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sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

Gateway POST beep codes?

I have two identical gateway motherboards from an old gateway model BATC system. I had one installed in a case with 96 Mbyte memory, Pentium 200 and peripherals. As early as last week, this machine was running and I had loaded Linux onto it. Everything looked OK at that time.

Last night, I wanted to continue setting up the box but it now won't POST. I'm getting three long beeps at boot, no display and not boot. I eventually tore the PC apart to install the other motherboard and get the same response from it!

Even stripping it down to 32 mbyte of memory, a video card and nothing else, I get the same result. I've tried different memory sticks without result.

About an hour spent on Gateway's site led me nowhere. Can anyone here tell me what three long beeps are on this board or point me to a web site that might help? I can get more info off the board if that will help.

TIA!
fox77
join:2001-02-12
Culver City, CA

fox77

Member

sjohnson:
I have a better site reference, but I am at work now so I hope this will help you out.

http://www.sysopt.com/biosbmc.html
The code is BIOS maker dependent so check for the maker of your BIOS at the site.
Fox 7
[text was edited by author 2001-05-19 10:14:02]

sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

Thanks bud, but this site won't help (unless I buy his book ) - these MB's have a Phoenix BIOS. Shoulda posted that info in my original request.
fox77
join:2001-02-12
Culver City, CA

fox77 to sjohnson3

Member

to sjohnson3
Sorry!! The site I have on my computer at home has them all. I will look on the net and see if I can find it again.

Fox 7

Ok I found this, but this isn't the one I am looking for, but it may help.

[url]»dgl.com/msg/messages/133.html [/url]
[text was edited by author 2001-05-19 11:11:57]

Bingo!!

http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm#08

[text was edited by author 2001-05-19 11:14:52]

sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

A little more info here - the post "beeps" aren't short, but long, one second tones at the same pitch as a normal beep.

Three long beeps, no video and the memory sticks have been tested on another machine; they appear to be OK. I've tried to boot in "very bare" mode without success (where the mb is laying on non-conductive foam outside of the case, known working video board and known working memory & keyboard, nothing else).

Still get the three long tones. I'm beginning to think I have two "bad" motherboards at this point. Sigh....
fox77
join:2001-02-12
Culver City, CA

fox77 to sjohnson3

Member

to sjohnson3
Well sjohnson, the reason I know so many sources for the beep codes... you probably have guessed, I had a similar problem. I had a brand new case and power supply and was moving a know working system into it and adding a hard drive. Easy right?? NO!!!!! I put three motherboards in, two processors, two video cards, three different sticks of RAM that I believed all to be in working order. Gee!! Guess what happened when I switched out the brand new power supply in my brand new case?? Need I state it? All the know working parts begin working again. So... It could be your power supply. The power supply was my last consideration because if I tricked the BIOS I could get a boot, but I could not get an automatic re-boot and one of the motherboards to boot. (Hope that made sense)

Fox 7

sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

We think too much alike Just came back from a power supply switch. NG.

The CPU is staying at room temperature after 10 minutes of power on, so looks like no power to it.

Interestingly, on an ATX MB, the power switch has no effect and power is applied as soon as I insert the 110 volt power cord into either power supply. No effect for power down, as well - gotta pull the 110 cord.

Looks like 2 fried MB, at least that's what I'm going to call it. Time to move on for me. Thanks fox7!
fox77
join:2001-02-12
Culver City, CA

fox77

Member

Yea, I had that same symptom on my problem. The front case switch was of no use. Had to use the master switch on the back for all turning on or off.

Fox 7

sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

Gotta go do "real* work

I'll probably look for some other motherboard in my junk pile. If I figger anything out, will post back here. Again, thanks for your time and help!

onavi
join:2000-09-21
Porter Ranch, CA

onavi

Member

did you try removing everything from the computer and boot it up from there? no ram, no video, etc. since the computer doesn't have any RAM, it should have a different beep code. also did you try resetting the BIOS, done by a jumper on the MB?

sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

Did the BIOS reset, the MB also has a recover setting, which I tried.

Will try the "nothing" boot you describe, and post later. TX!

Nimbuz
join:2000-10-14
Earth

Nimbuz to sjohnson3

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to sjohnson3
Wondering how can one fry a motherboard? Would a 500W PSU fry a motherboard....

m2pmd70
S.O.D.
join:2000-11-23
Mountain Home, AR

m2pmd70

Member

Just hook something up wrong and turn the power on, hook and un-hook things w/ the power applied... or a nice ESD (electrostatic discharge).

3 fun ways to destroy things.

Oh yeah, I forgot plugging and un-plugging PS/2 peripherals w/ the power applied is s'posed to make toast, too. Never happened to me tho. That 500 watt PSU would be sweet. A 'bigger' power supply is good for the system. A cheap, badly grounded 200 watt PSU is a bad thing tho; ask me how I know.
fox77
join:2001-02-12
Culver City, CA

fox77 to sjohnson3

Member

to sjohnson3
sjohnson:
I am home now and this is the beep code URL I wanted to send you to. I think this one is better then the others I suggested.

http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml#ami

Fox 7

sjohnson3
join:2001-02-28
Sioux Falls, SD

sjohnson3

Member

Thanks to all for the links and discussion. Unfortunately, I can find no troubleshooting key for Phoenix MB long tones.

I measured the length of the tones, on both motherboards absolutely bare (CPU, keyboard/no keyboard, no memory, no cards, power connected, speaker connected) and get three, three second tones at the same pitch as a beep, each seperated by 1/2 second. Then silence, nothing else.

They're going into the trash, musta let the smoke out somehow