[GRLUG] BIOS problems - Round 2

[Bob Kline]

I checked the battery, and it read 2.99V.   I popped in a new one
anyway - it read 3.27V.    With the machine powered off.
( As Tim suggested,  the battery is $3.  )


I powered up the machine.  No POST messages.   I did see
the keyboard lights and the CDROM light blink.  Nothing on
the screen.   Now,  I had also removed the hard drive,  so it's
a little odd that I didn't get a POST message about that.


Suggestions?   The board ran for a year,  so I'm inclined to
think that something blew.   It had been booting now and
then during this recent episode,  but now nothing much happens.


Oh,  PS levels are all within normal range too.


  -Bob






On 2/8/06, Bob Kline <bob.kline at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 2/7/06, Tim Schmidt <timschmidt at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Bob,
> >
> > The error you're seeing 'BIOS checksum error' most likely does not
> > mean that your BIOS is 'bad'.  It generally refers to the settings the
> > BIOS is capable of changing and storing in volatile battery-backed ram
> > on the motherboard itself.  The so-called CMOS data...  I'd need more
> > information about your problems to help specifically with runtime
> > errors your having, but CMOS checksum errors are generally caused by a
> > failing battery which can be replaced for between $0.50 and $5.00.
> > Just pop out the old one (usually looks like a large watch battery)
> > and take it to the local computer shop or jewler.
>
>
>
>    Best news I've had today.  I'll give this a whirl.    The battery is
> only
>    about two years old,  but things do happen.
>
>
>
> As far as general motherboard troubleshooting goes, It helps if you
> > strip the machine of all non-essential parts (cards, drives, extra RAM
> > modules, etc) and stress the system that way (I find a good kernel
> > compile or two to be by far the best at catching spurious RAM and CPU
> > problems -- better than memtest86 and the like -- if you get a
> > segfault, you have problems).  So long as the bare board works fine,
> > add components one by one and re-test after each addition to pinpoint
> > the problem.
> >
> > Feel free to send more information if you like, I could then give you
> > some more detailed things to test.
> >
> > --tim
>
>
>
>     Great offer.  Let me change the battery and see what happens.  I can
>     take it another step,  if need be,  after that.
>
>
>     Thanks for the tips.
>
>           -Bob
>
>
>
>
>
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> >
>
>
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