(January 29, 1999)
Normal POST Codes
NOTE: EISA POST codes are typically output to port address 300h.
ISA POST codes are output to port address 80h.
Code(hex) Name Description
C0 Turn Off Chipset OEM Specific-Cache control cache
And CPU test
Processor Status (1FLAGS) Verification.
Tests the following processor status
flags: Carry, zero, sign, overflow,
The BIOS sets each flag, verifies
They are set, then turns each flag
off and verifies it is off.
Read/Write/Verify all CPU registers
except SS, SP, and BP with data
pattern FF and 00.
RAM must be periodically refreshed to
keep the memory from decaying. This
function ensures that the memory
refresh function is working properly.
C1 Memory Presence First block memory detect
OEM Specific-Test to size on-board
memory. Early chip set initialization
Memory presence test
OEM chip set routines
Clear low 64K of memory
Test first 64K memory.
C2 Early Memory OEM Specific- Board Initialization
Initialization
C3 Extend Memory OEM Specific- Turn on extended memory
DRAM select
Initialization
Cyrix CPU initialization
Cache initialization
1
C4 Special Display OEM Specific- Display/Video Switch
Handling Handling so that Switch Handling display
switch errors never occurs
C5 Early Shadow OEM specific- Early shadow enable for
fast boot
C6 Cache presence External cache size detection
test
CF CMOS Check CMOS checkup
B0 Spurious If interrupt occurs in protected
mode.
B1 Unclaimed NMI If unmasked NMI occurs, display
Press F1 to disable NMI, F2 reboot.
BF Program Chip Set To program chipset from defaults values
E1-EF Setup Pages E1- Page 1, E2 – Page 2, etc.
1 Force load Default Chipset defaults program
to chipset
2 Reserved
3 Early Superio Init Early Initialized the super IO
4 Reserved
5 Blank video Reset Video controller
6 Reserved
7 Init KBC Keyboard controller init
8 KB test Test the Keyboard
9 Reserved
A Mouse Init Initialized the mouse
B Onboard Audio init Onboard audio controller initialize
if exist
C Reserved
D Reserved
E CheckSum Check Check the intergraty of the ROM,BIOS and
message
2
F Reserved
10 Auto detec EEPROM Check Flash type and copy flash
write/erase routines to 0F000h segments
11 Reserved
12 Cmos Check Check Cmos Circuitry and reset CMOS
13 Reserved
14 Chipset Default load Program the chipset registers with CMOS
values
15 Reserved
16 Clock Init Init onboard clock generator
17 Reserved
18 Identify the CPU Check the CPU ID and init L1/L2 cache
19 Reserved
1A Reserved
1B Setup Interrupt Initialize first 120 interrupt
Vector Table vectors with SPURIOUS_INT_HDLR and
initialize
INT 00h-1Fh according to INT_TBL
1C Reserved
1D Early PM Init First step initialize if single CPU
onboard
1E Reserved
1F Re-initial KB Re-init KB
20 Reserved
21 HPM init If support HPM, HPM get initialized here
22 Reserved
23 Test CMOS Verifies CMOS is working correctly,
Interface and detects bad battery. If failed,load CMOS
Battery Status defaults and load into chipset
24 Reserved
25 Reserved
26 Reserved
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27 KBC final Init Final Initial KBC and setup BIOS data
area
28 Reserved
29 Initialize Video Read CMOS location 14h to find out
Interface type of video in use.
Detect and Initialize Video Adapter.
2A Reserved
2B Reserved
2C Reserved
2D Video memory test Test video memory, write sign-on
message to screen.
2E Reserved Setup shadow RAM – Enable shadow
according to Setup.
2F Reserved
30 Reserved
31 Reserved
32 Reserved
33 PS2 Mouse setup Setup PS2 Mouse and reset KB
34 Reserved
35 Test DMA Test DMA channel 0
Controller 0
36 Reserved
37 Test DMA Test DMA channel 1
Controller 1
38 Reserved
39 Test DMA Page Test DMA Page Registers.
Registers
3A Reserved
3B Reserved
3C Test Timer Test 8254 Timer 0 Counter 2.
Counter 2
4
3D Reserved
3E Test 8259-1 Mask Verify 8259 Channel 1 masked
Bits interrupts by alternately turning off
and on the interrupt lines.
3F Reserved
40 Test 8259-2 Mask Verify 8259 Channel 2 masked
Bits interrupts by alternately turning off
and on the interrupt lines.
41 Reserved
42 Reserved
43 Test Stuck Turn off interrupts then verify no
8259’s Interrupt interrupt mask register is on.
Bits
Test 8259 Force an interrupt and verify the
Interrupt interrupt occurred.
Functionality
44 Reserved
45 Reserved
46 Reserved
47 Set EISA Mode If EISA non-volatile memory checksum
is good, execute EISA initialization.
If not, execute ISA tests an clear
EISA mode flag.
48 Reserved
49 Size Base and Size base memory from 256K to 640K
Extended Memory and extended memory above 1MB.
4A Reserved
4B Reserved
4C Reserved
4D Reserved
4E Test Base and Test base memory from 256K to 640K
Extended Memory and extended memory above 1MB using
various patterns.
5
NOTE: This test is skipped in EISA
mode and can be skipped with ESC key
in ISA mode.
4F Reserved
50 USB init Initialize USB controller
51 Reserved
52 Memory Test Test all memory of memory above 1MB
using Virtual 8086 mode,
page mode and clear the memory
53 Reserved
54 Reserved
55 CPU display Detect CPU speed and display
CPU vendor specific version string
and turn on all necessary CPU features
56 Reserved
57 PnP Init Display PnP logo and PnP early init
58 Reserved
59 Setup Virus Setup virus protect according to
Protect Setup
5A Reserved
5B Awdflash Load If required, will auto load
Awdflash.exe in POST
5C Reserved
5D Onboard I/O Init Initializing onboard superIO
5E Reserved
5F Reserved
60 Setup enable Display setup message and enable setup
functions
61 Reserved
62 Reserved
6
63 Initialize & Detect if mouse is present,
Install Mouse initialize mouse, install interrupt
vectors.
64 Reserved
65 PS2 Mouse special Special treatment to PS2 Mouse port
66 Reserved
67 ACPI init ACPI sub-system initializing
68 Reserved
69 Setup Cache Initialize cache controller.
Controller
6A Reserved
6B Setup Entering Enter setup check and auto-
configuration check up
6C Reserved
6D Initialize Initialize floppy disk drive
Floppy Drive & controller and any drives.
Controller
6E Reserved
6F FDD install Install FDD and setup BIOS data area
parameters
70 Reserved
71 Reserved
72 Reserved
73 Initialize Hard Initialize hard drive controller and
Drive & any drives.
Controller
74 Reserved
75 Install HDD IDE device detection and install
76 Reserved
77 Detect & Initialize any serial and parallel
Initialize ports (also game port).
Serial/Parallel
7
Ports
78 Reserved
79 Reserved
7A Detect & Initialize math coprocessor.
Initialize Math
Coprocessor
7B Reserved
7C HDD Check for Write HDD check out
protection
7D Reserved
7E Reserved
7F POST error check Check POST error and display them
and ask for user intervention
80 Reserved
81 Reserved
82 Security Check Ask password security (optional).
83 Write CMOS Write all CMOS values back to RAM and
clear screen.
84 Pre-boot Enable Enable parity checker
Enable NMI, Enable cache before boot.
85 Initialize Initialize any option ROMs present
Option ROMs from C8000h to EFFFFh.
NOTE: When FSCAN option is enabled,
ROMs initialize from C8000h to
F7FFFh.
86 Reserved
87 Reserved
88 Reserved
89 Reserved
8A Reserved
8B Reserved
8C Reserved
8
8D Reserved
8E Reserved
8F Reserved
90 Reserved
91 Reserved
92 Reserved
93 Boot Medium detection Read and store boot partition head and
cylinders values in RAM
94 Final Init Final init for last micro details
before boot
95 Special KBC patch Set system speed for boot
Setup NumLock status according to
Setup
96 Boot Attempt Set low stack
Boot via INT 19h.
FF Boot
Quick POST Codes
65 Init onboard device Early Initialized the super IO
Reset Video controller
Keyboard controller init
Test the Keyboard Initialized the
mouse Onboard audio controller
initialize if exist. Check the
intergraty of the ROM, BIOS and
message Check Flash type and copy
flash write/erase routines to 0F000h
segments Check Cmos Circuitry and
reset CMOS Program the chipset
registers with CMOS values
Init onboard clock generator
66 Early Sytem setup Check the CPU ID and init L1/L2 cache
Initialize first 120 interrupt
vectors with SPURIOUS_INT_HDLR and
9
initialize
INT 00h-1Fh according to INT_TBL
First step initialize if single CPU
onboard. Re-init KB
If support HPM, HPM get initialized
here
67 KBC and CMOS Init Verifies CMOS is working correctly,
detects bad battery.If failed, load
CMOS defaults and load into chipset
Final Initial KBC and setup BIOS data
area.
68 Video Init Read CMOS location 14h to find out
type of video in use.
Detect and Initialize Video Adapter.
Test video memory, write sign-on
message to screen.
Setup shadow RAM – Enable shadow
according to Setup.
69 8259 Init Init 8259 channel 1 and mask IRQ 9
6A Memory test Quick Memory Test
6B CPU Detect and IO init Detect CPU speed and display
CPU vendor specific version string
and turn on all necessary CPU features
Display PnP logo and PnP early init
Setup virus protect according to
Setup. If required, will auto load
Awdflash.exe in POST
Initializing onboard superIO
6C Reserved
6D Reserved
6E Reserved
6F Reserved
70 Setup Init Display setup message and enable setup
functions Detect if mouse is present,
initialize mouse, install interrupt
vectors. Special treatment to PS2
Mouse port
ACPI sub-system initializing
71 Setup Cache Initialize cache controller.
Controller
72 Install FDD Enter setup check and auto-
10
configuration check up
Initialize floppy disk drive
controller and any drives.
Install FDD and setup BIOS data area
parameters
73 Install HDD Initialize hard drive controller and
any drives.
IDE device detection and install
Initialize any serial and parallel
ports (also game port).
74 Detect & Initialize math coprocessor.
Initialize Math
Coprocessor
75 HDD Check for Write HDD check out
protection
76 Reserved
77 Display POST error Check POST error and display them
and ask for user intervention
Ask password security (optional).
78 CMOS and Option ROM Init Write all CMOS values back to RAM and
clear screen.
Enable parity checker
Enable NMI, Enable cache before boot.
Initialize any option ROMs present
from C8000h to EFFFFh.
NOTE: When FSCAN option is enabled,
ROMs initialize from C8000h to
F7FFFh.
79 Reserved
7A Reserved
7B Reserved
7C Reserved
7D Boot Medium detection Read and store boot partition head and
cylinders values in RAM
7E Final Init Final init for last micro details
before boot
7F Special KBC patch Set system speed for boot
Setup NumLock status according to
Setup
11
80 Boot Attempt Set low stack
Boot via INT 19h.
FF Boot
S4 POST Codes
5A Early Chipset Init Early Initialized the super IO
Reset Video controller
Keyboard controller init
Test the Keyboard
Initilized the mouse
5B Cmos Check Check Cmos Circuitry and reset CMOS
5C Chipset default Prog Program the chipset registers with
CMOS values. Init onboard clock
generator
5D Identify the CPU Check the CPU ID and init L1/L2 cache
5E Setup Interrupt Initialize first 120 interrupt
Vector Table vectors with SPURIOUS_INT_HDLR and
INT 00h-1Fh according to INT_TBL
First step initialize if single CPU
Onboard. Re-init KB
If support HPM, HPM get initialized
Here.
5F Test CMOS Verifies CMOS is working correctly,
Interface and detects bad battery.If failed, load
Battery status CMOS defaults and load into chipset
60 KBC final Init Final Initial KBC and setup BIOS data
area
61 Initialize Video Read CMOS location 14h to find out
Interface type of video in use.
Detect and Initialize Video Adapter.
62 Video memory test Test video memory, write sign-on
message to screen.
Setup shadow RAM – Enable shadow
according to Setup.
12
63 Setup PS2 mouse and Setup PS2 Mouse and reset KB
test DMA Test DMA channel 0
64 Test 8259 Test 8259 channel 1 and mask IRQ 9
65 Init Boot Device Detect if mouse is present,
initialize mouse, install interrupt
vectors.
Special treatment to PS2 Mouse port
ACPI sub-system initializing
Initialize cache controller.
66 Install Boot Devices Enter setup check and auto-
configuration check up
Initialize floppy disk drive
controller and any drives.
Install FDD and setup BIOS data area
Parameters Initialize hard drive
controller and any drives.
IDE device detection and install
67 Cache Init Cache init and USB init
68 PM init PM initialization
69 PM final Init and issue SMI Final init Before resume
FF Full on
BootBlock POST Codes
1 Base memory test Clear base memory area (0000:0000–9000:ffffh)
5 KB init Initialized KBC
12 Install interrupt vectors Install int. vector (0-77), and initialized 00-1fh to their
proper place
0D Init Video Video initializing
41 Init FDD Scan floppy and media capacity for onboard superIO
FF Boot Load boot sector
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The information in this document is subject to change without notice, and should not be considered as a commitment
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liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this document or any hardware or software described herein,
including without limitation contingent, special, or incidental liability.
MedallionBIOS is a trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
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