This chapter helps you identify and solve problems that might occur while you are using the system.
Problems that occur at initial system startup are usually caused by incorrect installation or configuration. Hardware failure is a less frequent cause. Use the following checklist to help determine the source of a failure.
Are all cables correctly connected and secured?
Are the processors fully seated in their slots on the baseboard?
Are all add-in ISA and PCI boards fully seated in their slots on the baseboard?
Are all switch and jumper settings on the baseboard correct?
Are all jumper and switch settings on add-in boards and peripheral devices correct? To check these settings, refer to the manufacturer's documentation that comes with them. If applicable, ensure that there are no conflicts—for example, two add-in boards sharing the same interrupt.
Are all DIMMs installed correctly?
Are all peripheral devices installed correctly?
If the system has a hard disk drive, is it properly formatted or configured?
Are all device drivers properly installed?
Are the configuration settings made with the SSU correct?
Is the operating system properly loaded? Refer to the operating system documentation.
Did you press the system power on/off switch on the front panel to turn the server on (power–on light should be lit)?
Are the system power cords properly connected to the system and plugged into a NEMA 5–15R outlet for 100-120 V~ or a NEMA 6-15R outlet for 200-240 V~?
Is AC power available at the wall outlet?
If these items are correct but the problem recurs, see “More Problem-solving Procedures”.
Problems that occur when you run new application software are usually related to the software. Faulty equipment is much less likely, especially if other software runs correctly.
Does the system meet the minimum hardware requirements for the software? See the software documentation.
Is the software an authorized copy? If not, get one; unauthorized copies often do not work.
If you are running the software from a diskette, is it a good copy?
If you are running the software from a CD-ROM disk, is the disk scratched or dirty?
If you are running the software from a hard disk drive, is the software correctly installed? Were all necessary procedures followed and files installed?
Are the correct device drivers installed?
Is the software correctly configured for the system?
Are you using the software correctly?
If the problems persist, contact the software vendor's customer service representative.
Problems that occur after the system hardware and software have been running correctly often indicate equipment failure. Many situations that are easy to correct, however, can also cause such problems; sometimes the problem stems from changes made to the system, such as hardware or software that has been added or removed.
If you are running the software from a diskette, try a new copy of the software.
If you are running the software from a CD-ROM disk, try a different disk to see if the problem occurs on all disks.
If you are running the software from a hard disk drive, try running it from a diskette. If the software runs correctly, there may be a problem with the copy on the hard disk drive. Reinstall the software on the hard disk, and try running it again. Make sure all necessary files are installed.
If the problems are intermittent, there may be a loose cable, dirt in the keyboard (if keyboard input is incorrect), a marginal power supply, or other random component failures.
If you suspect that a transient voltage spike, power outage, or brownout might have occurred, reload the software and try running it again. (Symptoms of voltage spikes include a flickering video display, unexpected system reboots, and the system not responding to user commands.)
The following subsections provide a more detailed approach to identifying a problem and locating its source.
 | Caution: Turn off devices before disconnecting cables: before disconnecting any peripheral cables from the system, turn off the system and any external peripheral devices. Failure to do so can cause permanent damage to the system and/or the peripheral devices. |
Turn off the system and all external peripheral devices. Disconnect all of them from the system, except the keyboard and video monitor.
Make sure the system power cords are plugged into a properly grounded AC outlet.
Make sure your video display monitor and keyboard are correctly connected to the system. Turn on the video monitor. Set its brightness and contrast controls to at least two-thirds of their maximum ranges (see the documentation supplied with your video display monitor).
If the operating system normally loads from the hard disk drive, make sure there is no diskette in drive A. Otherwise, place a diskette containing the operating system files in drive A.
Turn on the system. If the power LED does not light, see “Power Light Does Not Light”.
A diagnostics package for the system is contained on the configuration software CD that comes with the system. For documentation about the test modules, see the Diagnostic help disks that end with the extension .HLP. They are ASCII files that you can print to form a manual of all tests in this product.
The program called Testview uses a simple DOS-based menu system.
The program called T.EXE is a noninteractive test executable used to run test program modules from DOS batch files.
The README.TXT file for diagnostics tells how to install the program.
| Caution: Read help information for a test before running it: the diagnostic package contains many optional tests that should be used only by a user with advanced technical knowledge. Inadvertent actions could be damaging, such as running a hard drive write test on a hard disk. All tests that require external hardware, user interaction, or are destructive, are disabled in the default configurations. Before using such a test, make sure you read and understand the help information for that test. |
For detailed information on POST see the section “Power-on Self Test (POST)” in Chapter 3.
As POST determines the system configuration, it tests for the presence of each mass storage device installed in the system. As each device is checked, its activity light should turn on briefly. Check for the following:
Does the diskette drive activity light turn on briefly? If not, see “Diskette Drive Activity Light Does Not Light”.
If a second diskette drive is installed, does its activity light turn on briefly? If not, see “Diskette Drive Activity Light Does Not Light”.
If there is a hard disk drive or SCSI devices installed in the system, does the hard disk drive activity light on the control panel turn on briefly? If not, see “Hard Disk Drive Activity Light Does Not Light”.
Once the system boots up, the operating system prompt appears on the screen. The prompt varies according to the operating system. If the operating system prompt does not appear, see “Initial System Startup”.
This section provides possible solutions for these specific problems:
Power light does not light.
No beep or incorrect beep pattern.
No characters appear on screen.
Characters on the screen appear distorted or incorrect.
System cooling fans do not rotate.
Diskette drive activity light does not light.
Hard disk drive activity light does not light.
CD-ROM drive activity light does not light.
Problems with application software.
The startup prompt Press F2 key if you want to run Setup does not appear on the screen.
The bootable CD-ROM is not detected.
Try the solutions in the order given. If you cannot correct the problem, contact your service representative for assistance.
Check the following:
Are all the power supplies plugged in? Is the power turned on to the power strip or outlet? Do you have a blown fuse or breaker?
Is the system operating normally? If so, the power LED is probably defective or the cable from the front panel to the baseboard is loose.
Are there other problems with the system? If so, check the items listed under “System Cooling Fans Do Not Rotate Properly.”
If all items are correct and problems persist, contact your service representative or authorized dealer for assistance.
If the system operates normally, but there was no beep, the speaker may be defective. If the speaker is enabled, but the speaker does not function, contact your service representative or authorized dealer for assistance.
Record the beep code emitted by POST, and see “Error and Informational Messages”.
If there are no characters on the screen check the following:
Is the keyboard working? Check to see that the Num Lock light is functioning.
Is the video monitor plugged in and turned on? Many modern video monitors shut down when inactive and may require a moment to warm up when activated.
Are the brightness and contrast controls on the video monitor properly adjusted?
Are the video monitor switch settings correct?
Is the video monitor signal cable properly installed?
Is the onboard video controller enabled?
If you are using an add-in video controller board, do the following:
Verify that the video controller board is fully seated in the baseboard connector (and verify that the video monitor is plugged in to the ACTIVE video controller).
Reboot the system for changes to take effect.
If there are still no characters on the screen after you reboot the system and POST emits a beep code, write down the beep code you hear. This information is useful for your service representative.
If you do not receive a beep code and characters do not appear, the video display monitor or video controller may have failed. You can verify this by trying the monitor on another system or trying a different monitor on this system. Contact your service representative or authorized dealer for assistance.
Check the following:
Are the brightness and contrast controls properly adjusted on the video monitor? See the manufacturer's documentation.
Are the video monitor signal and power cables properly installed?
Is the correct monitor/video board installed for your operating system?
If the problem persists, the video monitor may be faulty or it may be the incorrect type. Contact your service representative for assistance.
If the system cooling fans are not operating properly, system components could be damaged. Check the following:
Is AC power available at the wall outlet?
Are the system power cords properly connected to the system and the wall outlet?
Did you press the power on/off push-button switch?
Is the power-on light lit?
Have any of the fan motors stopped (use the server management subsystem to check the fan status)?
Are the fan power connectors properly connected to the baseboard?
Is the cable from the front panel board connected to the baseboard?
Are the power supply cables properly connected to the baseboard?
Are there any shorted wires caused by pinched cables or power connector plugs forced into power connector sockets the wrong way?
If the switches and connections are correct and AC power is available at the wall outlet, contact your service representative for assistance.
Check the following:
Are the diskette drive power and signal cables properly installed?
Are all relevant switches and jumpers on the diskette drive set correctly?
Is the diskette drive properly configured?
Is the diskette drive activity light always on? If so, the signal cable may be plugged in incorrectly.
If you are using the onboard diskette controller, use the SSU to make sure that Onboard Floppy is set to Enabled. If you are using an add-in diskette controller, make sure that Onboard Floppy is set to Disabled. To run the SSU, see “When to Run the SSU” in Chapter 3.
If the problem persists, there may be a problem with the diskette drive, baseboard, or drive signal cable. Contact your service representative for assistance.
If you have installed one or more hard disk drives in your system, check the following:
Are the power and signal cables to the drive properly installed?
Are all relevant switches and jumpers on the hard drive and adapter board set correctly?
Is the onboard IDE controller enabled? (IDE hard drives only)
Is the hard disk drive properly configured?
 | Note: Front panel hard disk LED indicates IDE and SCSI devices: the hard disk drive activity light on the front panel lights when either an IDE hard disk drive, or a SCSI device controlled by the onboard SCSI host controller, is in use. This LED does not display CD-ROM activity. |
Check the following:
Are the power and signal cables to the CD-ROM drive properly installed?
Are all relevant switches and jumpers on the drive set correctly?
Is the drive properly configured?
Is the onboard IDE controller enabled?
| Note: Front panel hard disk LED indicates IDE and SCSI devices: the hard disk drive activity light on the front panel lights when either an IDE hard disk drive, or a SCSI device controlled by the onboard SCSI host controller, is in use. This LED does not display CD-ROM activity. |
If you have network problems, consult the documentation that came with the network board you purchased for this server.
Some common PCI tips are listed here.
Reserve interrupts (IRQs) and/or memory addresses specifically for ISA adapters. This prevents PCI boards from trying to use the same settings ISA boards are using. Use the SSU to keep track of ISA adapter resources.
Certain drivers may require interrupts that are not shared with other PCI drivers. The SSU can be used to adjust the interrupt numbers for PCI devices. For certain drivers, it may be necessary to alter settings so that interrupts are not shared.
Check PCI interrupt interdependencies among slots and onboard devices.
If you have problems with application software, do the following:
Verify that the software is properly configured for the system. See the software installation and operation documentation for instructions on setting up and using the software.
Try a different copy of the software to see if the problem is with the copy you are using.
Make sure all cables are installed correctly.
Verify that the baseboard jumpers are set correctly.
If other software runs correctly on the system, contact your vendor about the failing software.
If the problem persists, contact the software vendor's customer service representative for assistance.
Check the following:
Is the BIOS set to allow the CD-ROM to be the first bootable device?
When you turn on the system, POST displays messages that provide information about the system. If a failure occurs, POST emits beep codes that indicate errors in hardware, software, or firmware. If POST can display a message on the video display screen, it causes the speaker to beep twice as the message appears.
The BIOS indicates the current testing phase during POST after the video adapter has been successfully initialized by outputting a 2-digit hex code to I/O location 80h. If a port-80h ISA POST board is installed, it displays the 2-digit code on a pair of hex display LEDs, see Table 4-1.
Normal Port 80 Codes | Beeps | Error |
|---|---|---|
02 |
| Verify Real Mode |
04 |
| Get processor type |
06 |
| Initialize system hardware |
08 |
| Initialize chipset registers with initial POST values |
09 |
| Set in POST flag |
0A |
| Initialize processor registers |
0B |
| Enable processor cache |
0C |
| Initialize caches to initial POST values |
0E |
| Initialize I/O |
0F |
| Initialize the local bus IDE |
10 |
| Initialize Power Management |
11 |
| Load alternate registers with initial POST valuesnew |
12 |
| Restore processor control word during warm boot |
14 |
| Initialize keyboard controller |
16 | 1-2-2-3 | BIOS ROM checksum |
18 |
| 8254 timer initialization |
1A |
| 8237 DMA controller initialization |
1C |
| Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller |
20 | 1-3-1-1 | Test DRAM refresh |
22 | 1-3-1-3 | Test 8742 Keyboard Controller |
24 |
| Set ES segment register to 4 GB |
28 | 1-3-3-1 | Autosize DRAM |
2A |
| Clear 512K base RAM |
2C | 1-3-4-1 | RAM failure on address line xxxx* |
2E | 1-3-4-3 | RAM failure on data bits xxxx* of low byte of memory bus |
30 | 1-4-1-1 | RAM failure on data bits xxxx* of high byte of memory bus |
32 |
| Test processor bus-clock frequency |
34 |
| Test CMOS |
35 |
| RAM Initialize alternate chipset registers |
36 |
| Warm start shut down |
37 |
| Reinitialize the chipset (MB only) |
38 |
| Shadow system BIOS ROM |
39 |
| Reinitialize the cache (MB only) |
3A |
| Autosize cache |
3C |
| Configure advanced chipset registers |
3D |
| Load alternate registers with CMOS valuesnew |
40 |
| Set Initial processor speed new |
42 |
| Initialize interrupt vectors |
44 |
| Initialize BIOS interrupts |
46 | 2-1-2-3 | Check ROM copyright notice |
47 |
| Initialize manager for PCI Option ROMs |
48 |
| Check video configuration against CMOS |
49 |
| Initialize PCI bus and devices |
4A |
| Initialize all video adapters in system |
4B |
| Display QuietBoot screen |
4C |
| Shadow video BIOS ROM |
4E |
| Display copyright notice |
50 |
| Display processor type and speed |
51 |
| Initialize EISA board |
52 |
| Test keyboard |
54 |
| Set key click if enabled |
56 |
| Enable keyboard |
58 | 2-2-3-1 | Test for unexpected interrupts |
5A |
| Display prompt Press F2 to enter SETUP |
5C |
| Test RAM between 512K and 640K |
60 |
| Test extended memory |
62 |
| Test extended memory address lines |
64 |
| Jump to UserPatch1 |
66 |
| Configure advanced cache registers |
68 |
| Enable external and processor caches |
6A |
| Display external cache size |
6C |
| Display shadow message |
6E |
| Display non-disposable segments |
70 |
| Display error messages |
72 |
| Check for configuration errors |
74 |
| Test real-time clock |
76 |
| Check for keyboard errors |
7A |
| Test for key lock on |
74 |
| Test real-time clock |
76 |
| Check for keyboard errors |
7A |
| Test for key lock on |
7C |
| Set up hardware interrupt vectors |
7E |
| Test coprocessor if present |
80 |
| Detect and install external RS-232 ports |
82 |
| Detect and install external parallel ports |
85 |
| Initialize PC-compatible PnP ISA devices |
86 |
| Re-initialize on board I/O ports |
88 |
| Initialize BIOS Data Area |
8A |
| Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area |
8C |
| Initialize floppy controller |
90 |
| Initialize hard disk controller |
91 |
| Initialize local bus hard disk controller |
92 |
| Jump to UserPatch2 |
93 |
| Build MPTABLE for multi-processor boards |
94 |
| Disable A20 address line |
95 |
| Install CD-ROM for boot |
96 |
| Clear huge ES segment register |
98 | 1-2 | Search for option ROMs. One long, two short beeps on checksum failure |
9A |
| Shadow option ROMs |
9C |
| Set up Power Management |
9E |
| Enable hardware interrupts |
A0 |
| Set time of day |
A2 |
| Check key lock |
A4 |
| Initialize typematic rate |
A8 |
| Erase F2 prompt |
AA |
| Scan for F2 key stroke |
AC |
| Enter SETUP |
AE |
| Clear in-POST flag |
B0 |
| Check for errors |
B2 |
| POST done – prepare to boot Operating System |
B4 | 1 | One short beep before boot |
B5 |
| Display MultiBoot menu |
B6 |
| Check password (optional) |
B8 |
| Clear global descriptor table |
BC |
| Clear parity checkers |
BE |
| Clear screen (optional) |
BF |
| Check virus and backup reminders |
C0 |
| Try to boot with INT 19 |
DO |
| Interrupt handler error |
D4 |
| Pending interrupt error |
D6 |
| Initialize option ROM error |
D8 |
| Shutdown error |
DA |
| Extended Block Move |
DC |
| Shutdown 10 error |
The following error codes and messages are representative of various conditions BIOS identifies. The exact strings and error numbers may be different from those listed here.
Table 4-2. POST Error Codes and Messages
Code | Error message |
|---|---|
0162 | BIOS unable to apply BIOS update to processor 1 |
0163 | BIOS unable to apply BIOS update to processor 2 |
0164 | BIOS does not support current stepping for processor 1 |
0165 | BIOS does not support current stepping for processor 2 |
0200 | Failure Fixed Disk |
0210 | Stuck Key |
0211 | Keyboard error |
0212 | Keyboard Controller Failed |
0213 | Keyboard locked - Unlock key switch |
0220 | Monitor type does not match CMOS - Run SETUP |
0230 | System RAM Failed at offset |
0231 | Shadow RAM Failed at offset |
0232 | Extended RAM Failed at offset |
0250 | System battery is dead - Replace and run SETUP |
0251 | System CMOS checksum bad - Default configuration used |
0260 | System timer error |
0270 | Real-time clock error |
0297 | ECC Memory error in base (extended) memory test in Bank xx |
02B2 | Incorrect Drive A type - run SETUP |
02B3 | Incorrect Drive B type - run SETUP |
02D0 | System cache error - Cache disabled |
02F5 | DMA Test Failed |
02F6 | Software NMI Failed |
0401 | Invalid System Configuration Data - run configuration utility |
None | System Configuration Data Read Error |
0403 | Resource Conflict |
0404 | Resource Conflict |
0405 | Expansion ROM not initialized |
0406 | Warning: IRQ not configured |
0504 | Resource Conflict |
0505 | Expansion ROM not initialized |
0506 | Warning: IRQ not configured |
0601 | Device configuration changed |
0602 | Configuration error - device disabled |
8100 | Processor 1 failed BIST |
8101 | Processor 2 failed BIST |
8104 | Processor 1 Internal Error (IERR) failure |
8105 | Processor 2 Internal Error (IERR) failure |
8106 | Processor 1 Thermal Trip failure |
8107 | Processor 2 Thermal Trip failure |
8108 | Watchdog Timer failed on last boot, BSP switched |
810A | Processor 2 failed initialization on last boot |
810B | Processor 1 failed initialization on last boot |
810C | Processor 1 disabled, system in uniprocessor mode |
810D | Processor 2 disabled, system in uniprocessor mode |
810E | Processor 1 failed FRB Level 3 timer |
810F | Processor 2 failed FRB Level 3 timer |
8110 | Server Management Interface failed to function |
8120 | IOP subsystem is not functional |
8150 | NVRAM Cleared by Jumper |
8151 | NVRAM Checksum Error, NVRAM cleared |
8152 | NVRAM Data Invalid, NVRAM cleared |