Post Code Interpretation

[moebil]

Can anyone guide me, a newby, to a site that interpretes phoenix post codes. For instant, when I do a post on my computer which will not boot, the post stops as C1(Initialize POST Error Manager (PEM)). what does this mean? What should I be looking for?

[PrntRhd]

Moved to Core Hardware to get your problem addressed.
Guide Feedback is about comments on the site.

[Sylvander]

Below is a list of the POST steps for a generic Phoenix BIOS 4.0 Release 6.x.
Note the C1h Initialize POST Error Manager (PEM) step, and that it is NOT included in the QuietBoot steps.
Hence, if you were able to configure your BIOS to use a QuietBoot [or are you given the opportunity to hit a key to ignore errors?], this error would not cause the POST to halt because that step [along with lots of others] would be ommitted .
I'd guess that the PEM is given the job of noticing any error situation that occurrs and correctly generating the error code.
But your BIOS's POST is unable to initialize the PEM.
What's giving this C1 error code? An LED on the mobo?

[b]Code_Beeps_POST Routine Description
02h Verify Real Mode
03h Disable Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI)
04h Get CPU type
06h Initialize system hardware
07h Disable shadow and execute code from the ROM.
08h Initialize chipset with initial POST values
09h Set IN POST flag
0Ah Initialize CPU registers
0Bh Enable CPU cache
0Ch Initialize caches to initial POST values
0Eh Initialize I/O component
0Fh Initialize the local bus IDE
10h Initialize Power Management
11h Load alternate registers with initial POST values
12h Restore CPU control word during warm boot
13h Initialize PCI Bus Mastering devices
14h Initialize keyboard controller
16h 1-2-2-3 BIOS ROM checksum
17h Initialize cache before memory Auto size
18h 8254 timer initialization
1Ah 8237 DMA controller initialization
1Ch Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller
20h 1-3-1-1 Test DRAM refresh
22h 1-3-1-3 Test 8742 Keyboard Controller
24h Set ES segment register to 4 GB
28h Auto size DRAM
29h Initialize POST Memory Manager
2Ah Clear 512 kB base RAM
2Ch 1-3-4-1 RAM failure on address line xxxx*
2Eh 1-3-4-3 RAM failure on data bits xxxx* of low byte of
memory bus
2Fh Enable cache before system BIOS shadow
32h Test CPU bus-clock frequency
33h Initialize Phoenix Dispatch Manager
36h Warm start shut down
38h Shadow system BIOS ROM
3Ah Auto size cache
3Ch Advanced configuration of chipset registers
3Dh Load alternate registers with CMOS values
41h Initialize extended memory for RomPilot
42h Initialize interrupt vectors
45h POST device initialization
46h 2-1-2-3 Check ROM copyright notice
47h Initialize I20 support
48h Check video configuration against CMOS
49h Initialize PCI bus and devices
4Ah Initialize all video adapters in system
---------------------------------------------------[Start of QuietBoot]
4Bh QuietBoot start (optional)
4Ch Shadow video BIOS ROM
4Eh Display BIOS copyright notice
4Fh Initialize MultiBoot
50h Display CPU type and speed
51h Initialize EISA board
52h Test keyboard
54h Set key click if enabled
55h Enable USB devices
58h 2-2-3-1 Test for unexpected interrupts
59h Initialize POST display service
5Ah Display prompt "Press F2 to enter SETUP"
5Bh Disable CPU cache
5Ch Test RAM between 512 and 640 kB
60h Test extended memory
62h Test extended memory address lines
64h Jump to UserPatch1
66h Configure advanced cache registers
67h Initialize Multi Processor APIC
68h Enable external and CPU caches
69h Setup System Management Mode (SMM) area
6Ah Display external L2 cache size
6Bh Load custom defaults (optional)
6Ch Display shadow-area message
6Eh Display possible high address for UMB recovery
70h Display error messages
72h Check for configuration errors
76h Check for keyboard errors
7Ch Set up hardware interrupt vectors
7Dh Initialize Intelligent System Monitoring
7Eh Initialize coprocessor if present
80h Disable onboard Super I/O ports and IRQs
81h Late POST device initialization
82h Detect and install external RS232 ports
83h Configure non-MCD IDE controllers
84h Detect and install external parallel ports
85h Initialize PC-compatible PnP ISA devices
86h Re-initialize onboard I/O ports.
87h Configure Motherboard Configurable Devices
(optional)
88h Initialize BIOS Data Area
89h Enable Non-Maskable Interrupts (NMIs)
8Ah Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area
8Bh Test and initialize PS/2 mouse
8Ch Initialize floppy controller
8Fh Determine number of ATA drives (optional)
90h Initialize hard-disk controllers
91h Initialize local-bus hard-disk controllers
92h Jump to UserPatch2
93h Build MPTABLE for multi-processor boards
95h Install CD ROM for boot
96h Clear huge ES segment register
97h Fix up Multi Processor table
98h 1-2 Search for option ROMs. One long, two short
beeps on checksum failure
99h Check for SMART Drive (optional)
9Ah Shadow option ROMs
9Ch Set up Power Management
9Dh Initialize security engine (optional)
9Eh Enable hardware interrupts
9Fh Determine number of ATA and SCSI drives
A0h Set time of day
A2h Check key lock
A4h Initialize typematic rate
A8h Erase F2 prompt
AAh Scan for F2 key stroke
ACh Enter SETUP
AEh Clear Boot flag
B0h Check for errors
B1h Inform RomPilot about the end of POST.
B2h POST done - prepare to boot operating system
B4h 1 One short beep before boot
B5h Terminate QuietBoot (optional)
---------------------------------------------------[End of QuietBoot]
B6h Check password (optional)
B7h Initialize ACPI BIOS
B9h Prepare Boot
BAh Initialize SMBIOS
BBh Initialize PnP Option ROMs
BCh Clear parity checkers
BDh Display MultiBoot menu
BEh Clear screen (optional)
BFh Check virus and backup reminders
C0h Try to boot with INT 19
C1h Initialize POST Error Manager (PEM)
C2h Initialize error logging
C3h Initialize error display function
C4h Initialize system error handler
C5h PnPnd dual CMOS (optional)
C6h Initialize note dock (optional)
C7h Initialize note dock late
C8h Force check (optional)
C9h Extended checksum (optional)
CAh Redirect Int 15h to enable remote keyboard
CBh Redirect Int 13h to Memory Technologies
Devices such as ROM, RAM, PCMCIA, and
serial disk
CCh Redirect Int 10h to enable remote serial video
CDh Re-map I/O and memory for PCMCIA
CEh Initialize digitizer and display message
D2h Unknown interrupt
The following are for boot block in Flash
ROM
E0h Initialize the chipset
E1h Initialize the bridge
E2h Initialize the CPU
E3h Initialize system timer
E4h Initialize system I/O
E5h Check force recovery boot
E6h Checksum BIOS ROM
E7h Go to BIOS
E8h Set Huge Segment
E9h Initialize Multi Processor
EAh Initialize OEM special code
EBh Initialize PIC and DMA
ECh Initialize Memory type
EDh Initialize Memory size
EEh Shadow Boot Block
EFh System memory test
F0h Initialize interrupt vectors
F1h Initialize Run Time Clock
F2h Initialize video
F3h Initialize System Management Manager
F4h Output one beep
F5h Clear Huge Segment
F6h Boot to Mini DOS
F7h Boot to Full DOS

[moebil]

Thanks. Its probably the mobo. At least that is what a couple of friends tell me but I just started trying to do something with computers as it pertains to fixing them, so I am asking a lot of questions. It was not my computer and I received it the Power Supply was burned out. A fan was inoperable and it would not boot at all. The monitor does not display and I had to remove the hard drive and put into the lady's new computer. I put another hard drive in it and was hoping to boot up and install the OS, but no luck. This is probably a useless effort, but I'm learning anyway. I know of no way to configure the Bios to do a quiet boot only.

[Sylvander]

"The monitor does not display"
The monitor would only display if the BIOS's POST got as far as...
F2h Initialize video in the 6th from last step as seen below...

------------------------------------------
F2h Initialize video
F3h Initialize System Management Manager
F4h Output one beep
F5h Clear Huge Segment
F6h Boot to Mini DOS
F7h Boot to Full DOS
------------------------------------------

I'm still trying to figure out how it works, but I think that during normal boot, that "QuietBoot" section is skipped altogether.

"I know of no way to configure the Bios to do a quiet boot only"
So I guess the video card isn't being initialised, there's nothing being displayed, and no option offered to ignore errors.
Try resetting the BIOS defaults.
If that doesn't help, do a "bare-bones-boot".
i.e Ideally have the mobo out of the case on a non-conducting surface [to eliminate the possibility of shorts], connect only the PSU, mobo, CPU+heatsink+fan, internal speaker [no RAM or video card, and short the start pins with a screwdriver].
If you are lucky you will hear the POST giving warning beeps about the failure of RAM tests.
[Shut down and] Refit the RAM [and restart] and there should be no RAM beeps.
Refit the video card, and if you're lucky you will get a display because the POST hasn't halted at the (C1h Initialize POST Error Manager (PEM)) failure. [You still haven't told me how you know about that]

[moebil]

I know about the Post Codes because I put a post card in the computer to check it. First I have a friend who has one and he came over and put his on the computer. Then we were at a computer show and one of the vendors had them on sale and I bought it since I play around with these computers on and off.