bios hangs at dmi pool data

[Jared]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

I have a nf7-s mobo, athlon 2800+,with 1 gig corsair xms (2 512's) a
maxtor 120 gig sata drive, a floppy/7in 1 card reader, a samsung dvd
reader, and sony dvdwriter drive. here is what happened to my best
recollection. i got the system to post and beep, then went into bios
setup. changed very little, just the time and things like that. (i am
new at this) i then saved and exited. then a message said something
like "failed to find initial boot device...please insert boot disk and
press enter." so i put in my win xp disk. it stalled somewhere in
windows is finding devices...after that nothing for about 40 mins. so
i try to start again, clearing cmos...it would get to verifing dmi
pool data then very strange characters would appear all over the sceen
(accented characters, clubs spades hearts etc...) i forced update ecsd
which fixed the caracters (i think it fixed anyway, something did)
but it still hangs on verifing dmi pool data, what is dmi pool data?
it wont even give a beep code. i have tried all i could think of,
anyone able to help me? thank you!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

jared wrote:
> I have a nf7-s mobo, athlon 2800+,with 1 gig corsair xms (2 512's) a
> maxtor 120 gig sata drive, a floppy/7in 1 card reader, a samsung dvd
> reader, and sony dvdwriter drive. here is what happened to my best
> recollection. i got the system to post and beep, then went into bios
> setup. changed very little, just the time and things like that. (i am
> new at this) i then saved and exited. then a message said something
> like "failed to find initial boot device...please insert boot disk and
> press enter." so i put in my win xp disk. it stalled somewhere in
> windows is finding devices...after that nothing for about 40 mins. so
> i try to start again, clearing cmos...it would get to verifing dmi
> pool data then very strange characters would appear all over the sceen
> (accented characters, clubs spades hearts etc...) i forced update ecsd
> which fixed the caracters (i think it fixed anyway, something did)
> but it still hangs on verifing dmi pool data, what is dmi pool data?
> it wont even give a beep code. i have tried all i could think of,
> anyone able to help me? thank you!

Aside from the 'causes' already noted ...
.. an incomplete un_install of an HD overlay 'driver' can also
.. cause a halt as you describe ... the 'ol' driver usually
.. installs behind the MBR in the empty sectors on "this" cyl,
.. cyl_0 or cyl_1 ... I forget the proper 'cyl' designator.
..
..Find a freebie 'raw' HD sector editor/basher ... clear the sectors
=behind=
.. the MBR ... =not= the MBR itself.
.. Norton's 'NDD', or simil;ar, aughta do the job ...
..

The "DMI" data is often stored in the 'ESCD' DB ...
typically stored( written/rewritten ) behind your (modular)Bios flash
file.
Its a 'DB' of all your hdwr & PCI 'INT' asignments ... & more.

Qed.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

More info here:

http://www.dewassoc.com/support/win98/verify_dmi_data.htm

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

--
Robert J. Salvi, Ambiance Acoustics
http://www.ambianceacoustics.com
San Diego, CA USA
(858) 485-7514

"jared" <jaredbraddock@aol.com> wrote in message
news:87bdb471.0405020736.1237ee9@posting.google.com...
> I have a nf7-s mobo, athlon 2800+,with 1 gig corsair xms (2 512's) a
> maxtor 120 gig sata drive, a floppy/7in 1 card reader, a samsung dvd
> reader, and sony dvdwriter drive. here is what happened to my best
> recollection. i got the system to post and beep, then went into bios
> setup. changed very little, just the time and things like that. (i am
> new at this) i then saved and exited. then a message said something
> like "failed to find initial boot device...please insert boot disk and
> press enter." so i put in my win xp disk. it stalled somewhere in
> windows is finding devices...after that nothing for about 40 mins. so
> i try to start again, clearing cmos...it would get to verifing dmi
> pool data then very strange characters would appear all over the sceen
> (accented characters, clubs spades hearts etc...) i forced update ecsd
> which fixed the caracters (i think it fixed anyway, something did)
> but it still hangs on verifing dmi pool data, what is dmi pool data?
> it wont even give a beep code. i have tried all i could think of,
> anyone able to help me? thank you!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Asestar wrote:
> Hey Qed, can you recommend some data recovery tool?
> My friend had a failed harddisk, trying to make a new partition by Partition
> magic 8.
> Help is appreciated.

Asestar,

I gotta 1st 'note' I'm leary of inplace "ptn" shufflers ...
more better buy a cheap 2nd HD & use XXCOPY ...

Assuming no =physical= HD damage ...
.. 1st recover MBR, ptn_tbl, & log_ptn chain
.. 2nd revover "data" insofar as is possible.

I suspect you mean(need?) a diag tool that will scan the contents
of a =logially= failed HD, wall to wall,
looking for bits/pieces/shards/hints of
both (a) primary & (b) the 'chain' of logicals inside of an 'ext' ptn.
Yes ???

Look for Svend's( below ) 'findpart' utility ... DL it.

Prior to using it, I'd suggest you google_groups on 'findpart '...
esp the NG ==> comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage ...
RTFM a bit.

Svend's 'findpart' utility is a bit hard to fathom at first ...
ie ; for a brief 'moment' I had a handle on it ... then poof!
Svend is usually glad to interp the utility's results report *if* the
rpt is posted =back= to the csiphs NG ...

Look "here" for 'findpart' ... & more.
==> http://www.partitionsupport.com/utilities.htm
.. Copyright Svend Olaf Mikkelsen, 1999-2004. All utilities are for
.. DOS/Windows 95/98/ME, unless otherwise mentioned.
.. E-mail (may change for spam protection - check here):

I never =had= to use it ... but did 'follow' a few successful recoveries
via postings on the NG ...
seems an A#1 =gee_whizzer= util.

As a matter of =course= ...
I use Symantic's old Gdisk.exe ( yr2002 ver ) ...
feature rich( read " master the baggage" )
& contains a whiz_bang ptn_tbl diagnostic ...
keeps(kept?) me out of deep_doodoo, so far .
Usta be a freebie , 'now' I dunno.
Can email it. ==> nanobot @ prexar.com .
TomG may/not have either on his server ... doubtful due to it's pub_dom
status.

His suggested 'testdisk' is a good, straitfwd ptn editor ...
not quite the equal of gdisk ... IMHO.
I have a few more 'esoteric' ptn bashers if you're an SM&BD 'type' ...
better than gdisk but =substantially= more 'baggage'.

Gdisk I can 'do'.

Qed.