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POST Error Message

By , About.com Guide

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.

Also Known As: BIOS error message, POST screen message
Examples:
"The POST error message that was on my screen said that the CMOS battery had failed on my motherboard."
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