detect a keyboard, halts and wants input from a keyboard to go on.