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Conference giadev::decstation

Title:DECstation PC Conference
Notice:register note 2, see notes 3 & 4
Moderator:TARKIN::LININD
Created:Tue Jan 10 1989
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:7470
Total number of notes:34994

7438.0. ""Invalid system configuration data" message when booting (Venturis)" by OZROCK::THOMAS (Forget the Rabbit, the Duck makes the show!) Sun May 11 1997 21:04

I have a Venturis 575FP which displays the follow error while
booting. This just started happening one day and now occurs all the time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PheonixBIOS Version 4.04 Plus and Play
Copyright 1985-1994 Pheonix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Venturis-FP 575 Version 1.02
Copyright (C) 1994 Digital Equipment Corporation
All Rights Reserved

000640K System RAM Passed
0039936K Extended RAM Passed
0256K Cache SRAM Passed
System BIOS Shadowed
Video BIOS shadowed
UMB upper limit segment address: F50A
Invalid System Configuration Data - run configuration utility
Mouse initialised

Press <F1> to resume, <F2> to Setup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I press F1, the PC boots and runs without problems. If I press F2,
check the configuration, then save it, the PC boots OK but on subsequent
boots the error is still there.

Windows95 has inexplicably crashed occassionally, but I'd always blamed that 
on Windows95.

Is this a hardware problem, or is there a configuration option somewhere that 
I'm missing.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
7438.1OZROCK::THOMASForget the Rabbit, the Duck makes the show!Sun May 11 1997 21:051
Forgot to mention, the error message isn't in the manual.
7438.2TARKIN::LINBill LinSun May 11 1997 23:2711
    re: OZROCK::THOMAS
    
> Invalid System Configuration Data - run configuration utility
> If I press F1, the PC boots and runs without problems. If I press F2,
> check the configuration, then save it, the PC boots OK but on subsequent
> boots the error is still there.
    
    ...but have you reset the configuration data?  It's in one of the setup
    menus.
    
    /Bill
7438.3Thanks, it worked.OZROCK::THOMASForget the Rabbit, the Duck makes the show!Mon May 12 1997 08:4113
    re: .-1

>>    ...but have you reset the configuration data?  It's in one of the setup
>>    menus.

No, I wasn't sure what configuration information the message was referring to (and
I'm naturally cautious about using "reset" options I don't understand ;^)).

I reset it as per your instructions and everything works OK now. 

Thanks for your help.

Hugh.
7438.4Get the latest BIOSPCBUOA::LIBKINDSam Libkind - PC Support Engineering 276-9465Mon May 12 1997 09:295
    Get the latest BIOS from the PCBU WEB/BBS site.
    BG92202A.EXE  - Venturis 5xxx (not 560) BIOS v2.02 (EXE) [888K
    03/14/97] 
    
    Sam.
7438.5May have spoken too soonOZROCK::THOMASForget the Rabbit, the Duck makes the show!Mon May 12 1997 20:3313
The problem reoccured this morning. I reset the config data again,
and tried several reboots. It appears to be OK again.

The only "unusual" thing that happened before the problem reoccured
was that I had disconnected the power beforehand.

re .-1

Does the BIOS upgrade fix something specific related to this problem,
or is it a general recommendation that it's a good idea to be on 
the latest reviosn?

Hugh.
7438.6Battery replacement time?PCBUOA::WHITECParrot_TrooperMon May 12 1997 21:514
    if you removed power and the problem happened, I would suspect the
    Battery for the CMOS.
    
    Chet
7438.7Re .5 YES,PCBUOA::LIBKINDSam Libkind - PC Support Engineering 276-9465Tue May 13 1997 11:209
    Re .5
    
    >Does the BIOS upgrade fix something specific related to this problem,
    YES.
    >or is it a general recommendation that it's a good idea to be on
    >the latest reviosn?
    YES.
    
    Sam.
7438.8BBQ::WOODWARDC...but words can break my heartThu May 15 1997 21:3117
    Hi,
    
    I would almost definitely suspect the battery has died. Especially
    after your comment about pulling the power out.
    
    I had this problem with a second-hand motherboard, and basically I
    swapped it for another - let the shop sort the problem out. But from
    the notes I got (in the PC95 conference - NOTED::IBMPC-95) we narrowed
    it to that having failed. It can be replaced, or, it is possible to
    (with a jumper) disengage the on-board battery, and add an 'after
    market' battery. Check the doc's.
    
    I'm sure we (collective) can help you out :')
    
    hth,
    
    H
7438.9Problem has gone away (again)OZROCK::THOMASForget the Rabbit, the Duck makes the show!Mon May 19 1997 20:566
I experimented again last night and can no longer reproduce the 
fault. I disconnected the power for half an hour, then booted
and the problem did not occur.

So, it looks like the problem has either fixed itself, or is 
intermittent ;^(.
7438.10BBQ::WOODWARDC...but words can break my heartTue May 20 1997 21:195
    ooohhhh,
    
    they're *fun* to track down :'\
    
    H
7438.11Bad power will corrupt the BIOSSNOFS1::powell.snl.dec.com::powellronaldAustralia!Mon May 26 1997 22:4010
There is always the possibility that when you pulled the cord the 
power supply shut down "dirty" and corrupted the BIOS. This can happen 
at any time power is removed in an unexpected way , ie power cord 
pulled, power failure etc. Resetting the BIOS seems to be the only 
cure, viewing and saving the config does not always work and 
sometimes you have to reset two or three times. And not just on our 
PCs either- HP's and Compaqs I know for certain do the same- I am ex 
HP!

 Ron Powell