Motherbooard Problem

[cmort666]

I inherited the Linux server I built for a former employer. I was going to blow it away and install a newer Linux distribution. It sat around for a few months until I got laid off and had time to mess around with it.

I was having trouble getting it to work through my ancient Linksys KVM switch, so I started playing with BIOS settings. At one point I set it to halt on keyboard errors and I haven't been able to get past the BIOS startup screen since.

I've tried both using the clear CMOS jumper and leaving the CMOS battery out overnight. Neither has allowed me to use the keyboard or get into the BIOS.

I've tried several different PS2 keyboards connected directly and through a PS2 to USB adapter.

Sometimes the lights on the keyboard will flash in unison until the system is turned off. I haven't isolated exactly when that happens, although I think it happens when the USB adapter is used.

When it starts up now, it stops at:

CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded
Warning! Now system is in safe mode
Please resetting CPU Frequency in the CMOS setup

Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[gnoel]

Sounds like a discharged(dead) CMOS backup battery. It will look like a watch battery on the motherboard. You can pick one up at radio shack, you'll have to go through you CMOS setup again to reconfigure all your options, but that will only take a few minutes!

 

[venomballistics]

I inherited the Linux server I built for a former employer. I was going to blow it away and install a newer Linux distribution. It sat around for a few months until I got laid off and had time to mess around with it.

I was having trouble getting it to work through my ancient Linksys KVM switch, so I started playing with BIOS settings. At one point I set it to halt on keyboard errors and I haven't been able to get past the BIOS startup screen since.

I've tried both using the clear CMOS jumper and leaving the CMOS battery out overnight. Neither has allowed me to use the keyboard or get into the BIOS.

I've tried several different PS2 keyboards connected directly and through a PS2 to USB adapter.

Sometimes the lights on the keyboard will flash in unison until the system is turned off. I haven't isolated exactly when that happens, although I think it happens when the USB adapter is used.

When it starts up now, it stops at:

CMOS checksum error - defaults loaded
Warning! Now system is in safe mode
Please resetting CPU Frequency in the CMOS setup

Anybody have any suggestions?

last time I saw that happen was with an A BIT twin proc board ...
The board became known for running kinda hot and committing suicide.
sometime after it bricked, I revisited the the machine with some test equipment to see what went wonkey, and how.
Long story short, heat + voltage regulator = fused v reg shoving 6 volts into a 3.3V CMOS.

my guess would be a pooched CMOS.
But in the event you locked yourself out it ... see if it wont boot from a CD drive so as to reflash the CMOS.

 

[BillK01]

Just tossing out ideas for things I'd probably overlook in my rage over something like this...

I'm assuming you have only a monitor and the kb connected (just to eliminate other factors)?

Also - have you tried other USB ports (if there are any)?

If there is more than 1 memory stick in - have you tried only 1 and in different slots?

 

[cmort666]

Sounds like a discharged(dead) CMOS backup battery. It will look like a watch battery on the motherboard. You can pick one up at radio shack, you'll have to go through you CMOS setup again to reconfigure all your options, but that will only take a few minutes!

I put one in straight out of the package the day before yesterday, although I don't know how long I've had it around.

I can pick a fresh one up tomorrow or Friday.

 

[cmort666]

my guess would be a pooched CMOS.
But in the event you locked yourself out it ... see if it wont boot from a CD drive so as to reflash the CMOS.

Would it boot from the DVD if it won't boot from the hard drives? My guess is no, but it'll only take a minute to see. I can boot it off of the Ubuntu DVD to see if that will work.

 

[cmort666]

Just tossing out ideas for things I'd probably overlook in my rage over something like this...

I'm assuming you have only a monitor and the kb connected (just to eliminate other factors)?

Also - have you tried other USB ports (if there are any)?

If there is more than 1 memory stick in - have you tried only 1 and in different slots?

I've got the DVD and hard drives connected. I can disconnect them.

I've tried various USB ports.

I don't have an actual USB keyboard to try. I might be able to borrow one when a friend gets back in town this weekend.

 

[BillK01]

I'd personally disconnect everything but the kb/monitor - and try a usb kb just to be sure - as well as a fresh mobo battery.

Then just reconnect the dvd and try again - then 1 hd, then another etc to try and pinpoint the issue - assuming it's not just a bad mobo battery.

You did change the cmos jumper back once you cleared it right? (I could see me forgetting to change it back - not trying to be facetious).

 

[cmort666]

You did change the cmos jumper back once you cleared it right? (I could see me forgetting to change it back - not trying to be facetious).

Yes, and every possible alternate permutation of same.

 

[carpriver]

I thought this was about the mother board my mom belonged to. she was in charge of guilt trips.

 

[Mcwsky09]

Dead CMOS battery should not affect the ability to boot - only to recall the settings - you could try leaving the battery out and booting that way.

Also inspect any capacitors on the board to see if the tops have split or are leaking.

Depending on how old the thing is it might not really be worth the effort.

I had one system that insisted on throwing an error on every boot up but it worked fine after hitting F1 to acknowledge the error.

Some mobo's will not fully boot if you do not have at least one hard drive attached - if there is no load on that circuit they just shut off.

 

[LVSteve]

Who made the the motherboard and what is its part number? It could be from the generation that got caught in the "bad caps" debacle and you are losing a power supply. Badcaps.net - Badcaps Home

 

[gnoel]

On older mb's a discharged battery will lose CPU setup data and you can be forced to manually reset every boot. That's the defaults loaded error.

 

[gnoel]

Now if you've replaced the batt-problem may go deeper. But I'm a firm believer in simplest things first before getting into the more involved troubleshooting. Kind of " is it plugged in and turned on" before digging deep.