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4  Error Messages and Beep Codes 
What This Chapter Contains 
4.1  BIOS Error Messages ..................................................................................................77 
4.2  Port 80h POST Codes .................................................................................................79 
4.3  Bus Initialization Checkpoints ......................................................................................83 
4.4  Speaker .......................................................................................................................84 
4.5  BIOS Beep Codes........................................................................................................84 
4.1  BIOS Error Messages 
Table 40 lists the error messages and provides a brief description of each. 
Table 40.  BIOS Error Messages 
Error Message  Explanation 
GA20 Error  An error occurred with Gate A20 when switching to protected 
mode during the memory test.  
Pri Master HDD Error  
Pri Slave HDD Error 
Could not read sector from corresponding drive. 
Pri Master Drive - ATAPI Incompatible 
Pri Slave Drive - ATAPI Incompatible 
Corresponding drive in not an ATAPI device.  Run Setup to make 
sure device is selected correctly. 
A:  Drive Error  No response from diskette drive. 
Cache Memory Bad  An error occurred when testing L2 cache.  Cache memory may be 
bad. 
CMOS Battery Low  The battery may be losing power.  Replace the battery soon. 
CMOS Display Type Wrong  The display type is different than what has been stored in CMOS.  
Check Setup to make sure type is correct. 
CMOS Checksum Bad  The CMOS checksum is incorrect.  CMOS memory may have 
been corrupted.  Run Setup to reset values. 
CMOS Settings Wrong  CMOS values are not the same as the last boot.  These values 
have either been corrupted or the battery has failed. 
CMOS Date/Time Not Set  The time and/or date values stored in CMOS are invalid.  Run 
Setup to set correct values. 
DMA Error  Error during read/write test of DMA controller. 
FDC Failure  Error occurred trying to access diskette drive controller. 
HDC Failure  Error occurred trying to access hard disk controller. 
Checking NVRAM.....  NVRAM is being checked to see if it is valid. 
continued