POWER ON SELF TEST

(POST)
Definition: A POST error message is an error
message displayed on the monitor during the
Power On Self Test if the BIOS encounters some
kind of problem while starting the PC.
A POST error message will only display on screen
if the computer is capable of booting this far.
If the POST detects an error before this point, a
beep code or POST code will be generated
instead.
POST error messages are usually fairly
descriptive and should give you enough
information to begin troubleshooting whatever
problem the POST found.
POST errors can be display in the following
three ways:
Beep codes heard through the speaker or
beeper attached to the motherboard. Note that
some systems do not include a speaker.
POST checkpoint codes Hexadecimal
checkpoint codes sent to an I/O port address. A
special card plugged into an available expansion
slot is required to view these codes.
Onscreen messages Error messages displayed
onscreen after the video adapter is initialized.
BIOS POST Beep Codes
Beep codes are used for fatal errors only, which are errors
that occur so early in the process that the video card and
other devices are not yet functional.
Because no display is available, these codes take the form
of a series of beeps that identify the faulty component.
When your computer is functioning normally, you should
hear one short beep when the system starts up at the
completion of the POST, although some systems (such as
Compaqs) beep twice at the end of a normal POST.
If a problem is detected, a different number of beeps
sound, sometimes in a combination of short and long
tones.
Some implementations of UEFI firmware also use POST
codes to report errors.
BIOS POST Checkpoint Codes
POST checkpoint codes are hexadecimal
numeric codes written by POST routines to
I/O port address 80h as each major step is
begun.
These are often simply called POST codes.
These POST codes can only be read by a
special adapter card plugged into one of the
system slots.
These cards originally were designed for
system manufacturers to use for burn-in
testing of the motherboard.
POST checkpoint codes can track the systems
progress through the boot process from power-on
right up to the point at which the bootstrap loader
runs (when the operating system load begins).
When you plug a POST code reader card into a slot,
during the POST you see two-digit hexadecimal
numbers flash on the cards display.
If the system stops unexpectedly or hangs, you can
identify the test that was in progress during the hang
from the two-digit code.
This step usually helps to identify the malfunctioning
component.
most POST reader cards plugged into the 8-bit
connector that is a part of the ISA or Enhanced
Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus.
Some older PCI-based systems do still have ISA
connectors that can use these cards.
BIOS POST Onscreen Messages
Onscreen messages are brief messages that attempt to
indicate a specific failure. These messages can be displayed
only after the point at which the video adapter card and
display have been initialized.
These different types of error messages are BIOS
dependent and vary among BIOS manufacturers, and even
in some cases among different BIOSs from the same
manufacturer.
The following sections list the codes used by the most
popular ROM BIOS versions (AMI, Award, Phoenix, and IBM
BIOS), but you should consult your motherboard or ROM
BIOS manufacturer for the codes specific to your board and
BIOS.
Most POST code cards come with documentation listing the
POST checkpoint codes for various BIOS versions