Author Topic: Potential BIOS problem (Read 9693 times)

unclefloyd · « **on:** December 05, 2009, 03:57:29 PM »

I've got a real head-splitter that I hope someone can help me with.

I have a machine that is several years old. It stopped working a few months ago and I got a BSOD message with various STOP messages (0x00000024, 0x0000008E, 0x0000001A, 0x000000C2) and the thing won't boot, period. The messaging lead me to believe it was a problem with one of the drives. (There was a two drive RAID-0 for performance on the machine.) However, I've removed the drives from the rig and put in a completely new drive figuring if I can it booting again, I can use RAID recovery utilities to get the data off the RAID drives or repair them. But even with all the hard drives removed from when the errors started, I still get the same errors. There was also something to indicate that their may be a BIOS problem and not a drive problem. I've reverted to default settings, etc, but gotten nothing but the same error messages. I can get a boot from DVD going, but as soon as I try to install Windows, I get one of the same STOP messages. I'd flash the BIOS, but it is so old that I don't know the mobo details anymore, I just have the BIOS info, and I can't run any of the utes to tell me what the mobo is anymore.

The BIOS details I have are Phoenix Award BIOS v6.00PG, v1.9 090905

I've done everything I know how to do. Any other help would be appreciated. I've got a good bit of experience under my belt, but this thing is beyond me.

Thanks in advance.

patio · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2009, 05:08:53 PM »

Flakey power supply would be my guess...as the error messages are inconsistent.

unclefloyd · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2009, 05:37:03 PM »

Thank you for the response, but I've already swapped out the power supply. I forgot to mention that. What makes you think the power supply would cause those errors? I'm interested. If there's a chance my backup may be flaky as well, I'd look into swapping it one more time.,

patio · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2009, 08:35:27 AM »

I'd borrow one you know is good of the same or greater wattage as the 1st one that was replaced...

unclefloyd · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2009, 09:15:01 AM »

I'll give it a shot, then. I think I have one still in the box somewhere.

unclefloyd · « **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2009, 03:27:46 PM »

So I swapped in a new supply that is out of the box, and hooked up everything to the original config.

New and exciting problem: disk read error on boot.

I think it may have something to do with the RAID. I had someone else build this rig for me, so I know next to nothing about RAID. I may need to swap back in that new drive and see what's up, I suppose.

Computer_Commando · « **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2009, 04:40:13 PM »

If it was setup as RAID-0, removing 1 drive and replacing it with another will not work. Read more about RAID: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

unclefloyd · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2009, 04:58:57 PM »

No, that's not it. As I referenced above, I removed both RAIDed drives from the the machine and swapped in a completely different drive to try and get it to boot, but was getting the same errors. That was the procedure I was referring to.

patio · « **Reply #8 on:** December 07, 2009, 07:29:25 AM »

Because it's still looking for a RAID array possibly...

Computer_Commando · « **Reply #9 on:** December 07, 2009, 02:21:01 PM »

Quote from: unclefloyd on December 06, 2009, 04:58:57 PM

...As I referenced above, I removed both RAIDed drives from the the machine and swapped in a completely different drive to try and get it to boot, but was getting the same errors.

New drive had Windows already installed and then you got the BSOD? Or you tried to install it and then got the BSOD?

unclefloyd · « **Reply #10 on:** December 07, 2009, 05:37:37 PM »

Quote from: patio on December 07, 2009, 07:29:25 AM

Because it's still looking for a RAID array possibly...

Is there something in the BIOS I have to change on that?

Quote

New drive had Windows already installed and then you got the BSOD? Or you tried to install it and then got the BSOD?

New drive is new drive. I set the BIOS to boot from the DVD with a Windows disc in it. Trying to install onto the new drive and getting to the select drive for install screen and getting the same STOP errors as before.

Thanks again for the help.

Computer_Commando · « **Reply #11 on:** December 07, 2009, 06:37:37 PM »

Quote from: unclefloyd on December 07, 2009, 05:37:37 PM

Is there something in the BIOS I have to change on that?...

If it's anything like one of mine, in BIOS, go to Integrated Peripherals, SATA Controller Mode; change from RAID to IDE

unclefloyd · « **Reply #12 on:** December 19, 2009, 03:40:41 PM »

Haven't had a chance to futz with this with work and the holidays, but all my settings are correct, and I'm still getting the same disk error.

Any other ideas?

Thanks again.

unclefloyd · « **Reply #13 on:** December 19, 2009, 04:03:35 PM »

Okay. Here's every last bit of data I have on this. I would have given up on this thing a while ago, except that I just downloaded some vacation pictures to it a day or so before it died and didn't have the chance to back them up yet.

RAID array identifies as healthy. Upon booting in *any* mode with the RAID array attached, one of four things happens:
- It gets to the XP load screen and hangs (this is a relatively new development)
- I get the BAD_POOL_CALLER STOP 0x000000c2 BSOD
- I get the STOP 0x000000024 NTFS.SB5 BSOD
- I get the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQL STOP 0x0000000A BSOD
- I get the STOP 0x0000007E BSOD

If I turn off the array and turn back on IDE drives, when I put in a blank new drive or a drive with windows already formatted, I get a disc read error (so I can't get another drive in there to do recovery off the RAID discs).

Any ideas graciously appreciated.

Computer_Commando · « **Reply #14 on:** December 19, 2009, 04:56:06 PM »

Bad RAM module?

unclefloyd · « **Reply #15 on:** December 20, 2009, 07:39:55 AM »

Unless every last slot and every last card went bad at the same time, that ain't it, either.

UPDATE: Tried to reseat all the RAM just for s&g, and now, all I get is a system alert beep every four seconds. I've tried re-arranging the RAM< slotting only one pair, etc. Same thing.

This stupid machine is trying to kill me.

unclefloyd · « **Reply #16 on:** January 01, 2010, 02:21:33 PM »

Okay. I had some time to fiddle around with this again, and ignoring some more mysteries, I'm not getting the following BSOD every time.

It says my BIOS doesn't fully support ACPI and that I need to upgrade it or turn ACPI off. Which brings me back to my first post where I need to find out what kind of MOBO I have.

patio · « **Reply #17 on:** January 01, 2010, 02:50:30 PM »

DLoad install and run Everest Home...
It will tell you more than you need to know about that machine...

unclefloyd · « **Reply #18 on:** January 02, 2010, 12:02:21 PM »

The machine isn't booting. What am I going to run it on?

patio · « **Reply #19 on:** January 02, 2010, 12:13:30 PM »

UBCD...the Ultimate Boot CD has system info tools included and will run from the CD...
Follow the info at their site for creating a bootable CD.

unclefloyd · « **Reply #20 on:** January 03, 2010, 07:51:45 PM »

Quote from: patio on January 02, 2010, 12:13:30 PM

UBCD...the Ultimate Boot CD has system info tools included and will run from the CD...
Follow the info at their site for creating a bootable CD.

If I could boot from disc, I wouldn't be here. I tried specifically with the Ultimate Boot CD (in addition to other boot disks), and I get a disk error when trying.

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Author Topic: Potential BIOS problem (Read 9693 times)

unclefloyd

patio

unclefloyd

patio

unclefloyd

unclefloyd

Computer_Commando

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patio

Computer_Commando

unclefloyd

Computer_Commando

unclefloyd

unclefloyd

Computer_Commando

unclefloyd

unclefloyd

patio

unclefloyd

patio

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