Duel Pentium 3 MB stuck at verifying DMI Pool \ VOGONS

Duel Pentium 3 MB stuck at verifying DMI Pool

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First post, by sndtst

Posted on 2024-02-12, 06:31

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I picked up an old PC with a Tyan Tiger 133 motherboard that is a duel slot 1 MB with 2 Pentium 3 800EB processors and 4 sticks of 256 MB PC100 RAM. It also had some other card but I've been trying to bring the computer up and running but so far the furthest I have gotten is to the point where is says Updating DMI Pool... Update Successful. This seems to be intermittent and so far it has never gotten past that point. Most often it stays stuck at Updating DMI Pool and after a few seconds a couple of characters on the screen disappear (a period after the DMI Pool, and the second L in the words Parallel Port). There may be other text corruptions that I'm missing. Also while the system won't boot with a single stick of RAM inserted it seems to occasionally report only 756 MB of ram installed at seems to show only banks 1 2 and 3 being populated. So this might also point to a problem. Things I have tried so far:

1. Reseated all components, (RAM, both CPUs, video card, HD (a 4GB DOM with NT4 installed) and power)
2. removed all unnecessary components to just things needed to boot
3. Replaced everything with a known working part except the motherboard (no other 2 CPU MB), and the processors (I don't have two of any other Slot 1 CPUs)
4. Replaced CMOS battery, cleared bios, reset to factory defaults and reset the device cache.
5. Tried each component from the duel processor system in another known working computer individually and they all worked.

I don't see any obvious bulging capacitors, any one have any ideas of things I can try next?

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Reply 1 of 10, by CoffeeOne

Posted on 2024-02-12, 07:21

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sndtst wrote on 2024-02-12, 06:31:

..... and 4 sticks of 256 MB PC100 RAM .....
...... Also while the system won't boot with a single stick of RAM inserted ......

Here is the problem, the system should boot with a single stick of RAM.
So 100% you have a RAM problem.

Reply 2 of 10, by Warlord

Posted on 2024-02-12, 07:54

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id run memtest86 1 stick a time.

Reply 3 of 10, by sndtst

Posted on 2024-02-12, 16:17

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I'll setup memetest on another (working) computer and test the ram, but I did already try the ram in that separate computer and it worked so I think if it is a memory issue then it's an issue with the memory socket on the duel processor MB. If the memory tests fine what are my options? Is this beyond the realm of recapping?

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Reply 4 of 10, by George Razvan

Posted on 2024-02-12, 17:27

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sndtst wrote on 2024-02-12, 16:17:

I'll setup memetest on another (working) computer and test the ram, but I did already try the ram in that separate computer and it worked so I think if it is a memory issue then it's an issue with the memory socket on the duel processor MB. If the memory tests fine what are my options? Is this beyond the realm of recapping?

The DIMM may be just not inserted properly. Also, the contacts should be cleaned, first pencil eraser, then alcohol. I'm pretty sure it is a ram issue.

Pentium 75 MHz ,Intel Advanced /ML ,64 MB RAM ,Matrox Millennium II,160 GB 7200 RPM
Pentium Pro 200 MHz, Intel VS440FX,32 MB RAM, Elsa Gloria Synergy,40 GB 7200 RPM
Dual Pentium III 650 MHz,512 MB RAM,3 x 4.5 GB SCSI Quantum Viking II 7200 RPM

Reply 5 of 10, by Repo Man11

Posted on 2024-02-12, 17:42

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Does anything change when you have no drives attached?

"I'd rather be rich than stupid" - Jack Handey

Reply 6 of 10, by CoffeeOne

Posted on 2024-02-12, 19:42

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sndtst wrote on 2024-02-12, 16:17:

I'll setup memetest on another (working) computer and test the ram, but I did already try the ram in that separate computer and it worked so I think if it is a memory issue then it's an issue with the memory socket on the duel processor MB. If the memory tests fine what are my options? Is this beyond the realm of recapping?

Still no progress?
Again, make sure that you test only with one of your modules. So when you are sure that all 4 work, then you can choose one randomly. Take the first of the 4 simm slots (marked probably with Simm1 ?)
What happens then? Can you enter the Bios setup?
It crashes directly after save and exit?
What is a bit worrying, why do use PC 100 RAM, you don't have any PC133? I think the default would be PC 133 for that mainboard.
So when you are able to enter the BIOS, then check for memory speed setting. When it is set to 133, then it would explain the crash 😁 I assume memory speed is set via a Bios option. It is also possbible that there is a jumper / dip switch for setting the memory speed.

Reply 7 of 10, by ElectroSoldier

Posted on 2024-02-13, 18:49

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Try booting with only CPU RAM and video. Nothing else plugged into the board at all No IDE etc

Reply 8 of 10, by sndtst

Posted on 2024-02-16, 22:35

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Reseated everything and booted with just a IDE CD-ROM and I got the computer to boot into memtest86! It looks like there is some memory error but I tested all 4 sticks in another computer and they passed all tests. This points to the motherboard being the issue. The errors are still counting up but it looks like the lowest error address is at 512.0MB.

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Reply 9 of 10, by sndtst

Posted on 2024-02-17, 00:48

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Success! I tried to boot the computer with only a single RAM stick in the second DIMM slot and the computer booted up! Something seems wrong with the first DIMM slot

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Reply 10 of 10, by sndtst

Posted on 2024-02-17, 00:54

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Then I saw this message which is... concerning. I think some admin was perhaps a little overzealous. An actually sensitive computer wouldn't have been sent to an ewaste facility with its drives still intact.

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