PC boot problem 4

[Crustyoldbloke]

Last week I moved my son's PC, taking care not to drop it or bash it. When it was in it's new place, it failed to boot. The boot sequence goes as far as "verifying pool data" and stops.

I have tried to boot it from a floppy "startup disk" and from a Win98 CD, by changing the bios sequence, to no avail. I have also changed the hard drive to a known "good one", again, no good.

Am I looking at a motherboard problem? or is there something else I should be doing diagnostically to get to the root of the problem?

Any help, greatly appreciated.

 

[slowerhand]

Try installing your "old Hard Disk" as a slave hard drive in another pc . Just swap it with the cd and see if it is still accessible. This will at least prove the state of your hard disk drive, best of luck !

 

[TimSmith]

Verify there is not a CD in the ROM Drive. I've seen where a burned cd caused this error when the boot order included the cd rom prior to hard drive.

 

[mikecx]

If you get really bored, take the bios battery out and let it sit for about an hour. Pop it back in and the let computer boot without setting any bios settings even if it asks you to.

 

[LHCB]

Read this last week don't know if you got fixed or not but you might want to look at this
The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is a new method of managing computers in an enterprise. The main component of DMI is the Management Information Format Database, or MIFD (the DMI Pool Data). This database contains all the information about the computing system and its components.

At times, some systems may experience hang conditions after partitioning, formatting and initial bootup of a hard drive. The message, "Verifying DMI Pool Data" appears and the system hangs. This condition may continue after the drive has been removed.


Disclaimer: This document is provided as is without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. In no event will MAXTOR CORPORATION be liable to you for any damages, including any loss of profit or savings, arising out of the use or inability to use the information contained in this Document. Maxtor Corporation makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose


It came off the MAXTOR sight for troubleshooting.
Learn something everyday or you wasted a day of your life.

 

[LHCB]

http://www.maxtor.com/maxtorhome.ht...rtition+format&p_new_search=1&p_search_type=3

Learn something everyday or you wasted a day of your life.

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

Thanks LHCB. I have read this before and tried all of the solutions proffered, none of them worked. I am still waiting for the replacement MOBO to arrive. I hope to have some info then. Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[GrandpaCarl]

I don't realize just how spoiled I am until I talk to someone like you who has to wait and wait for parts. I probably have 15 places where I can get a MotherBoard within a 5 mile circle, Then there are hundreds of places where shipment would only take two days by the slowest means. How long has it been since your friend sent the motherboard? I keep checking to see if you are making any progress. Be sure and post when you do.

GrandpaCarl

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

Hello again everyone

Well my friend went on holiday without sending the MOBO. He was back at work on Monday last (also my 49th Birthday), and sent the MOBO, which arrived this morning.

Not being overtechnically minded and without the correct booklet, I copied ALL the jumper settings before changing over.

First attempt with power produced zilch. Changed CMOS battery and got POST. I get the message "press del to enter setup", but when I press del, nothing happens. In fact none of the keys are active at all. Above this message is the incorrect message of recognition of a CPU and it's speed, both invalid, then what looks like a huge bar code horizontally across the monitor.

That's where I'm at folks - any suggestions?? Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

Just to give you a snapshot at what I'm viewing on screen, I've copied the screen. Here it is:

Award Modular BIOS v 4.51PG, An Energy Star Ally Copyright (c)1984-1999, Award Software, Inc.

P5SS-ME ver 1.2a 02/03/1999
-MMX CPU at 66MHz

------------------------------------------------------------


BARCODE


------------------------------------------------------------

Press DEL to enter SETUP
02/03/1999 - SiS-530-P5SS-ME0C-00




Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[GrandpaCarl]

HI PHIL,

Sorry to hear that your replacement motherboard did not get you going. Is the new one identical to the old one?

I did a quick search on google.com for

motherboard "ECS P5SS-ME"

And got quite a few hits, but none seemed to give information about the jumpers like I hoped. I take it that no instructions came with the new board. UGH! If it is the same board, and you did not move any jumpers since it did once work. then you should be O.K. by just copying the jumper positions.

Is the CPU your old one transplanted?

Belated happy birthday!

Grandpa Carl

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

Hi Carl

Oh so it was you that slowed my search on GOOGLE. I got the same results.

I have transplanted everything from the old board to the new one. I really can't think of anything that needs doing to correct it since I'm certain that I copied it correctly.

I'm getting no keyboard response plugged in or out, and I can't turn off the power from the control panel, but I can turn it on (very strange). It makes me think that perhaps I've got a power setting wrong.

Does anyone know how to force my way into the BIOS?
Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[DBSSP]

Did you try clearing CMOS after replacing the battery? Jay
"If the words up and down were reversed, would you trip and fall or trip and fly?"

 

[GrandpaCarl]

HI PHIL,

O.K., your last post tells me that the new motherboard is the same as the old one.

I hope you used the new mouse and did not stick the old one back in. If my failure analysis was correct, then it is quite likely that the mouse and motherboard were both damaged.

I have seen some Award bios computers that required pressing the DEL key on the numeric pad. The Delete key won't cut it.

The fact that the wording says 66MHz seems to indicate that you may have missed a jumper which sets the CPU speed. I would recomment a thorough recheck of all jumpers.

Going to have to leave and go help my Granddaughter get her classroom ready for the new school year.

GrandpaCarl

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

Hi Jay

I changed the battery with the power off; should that make a difference?

How do I clear the CMOS?

Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[DBSSP]

Welcome back! Wish it could be under less technical circumstances though. If you look into your book on the board, you should see something for a jumper that says something like "CMOS Reset" or "Clear BIOS". Something of that nature. You move the jumper over from where it is at with the PC off. Let it sit for a minute. This will erase the bios settings. Move the jumper back to the original position. Then fire that baby up! Let me know what you get. Jay
"If the words up and down were reversed, would you trip and fall or trip and fly?"

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

Jay

I wish I could say that it's a pleasure to be back, but it isn't.

OK, I found the CMOS jumpers and cleared it. Settings were 1&2 Normal, 2&3 Clear. I don't have a book though.

CMOS now clear. Powered up - exactly the same as before clearing.
Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[DBSSP]

Okay. what do you have installed? Remove everything except one stick of good memory, a hard drive, a floppy drive, CD-rom, and Video card. When you reboot try using strictly the del key on the Numpad. I'm gonna test your reflexes and coordination now, lol. Start tapping as soon as you push the power button. Sometimes this enters the bios before it fully loads the extra chipset settings. Jay
"If the words up and down were reversed, would you trip and fall or trip and fly?"

 

[DBSSP]

Still not working? Do take Grandpa's advice and double check all jumper settings, especially for the multipliers and such. Jay
"If the words up and down were reversed, would you trip and fall or trip and fly?"

 

[Crustyoldbloke]

OK - tried that Jay - same. Found jumper settings for keyboard - well at least I think I have. JP2 - KB P ON, original setting was 2&3, which is disabled, just tried 1&2 which is enabled, same result.

Power off from the control panel button, now working but it takes a five second hold (never used to).

Just tried a combination of different keys to enter BIOS. Alt Del, Ctrl Del, Alt Esc, Ctrl Esc - same result.

Anymore ideas?

By the way, I know Carl's now left for school, but I have tried good keyboard, new mouse etc.

Die dulci fruere!
Phil
24 Beers in a case, 24 hours in a day.......coincidence??

 

[DBSSP]

Hmmm....interesting...well the bios is working, the "Soft-Off" option is enabled in bios and it is working, causing your five-second hold problem...remove the hardrive, put in a boot disk...Do you get the initial POST beep? Jay
"If the words up and down were reversed, would you trip and fall or trip and fly?"