28 replies to this topic

[tvhevh]

Just did that. If I don't use the "bottom " two slots (there are four, and the motherboard is mounted vertically in the case), I just get beeping. If I use the bottom two, all is (apparently) well, as I dont get beeping. However, I now can't get consistent video output. When I don't get video output, the system keeps running (or is apparently running, because when I go to shut things down, I have to hold the power button for between 5-10 seconds before power is off to the system--just like if the system hangs up in Windows. If I have video, I get the same litany of messages, ending with "System Halted!". When I press the power button then, the system goes off immediately. It might be that I have a bad (intermittent, at least) connection to the video card or a bad cable to the monitor, and that this isn't tied to the boot up problem. I'm going to swap monitors and see what happens. --TvH.

[tvhevh]

I swapped monitors and got no display again. I guess THAT problem is either with the video card, the connection between the card and the motherboard, or the motherboard itself. --TvH

[jephree]

As seen here:

Memory

HINT: If you upgrade the memory, the RIMMs must be upgraded in matched pairs of identical MB capacity in both sockets 1 and 2 or sockets 3 and 4.

HINT: Be sure to install RIMMs in the first two sockets nearest the processor before installing RIMMs in the outer two sockets.

HINT: RIMM slots without memory modules need to be populated with continuity modules.

It appears all 4 slots need to be filled. Continuity modules are just blank sticks to fill the slot.

So for a successful boot you need all slots filled.

As to the experiment do you get the same behavior changing between the two pairs?

As to the graphics/monitor issue this is fairly usual behavior for a RAM issue. There is simply no signal being sent to the monitor. I doubt there is any issue with your graphics card itself.

Any chance you can get Continuity Modules or test this RAM in another computer?

[tvhevh]

I should have the continuity modules somewhere in all this--I'd forgotten about them. I'll have to look around.... I tried both the 128s and the 256s by themselves, and noted no real differences--but without the continuity modules....who knows? They're small, easy to lose. I'll have to look about a bit, I'm afraid. --TvH

[tvhevh]

Jephree: I finally got a pair of continuation modules, and swapped things out several times, attempting to restart the machine each time. here were the results: upper two slots: continuations lower two: 256 MB modules result: no display lower two slots to 128 MB modules result: no display upper two slots: 256 MB modules lower two: continuations result: no display upper two slots to 128 MB modules result: no display I went and installed all the modules, the 128 MB modules in the upper two slots and the 256 MB ones in the lower two. result: display, with message that the keyboard failed (it wasn't plugged into the machine--nor was anything else, for that matter) System appeared to boot normally, after chkdsk ran to look the disk over. I plugged the keyboard and mouse in. The mouse didn't seem to work. Tried rebooting. Got the "Diskette Drive 0 seek failure" again, ultimately ending in "System Halted!" again. I think the RAM itself is OK, but something else is getting strange really fast. I've taken all power off the motherboard and shut the display power off. --TvH

[jephree]

Are the mouse and keyboard USB or PS/2? If the former do you have an adapter to try the latter? Can you recreate your result with the mouse and keyboard disconnected?

[tvhevh]

I just put power to the motherboard and started the PC with the mouse installed, the keyboard not. It booted up. Both the keyboard and mouse I'm using here are PS/2. I have not plugged the keyboard in, and have nothing else connected to the tower but the monitor cable and the power cable. --TvH

[jephree]

The keyboard is one of the first things a BIOS looks at. If it were an issue you usually get a keyboard error. Have you tried a different keyboard?

[tvhevh]

Don't have another PS/2 keyboard, unfortunately. The only other one I have is brand new (and uses a USB port) and is on the machine I'm using to post these notes. I rebooted the other PC, and then tried plugging in the PS/2 keyboard to see if it worked. It didn't--and neither did the mouse--after that. I unplugged the PS/2 keyboard, and successfully rebooted. I also connected the PC to the LAN I have off my cable modem and successfully rebooted it. --TvH

[jephree]

PS/2 devices are not hot swappable like USB. Have you tried using the USB keyboard?

[tvhevh]

I just tried it--it seems to work fine. --TvH

[jephree]

So? Are you able to boot up?

[tvhevh]

I went as far as actually swapping keyboards between the two machines, pluggging the PS/2 board ingto the machine I'm using right now (it also has a PS/2 keyboard connection available) and the USB board into the machine that's been giving all the trouble. Both machines booted up just fine, and the keyboards both worked on the machine they were connected to. I've since switched the USB board back to its original machine, and rebooted the troulbemaker without the PS/2 board hooked up. Could this mean that it's not the keyboard, but actaully something related to the PS/2 keyboard port on the machine itself? --TvH

[jephree]

Appears to be the case. Just to verify: with a USB keyboard you have no further problems? With the PS/2 you get the BIOS errors? If so something about that port is confusing the BIOS. Could be a bad port. That would be one of the first things the BIOS looks at (the keyboard). Appears that PS/2 port is not not working but something about it is sending the BIOS errors on your floppy and board sensors. If the PS/2 port were simply not working you should get a keyboard error. If the USB keyboard resolves your issues then I'd switch the two you have or get a new USB keyboard.