> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 13:14:26 -0800
> From: David Gillett <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: My Sons Computer
>
> On 9 Oct 98 at 17:17, Ed Richardson wrote:
>
> > Some things I have noticed is that the RAM count at start up is
> > inconsistent, sometimes 32768 like it is supposed to be but other
> > times @ 1/2 that amount or around 20000 etc., just not consistent,
>
> This is a bad sign. It could be that you have some RAM that is
> unreliable, or perhaps a problem in the motherboard chipset. Do you
> have other memory that you can swap around and try to associate the
> problem with a specific SIMM/DIMM? [Or confirm that it is the
> motherboard that has the problem.]
>
> > also it says checking NV RAM instead of SD like it's supposed to
> > be? What is NV?
>
> NVRAM is "Non-Volatile" RAM -- memory that keeps its contents when
> the system power is shut off. This is a generic term which could
> refer to flash RAM or some other technologies, but it also applies to
> the setup configuration RAM (generally CMOS), and some makers prefer
> to use this term in case someday some technology other than CMOS is
> used to hold the configuration data.
>
> > Anyway, the main problems begin as Win. is restarting and checking
> > for installed hardware,(I have installed successfully from this
> > W95CD in the past) sometimes it will freeze at this point and I
> > will have no choice but to reset,and it wants to run scan disk and
> > it finds a varying amount of data on drive c: that may be "one or
> > more lost files or directories but are probably just taking up
> > space", but I don't think so at this point. Then if I can get it
> > through the first time Windows 95 has been run and to the desk top
> > screen quite often the program menu is empty etc., it's just not
> > loading correctly. Then the "Blue screens of death" start, some
> > examples of the errors are "a fatal exception OE has occurred at
> > 0028:c0004a64 in VXD VMM(01)=00003a64, current app will be
> > terminated" and another was can't access DLL at 003:00007089 and
> > so on.
>
> Windows seems to push memory a little harder than DOS or POST do,
> so if your memory is a bit flaky, you may be able to boot and run DOS
> but fail in Windows. This is pretty consistent with the theory that
> your RAM is unreliable.
>
> > The system consists of Quantum 2.5 Big Foot, 32MEG SDRAM, 200MX
> > Cyrix processor, 24x CDROM and Mitsumi 3 1/2 drive.
>
> Is that the Cyrix 200 that runs at 2.0x75? It could be that your
> DIMM is okay for 66 MHz motherboard speed, but too slow for 75 MHz.
> [If you are trying to run at 3.0x66=200, you are overclocking the
> CPU, and it apparently doesn't want to run that fast.
> [Cyrix rates their CPUs by "PR-rating" -- according to their PR
> department, how fast you would have to run an Intel Pentium to get
> equivalent integer performance. The actual clock rate specced for
> the CPU is somewhat less.]
>
> David G
------------------------------------------------
One thought occurs to me. The POST routine says the problem happens
while checking the NV RAM/CMOS. A likely problem is a dying battery.
Either use a program to backup your CMOS to disk (Abacus has one.),
use <PrintScreen> to record ALL the settings on paper, or both. ;-)
You do have a boot disk and Rescue files handy, just in case the CMOS
"forgets" what Hard Drive you have?
Was the mother board un-used for some time, before the trouble started?
Check your manual for "add-on" replacement battery packs, and jumper
settings. If you just change the battery, you will have to re-enter
all the data on the CMOS. Another, less likely problem could be with
the CMOS chip itself - after all, they are static sensitive. You could
try swapping the CMOS chip for another of the same type - assuming
that it is in a socket, and not soldered to the board.
Otherwise, I concur with the above, and suggest you swap in some known
good memory from a system that is as fast (or faster) as this one first.
You could also slow down the system and see if that helps.
Boyd Ramsay
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