Laptop errors

[Raptor]

I have a Compaq Armada 1750 laptop with a 300Mhz Intel Pentium II processor, 128MB RAM and an IBM 3.2HDD.

When I do a quick-test (This can be done in the BIOS) I get the following errors:

1. Error 103-06 Failed DMA Controller test
2. Error 107-02 Failed CMOS RAM test Extended Non-volatile memory failed

Could someone explain to me what it means? It doesn't seem to be interfering with anything, although I can't enter the BIOS. (I might have to reinstall it..)

[ale52]

DMA
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/sys/beep/phoenix/phoenixGPBC06-c.html

CMOS
http://www.gavsguidance.co.uk/phoenix%20bios.html

Alan <><  

[Raptor]

Thanks, Alan, but I was hoping for a little more information and a possible solution..

[downundersteve]

hi

re: dma issue: sometimes a motherboard failure, but could be a failure related to an expansion card that uses DMA and may be faulty or misconfigured.

could be bios trouble like you  say, try changing battery & flash your bios to latest version, (back it up first thought)

steve

[Raptor]

Thanks, Steve. I suppose it's a BIOS issue because I can't even enter it at the moment.

Problem is, it's not the type of BIOS I'm used to. It is a diagnostic partition with BIOS that you have to reformat and install. Guess that'll take some experimenting

[downundersteve]

Hi
Sounds like a simillar system to Dell's.
The partition is a small area of the HDD set aside for suspend and hybernate info, not for bios info as such.

I don't think you need to re-format this area, indeed a colleague of mine did and had a lot of trouble getting it to work properly.
I'm pretty sure you can just flash the bios only.
generally you just boot from a floppy or download an .exe file from compaq's website.

steve

[Raptor]

Much obliged, I'll have a look see soon.