dpgerdes@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (06/10/89)
I am having a problem with the boot program on V/386 3.0e.1. I am not sure if it is a hardware or software problem tho. I have a Compaq 386/25 model 300 with a combination hard/floppy ESDI controller. Approximately 60% of the time I boot the machine, it gets as far as displaying the dots (............) and then hangs before displaying the boot: prompt. The machine at that point requires a cold boot. The problem happens with equal frequency for both warm and cold boots. My usual boot proceedure is to hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and wait for the dots. Power down, power up, wait for the dots. Repeat 1 to 10 times until the boot: prompt follows. The reason I think that it may be hardware is that I previously had the exact same system running on a Dell 310 with no such problems (others yes, but not that one.) But why does it work sometimes and not others? I previously checked w/ uPort tech support and they verified that I had a good copy of the boot file. I have jiggled the cables and boards. I do not think it is thermal as it happens warm or cold (as opposed to the last Compaq I had which would get disk failures until it had been turned on for at least 5 minutes.) BTW, I do make a good beta-tester. If a program is going to break, it will do it for me. (Except my own of course ;-) Thanks, -dave gerdes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UUCP: {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!osiris!dpgerdes INTERNET: dpgerdes@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu CSNET: dpgerdes%osiris@uiuc.csnet MILNET: dpgerdes@osiris.arpa BITNET: dpgerdes@osiris US Mail: USA CERL, PO Box 4005 or 2402 Newmark Drive, Champaign, Il 61820-1305 Voice/Phone: Commercial (217) 352-6511 x591 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wcurtiss@x102c.harris-atd.com (Curtiss WC 67625) (06/12/89)
In article <42700018@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu> dpgerdes@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > > I am having a problem with the boot program on V/386 3.0e.1. I am >not sure if it is a hardware or software problem tho. I have a Compaq >386/25 model 300 with a combination hard/floppy ESDI controller. >Approximately 60% of the time I boot the machine, it gets as far as >displaying the dots (............) and then hangs before displaying >the boot: prompt. The machine at that point requires a cold boot. >The problem happens with equal frequency for both warm and cold boots. > [ stuff deleted] We had this same problem with a 16 MHz Delta Data (Televideo) machine. The culprit turned out to be that the bus speed was set to 8 MHz. When I slowed it down to 5.3 (I think that's right) MHz (and left the CPU at 16 MHz) it booted fine. > Thanks, > > -dave gerdes No problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William Curtiss 407/984-6383 | "The only good martyr Harris GISD, Melbourne, FL 32902 | is a dead martyr." Internet: wcurtiss%x102c@trantor.harris-atd.com | - Standard disclamers apply -
dpgerdes@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (06/16/89)
/* Written 4:30 pm Jun 11, 1989 by wcurtiss@x102c.harris-atd.com in osiris.cso.uiuc.edu:comp.unix.microport */ >We had this same problem with a 16 MHz Delta Data (Televideo) machine. >The culprit turned out to be that the bus speed was set to 8 MHz. When >I slowed it down to 5.3 (I think that's right) MHz (and left the CPU at >16 MHz) it booted fine. Well, that helps I guess, but what is wrong with 8Mhz? 8Mhz is an industry standard. How does one go about slowing down a bus to check this? -dave
nvk@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Norman Kohn) (07/22/89)
In article <42700018@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu> dpgerdes@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > > >Approximately 60% of the time I boot the machine, it gets as far as >displaying the dots (............) and then hangs before displaying >the boot: prompt. The machine at that point requires a cold boot. I recall having had a similar experience at one point, except for the intermittent nature. I rewrote the boot sectors by something link Mkpart ... -i (or was it -b? look it up...) and solved my problem. I have no idea how it got clobbered. Your intermittent problem might not be as easy. -- Norman Kohn | ...ddsw1!nvk!norman Chicago, Il. | days/ans svc: (312) 650-6840 | eves: (312) 373-0564