Hello

I'm having a problem with one of my PCs. I use this PC as a server and had noticed that every once in a while it would be locked up. I would reboot and it would come back up. I have DOS loaded on the hard drive, but the server software has me booting using a floppy. It should normally go to the command promt and then I load my O/S, but I can't get to the command prompt. One day I had a problem booting and replaced the floppy with another one. I was able to boot and thought this was the problem. A week or so later it started doing it again. Now I can't seem to get it to boot at all. I have no beeps except the one at the start of the POST. It detects my memory without a problem detects my hard drive, floppy and CD. It also detects my PNP devices. The next thing to happen is it says:
Updating ESCD...
Building DMI Pool...............
Verifying DMI Pool Data........

Then I have a blinking cursor and this is where it locks up. NO error messages at all. At this point is this where it would be accessing the master boot record? At times I have went and rebooted and it would go and boot up OK. I have created new boot disks a couple times and this allowed me to boot. Now I can't seem to get anything to work. I have switched the hard drive with a working one no change. I have disconnected the hard drive and the floppy seperately with the same result. I have used different boot disk with same result. It seems to be searching for the O/S, but nothing happens. The lights come on the floppy, hard drive and CD during the POST, but the light doesn't come on when it should be looking at the floppy to find the boot disk. If I disconnect the floppy or hard drive it detects that I have disconnected it. I have reset the BIOS defaults with no help. I have set the BIOs to boot from A, C and from C, A with no change. I also read that you can clear the BIOS by holding the insert key during a cold boot, but this didn't help as well. Could the problem be my master boot record or is it on the motherboard? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

P6LX-A+ Mainboard
Award Modular BIOS v4.51BG
233 K6 processor
196 MB RAM

Why don't you try to re install the OS and see if it helps. There might be some missing files. I experience that before OS din't open at all just a blank screen and blinking cursor. but can't execute any command.. Then I latere on find out that OS failure.

Yes I tried that I put my bootable Dos installation floppy and still ended up at the same place. It is not getting to the point of reading the floppy. It seems to lock right before it loads the O/S.

Hello M33wags and welcome,
Check HERE (http://www.plasma-online.de/index.html?content=http%3A//www.plasma-online.de/english/help/solutions/win9x_dmi.html) for some info on the DMI Data Pool. A similar topic came up a while back and I found this site to be very helpful.

ROEL, reinstalling the OS for every problem is not the best answer. Even when there are damaged or corrupted files, there are other steps to take before that. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

------------------
Please let us know if what we suggest helps. This helps us help you better.

Thanks for the site and help. The three methods available didn't help, so it sounds like resetting or upgrading the BIOS. I have heard this is not a easy task. As a last resort better to try one of these, before buying another MB? If I'm not getting to the point of trying to load the O/S it is normally the BIOS? Is this correct? Thanks again for the help.

this sounds like a failing motherboard; if it's hanging at the ESCD ( extended system configuration device ) then this suggest that the BIOS is getting conflicting hardware data from it's ROM.

Try replacing your CMOS battery and see if that helps, it's not very expensive and could resolve your problems if it's begining to fail. As it loses power , your hardware configurations may be getting lost, forcing the BIOS to re-examine and store new data eveytime-and if it is losing power then every time the BIOS gets it's data it has to start over again.





------------------
iisbob
"Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It's not fair that some men should be happier than others."
-- Oscar Wilde

I will give the battery a try and see if that helps. Thanks for the info.