creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) (12/25/87)
Does anyone have a list of what the error numbers mean when you run the hardware diagnostics disk included with the Guide to Operations for the IBM PC? I've been looking for something like this for quite a while, and it seems now I have a specific use for it. Here's my problem: after doing a full backup of my 20M hard disk yesterday, I reformatted the hard disk (as usual) to make sure I didn't have any bad sectors, and to eliminate fragmentation. Then I restored everything to the disk. (By the way, this changed the time it took to do a chkdsk from 24 seconds to 9 seconds.) It looked OK for a while, then when I went back and tried to reboot again, it wouldn't. Instead, the C: drive lit up for a split second, and then the A: drive came on and stayed on. I had to power down. When I tried to reboot with a floppy, it worked fine. My C: drive looked intact (datawise). I got out the diagnostics disk, and went through those routines. Right after a successful keyboard test, it gave me a "system error 501" message. Anyone know what that is? I formatted the disk again. After this it booted, then after doing some more stuff, and trying to reboot again, the same problem happened. Finally, today I decided to do a low-level format (debug, jump to c800:5), and see what happened. Well, after all the reloading today, it seems to be working. I've been able to reboot successfully a few times on it. Trouble is, it still gives me the error message when I run the diagnostics, and I know it didn't used to. I have to hold my breath every time I try to reboot. Any clues? By the way, my machine is an XT clone. I picked up the Guide to Operations manual secondhand. Shouldn't make a difference in the diagnostics, though. All the manual says about this error message is to take the machine to a repair center. I'd rather fix it myself. Thanks for any help. - - - - - - - - - Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University. creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu "F-14 Tomcat! There IS no substitute."
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) (12/27/87)
In article <579@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> I write: > > Does anyone have a list of what the error numbers mean when you >run the hardware diagnostics disk included with the Guide to Operations >for the IBM PC? I've been looking for something like this for quite a >while, and it seems now I have a specific use for it. (more deleted) The file system on which our news is stored was filled up the past couple of days, so most incoming articles were lost (possibly mail too). If anyone replied to this request for help before now, could you please e-mail me what you wrote (since I'm the one who requested the help)? Thank you, --Steve - - - - - - - - - Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University. creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu "F-14 Tomcat! There IS no substitute."
leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) (12/27/87)
From my copy of the PC/XT Advanced Diagnostics disk: 1xx System board 2xx memory 3xx keyboard 4xx Monochrome & Printer adapter 5xx Colr/Graphics Monitor adapter 6xx diskette drive(s) and adapter 7xx math coprocessor 8xx ?????? 9xx printer adapter 10xx ?????? 11xx Async communications adapter 12xx Alt Async communications adapter 13xx Game control adapter 14xx Matrix printer 15xx SDLC communications adapter 16xx ?????? 17xx fixed disk drive(s) and adapter 18xx expansion option (expansion chassis) 19xx ??????? 20xx BSC adapter 21xx Alt BSC adapter So it would appear that the diagnostics don't like your CGA card. If you have a Hercules card this will often be identified as a CGA card by the daignostics! Also you can get 1801 errors by having cards in slot 8 that aren't properly setup for it. -- Leonard Erickson ...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard CIS: [70465,203] "I used to be a hacker. Now I'm a 'microcomputer specialist'. You know... I'd rather be a hacker."