System ALWAYS hangs at Verifying DMI Pool data.

Before coming here I googled which brought up:

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000474.htm

1. Corrupt boot files on the computer.
2. Settings for hard disk drive are not correct.
3. Floppy diskette or CD in computer causing issue.
4. Boot devices not set properly.
5. BIOS corrupt or misc. setting not set properly.
6. Connections loose or disconnected.
7. Bad Hard disk drive or other bad hardware.

1. I tried a hard drive I KNEW worked and had a working OS, this caused it to show the DMI pool data part, then restart. Rinse and repeat.
2. I've tried both Master and slave thinking this thing might be picky (its a one drive system), However I generally would use master (but it does the same thing on both master and slave. No difference.
3. No floppy drive or CD connected.
4. Again, I have one drive, and tried it on master/slave.
5. I restored defaults, same shit.
6. It's not this, I verified all my connections
7. Verified with a working hard disk and it still happens.


It seems to do the same with CD drive so booting from CD is no go.


It just constantly brings up
Verifying DMI Pool data.


and sometimes

Y∞Y∞


Im figuring its at the bios side, but Im unsure what it is. For reference the BIOS seems to be "award software v4.51pg"


if you need any additional info just ask, Ill do my best to get it to you.

 

Does it boot onto a setup disc or live cd with the hdd disconnected? Loading into a working hdd with an os installed from another comp aint gonna work as far as i know. Try booting into a live cd or usb with a clean blank hdd.

If it doesnt or cant boot into a live cd or setup disc/usb then it's the bios and you ether need to reset to factory (disconnect everything) and start it. Attaching each storage component one by one.

Or trh a firmware upgrade.

Just a suggestion mate, bear in mind ive had a drink and posting from my phone (not the best for reading clarity).

Will let you know if i find out what it is, got a mate who'd a comp engineer here.

 

It wont boot from CD drives. Everything hangs at this DMI screen.

 

Strip the system back to mother board, processor, one stick of ram, no devices attached, no pci or any cards attached. Turn it on, what does it say. Also have you tried a bios update?

 

I'm sure I saw this crap years ago but can't remember exactly what happened. My money is on the CPU, RAM or the motherboard, but probably the motherboard. Reseat the RAM and CPU and see what happens?

 

Motherboard sounds about it.

 

I took it down to the absolute bare minimum, Case, Power supply, motherboard, cpu, one stick of ram (which I reseated) and hard drive. No pci cards or anything. It says

Verifying DMI Pool data........... Succesful

Y∞Y∞

which after a reboot says the same thing minus successful

I'm going to try reseating the CPU as I was hesitant (No CPU paste lying around)

edit: reseated cpu, no difference

 

Try the ram in a different slot, try a different stick of ram in a different slot, flash the BIOS, then fuck it and bin the motherboard

 

Tried two sticks of ram on their own in different slots and no difference.

I'm pretty certain I know how to flash the bios, on boot up it says alt+f2 for AWDFLASH. It asks for a disk with awdflash.exe. Does it need a CD or a floppy disk (I have neither spare of either of these atm :redface

 

Unplug everything, take out the BIOS / CMOS battery for 12 hours, leave the power button in the on position (or push it a few time if it is a momentary push button) and then after 12 hours, put it back in.

 

No CMOS in it. It was dead when I was given it.

 

12 hours?

it takes about 1 minute

 

I'll give this a go later. I doubt it'll do much though.

 

I'm sure I've seen this before, but not sure I remember what it was.
Are you using sata or ide?

 

IDE.

 

I'm sure you've checked this but just to be sure, is the ide cable definitely plugged in the right way round at both ends and do you have the master/slave configuration set up correctly?

 

I have a single hard drive hooked upto it with via master. Both on the Jumpers on the hard drive, and through the BIOS. it sees the hard drive as being my Primary Master device, but gets stuck at that screen.

I tried the CMOS idea which as I thought it would, didn't work.

I guess the last option is to flash the BIOS? I figure its through this Awdflash deal, but Im unsure what I need for it. I presume a floppy drive and a floppy disk? but what else.

 

Well you need a bios file to flash it with, you will need to find it on the motherboard manufacturer's website. And depending on how recent the board is, you might not need a floppy disc and drive, you might be able to do it with a usb stick.

 

It's an AMD K6-2 so the USB boot is right out the window. I have a floppy drive but not a disc so I'll get onto finding one of those. The mobo in question is a FIC PAG-2130 and the FIC website doesn't seem to host anything about it. Which are good websites for the old uncarried driver/bios updates?

 

If it's AMD K6-2 architecture then floppy only!
Or, what I'd suggest is freedos, boot from CDROM and (before burning to disc) add the flash update files to the ISO.
Good luck finding an update if the official site doesn't have any though.