What is a POST Error Message?

A POST error message is an error message displayed on the monitor during the Power On Self Test (POST) 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.

A POST error message is sometimes called a BIOS error message, POST message, or POST screen message.

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