PIII - HP NetServer E200 - Troubleshooting \ VOGONS

PIII - HP NetServer E200 - Troubleshooting

Topic actions

First post, by Aui

Posted on 2025-03-11, 09:03

Aui Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 373
Joined: 2020-12-23, 09:45

Hi everyone,

looking at a HP NetServer E200 PIII on an Asus P3V133 (somewhat low cost version as it is missing 2 of the 3 ISA slots)

https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-p3v133

Basically, I can't get the Computer to start up. I tried a lot of things but it is essentially not putting out any video.
I tried a video card in the AGP and in the PCI slot - nothing.

Using a "PC Analyzer" Post card I can see that the Computer is booting up to the Code 4E45 - which I dont really understand. The manual says:
- 4E: " Reboot if manufacturing mode, if not Display Messages and Enter Setup" ?
- 45: detect and Initialize Math coprocessor ?

so I dont understand these codes or even if those are the correct ones. With a keyboard attached I can soft-reset and see that the PC reboots up to the same error again. So it seems not completely dead.

Any ideas whats wrong here ? Thanks

Reply 1 of 3, by Aui

Posted on 2025-03-12, 00:17

Aui Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 373
Joined: 2020-12-23, 09:45

Its alive !

I left it sitting for a few hours and now Im in BIOS ?! Strange but Awesome.
P3 800 Mhz - Im dreaming of AOE2 or Caesar 3 ....

Reply 2 of 3, by Intel486dx33

Posted on 2025-03-12, 01:13

Intel486dx33 Offline

Rank l33t++

Rank: l33t++
Posts: 5418
Joined: 2018-05-17, 01:17
Location: U.S.A.

I had an HP Netserver once I recieved from a computer recycler.
It had a 486dx33 or 50mhz in it I don’t remember.
But it could support up to 8 hard drives in the case.

I was going to restore it and fool around with it back in 1990’s but never got around to it so it just sat in my garage.
Eventually I had to send it back to the Recycler.

But back in 1990’s at the computer education center we use to teach Windows NT 4.0 and Server on HP Netservers running Pentium 90 CPU
Anything that ran on WinNT 4.0 we taught on these computers so they can pretty much run anything from the 1990’s
A Pentium 133 would have been better but your Pentium-III should be able to do it all.
At least anything from the 1990’s

Reply 3 of 3, by Aui

Posted on 2025-03-12, 03:08

Aui Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 373
Joined: 2020-12-23, 09:45

Well - I found this one for cheap listed just as an "old PC" type of add. Now generally I dont really need more old Pc's. The reason I got it was a little gamble as a lot of these E200 HP servers are actualy dual PIII. Now I am dreaming of such a system for a long time but usually they are way too expensive. However I was not lucky. Its a normal 1 processor slot 1 PIII 800. Well not so bad after all - especialy now that it is running !

Go to top of page Go to top of page

Back to General Old Hardware