PC Troubleshooter

Resource Guide, Fourth Ed.

PC Troubleshooting Basics

Troubleshoot, Diagnose, and Solve Common PC Problems

From hardware repairs to Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, TechRepublic's PC
Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition helps you keep your PC systems in top
running order. You know that today's PCs are no longer "disposable." With tight IT budgets
and purchasing requests, you can't solve your PC issues by "just buying a new one." You
need to have the skills and experience to diagnose the problems with every laptop, PC, USB
connector, processor, driver, and printer in your charge.

This latest edition has the tools, tips, solutions, and resources you need to extend the life of
equipment and maintain reliable, working computer systems. Now you can have the expert
information you need to solve common problems and close out the never ending stream of
trouble tickets coming your way! Learn how to:
z Test your PC's RAM
z Solve network communication problems
z Find out exactly which CPU your computer uses without cracking the case
z Troubleshoot startup and shutdown problems
z Recover a damaged Windows XP user profile
z Bonus CD-ROM! Get a dozen tools to help you repair PCs, including scripts, utilities, and checklists

Buy the print version

or
Buy the PDF version and download it now!
(Sold through our download store TechRepublic Press)
A problem-solving method for support
professionals
Feb. 26, 2002
By Jeff Davis
A
ll the technical knowledge in the
world is useless if you don’t know
how to apply that knowledge in a
focused troubleshooting effort.
In this article, I’m offering a simple, easy-
to-remember lesson in Problem-Solving 101:
SOAP. I don’t mean the Simple Object Access
Protocol. I’m talking about the “SOAP”
method used by many medical professionals to
“troubleshoot,” or diagnose, their patients.
The shotgun approach
Recently, a consulting client hired me to create
a PC-based database for tracking help desk
calls. While on the job, I witnessed firsthand
the problems that can result when an overzeal-
ous, newly minted A+ technician tries his hand
at troubleshooting.
To give the tech credit, he was first in his
A+ class and obviously eager to do a good job.
An end user had called to report that she was
getting an error message when she tried to
launch an application. He asked the user a cou-
ple of questions and then announced, “I’ll be
right there.”
“Do you want to create a trouble ticket for
this one?” I asked.
“I’m not sure what happened,” the tech
replied, “but I’m probably going to have to
reinstall Windows or reimage the machine.”
Even though I didn’t have all the facts, his
solution seemed like using a shotgun to kill a
flea.
The SOAP approach
“Maybe you need to try SOAP first,” I sug-
gested. The technician at first thought I was
joking. Then I explained that SOAP means
breaking a problem down into four sections:
subjective, objective, assessment, and plan.
Here’s what each piece of this problem-solving
method means:
X Subjective—This part is what the customer
said. The doctor asks, “Where does it hurt?”
The tech-support professional asks, “What
happened?” Even if the customer’s report is
imprecise or even downright wrong, the
subjective report frequently will give you a
strong clue as to the problem’s cause.
X Objective—This part is what the techni-
cian observes. Whether you connect to the
machine through remote-access software or
you show up in person at the user’s work-
station, the objective part of the report
should, to the best of your ability, reflect
the facts.
X Assessment—This part is your diagnosis
about what went wrong. You base your
assessment on a thorough review of the
subjective and objective reports.
X Plan—This part is what you’re going to do
to resolve the problem.
The technician liked this approach so
much that we incorporated SOAP into the
help desk database. Our fields included Item
Number, Date Of Call, User Name, Techni-
cian Name, Subjective, Objective, Assess-
ment, and Plan.
Here are the SOAP entries we added to the
record in the help desk database:
X Subjective—Client tries to launch applica-
tion and nothing happens.
X Objective—Visited workstation and
observed that client is double-clicking a
desktop shortcut, and nothing happens.
Right-clicked shortcut to confirm target.
Searched local drive and determined that
the file does not exist.
X Assessment—File is missing. The client is
accustomed to launching the application by
clicking a shortcut to a specific file. When
that file was deleted or renamed, the short-
cut was orphaned.
X Plan—At client’s request, restored the
missing file from backups, which made
shortcut work again. Explained to client
PC Troubleshooting Basics 2
 how to launch application using Start | Pro-
grams, in addition to using the shortcut.
The SOAP approach may not work for
everyone. However, it provides a nice format
Be prepared: A guide to the spare parts
every tech should keep on hand
May 23, 2002
By Brien M. Posey, MCSE
A
TechRepublic member who is starting
an on-site computer repair and main-
tenance service recently asked, “What
are the most common PC problems I will
come across and what parts should I have on
hand, and in what quantities, to deal with these
problems?”
While it’s crucial for traveling techs to keep
spare parts handy, it’s even more important for
those working from a shop to always stock a
variety of basic components. Knowing which
spare parts to keep on hand can be a real time-
saver for both you and the customer.
The basics
Some helpful TechRepublic members
responded to this question by suggesting some
parts always to have on hand, such as RAM,
power supplies, PC cases, spare video cards,
and CD-ROM drives. I agree, but would also
like to recommend that you always have the
following:
X Keyboards (USB, PS2, and even DIN)
X Mice (USB, PS2, and serial)
X 3.5" floppy drive
X Modems
X NICs
X Hard drives
X A couple of surge protectors
3 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
for documenting the details of a tech-support
problem and the results of your troubleshoot-
ing efforts.
X Cables of all types
I came up with this list of equipment based
on my experience working for a chain of hos-
pitals, most of which were in very remote
areas. I would typically have to drive up to 600
miles to the middle of nowhere to fix various
computer problems. Computer stores were vir-
tually unheard of in these areas and with the
distance involved, there was no going back
home to get a forgotten part. Unfortunately I
was driving a small sports car at the time, so
trunk space was at a premium. I had to choose
my spare components carefully.
Keyboards, mice, and
floppy drives
I started off by carrying a couple of spare key-
boards, mice, floppy drives, and a spare moni-
tor. There’s nothing more frustrating than
attempting to make a routine repair only to
discover that the machine has a bad floppy
drive and can’t read your disk. Likewise, it’s
amazing how banged up and practically unus-
able some keyboards and mice can become. I
recall one particular repair in which someone
routinely ate lunch at his or her desk, and the
keyboard actually had a fungus growing on it
from the food particles that had accumulated
in it. That day, I was really happy to have a
spare keyboard because I didn’t want to touch
that one.
Modems, NICS, hard drives, and
a surge protector or two
I also found it helpful to keep a lot of spare
modems on hand. Because I was working in
rural areas, broadband was nonexistent and
everyone used modems to dial in to a remote
access server at the corporate office. At the
time I took the job, almost none of the
modem phone lines passed through surge pro-
tectors. It was common to have a storm at
night and the next day find that ten modems
had been cooked by power surges. It was then
that I also started carrying a few surge protec-
tors with me.
Two other very common casualties are
hard drives and NIC cards. Hard drives tend
to go out just because they contain moving
parts that eventually wear out. I’m not really
sure why NICs seem to have such a short
lifespan, but I found myself replacing hun-
dreds of NICs during my time working for
the hospitals.
cables, USB cables, and especially printer
cables on hand. I also kept an entire spool of
Cat 5 Ethernet cable in my car. I kept spare
RJ-45 connectors on hand along with a
crimper so I could repair damaged network
cables. Although I didn’t need it very often, I
also kept a spare hub behind the seat of my
car, because hubs were impossible to find in
many of the places I traveled.
Don’t forget the tools
When deciding what components you should
keep on hand, remember that spare parts
aren’t everything. If space permits, keep as
many hardware and software tools as you can
think of and try to have backups for some. I
can’t count the number of times when a
screwdriver would disappear, and I wouldn’t
have been able to finish a job had I not packed
a spare. Likewise, having two sets of tools
allows you to use a helper should the situation
call for it.

Cables
Cables also receive frequent damage. I always
made sure to keep spare monitor cables, serial

Troubleshoot, Diagnose, and Solve Common PC Problems

From hardware repairs to Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, TechRepublic's PC
Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition helps you keep your PC systems in top
running order. You know that today's PCs are no longer "disposable." With tight IT budgets
and purchasing requests, you can't solve your PC issues by "just buying a new one." You
need to have the skills and experience to diagnose the problems with every laptop, PC, USB
connector, processor, driver, and printer in your charge.

This latest edition has the tools, tips, solutions, and resources you need to extend the life of
equipment and maintain reliable, working computer systems. Now you can have the expert
information you need to solve common problems and close out the never ending stream of
trouble tickets coming your way! Bonus CD-ROM! Get a dozen tools to help you repair PCs,
including scripts, utilities, and checklists

Buy the print version

or
Buy the PDF version and download it now!
(Sold through our download store TechRepublic Press)

PC Troubleshooting Basics 4
 The ultimate PC troubleshooting toolkit
May 21, 2002
By Brien M. Posey, MCSE
I
f you’ve ever tried to remove a screw with
a letter opener, paper clip, or thumbtack,
you know that although these makeshift
tools sometimes work, they are certainly no
substitute for a good screwdriver. If your job
involves repairing computers, you’ll tend to rip
out a lot less hair if you have the right tools for
the job. In this article, I’ll discuss the hardware
and software tools that no computer guru
should be without.
Software
When many people think of PC repair tools,
they instantly think of items like screwdrivers
and multimeters. But good diagnostic software
is as essential as any screwdriver. In this sec-
tion, I’ll review several different pieces of soft-
ware that should be in your toolkit, explain
why I believe that each one is important, and
tell you where to get it.
TechNet
TechNet is a software subscription service that
provides service packs, resource kits, white
papers, and knowledge base articles that are
related to all of Microsoft’s products. A basic
single-user subscription costs about $300, but
several plans are available. Subscriptions come
with a TechNet CD that you can use to see
what Microsoft says about a particular error
message.
You can access the majority of the TechNet
content for free on the Microsoft Knowledge
Base Web site, but I still recommend subscrib-
ing to TechNet. Having all of the various
TechNet resources available in one place with-
out having to look for them on the Microsoft
Web site can save you serious time. Further-
more, having TechNet on CD means that you
don’t have to worry if the Internet is unavail-
able or is running slowly.
ERD Commander 2002
A software tool that I absolutely refuse to be
without is ERD Commander 2002 (available
for about $400 from Winternals Software).
Although the ERD Commander series is tradi-
5 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
tionally associated with network server repairs,
the 2002 version is excellent for workstations
as well.
One of the first steps in repairing any PC
problem is to verify that the PC has all of the
proper settings. However, some operating sys-
tems such as Windows NT Workstation, Win-
dows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP
block many of the core settings from anyone
who doesn’t have administrative privileges. But
what do you do when no one in the office
knows the PC’s Administrator password? ERD
Commander 2002 allows you to boot the sys-
tem from a CD into an environment that
resembles a Windows operating system, com-
pletely bypassing any security. Furthermore,
you can do things like change the startup status
of devices and services, view the event logs,
and edit the registry, all from outside of the
operating system.
QA+WIN32
QA+WIN32 is a diagnostic program that’s
designed to test computer hardware. It is avail-
able from Eurosoft for about $475 and
includes a Windows and a DOS version. The
software was originally designed to allow
OEMs to test PC prototypes for compatibility
and reliability, but many computer techs use
QA+WIN32 to put images on new PCs or
detect problems on malfunctioning PCs.
Boot disk
One of my favorite software-based tools for
older operating systems is a custom boot disk
that I created using Windows 98. You can use it
to access the hard drive on any system that uses
the FAT-16 or FAT-32 file system. Essentially, I
created my boot disk by using the FORMAT A:
/S command. After creating a bootable disk, I
copied a set of DOS CD-ROM drivers, which
allowed me to boot a dead system from my
boot disk and be able to access the CD-ROM
drive from a command prompt.
To do this, copy to the boot disk the
MSCDEX.EXE file found in the \WIN-
DOWS\COMMAND directory and the
actual CD-ROM driver file found on the driver
disk that came with your CD-ROM drive.
Next, add the following lines to the CON-
FIG.SYS file of the boot disk:
device=himem.sys
device=drvspace.sys
REM Standard Hitachi CD-ROM Drivers
DEVICEHIGH=a:\d011v110.SYS /D:MSCD000
Then, add these lines to the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
@echo off
prompt $p$g
path=a:\;c:\windows\command;
c:\windows
REM Hitachi CD-ROM Driver
mscdex /d:mscd000
Now that the disk is bootable and supports
the CD-ROM drive, it’s time to copy some
tools to the disk. My disk contains the follow-
ing additional files:
X ATTRIB.EXE: ATTRIB.EXE is used for
adding and removing the Hidden, Read
Only, and System File attributes. For exam-
ple, to make a file Read Only, you’d enter
the following command:
ATTRIB filename +R
The plus sign, followed by R, H, or S, adds
the Read Only, Hidden, and System File
attributes to a file. Using the minus sign
with R, H, or S removes the attributes.
X CHKDSK.EXE: You can use the
CHKDSK.EXE utility to diagnose some
types of hard disk problems. Use the
CHKDSK command to generate a report
on the hard disk status, and correct any
problems found by using the CHKDSK /F
command.
X DELTREE.EXE: The DELTREE com-
mand is used to delete a folder and all of its
files and subfolders by issuing a single com-
mand: DELTREE foldername. DELTREE
will ask you if you really want to delete the
folder and all of its subfolders. Press Y, and
watch the magic happen.
X DISKCOPY.COM: The DISKCOPY
command is used to copy a floppy disk.
Simply enter the DISKCOPY A: A: com-
mand, and DISKCOPY will then prompt
you for the source and the target disks.
X EDIT.COM and EDIT.HLP: The
EDIT.COM and EDIT.HLP files make up
the DOS Editor. The DOS Editor is a sim-
ple text-editing program that is great for
making changes to configuration files or for
viewing text files.
X EXTRACT.EXE: The EXTRACT.EXE
utility is used to extract individual CAB files
from the CAB files contained on the Win-
dows 9x or Windows ME installation CD. If
Windows won’t boot because of a damaged
system file, you can extract another copy of
the file from the CD and use it to overwrite
the damaged copy. You can view the syntax
for the EXTRACT command by entering
EXTRACT /?.
X FDISK.EXE: FDISK is used to create
and delete partitions and logical drives. The
FDISK program is menu-driven and may be
launched by entering the FDISK command.
X FORMAT.COM: The FORMAT com-
mand allows you to format a drive. To do
so, simply enter FORMAT drive letter. If you
wanted to format the C: drive and make the
drive bootable to a command prompt, you’d
enter FORMAT C: /S.
X MEM.EXE: The MEM command exam-
ines system memory. Entering MEM /C |
MORE will generate a report that tells you
how much memory the system has, what is
loaded in memory, and how much memory
each module is consuming.
X MODE.COM: Occasionally, I’ve per-
formed troubleshooting chores that scram-
ble the display, leaving it unreadable. By
entering MODE CO80, you can return the
screen to a readable status.
X MORE.COM: You might have noticed
that I used the MORE command in con-
junction with the MEM command earlier.
The MORE command prevents text or
images from scrolling off of the screen
before you have a chance to read them. If
you ever enter a command that produces a
PC Troubleshooting Basics 6
 lot of text, follow the command with |
MORE. For example, the MEM /C com-
mand produces a report that scrolls by too
quickly to read, unless you add the |
MORE command to the end.
X SCANDISK.EXE: SCANDISK is a disk
repair utility. It’s similar to CHKDSK but is
more comprehensive. To run it, simply
enter SCANDISK.
X SYS.COM: The SYS.COM file is used to
copy the IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COM-
MAND.COM files from your boot disk to
another disk, thus making it bootable. For
example, if you used Windows 98 to create
your boot disk, you could use the disk to fix
some types of boot problems on Windows
98 systems by entering the SYS C: com-
mand. This command will fix only boot
problems that are related to missing or cor-
rupt IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, or COM-
MAND.COM files.
X XCOPY.EXE: The XCOPY.EXE file is a
file copy program. XCOPY is similar to the
COPY command except that XCOPY can
do things like copy subdirectories and pre-
serve file attributes. You can view the full
syntax of the XCOPY command by enter-
ing XCOPY /?.
Norton SystemWorks 2002
Professional Edition
Norton SystemWorks 2002 Professional Edi-
tion is actually an entire suite of products. As
with any software suite, some of the compo-
nents that are included are more useful than
others. In the sections below, I’ll briefly discuss
the more useful components of SystemWorks.
X Process Viewer: Allows you to view all
running processes, regardless of the version
of Windows you’re using.
X Norton Antivirus 2002: I’ve worked for at
least three different companies that didn’t
take viral threats seriously. In these environ-
ments, I find it helpful to carry Norton
antivirus software with me.
X Norton Utilities 2002: Norton Utilities is a
subsuite of Norton SystemWorks. The utili-
ties included with Norton Utilities are:
7 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
Speed Disk to optimize file storage for
faster hard disk performance; Norton Win-
Doctor to find and fix Windows problems;
Norton Disk Doctor to detect and repair
problems on hard disks and floppy disks;
Norton System Doctor to continuously
monitor a PC to spot potential problems
before they happen; Unerase to allow you to
retrieve files that were accidentally deleted;
and Wipe Info, which allows you to securely
erase files.
X GoBack3 Personal Edition: Unlike the
Windows XP System Restore feature,
GoBack is completely independent of Win-
dows. I saw a demo in which someone went
into the Windows directory and erased
every single file. The person then used a hot
key to initialize GoBack (which runs outside
of the operating system), and told GoBack
to restore the system to the way that it was
five minutes before. After a system reboot,
it was as if the damage had never occurred.
X Norton Ghost 2002: This utility allows you
to make an image of the system’s hard disk.
You can image individual partitions or a
hard disk as a whole. Ghost is most useful
when performing a hard disk upgrade. If a
user needs a bigger hard disk, you could cre-
ate an image of the old hard disk, install the
new hard disk, and then restore the image to
the new hard disk. This process works much
better than trying to manually copy all of the
necessary files from one drive to another. I
also regularly use Ghost to back up particu-
larly difficult configurations.
Norton SystemWorks 2002 Professional
Edition is available from Symantec for about
$100.
PartitionMagic
Although Norton Utilities is excellent for data
recovery, I also recommend putting a copy of
PartitionMagic in your troubleshooting tool-
box. With PartitionMagic, you can create,
delete, merge, and resize partitions, all without
fear of losing data. You can also use Partition-
Magic to repair some types of partition prob-
lems. You can buy a copy of PartitionMagic
directly from PowerQuest for about $70.
PartitionMagic works on Windows XP, Win-
dows 2000, Windows ME, Windows 9x, and
Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6a).
BCM Diagnostics
BCM Diagnostics is a shareware system-ana-
lyzer utility that’s intended for Windows 9x
and Windows ME systems. The program runs
a comprehensive stress test of the entire sys-
tem and evaluates the system’s overall stability.
The program runs all component tests concur-
rently and stops if any errors are encountered,
giving you the chance to view the error.
BCM Diagnostics is provided as shareware
from BCM Advanced Research Inc. You may
download a copy of BCM Diagnostics from
Shareware.com. Because the software is share-
ware, the initial download is free, but if you
decide to keep the software, the registration
fee is $25 per license.
Hardware
Pc-Check
Although Pc-Check from Eurosoft is techni-
cally a software package, I’ve chosen to include
it in the hardware category because it relies on
several hardware tools to perform a PC diag-
nosis. The Pc-Check bundle package, which
costs about $370, includes the Pc-Check soft-
ware and some of the hardware add-ons. One
of the components that’s included is the CD-
ROM test disk. While there are a variety of test
CDs and cleaning CDs on the market, this one
is a little different. The CD-ROM test disk
allows you to perform burn-in tests on CD-
ROM, DVD-ROM, and CD jukebox drives. In
addition to performing burn-in tests, you can
also perform sector-by-sector data-read tests,
and transfer-rate tests.
PCI/ISA POST card
Another component included with the Pc-
Check bundle is a PCI/ISA POST card. The
card is a circuit board that can be plugged in to
either a PCI or an ISA slot. Once installed, the
card is used to read the system’s POST codes
upon power up. The PCI/ISA POST card is a
stand-alone tool that requires no operating sys-
tem. It can quickly detect over 500 different
system board problems.
Status Indicator Box
Although not included in the Pc-Check Bun-
dle, another helpful tool is the Status Indicator
Box, which allows you to view test results on
systems that don’t have a monitor. The Status
Indicator Box costs just over $80 and is avail-
able at Eurosoft.
Power screwdriver
Power screwdrivers are a serious time-saver
and extremely helpful to people with bad
wrists. Although most power screwdrivers
come with a couple of interchangeable bits,
I’ve found it very helpful to buy additional
bits. My PC toolkit also contains a set of drill
bits. My drill bit set includes a variety of nut
driver sockets that are intended for cordless
drills. These nut driver sockets fit perfectly
into my power screwdriver and are excellent
for removing PC cases. Although most PC
cases are simply screwed together, a nut driver
can fit around the edges of many of these
screws. This means that even if the screw is
stripped out, you can use a nut driver to
remove it.
As much as I like using my cordless screw-
driver, there are times when it’s impossible to
fit the bulky screwdriver into a tight space.
Because of this, I keep a set of standard flat-
head and Philips-head screwdrivers on hand.
Multimeter
Another helpful tool to have on hand is a mul-
timeter. There are many different types of mul-
timeters available, ranging in price from about
$20 to about $200. I personally use a midrange
multimeter, the Craftsman Digital + Analog
Multimeter 82322. It’s priced around $60.
I use my multimeter to:
X Check electrical outlets for proper amounts
of electrical current
X Test PC power supplies
X Test for proper termination on coaxial Eth-
ernet lines
X Measure the temperature inside a PC case
to test for overheating. (I can do this
because my multimeter contains a temper-
ature probe.)
PC Troubleshooting Basics 8
 Figure A Figure B
Wrist strap
A wrist strap wraps around your wrist and
contains a wire with an alligator clip that is
attached to something grounded. This wrist
strap prevents you from accidentally destroying
electronic components with static electricity
while working on PC components.
Chip extractors
The only safe way to remove a chip from a PC
is with a chip extractor. If you simply try to
pry a chip out of a socket with a screwdriver,
Figure C
9 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
you’ll bend the pins. There are several different
types of chip extractors, each used for differ-
ent types of chips, so it helps to have a variety
of extractors on hand. You can see two com-
mon types in Figure A.
Loop-back plugs
By attaching a loop-back plug to a port, such as
parallel ports and serial ports, you can place a
simulated load on the port and, therefore, use
diagnostic software to accurately test the port.
Cable testers
Cable testers are typically used to check long
stretches of network cable. However, when
repairing a PC, it’s sometimes necessary to use
a cable tester (Figure B) to determine whether a
connection problem is related to a bad net-
work card or to a bad patch cable.
If the patch cable turns out to be good and
the network jack is known to be good, then
you need to check the machine’s network card.
If you suspect that the network jack may be to
blame, you can use a known working patch
cable to attach the tester to the jack.
There are a variety of different network
cable testers on the market, ranging in price
from under a hundred dollars to over five thou-
sand dollars. The LANtest unit shown in Fig-
ure B costs about $75 dollars and can be used
for most basic cable troubleshooting chores.
Figure D Figure E

Phone line testers

There are several different tools that you can
use to test for phone line problems. I like to
conduct the initial tests with a phone line
tester, such as the one shown in Figure C. This
tester displays a green light if the line is work-
ing, a red light if the line is cross-wired, and no
light if the line is completely dead. You can
find testers similar to the one shown in Figure
C for a few dollars at any hardware store.
Crimpers
The crimper shown on the left in Figure D is
useful for cutting and stripping network and
phone cables. It can also be used for attaching
RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectors. The crimper
shown on the right in Figure D is useful for
stripping wire and cable of varying widths.
Odds and ends
In addition to all of the tools and software I
mentioned above, I always keep a pair of
TIP
I also like to keep a cheap, standard tele-
phone with me. I’ve run into situations
where a line may be live, and correctly
wired, but there was no dial tone. By
attaching a phone to the jack and attempt-
ing to manually dial in to another modem,
you can hear exactly what’s happening.
needle-nose pliers handy because they have a
built-in wire cutter and are great for installing
and removing jumpers. If the area around a
jumper is too small for needle-nose pliers, I
use tweezers instead. I also keep a small grab-
ber tool (Figure E) nearby, for those times that I
drop a screw into a tight place.

Troubleshoot, Diagnose, and Solve Common PC Problems

From hardware repairs to Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, TechRepublic's PC
Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition helps you keep your PC systems in top
running order. You know that today's PCs are no longer "disposable." With tight IT budgets
and purchasing requests, you can't solve your PC issues by "just buying a new one." You
need to have the skills and experience to diagnose the problems with every laptop, PC,
USB connector, processor, driver, and printer in your charge.

PC Troubleshooting Basics 10
 Quick tips for troubleshooting a slow PC
Feb. 4, 2003
By Brien M. Posey, MCSE
W
hile browsing around TechRepub-
lic’s Technical Q&A recently, I
found a post from member Kevin-
scase, who is troubleshooting an extremely
slow-running PC for a user. In fact, according
to his post, it takes three to four minutes just
to open My Computer. The computer is a P2
400-MHz with 128-MB RAM, and 90 percent
of the hard drive is free. Kevin has checked for
unnecessary software, run Disk Cleanup, run
Scandisk, and defragmented the hard drive, but
to no avail. Since I’m currently having the
same problem with my laptop, I decided to
offer Kevin some advice.
Scan for viruses
In a situation like this one, the very first thing
that I recommend doing is performing a thor-
ough virus scan on the machine. Some viruses
can severely degrade a machine’s performance.
Both Sgt_shultz and Mcarlso1 agreed. “My
guess would be a virus on [the] system, probably
Klez and or ElKern virus,” Mcarlso1 wrote.
“Many systems I have been working on as of
late have [had] the same symptoms.”
Check for overheating
Once you’re sure that the machine is virus free,
I recommend checking the temperature of the
processor. Member Cglrcng concurred.
“Make sure the CPU and other fans are run-
ning well and providing enough cooling, and
[that] the room temperature isn’t excessive
(78 degrees or higher).” Intel has designed its
newer processors to slow down as the proces-
sor heats up. This is to prevent the processor
from overheating to the point of being dam-
aged or destroyed. There are a couple of ways
to check the processor’s temperature. You can
give the processor the “finger test” and see if
the processor feels like it’s hot enough to burn
you. If you use this approach, unplug the
computer first, and use a grounding strap to
avoid damaging the processor with static elec-
tricity. A more scientific method is to use a
multimeter with a temperature probe to test
the temperature.
11 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
The appropriate temperature will vary
depending on the make and model of the
processor, but generally speaking, the tempera-
ture should be below 110 degrees. If you find
the processor to be above this temperature,
check the machine’s fans to make sure they are
operating properly. Also, check the fans and
internal components for excessive dust
buildup and clean if necessary.
Check for DOS compatibility
mode
If the system is running Windows 9x, member
Blackcurrant recommended checking to
make sure that the hard disk isn’t running in
MS-DOS compatibility mode. “If it [the hard
drive] is running in this mode, your computer
will crawl along,” Blackcurrant wrote. To check
this, open the Device Manager, right-click on
the hard disk in question, and select the Prop-
erties command from the resulting menu. This
will display the drive’s properties sheet. You
can use the properties sheet to determine the
driver being used and the drive’s mode.
To compress or not to compress
Blackcurrant also suggests that Kevin check to
see whether the disk is compressed. “I experi-
enced a severe reduction in performance on a
machine once after it was compressed,” Black-
currant wrote. You can check a disk’s compres-
sion by right-clicking on the disk in My
Computer and selecting the Properties com-
mand from the resulting menu to view the
drive’s properties.
Check for application or
driver issues
There are some other possibilities as well. It
could be that some program that’s running dur-
ing the boot process is slowing the machine
down. To test for this condition, try booting in
safe mode. By its very nature, safe mode runs
slower than normal mode. However, if you
boot in safe mode and find the machine to be
running much more quickly than it was in nor-
mal mode, then a program or driver is probably
causing the problem. If you suspect that a pro-
gram or driver is causing your problem, check
out these articles from TechRepublic:
X “Quickly track down and fix desktop
startup and connection problems”
(http://techrepublic.com.com/
5100-6270-5032744.html)
X “Top 10 tips for troubleshooting PC system
slowdowns”
(http://techrepublic.com.com/
5100-6349-1054915.html)
X “Take the guesswork out of finding drivers”
(http://techrepublic.com.com/
5100-6270-1061255.html)
Bypass a BIOS password using
these techniques
June 20, 2002
By Steven Pittsley, CNE
B
IOS passwords offer an extra level of
security for your computer system by
requiring users to enter a password
before they can enter the setup programs or
start the operating system. But BIOS pass-
words can also give you headaches if the pass-
words are lost, forgotten, or put on the system
by a disgruntled employee. I will provide you
with some tips for circumventing unknown
BIOS passwords so that you will be able to use
the computer system once again.
An introduction to BIOS
passwords
There are primarily two types of BIOS pass-
words that can be used to protect a computer
system. The first type requires the user to enter
a password before being granted access to the
computer’s setup programs. Many system
administrators will use these types of pass-
Try a drive transplant
If booting in safe mode doesn’t pinpoint the
problem for you, try taking the hard disk out
of a comparable system and hooking it up in
the system that’s having the problems. If the
system boots slowly from the known good
hard disk (which should also be running a
known good operating system), your PC has a
hardware problem. This hardware problem
could be related to a bad ribbon cable, a bad
disk controller, or a bad system board.
words to prevent their users from modifying
the system configuration. Such a strategy can
reduce the number of problems that are cre-
ated by users who attempt to fix their own
problems or want to try making their system
run faster by making modifications.
The second type of BIOS security requires
the user to enter a password before the operat-
ing system is started. This type of password is
used to prevent an unauthorized user from
accessing the system. When such a security
measure has been implemented, users will be
unable to boot the system in any manner unless
they have the password. Such stringent security
measures are often used in government installa-
tions or wherever tight security is a high priority.
Backdoor passwords
One method for unlocking a BIOS password
is to use the BIOS manufacturer’s “backdoor
PC Troubleshooting Basics 12
 password.” These passwords are hard coded
into the BIOS by the manufacturer and will
override any user-created password. While this
might sound like an easy solution, you must
know who made the BIOS, what BIOS version
has been installed in the system, and what
backdoor password was used for the BIOS. As
an extra security measure, many BIOS manu-
facturers have added a feature that will lock
you out of the system completely if you try to
guess the password and enter it incorrectly
three times. In addition, since laptops have
better BIOS security than their desktop
cousins, they typically do not employ the use
of backdoor passwords. If you would like to
learn the backdoor BIOS password for a sys-
tem, your only choice is to contact the BIOS
manufacturer or read the documentation that
came with the system.
Bypass BIOS passwords with
keyboard errors
Another method you can use to gain access to
the BIOS setup program is to overload the
keyboard buffer by holding down a key as the
system boots. Once the buffer has been over-
loaded, you will receive an error message and
will be taken into the setup programs where
you can change the password or prevent the
use of a BIOS password. This method does
not work on all BIOS programs, but it is worth
trying because it really can’t do any damage or
permanently lock you out of the system.
Resetting the CMOS using
motherboard jumpers
Some motherboard manufacturers provide
jumpers that allow technicians to easily reset
the CMOS values to their default settings. This
method will eliminate a user-created BIOS
password and set the value of the Use BIOS
Password field to No. Generally, to reset the
CMOS values, you would turn the system off,
change the jumper settings according to the
motherboard’s documentation, and turn the
system back on. You will be taken into the
BIOS setup program, where you can change
the CMOS configuration as you see fit. After
exiting the BIOS, you should turn the system
13 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
off, return the jumpers to their original setting,
and power the computer on again. The system
will boot using the new configuration data, and
you will no longer be prompted for a BIOS
password.
NOTE
If you elect to reset the CMOS values to
erase the BIOS password, you will lose all
information that was previously stored in
CMOS. If you have backed up your CMOS
settings using the CMOSSAVE program,
you can easily restore them. Make sure
that your backup copy does not require the
use of the BIOS password. If it does, you
will be right back where you started.
Removing the CMOS battery
If your motherboard does not have BIOS
reset jumpers, you can reset the CMOS data by
removing the CMOS battery. Once again, this
will set all CMOS values to their default set-
tings, including eliminating the use of a BIOS
password.
When you remove the CMOS battery from
the system, you should leave it out for at least
10 minutes. This length of time should suffice
for most systems, but some may require up to
24 hours for the data to be erased. Again, if
you attempt to restore your CMOS settings, be
sure to use a backup copy that does not require
the use of a password.
Password-cracking software
Software is available from several manufactur-
ers that allow you to crack or reset BIOS pass-
words. Three such programs are RemPass,
KILLCMOS, and CMOS Password Recovery
Tools 4.0. Keep in mind that if you are unable
to boot the PC from a floppy disk, you will be
unable to use these programs. Additionally,
since the software does not come from the
BIOS manufacturer, you will be using it at your
own risk. But used as a last resort, these pro-
grams can come in handy when you are at wit’s
end from troubleshooting an unknown BIOS
password.
Closely check those auto-detected
BIOS settings
March 1, 2002
By Mike Walton
T
hose of you who have been building
computers for more than two or three
years will remember the days when
scores of jumpers populated a motherboard’s
landscape. Thankfully, many modern boards
don’t contain that many jumpers; most have
only a single jumper for clearing the CMOS.
The lack of jumpers has made hardware instal-
lation and configuration almost simple enough
for the end user to perform. Notice I said
almost.
Even though a motherboard’s BIOS that
doesn’t have jumpers will auto-detect most
hardware configurations correctly, there are
times when this process doesn’t work. In such
cases, it takes an experienced techie to sort
things out.
I recently built a custom machine with a
Shuttle AK11 motherboard and an Athlon
Thunderbird processor. Everything appeared
to be fine, until I accidentally discovered that
my processor was running at only 75 percent.
Here’s how I fixed the problem. Let my expe-
rience serve as a reminder for those who
build their own machines to check those
BIOS settings.
Settings, settings everywhere
There are a multitude of settings on the mod-
ern motherboard that need to be set properly.
You risk blowing up your new, expensive
processor or having a machine that never
quite meets its capacities if these settings
aren’t correct.
The Shuttle AK11 uses AwardBIOS, and
although I trusted this combination to cor-
rectly detect my hardware, I decided to check
the BIOS settings anyway. After the first
POST, I entered the BIOS and began scruti-
nizing each screen.
I changed the boot order to use the CD-
ROM, hard drive, and then the floppy. I had
expected to do that anyway, though. Of
course, I also set the date and time and
checked to make sure the BIOS had correctly
detected my hard drive, RAM amount, and
CD-ROM.
I then moved to settings under Advanced
Chipset Features. I was particularly anxious to
ensure my AGP video card had been correctly
detected, as this would significantly affect my
Counter-Strike game play. On this same screen
is where I noticed the first truly incorrect set-
ting. The DRAM clock speed was set to 100
MHz, instead of being set for the 133-MHz
RAM I had in the machine. The settings I had
changed previously were mere preferences, but
this one was actually incorrect. There was a
reason for this that I didn’t know until later,
but I reset it to 133 MHz and moved on.
All the other settings seemed to me, at the
time, to have defaulted to automatic detection
modes, so I just cranked the machine up and
started using it.
It was wonderful. The machine ran more
quickly than any of my work or other home
machines, and the graphics were great. Needless
to say, Counter-Strike looked better than ever.
You can be too cool
My first clue that something was wrong came
when I noticed how cool my new machine was
running. I had gone to extremes to keep a
cool-running machine. I had added a fan to an
already well-designed case. I had used Arctic
Silver’s Arctic Silver II thermal compound and
GlobalWin’s CAK-II 38 solid copper heat sink.
The heat sink’s fan runs at 7,500 rpm and is
rather loud, but I don’t care that I can’t hear
aircraft flying overhead, just as long as it keeps
my machine cool.
I was happy that my processor was record-
ing only 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit at idle
and only 90 to 95 degrees after a few intense
hours of online Counter-Strike gaming.
Everyone seemed amazed at how cool my
machine was running. Then one day, after a
discussion about overclocking processors and
PC Troubleshooting Basics 14
 seeing a video clip on melting AMD proces-
sors, I decided to take a closer look at my
processor’s performance.
My 1.13-GHz processor was running at
only 849 MHz!
I went back into my BIOS, and there it was.
My CPU clock speed was set to 100 MHz
instead of 133 MHz. I totally missed this dur-
ing my initial BIOS inspection. This also
explains why the DRAM setting was at 100
instead of 133 MHz. According to the Shuttle
manual, if the CPU clock had been set higher
than 100, the DRAM setting would have only
133 MHz as an option. I quickly set the CPU
clock speed to 133 MHz and rebooted. When I
checked the processor speed again, I was run-
ning at a full 1.13 GHz. And I thought my
machine was fast before!
Deciphering BIOS beep codes
March 7, 2002
By Michael Jackman, A+
E
ach time a user turns on his or her com-
puter, the BIOS gathers information
about the major system components
and performs a special test called the Power On
Self Test (POST) to make sure that each com-
ponent is functioning correctly. If the test iden-
tifies a hardware problem, the BIOS will display
an error message on the monitor. But, if the
failure occurred before the BIOS could access
the video card, the BIOS will issue special beep
codes to alert the user to the problem.
In this article, I’ll take a detailed look at the
beeps that are issued by various BIOS manu-
facturers, and I’ll provide you with a resource
for more detailed information. Understanding
these noises will allow you to troubleshoot a
multitude of hardware problems.
Annoying noises, flashing lights
During a POST session, your computer has
several ways to communicate: either through
15 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition
Learn from my mistake
Whether you’re building a machine for a
client, for your IT department’s test network,
or for home use, remember to check all auto-
detected, auto-configured settings. This
advice holds true not only for BIOS settings
but also for other hardware and software set-
tings as well. The next time you install a new
video card, NIC, sound card, or other periph-
eral, make sure your OS has correctly
detected the device. Ask yourself, “Is the
device running at optimum efficiency?” Don’t
let an incorrectly configured, auto-detected
setting ruin your day.
flashing indicator lights, the computer’s
speaker, or the monitor. Since the monitor is
not initialized until later in the process, early
failures are communicated by red or absent
status lights, such as the power and hard drive
activity lights, or by sound in the form of
beeps.
Heard any good beeps lately?
Naturally, if the speaker is damaged or discon-
nected, you’ll have no way of knowing what
ails your hardware without a diagnostic card.
At the conclusion of a successful POST, the
computer should beep once or twice. These
beeps inform you that your hardware is in
good working order. If you don’t hear this
“all’s well” beep, here are a few things to
check:
X Are external speakers connected? On many
computers, the computer speaker is disabled
when a jack is connected.
POST DIAGNOSTIC CARDS
One alternative to deciphering beep codes is to pur-
chase a POST diagnostic card, which intercepts
POST errors at their source via the ISA or PCI bus.
Cards are available for either bus and typically con-
tain one or two digital readouts that present the
codes, as well as LEDs for monitoring the power
supply. Since POST codes are more numerous
than beep codes (there may be ten beep codes to
256 POST codes), a diagnostic card can help you
track the progress of the POST and see more detail
about what caused a failure or warning.
An ISA card is preferred, as it’s possible that a PCI
card may not report all the POST codes. Because
the ISA bus is initialized first, the PCI bus receives
only the codes generated after the ISA bus is initial-
ized. In addition, ISA buses connect to the South
Bridge chip, so damaged motherboards may not be
able to send codes to the PCI bus at all.
You can obtain more information on POST diag-
nostic cards from manufacturers such as Xetal
Systems Inc., makers of POSTmortem; Microsys-
tems Development Technologies Inc.’s Post Code
Master, or by running a Web search.

Table A: American Megatrends Inc. BIOS beep codes

Number of Beeps Description
1 Faulty memory refresh circuit
2 Parity error in first 64K
3 Failure in first 64K
4 System timer failure
5 CPU error - undetectable
6 BIOS cannot switch CPU into Protected Mode
7 CPU exception
8 Missing video adapter or faulty memory
9 ROM and BIOS checksum mismatch
10 System board can’t retrieve CMOS during POST
11 Failed L2 cache; L2 cache disabled
2 short POST failed
1 long, 2 short Video failure - video BIOS ROM
1 long, 3 short Video failure - video DAC, or RAM
1 long, 3 short Convention/extended memory test failure (older BIOSes)
1 long, 8 short Display test failure
1 long POST passed.

X Is the volume too low? Use the function
keys indicated by the manufacturer to
increase the volume.
X Did someone disconnect the speaker? Peo-
ple do this occasionally because the beeps
bother them. Reconnect the leads to the
motherboard jumpers.
X Is the onboard speaker disabled in the
BIOS? Re-enable the speaker in the BIOS
setup program. Note: It’s also a good idea to

PC Troubleshooting Basics 16
 include a small speaker mounted to a moth-
erboard with some standard leads as part of
your troubleshooting kit.
To create unique error messages, codes emit
combinations of long and short beeps, similar
to Morse code. Instead of letters, however,
each unique sequence indicates a different
problem with components. As you might have
guessed, in contrast to a universal standard
such as Morse code, each BIOS manufacturer
creates its own beep sequences.
Table B: Other Compaq beeps are associated with
specific text messages on the video screen.
Number of Beeps Description
2 very short POST passed
2 long Memory map failure
3 long Processor self-test
POST time
I have obtained audible codes for several
common BIOSs from The BIOS Companion.
The Companion excels in presenting almost
every BIOS setting that can be configured. It
also contains tables of POST codes. It can be
purchased online (as a PDF file) for $15 or
printed for $49.95, or it can be acquired as
part of a larger set, called The PC Engineer’s
Reference Book. You’ll want to check this out
if you support many different PC types,
including legacy equipment. For more
information on these and other reference
books, see Electrocution Technical Publish-
ers (http://www.electrocution.com/
books.htm).
American Megatrends Inc. BIOS
Standard beep codes for computers using
American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) BIOSs are
listed in Table A.

Table C: To view POST messages that accompany beep codes, make sure the Phoenix QuietBoot feature is disabled by pressing [Esc] during boot.
Number of Beeps Description Number of Beeps Description
1-1-2 Microprocessor register failure 3-3-2 Non-volatile RAM configuration
1-1-3 CMOS write/read failure 3-3-4 Video memory test failure
1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum failure 3-4-1 Screen initialization failure
1-2-1 Programmable interval timer 3-4-2 Screen retrace failure
failure
3-4-3 Search for video ROM failure
1-2-2 DMA initialization failure
4-2-1 No time tick
1-2-3 DMA Page Register r/w failure
4-2-2 Shutdown failure
1-3 Video memory test failure
4-2-3 Gate A20 failure
1-3-1 or 2-4-4 RAM problem
4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected
3-1-1 Slave DMA register failure mode
3-1-2 Master DMA register failure 4-3-1 Memory failure above address
3-1-3 Master interrupt mask register 4-3-3 Timer chip counter 2 failure
failure
4-3-4 Time-of-day clock stopped
3-1-4 Slave interrupt mask register
4-4-1 Serial port test failure
failure
4-4-2 Parallel port test failure
3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading failure
4-4-3 Math coprocessor test failure
3-2-4 Keyboard controller test failure
4-4-4 Cache test failure
3-3-1 Non-volatile RAM power loss

17 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition

Award BIOS
Award BIOSs have only one beep code: One
long beep, followed by two short beeps, indi-
cates that the BIOS is unable to initialize the
video screen.
Compaq BIOS
Standard beep codes for Compaq computers
with no text and error message are shown in
Table B.
Dell BIOS
Beep codes for Dell computers (Phoenix
BIOS) are listed in Table C. (All are short beeps
separated by pauses.)
IBM beep codes
IBM personal computers (Thinkpads and
Desktops) use a Phoenix-based BIOS. An
extensive amount of information can be
gleaned from the beep codes of Phoenix
BIOSs. Since 1994, Phoenix has used a four-
part system: four bursts of short beeps sepa-
rated by pauses. For example, in Table D, a
value such as 4-2-3-1 (shutdown error),
means four short beeps, pause, two short
beeps, pause, three short beeps, pause, one
short beep. While the codes in the table will
apply in general, to be sure, always check the
specification for your particular model. The
beep codes for IBM computers are listed in
Table D. (All are short beeps separated by
pauses.)
Do they really help?
If a system error is occurring before video ini-
tialization, interpreting the BIOS beep codes is
your last line of defense when something is
troubling your system. All you need to do is
listen closely to the sequence of beeps for your
specific BIOS and simply look up the corre-
sponding error description. Then, you can
focus your troubleshooting efforts on that par-
ticular problem instead of wasting time with
guesswork.

Table D: Keep in mind that IBM-labeled hardware contains components made by OEMs. These companies may modify their versions of the Phoenix BIOS.
Number of beeps Description Number of beeps Description
1-1-1-3 Verify real mode 1-2-4-1 Reset Programmable Interrupt
Controller
1-1-2-1 Get CPU type
1-3-1-1 Test DRAM refresh
1-1-2-3 Initialize system hardware
1-3-1-3 Test 8742 Keyboard Controller
1-1-3-1 Initialize chipset registers with
initial values 1-3-2-1 Set ES segment register to 4GB
1-1-3-2 Set in POST flag 1-3-3-1 Autosize DRAM
1-1-3-3 Initialize CPU registers 1-3-3-3 Clear 512K base memory
1-1-4-1 Initialize cache to initial values 1-3-4-1 Test 512K base address lines
1-1-4-3 Initialize I/O 1-3-4-3 Test 51K base memory
1-2-1-1 Initialize power management 1-4-1-3 Test CPU bus-clock frequency
1-2-1-2 Load alternative registers with 1-4-2-1 CMOS RAM read/write failure
initial POST values (This commonly indicates a prob-
lem on the ISA bus such as a card
1-2-1-3 Jump to UserPatch0
not seated.)
1-2-2-1 Initialize timer initialization
1-4-2-4 Reinitialize the chipset
1-2-3-1 8254 timer initialization
1-4-3-1 Shadow system BIOS ROM
1-2-3-3 8237 DMA controller initialization Continued on next page

PC Troubleshooting Basics 18
Table D (cont.)
Number of beeps Description Number of beeps Description
1-4-3-2 Reinitialize the cache 2-3-3-2 Initialize SMI handler
1-4-3-3 Autosize the cache 2-3-3-3 Display external cache size
1-4-4-1 Configure advanced chipset 2-3-4-1 Display shadow message
registers
2-3-4-3 Display nondisposable segments
1-4-4-2 Load alternate registers with
2-4-1-1 Display error messages
CMOS values
2-4-1-3 Check for configuration errors
2-1-1-1 Set initial CPU speed
2-4-2-1 Test real-time clock
2-1-1-3 Initialize interrupt vectors
2-4-2-3 Check for keyboard errors
2-1-2-1 Initialize BIOS interrupts
2-4-4-1 Set up hardware interrupt vectors
2-1-2-3 Check ROM copyright notice
2-4-4-3 Test coprocessor if present
2-1-2-4 Initialize manager for PCI Options
ROMs 3-1-1-1 Disable onboard I/O ports
2-1-3-1 Check video configuration against 3-1-1-3 Detect and install external RS232
CMOS ports
2-1-3-2 Initialize PCI bus and devices 3-1-2-1 Detect and install external parallel
ports
2-1-3-3 Initialize all video adapters in
system 3-1-2-3 Reinitialize onboard I/O ports
2-1-4-1 Shadow video BIOS ROM 3-1-3-1 Initialize BIOS Data Area
2-1-4-3 Display copyright notice 3-1-3-3 Initialize Extended BIOS Data
Area
2-2-1-1 Display CPU type and speed
3-1-4-1 Initialize floppy controller
2-2-1-3 Test keyboard
3-2-1-1 Initialize hard disk controller
2-2-2-1 Set key click if enabled
3-2-1-2 Initialize local bus hard disk
2-2-2-3 Enable keyboard
controller
2-2-3-1 Test for unexpected interrupts
3-2-1-3 Jump to UserPatch2
2-2-3-3 Display prompt “Press F2 to enter
3-2-2-1 Disable A20 address line
setup”
3-2-2-3 Clear huge ES segment register
2-2-4-1 Test RAM between 512K and
640K 3-2-3-1 Search for option ROMs
2-3-1-1 Test expanded memory 3-2-3-3 Shadow option ROMs
2-3-1-3 Test extended memory address 3-2-4-1 Set up power management
lines 3-2-4-3 Enable hardware interrupts
2-3-2-1 Jump to UserPatch1 3-3-1-1 Set time of day
2-3-2-3 Configure advanced cache registers 3-3-1-3 Check key lock
2-3-3-1 Enable external and CPU caches
Continued on next page

19 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition

Table D (cont.)
Number of beeps Description Number of beeps Description
3-3-3-1 Erase F2 prompt 4-2-3-1 Shutdown error
3-3-3-3 Scan for F2 keystroke 4-2-3-3 Extended Block Move
3-3-4-1 Enter SETUP 4-2-4-1 Shutdown 10 error
3-3-4-3 Clear in-POST flag 4-2-4-3 Keyboard Controller failure (most
likely problem is with RAM or
3-4-1-1 Check for errors
cache unless no video is present)
3-4-1-3 POST done—prepare to boot
4-3-1-3 Initialize the chipset
operating system
4-3-1-4 Initialize refresh counter
3-4-2-1 One beep
4-3-2-1 Check for Forced Flash
3-4-2-3 Check password (optional)
4-3-2-2 BIOS ROM is OK
3-4-3-1 Clear global descriptor table
4-3-2-4 Do a complete RAM test
3-4-4-1 Clear parity checkers
4-3-3-1 Do OEM initialization
3-4-4-3 Check virus and backup reminders
4-3-3-2 Initialize interrupt controller
4-1-1-1 Try to boot with INT 19
4-3-3-3 Read in bootstrap code
4-2-1-1 Interrupt handler error
4-3-3-4 Initialize all vectors
4-2-1-3 Unknown interrupt error
4-3-4-2 Initialize the boot device
4-2-2-1 Pending interrupt error
4-3-4-3 Boot code was read OK
4-2-2-3 Initialize option ROM error

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Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition helps you keep your PC systems in top
running order. You know that today's PCs are no longer "disposable." With tight IT budgets
and purchasing requests, you can't solve your PC issues by "just buying a new one." You
need to have the skills and experience to diagnose the problems with every laptop, PC, USB
connector, processor, driver, and printer in your charge.

This latest edition has the tools, tips, solutions, and resources you need to extend the life of
equipment and maintain reliable, working computer systems. Now you can have the expert
information you need to solve common problems and close out the never ending stream of
trouble tickets coming your way! Bonus CD-ROM! Get a dozen tools to help you repair PCs,
including scripts, utilities, and checklists

Buy the print version

or
Buy the PDF version and download it now!
(Sold through our download store TechRepublic Press)

PC Troubleshooting Basics 20
 An introduction to BIOS beep codes
Sept. 19, 2003
By Bill Detwiler, MCP

W
hen you power on your computer,
the motherboard’s basic input/out-
put system (BIOS) first detects the
computer’s internal hardware configuration
and then performs the power-on self-test
(POST). The POST executes several diagnos-
tic tests that check the basic functionality of
the power supply, motherboard, CPU, I/O Bus
Controller, RAM, keyboard, and video compo-
nents. If the computer passes the POST, it will
usually return a single short beep or two short
beeps, depending on the BIOS manufacturer.
If the POST detects any problems, it will halt
the boot process and return an error message
either visually on the screen and/or audibly
through a series of beeps.
Unfortunately, there is no official standard
for beep codes. Depending on the BIOS man-
ufacturer, a keyboard controller failure could
be three, four, five, or six beeps. While this
article lists common BIOS manufacturer beep
codes, you should always consult your mother-
board’s documentation, the manufacturer’s
Web site, and the BIOS manufacturer’s Web
site for a definitive beep code list for your par-
ticular BIOS.
The information contained in the following
lists was gathered from various BIOS manu-
facturers’ Web sites. For your convenience,
these lists, complete with clickable hyperlinks,
are included in a Microsoft Word document on
the CD-ROM that accompanies this book.

AMI BIOS beep codes (http://www.ami.com/support/bios.html)

Number of beeps Problem description Troubleshooting recommendation
1 Memory refresh timer error Reseat memory or replace with known good chips.
2 Parity error Reseat memory or replace with known good chips.
3 Base 64K memory read/write test failure Reseat memory or replace with known good chips.
4 Motherboard timer not operational Repair/replace motherboard.
5 Processor error Repair/replace motherboard.
6 8042—gate A20 failure/Keyboard Reseat keyboard controller chip, replace keyboard
controller BAT test error controller chip, check for a keyboard fuse, or try a
different keyboard.
7 Processor exception interrupt error Repair/replace motherboard.
8 Display memory read/write failure Replace video card or video card memory.
9 ROM checksum error/Faulty BIOS chips Replace chips or motherboard.
10 CMOS shutdown register read/write error Repair/replace motherboard.
11 Cache memory bad Repair/replace motherboard.

Award BIOS beep codes (http://www.phoenix.com/en/customer+services/bios/awardbios/default1.htm)

Number of beeps Problem description Troubleshooting recommendation
1 long & 2 short Video error Check the video card.
Any other beeps RAM problem Reseat the RAM or replace with known good chips.

21 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition

PhoenixBIOS beep codes (http://www.phoenix.com/en/customer+services/bios/phoenixbios/default1.htm)
Unfortunately, PhoenixBIOS beep codes are significantly more complicated than other BIOS manufacturers. Instead of
a single beep code set, PhoenixBIOS codes consist of a series of beep code sets separated by a short pause. Older
Phoenix BIOS Plus and PhoenixBIOS 1.x systems used a series of three sets, while the PhoenixBIOS 4.x systems use a
series of four sets. The codes listed below are only some of the more than 100 codes for the PhoenixBIOS 4.x. For a
complete list of Phoenix BIOS POST task routines and beep codes, please visit their Web site or review your mother-
board’s documentation.
Number of POST routine description/ Troubleshooting recommendation
beeps problem
1 One short beep before boot Normal operation
1-1-1-3 Verify real mode A problem exists with the CPU and/or motherboard. Check and
replace if necessary.
1-1-2-1 Get CPU type A problem exists with the CPU and/or motherboard. Check and
replace if necessary.
1-1-2-3 Initialize system hardware A problem exists with the motherboard. Check and replace if
necessary.
1-1-3-1 Initialize chipset with initial A problem exists with the motherboard. Check and replace if
POST values necessary.
1-1-3-2 Set IN POST flag A problem exists with the motherboard. Check and replace if
necessary.
1-1-3-3 Initialize CPU registers A problem exists with the CPU and/or motherboard. Check and
replace if necessary.
1-1-4-3 Initialize I/O component A problem exists with the I/O port hardware or a device con-
nected to an I/O port. It could also be an expansion device in the
PC or the motherboard.
1-2-2-1 Initialize keyboard controller An error has occurred with the keyboard or keyboard controller.
Try a new keyboard or replace the keyboard controller on the
motherboard.
1-2-2-3 BIOS ROM checksum Replace either the BIOS ROM chip or the motherboard.
1-2-3-3 8237 DMA controller initialization Check the motherboard and any expansion cards that use DMA.
1-3-1-1 Test DRAM refresh Check the first bank of memory and the motherboard.
1-3-1-3 Test 8742 keyboard controller An error has occurred with the keyboard or keyboard controller.
Try a new keyboard or replace the keyboard controller on the
motherboard.
1-3-4-1 RAM failure on line xxxx Check the first bank of memory and the motherboard.
1-3-4-3 RAM failure on data bits xxxx of Check the first bank of memory and the motherboard.
low byte memory bus
2-1-3-1 Check video configuration against Check the video card or video card memory.
CMOS

Continued on next page

PC Troubleshooting Basics 22
PhoenixBIOS beep codes (cont.)
Number of POST routine description/ Troubleshooting recommendation
beeps problem
2-1-3-2 Initialize PCI bus and devices A problem exists with the I/O port hardware or a device con-
nected to an I/O port. It could also be an expansion device in the
PC or the motherboard.
2-2-1-3 Test keyboard An error has occurred with the keyboard or keyboard controller.
Try a new keyboard or replace the keyboard controller on the
motherboard.
2-2-3-1 Test for unexpected interrupts Check for a faulty motherboard or expansion card.
3-1-2-1 Detect and install external parallel A problem exists with the I/O port hardware or a device
ports connected to an I/O port. It could also be an expansion device
in the PC or the motherboard.
3-1-4-1 Initialize floppy controller Check your hard drive(s), floppy drive(s), and motherboard.
3-2-1-1 Initialize hard-disk controllers Check your hard drive(s), floppy drive(s), and motherboard.
3-2-1-2 Initialize local-bus hard-disk Check your hard drive(s), floppy drive(s), and motherboard.
controllers
3-3-1-1 Set time of day Check the motherboard’s real-time clock (RTC).
4-2-4-3 Keyboard controller failure An error has occurred with the keyboard or keyboard controller.
Try a new keyboard or replace the keyboard controller on the
motherboard.

Dell BIOS beep codes (http://support.dell.com/us/en/home.asp)

Because Dell uses motherboards and BIOSs from several manufacturers, their computers use a variety of beep codes.
Instead of listing each model’s beep codes, links are provided to the support pages of several popular Dell desktops.
Model System codes and messages link
Dimension 900 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dcaydim2/codemess.htm
Dimension 2100 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim2100/codemess.htm
Dimension 4100 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dzuul/codemess.htm
Dimension 4200 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim4200/codes.htm
Dimension 4300 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim4300/codes.htm
Dimension 4300S http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim4300s/codes.htm
Dimension 4400 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim4400/codes.htm
Dimension 8100 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dsleest/codemess.htm
Dimension 8200 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim8200/codes.htm
Dimension C http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dcaydim/codemess.htm
Dimension L http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dmum/codemess.htm

23 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition

Dell BIOS beep codes (cont.)
Model System codes and messages link
Dimension Lxxxc http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dcol/codemess.htm
Dimension P133a, P166a, M166a, http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dhanplus/post.htm
M200a, and M233a
Dimension XPS Txxx and Txxxr http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dkub/codemess.htm
Dimension Vxxx and Vxxxc http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dwill/post.htm
Dimension XPS B Series http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dmag/codemess.htm
Dimension XPS Dxxx http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dalex/post.htm
Dimension XPS H233 and XPS H266 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dcor/post.htm
Dimension XPS P60 FS http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/dta/xpsp60f/00000015.htm
Dimension XPS P60 M http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/dta/xpsp60m/00000014.htm
Dimension XPS 50/66 FS http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/dta/xps_f/00000021.htm
Dimension XPS 50/66 MDT (V4xxV) http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/dta/xps_m/00000025.htm
Dimension XPS Rxxx http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dkhan/post.htm
OmniPlex 5xx/ME http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/dta/omni5xx/00000051.htm
OptiPlex G1 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ddur/beep.htm
OptiPlex GC http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/opgc/en/ug/messages.htm
OptiPlex Gn and Gn+ http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dthred/beep.htm
OptiPlex GX1 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ban_gx1/beep.htm
OptiPlex GX1 Small-Form-Factor http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ban_gx1/en/ug_sdt/messages.htm
OptiPlex GX1p http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/d_gx1p/beep.htm
OptiPlex GXi http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dzer/beep.htm
OptiPlex GX110 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/opgx110/en/ug/messages.htm
OptiPlex GX115 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/opgx115/en/ug/messages.htm
OptiPlex GX200 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/opgx200/en/ug/messages.htm
OptiPlex GX300 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/opgx300/en/ug/messages.htm
OptiPlex GXa http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dfuj/beep.htm
OptiPlex GXpro http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dstrmlk/postbeep.htm
OptiPlex N http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dkill/beep.htm
OptiPlex NX http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dfujnx/beep.htm
OptiPlex NX1 http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ban_nx1/beep.htm
OptiPlex XMT575/590/5100/5120/ http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/dta/586xmt/00000038.htm
5133
Continued on next page

PC Troubleshooting Basics 24
Dell BIOS beep codes (cont.)
Model
Precision WorkStation 210
Precision WorkStation 340
Precision WorkStation 400
Precision WorkStation 410
Precision WorkStation 420
Precision WorkStation 530
Precision WorkStation 610 Mini Tower
Precision WorkStation 620
Precision WorkStation 730
System codes and messages link
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/daftshk/beep.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ws340/en/ug/codes.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dtor/beep.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/deqkmt/beep.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ws420/en/ug/messages.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ws530/en/ug/html/2codes.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dvol/beep.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ws620/en/ug/messages.htm
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ws730/ug/messages.htm

HP BIOS beep codes (http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/eng/support.html)

Because Hewlett-Packard uses a variety of motherboards and BIOSs, their computers use a variety of beep codes.
Instead of listing each model’s beep codes, links are provided to the support pages of several popular Hewlett-Packard
desktops.
Model System codes and messages link
Kayak http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=tis06334
Kayak XA-S Series 02xx http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpv18636
Kayak XU Series 04xx http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpv18582
Kayak XU Series 03xx http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpv18635
Kayak XW Series U3-W3 http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpv18631
Kayak XW Series 04xx http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpv18633
Vectra PCs with Phoenix BIOS (VL4, VL5, VE2, http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
VE3, XM4, XA5, and possibly others) TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpv03305
e-Vectra http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=tis06446
Vectra VE 5/xxx http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
Series 4 TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpv18434
Vectra VL600 http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=tis01866

25 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition

HP BIOS beep codes (cont.)
Model System codes and messages link
Vectra XA5 http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=tis06112
Vectra XE310 http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=tis13051
Workstation i2000 http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/
TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=tis07621

IBM BIOS beep codes (http://www.ibm.com/support/us/)

Because IBM uses a variety of motherboards and BIOSs, their computers use a variety of beep codes. Instead of listing
each model’s beep codes, links are provided to the support pages of several popular IBM desktops.
Model System codes and messages link
Aptiva 2134 and 2176 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1DETR-44DPDQ
Aptiva 2137, 2138 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1DETR-43VMUY
Aptiva 2140 and 2142 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1PMYS-3KWRR2
Aptiva 2144 and 2168 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1DETR-3SRSAB
Aptiva 2156 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?&uid=psg1DETR-3ZNMD5
Aptiva 2158, 2163, and 2164 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1DETR-42QQY6
Aptiva 2159 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1DETR-42JU2A
Aptiva 2162 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1COBN-3G2DCZ
Aptiva 2165 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-484PZ9
Aptiva 2170, 2171, and 2172 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-48UPZ9
Aptiva 2187 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4CGQAM
Aptiva 2190 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4CURG4
Aptiva 2193, 2194, 2196, and 2197 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4HHM4H
IBM PC300 Type 6344 and 6345 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4HHM4H
NetVista 2194, 2196, 2197, and 6345 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4HHM4H
NetVista 6269, 6578, and 6579 http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4L4TT5

Troubleshoot, Diagnose, and Solve Common PC Problems

From hardware repairs to Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, TechRepublic's
PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition helps you keep your PC
systems in top running order.

PC Troubleshooting Basics 26
 Notes

Troubleshoot, Diagnose, and Solve Common PC Problems

From hardware repairs to Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, TechRepublic's PC
Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition helps you keep your PC systems in top
running order. You know that today's PCs are no longer "disposable." With tight IT budgets
and purchasing requests, you can't solve your PC issues by "just buying a new one." You
need to have the skills and experience to diagnose the problems with every laptop, PC, USB
connector, processor, driver, and printer in your charge.

This latest edition has the tools, tips, solutions, and resources you need to extend the life of
equipment and maintain reliable, working computer systems. Now you can have the expert
information you need to solve common problems and close out the never ending stream of
trouble tickets coming your way! Learn how to:
z Test your PC's RAM
z Solve network communication problems
z Find out exactly which CPU your computer uses without cracking the case
z Troubleshoot startup and shutdown problems
z Recover a damaged Windows XP user profile
z Bonus CD-ROM! Get a dozen tools to help you repair PCs, including scripts, utilities, and checklists

Buy the print version

or
Buy the PDF version and download it now!
(Sold through our download store TechRepublic Press)

27 PC Troubleshooter Resource Guide, Fourth Edition