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#21
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As I posted before, the IBM diagnostics work just fine. But
they will not work on anything you have added beyond the original machine design. IOW you added a 30 Gb hard drive with a BIOS modifying program on it called Max-Blast. IBM diagnostics will not understand that. The original machine is 32 Mb ram. But you may not just add any kind of memory. Wrong combinations installed and only the first 32 Mb will be seen by OS and by diagnostics. More memory was added. But does the hardware actually communicate with and report that added RAM as it is installed? Each SIMM or DIMM memory must be located uniquely for each size. Just because two empty slots exist does not mean two 8 Mb Simms can be installed there. 8 Mb will work in one pair of Simm slots and will not work in the other. See IBM Hardware manual for the unique and specific installation combinations. Diagnostic should report up to 128 Mb of memory. If not, then memory is only 32 Mb or memory is not properly installed. Diagnostics may be reporting correctly. You have a 30 Gb hard drive with EzBIOS loaded on the hard drive. Ez-Bios is not executing from that floppy. It is loaded into 'secret' sections of the hard disk drive AND must execute on startup every time. Diagnostics from the Ez-Bios software or from the disk driver manufacturer are necessary to test that disk drive. The BIOS loads intermittently? Max-Blast logo does not appear every time? We now have a suspect. Your BIOS is overridden - taken over - by the Max-Blast software. Again, floppy diskette (with Max-Blast software) is not related to boot up. Programs from that diskette are on and must be part of the disk drive. You require diagnostic software from Maxtor's web site. IBM diagnostics would never understand this new item. However, some Max-Blasts (if I remember correctly) required the BIOS for hard drive to be set to a unique numbers (as I had posted before). Max-blasts tended to have different requirements with the different versions. As I asked previously, what does your Max-Blast require the hard settings in BIOS to be set to? As I noted previously: some require the BIOS to be set to a non-standard setting. Again, having changed the battery and resetting the Bios without first recording original settings, then the computer may have defaulted to a BIOS setting that would cause intermittent Max-Blast booting. As you said, once you changed the CMOS setting (when changing the battery), then you are no longer seeing the Ez-Bios message. Therefore you must learn what that unique CMOS setting was before you changed the battery and restore that CMOS setting in the the BIOS setup screen. When correct, then the disk drive will announce EZ-BIOS and then should start executing correctly. Now the important part. If you wrote to that disk drive when the CMOS setting for that disk drive was not what EZ-Bios wanted, then you may have caused hard drive contamination. Again, this is why we first collect facts before changing anything. For now, we cross fingers and hope for the best. How does Max-Blast work. First BIOS executes a power up program. Then BIOS gets hard drive definitions from CMOS (the disk drive configuration number that were reset during battery change without first recording). Then the BIOS uses that CMOS data to find unique files on hard drive to boot from. If those unique files on hard drive have been changed by the Max-Blast diskette (previously), then the BIOS may or may not need a different (unique) CMOS setting to work. Again, read Max-Blast documentation to learn which hard drive CMOS setting is required by BIOS and Max-Blast. During that unique file loading, programs known as Max-Blast are loaded to replace BIOS code. Why? BIOS code from IBM did not understand 30 gb hard drives. So Max-Blast overrides and eliminates many of the BIOS routines so that OS can see a larger drive. Again, I posted this. Ez-BIOS is on hard drive - does not execute from diskette: To see a 30 Gig drive, unique software such as a Bios Extender, or an ISA slot card that provides extended Bios, or a hard drive interface card with that Bios Extender must be somewhere in that machine. Previously suggested was running DOS. That is DOS as boots from a diskette. DOS will boot from diskette even if no hard drives are loaded. Execute DOS or execute from a Windows Emergency Boot diskette (which is also DOS) or execute a Diagnostics Bootable Disk (which is also DOS). Then FDISK might be run to obtain that important information - which is now not as important because of what we now know. We know you must go to the Maxtor web site to obtain diagnostics for that Maxtor drive. Maxtor once made it easy with a charge of hyperlinks for each drive model number. I assume it is still that easy. Notice where I am now pointing to as by far and most likely the reason for your failures. It involves Max-Blast. It may be related to lost CMOS settings when you replaced that battery and reset the CMOS. Since we eliminated the only other serious suspect - the power supply - then this is where you should concentrate all debugging energies. BTW, you refer to something unique only to that product - called an Access Station. What is it? An important piece of information that I don't understand because I do not know what the Access Station is called in all other machines. Tanya wrote: hi thanks again for replying! [...below...] w_tom wrote: Since colors do not match what should be ATX power supply wires, I suspect this is an AT type machine. Is this a 486 computer or an computer not using PCI cards? it's a pentium 200 mhz mmx. it is NOT an ATX (it does not have the *normal AT* form factor (i can look it up) however the psu should behave like an AT psu) One voltage is wrong because I believe it should have read -5 volts and not +5 volts. i will retest it (i unhooked the zip drive (which is not working) and the slave hard drive just now and it only reached the ibm splash screen (counted video, cache and system ram -- accurately) then stopped (no POST no beep code and it won't even read the boot disk nor let me into the bios) The + 12 and -12 volts are both too low. Normally this would means doing the next step for excessive ripple voltage (which requires better equipment). However + and - 12 volts don't drive anything critical on AT type computers. actually what i have read is that the -12 volts is for isa devices and this pc has the media console controller card (which is isa) (the media console is a 3rd piece -- it has the cd-rom drive, the floppy drive and the power switch in it -- connects to the card (via a cable)) i'll redo the voltages i also found the service manual which has the correct ones (the colors are different from ats that i have seen) This post will continue on an assumption it is an AT type computer - noting that if it is an ATX computer, then it might be a severely questionable - probably defective - power supply. But we assume it is AT. Anything that is IBM original checks out just fine with those diagnostics from IBM. Rarely do diagnostics get updated when they are working fine - Y2K not really considered important. except that it only tests 32 MBs of ram and did not test the 30 gb maxtor drive but tested only 3.2 gbs of the slave (ibm) drive (which is 6.4 gbs) i'll try it on the off chance the pc will start gain But for added peripherals such as CD-rom or hard drive, then you must download the diagnostics from the manufacturer of that peripheral. the cd-rom, floppy drive, psu, cpu and 2 of the 4 simms are original. (the board was replaced supposidly in 1999) A 30 gig drive in an older computer like this means the computer is probably using some type of Bios Extender - Ez-Bios or whatever that hard drive manufacturer provided. You must identify that Bios Extender and obtain operational details. For example, some require the BIOS to be set to a non-standard setting. If you did as so many others want - fix this and fix that rather than first collect facts - then it is possible you have lost what is the unique settings for that Bios Extender program (that is loaded on the hard drive). i used max-blast (hard drive install utility (version 1.26s)) on the 30 gb maxtor (in 2000) -- there was nothing in the bios to change... it's on a floppy disk Generally Bios Extender programs would announce themselves when computer first booted normally. it always announced ezBIOS right after passing the POST. (but i had not see the ezBIOS text since i replaced the battery 2 days ago) this morning after changing the boot order ezBIOS appeared again. Software is often provided by hard drive manufacturer on manufacturer's web site. But at any rate, discover if and what that Bios Extender is. Normally your computer (check the manual) would only understand hard drives of maybe 8 Gig max. it only sees a bit over 8 gb (in the bios -- always) but windows sees all 30 gbs To see a 30 Gig drive, unique software such as a Bios Extender, or an ISA slot card that provides extended Bios, or a hard drive interface card with that Bios Extender must be somewhere in that machine. it is a diskette. Diagnostics from hard drive manufacturer might help to identify that Bios Extender. i don't know whether maxtor still exists... i was using a 3rd party diag on some baby ats but cannot recall what it was called but it was good Also what can provide useful information is to boot machine with DOS (if possible) and run the MS provided program called FDISK. i cannot do that right now... b/c of the above ... |
#22
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hi w_tom,
thank you for replying and for the info............. [...below...] w_tom wrote: snip (printed all the info for future reference) BTW, you refer to something unique only to that product - called an Access Station. What is it? An important piece of information that I don't understand because I do not know what the Access Station is called in all other machines. it is the media console: a 3rd piece of h/w. it contains the cd-rom drive, the floppy drive and the on-off switch. these are attached (via a cable) to the 'media console controller card' which goes into an isa slot on the motherBoard. (btw, i was INcorrect about the -12 volts from the psu: it is the -5 volts which are / were sometimes used for older isa devices. however in this case the power connector (going to the media console controller card), has the +12 volts, the 2 grounds and the +5 volts (SOOoo it does not use the - 5 volts, [or the -12 volts]) another thing: i read in the 2159 service manual (.pdf) that the psu ALWAYS generates 5 volts of auxiliary power to the board (when the pc is off) -- (it's a warning to unPlug it when working on it) not even sure why it lost the settings to begin with if it receives this 5 volts and finally, the .pdf file states that if both fans are running then the psu is fine. thank you for the help. sincerely Tanya p.s. i had not changed ANY cmos settings initially: it "lost them" as soon as it began eliciting "time and date" changes. (before removing the old 3 volt Li battery) what seems to have *fixed* this pc is the following: 1. rearranging the start-up order (which the pc (not me had changed to: 1st and 2nd start-up devices = the floppy drive; 3rd was disabled and 4th was the cd-rom.) 2. ENabling numLock (this is minor but this is supposed to be enabled by default and the pc had changed this to being disabled.) 3. changing lpt1 to ecp (from "compatible") 4. ENabling 'cache state' (which had reset itself to being disabled) 5. changing disk bios translation to lba (FROM CHS) the only problem is that i don't even know why it lost settings (before i cleared the cmos which i did b/c it would not boot after replacing the battery) to begin especially since the *old* battery was 3.06 volts and the *new* was 3.26 volts AND since the psu generates the +5 volts ALL_THE_TIME. Tanya wrote: hi thanks again for replying! [...below...] w_tom wrote: Since colors do not match what should be ATX power supply wires, I suspect this is an AT type machine. Is this a 486 computer or an computer not using PCI cards? it's a pentium 200 mhz mmx. it is NOT an ATX (it does not have the *normal AT* form factor (i can look it up) however the psu should behave like an AT psu) One voltage is wrong because I believe it should have read -5 volts and not +5 volts. i will retest it (i unhooked the zip drive (which is not working) and the slave hard drive just now and it only reached the ibm splash screen (counted video, cache and system ram -- accurately) then stopped (no POST no beep code and it won't even read the boot disk nor let me into the bios) The + 12 and -12 volts are both too low. Normally this would means doing the next step for excessive ripple voltage (which requires better equipment). However + and - 12 volts don't drive anything critical on AT type computers. actually what i have read is that the -12 volts is for isa devices and this pc has the media console controller card (which is isa) (the media console is a 3rd piece -- it has the cd-rom drive, the floppy drive and the power switch in it -- connects to the card (via a cable)) i'll redo the voltages i also found the service manual which has the correct ones (the colors are different from ats that i have seen) This post will continue on an assumption it is an AT type computer - noting that if it is an ATX computer, then it might be a severely questionable - probably defective - power supply. But we assume it is AT. Anything that is IBM original checks out just fine with those diagnostics from IBM. Rarely do diagnostics get updated when they are working fine - Y2K not really considered important. except that it only tests 32 MBs of ram and did not test the 30 gb maxtor drive but tested only 3.2 gbs of the slave (ibm) drive (which is 6.4 gbs) i'll try it on the off chance the pc will start gain But for added peripherals such as CD-rom or hard drive, then you must download the diagnostics from the manufacturer of that peripheral. the cd-rom, floppy drive, psu, cpu and 2 of the 4 simms are original. (the board was replaced supposidly in 1999) A 30 gig drive in an older computer like this means the computer is probably using some type of Bios Extender - Ez-Bios or whatever that hard drive manufacturer provided. You must identify that Bios Extender and obtain operational details. For example, some require the BIOS to be set to a non-standard setting. If you did as so many others want - fix this and fix that rather than first collect facts - then it is possible you have lost what is the unique settings for that Bios Extender program (that is loaded on the hard drive). i used max-blast (hard drive install utility (version 1.26s)) on the 30 gb maxtor (in 2000) -- there was nothing in the bios to change... it's on a floppy disk Generally Bios Extender programs would announce themselves when computer first booted normally. it always announced ezBIOS right after passing the POST. (but i had not see the ezBIOS text since i replaced the battery 2 days ago) this morning after changing the boot order ezBIOS appeared again. Software is often provided by hard drive manufacturer on manufacturer's web site. But at any rate, discover if and what that Bios Extender is. Normally your computer (check the manual) would only understand hard drives of maybe 8 Gig max. it only sees a bit over 8 gb (in the bios -- always) but windows sees all 30 gbs To see a 30 Gig drive, unique software such as a Bios Extender, or an ISA slot card that provides extended Bios, or a hard drive interface card with that Bios Extender must be somewhere in that machine. it is a diskette. Diagnostics from hard drive manufacturer might help to identify that Bios Extender. i don't know whether maxtor still exists... i was using a 3rd party diag on some baby ats but cannot recall what it was called but it was good Also what can provide useful information is to boot machine with DOS (if possible) and run the MS provided program called FDISK. i cannot do that right now... b/c of the above ... |
#23
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hi,
i want to thank everyone for their help! the pc is running well now (thanks to people such as yourSelves...) there were a few cmos settings to correct... for ex: changing the hd bios translation from chs to lba, enabling 'cache state', correcting the start-up sequence etc. sincerely Tanya |
#24
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In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Tanya wrote:
hi, i want to thank everyone for their help! the pc is running well now (thanks to people such as yourSelves...) there were a few cmos settings to correct... for ex: changing the hd bios translation from chs to lba, enabling 'cache state', correcting the start-up sequence etc. sincerely Tanya Yeru good! It seems that today it is allmost allways some software problem... Arno -- For email address: lastname AT tik DOT ee DOT ethz DOT ch GnuPG: ID:1E25338F FP:0C30 5782 9D93 F785 E79C 0296 797F 6B50 1E25 338F "The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws" - Tacitus |
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