Micros WKS5A - Not booting WinCE, Not factory recovering

[pjso]

Hi All,

Three days ago one WKS5A just failed on me.
It powers up fine, all the checks are done fine.
It gets to the message 'Loading WIN CE', all the dots advance.
However, the screen keeps black and user LED keeps bliking white.

Tried to factory restore it - The message goes fine - but it never does anything.
I left it for over 24 hours - and it should not take more than 5-10 minutes.

Logged a support case with Micros, but no usable answers so far.

Decided to replace the machine with a spare one, that was configured over two months ago.
First boot - bang! exactly same behaviour as above.

I do however have Workstations working fine in other locations.
Have swapped all the external cables, and connected to different power sources to try to rule any external interference out - still same behaviour.
BIOS for both is Q2012f EB(SF).
Maybe you guys have seen something like this before?
Any ideas?

 

[CathalMF]

Remove the compact flash card from the back, give it a bit of a clean and replace it. Its usually screwed behind a box with two Allen key screws.
If that doesnt work then try and replace it with another card from another workstation. If it still fails to boot with the other card then the problem isnt with the card.

Do you want some custom SIM scripts developed. Contact me via my website

http://www.microspostools.com/

 

[pjso]

THanks.
Give it a big clean, still nothing.

I have noticed that there is a red LED flashing inside micros WKS.

 

[hosehead78]

Is it a constant flash or numbered flash the stop and start again? If so count the number of flashes, wait for the pause then count again, if it is the same number each time, that is a BIOS post code. This can sometimes tell you whats wrong with it.

 

[pjso]

Ok, i swapped CF cards and it booted fine.
Means that the CF card is dodgy.

I am trying to format it, but always at 92 percent completion it says "could not complete operation".
Is there any way to use a USB stick instead of the CF card?

 

[hosehead78]

You'd have to boot into BIOS and see if the option is there, but I am not sure if it will work. The Workstation uses the CF card to run the Micros Client, so I am not sure if the system will read the USB stick.

 

[pjso]

In BIOS i have changed the personality to USB.
But i still get the same symptoms as above.

I guess i need to find some CF cards.
What is the minimum size? This one here is 4 GB.

 

[hosehead78]

I believe 512 mb or 1 GB is minimum size. I don't remember off hand.

 

[pjso]

THanks.

Ran some tests - and there are physical errors at the CF cards, and I can't format them.

Error at range [00000000h..000FC000h]: device write error.
Error at range [D3458000h..D3554000h]: device write error.
Pass #1 completed, 2 errors found.

Test completed, total 2 errors found.

 

[pjso]

Just to let everyone know - issue fixed

Got hold of new cards.
One machine booted without issues and was just running CAL.

THe other workstation went into a reboot loop.
So i formatted the card, then copied the NK.BIN from the micros server.
Updated WINCE.
Then removed NK.BIN, and the machine is going through the CAL procedure. All looking good.