Just a few things:
a) The RTC is not a battery. It stands for "Real Time Clock". RTCs can be powered by external batteries or have one inside their package. You'll have to do some research to see if you can replace the bq3287AMT chip with a Dallas (which I think you can still get new)
b) The fact that the system stopped booting after you reseated it isn't good. Have you been able to get it to the BIOS screen again?
c) The board not booting when you plug an HDD can indicate that you plugged it backwards. Since the connector itself isn't notched you'll have to match pin 1 on the board to the red wire in the flat cable.

alexanrs wrote:

Just a few things:
a) The RTC is not a battery.

Did not know this. I thought it could be referred to as a battery. But if an RTC is more than a battery what other functions does it have?

alexanrs wrote:

It stands for "Real Time Clock". RTCs can be powered by external batteries or have one inside their package. You'll have to do some research to see if you can replace the bq3287AMT chip with a Dallas (which I think you can still get new)

According to the following document, that is the case: http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/bq3287.pdf

alexanrs wrote:

b) The fact that the system stopped booting after you reseated it isn't good. Have you been able to get it to the BIOS screen again?
c) The board not booting when you plug an HDD can indicate that you plugged it backwards. Since the connector itself isn't notched you'll have to match pin 1 on the board to the red wire in the flat cable.

I haven't tried since last time. Haven't had the time to. I have no idea as to what I did wrong. When I understood that the system would not detect the hard drive, I powered it down, and pried out the RTC chip, and in so doing realized it was inside a socket (not soldered onto the board). I took a good long look at the RTC chip, looked for info on the internet, and reseated it. Then it refused to boot. The system does power on, the cpu fan turns, and the CD drive tray ejects when I press the button. I reckon that means there is power on the board. What might be preventing the system from booting then?

As I asked in my post, do I have to set some specific jumper settings to get the BIOS to reset itself? So that the system might then boot?

That document states it is an RTC module with an integral Lithium cell, which basically means it is an RTC with a battery jammed in the package.

Anyway, most boards did have jumpers to reset it - something like CLR CMOS could be written near it. Without a good picture of the board outside of the case with nothing connected I can't say for sure, but it shouldn't be far from the module itself. worst case scenario you can remove it once more and short the ~RCL pin to the ground pin with a wire.

And if the board stopped booting, please make sure that the RTC chip is installed correctly.

alexanrs wrote:

That document states it is an RTC module with an integral Lithium cell, which basically means it is an RTC with a battery jammed in the package.

Anyway, most boards did have jumpers to reset it - something like CLR CMOS could be written near it. Without a good picture of the board outside of the case with nothing connected I can't say for sure, but it shouldn't be far from the module itself.

I looked over the board as much as I could with components blocking my view, and I couldn't find jumpers that said something along those lines. But if someone can tell me what brand and model this board is, then I can look up the schematics. I said I have the impression it is an Intel 430FX, but I'm not sure about it. In the first place seeing as I looked at the schematics of the 430FX, and my board appears to be different.

alexanrs wrote:

worst case scenario you can remove it once more and short the ~RCL pin to the ground pin with a wire.

This method would make the BIOS reset? How do I know which pin is which?

alexanrs wrote:

And if the board stopped booting, please make sure that the RTC chip is installed correctly.

I did.

At any rate, this topic gives hope: Dead RTC chip preventing boot?

Odiseo wrote:

This method would make the BIOS reset? How do I know which pin is which?

It would, though I'm not sure it will make your board POST again. There is a picture in the lower left corner of the first page of the document you linked that shows where the pins are. It might be wise to get the datasheets for the bq3285 and see if there is anything specific you need to do to trigger the reset (like shorting it for X seconds or something like that).

alexanrs wrote:

worst case scenario you can remove it once more and short the ~RCL pin to the ground pin with a wire.

alexanrs wrote:

It would, though I'm not sure it will make your board POST again. There is a picture in the lower left corner of the first page of the document you linked that shows where the pins are. It might be wise to get the datasheets for the bq3285 and see if there is anything specific you need to do to trigger the reset (like shorting it for X seconds or something like that).

I want to make sure I understood you correctly. You do mean the pins on the RTC chip, right (not the corresponding pin holes on the motherboard)? First, I short those two pins on the RTC chip, then reseat it into the socket on the motherboard, and power on the system?

The fact of the matter is I would prefer to reset the BIOS through setting jumpers. I don't have experience in shorting pins on any kind of chip, and I don't want to screw up the board. However, I'm not sure which brand and model of motherboard this is, so I don't know which manual (and schematics) I should look at. As I said, I suspect it's an Intel 430FX, as in a topic on Vogons I found manuals for two different versions of the 430FX that have the three numbers on their front pages that I saw labeled on black chips on the motherboard that I am dealing with. I found the manuals in the following topic: Intel-built 486/Pentium/PPro/PII motherboard guide. Look under the headings 'Advanced/EV (Endeavor)' and 'Advanced/AS (Atlantis)'.

In my mind, that's a very good indication this board is in fact of the 430FX line. Yet, the schematics in those two manuals do not entirely correspond to what I see on this motherboard (for example, some chips are not where they should be, I see more expansion slots on my board, I can't find the jumper pins on my board, I do find jumper pins at the back of the board that are not in the manual, etc.). So maybe the board is not a 430FX after all.

So, if someone could identify this board for me on the basis of those numbers that would be cool 😀. Here they are again.

PCIset
S82438FX

PCIset
SB82437FX-66 (see fourth photo)

PCIset
SB82371FB

I would start by taking it all apart, and do a test-bench setup. From that point, you can work you'r way through to a working machine.
When all hardware and software are working, then put it all back in the case.

This aproach will let you work out all the quirks, more easy and you will get to know the system in and out.
Take some photo's of the motherboard, and all other parts and post them here on Vogons.
This way, people can help you the best.

@Odiseo: Welcome to the world of old computers! They just stop working for no reason and you have to poke around until it works again. Don't panic, it will work again, but how long it will take to figure out the problem is anyone's guess - and half the fun!

The RTC chip is where all the CMOS/BIOS settings are stored, including the current date and time. The system should still POST (come up with something on the screen) without the chip, so unless you mis-inserted it (perhaps not quite lining it up in the socket properly) then the problem must be elsewhere.

Often issues like this are related to the system memory. I'd suggest removing the sticks of memory and putting them back again - just the act of moving them in and out of their sockets can be enough to make a clean connection and get things going again. If that doesn't work, then as brostenen says, you will pretty much have to pull all the parts out and test it sitting on a table - otherwise so many things could go wrong you might fix one thing and cause another problem but not even notice because the system doesn't change its behaviour.

The numbers you have posted are of the chips on the motherboard - these are standard chips that all motherboards of that type have, so there are probably a few thousand different boards with those same chips. To have any hope of someone here identifying the board, you'll have to take it out of the case and take a good clear photo, just like this one. In that photo, there is a table (in grid H3) that tells you switch #4 controls whether the CMOS is cleared or operating normally. The switch itself is in a block of eight in grid G9, just to give you one example of what you are looking for. Yours could be a jumper instead, like you see in grid N1.

Lastly, 430FX isn't a line of boards, it's a chipset. To use a car analogy, you could consider this the type of engine. There's no "V8" line of cars, and looking at how one V8 car works when you are trying to fix the radio in another V8 car won't really help much. Likewise looking at details for one 430FX board won't help much with another. This is why it's so important to identify the specific model, otherwise you are just wandering around in the dark guessing. This is also why those numbers you posted can't be used to identify the board - it's like someone saying "hey I just got a new car, can anyone tell me what model it is? It has a CD player" - it doesn't really narrow down the options very much 😀

I know it's a lot of effort to unplug everything to get a clear photo, but trust me, a few hours doing that is much easier than wasting days just guessing and going nowhere fast! On the plus side, unplugging everything and plugging it all back in again fixes so many problems you may have to resort to doing that anyway, so might as well give it a good clean and get some good clear photos in the process!

White ISA slots... ECS mobo?

OK, thanks guys! I'll do what you --Malvineous and brostenen-- suggest. It's going to take me a bit to take everything out of the case. I expect to have time on Saturday. When I have a good picture I'll post it here together with any findings and results.

Sutekh94 wrote:

White ISA slots... ECS mobo?

That's what I thought too,but then I noticed the BIOS and RTC chip placement don't show up on any of ECS' 430FX boards with white ISA slots.

I could be wrong tho.

Yeah.... I saw those white ISA slot's too. I just don't have the knowledge to say what board it could be.
I had an idea that people would start identify the board by that.... Well... That's Vogons. 😁

What do you think of these photos?

I took these with my mobile phone. I do have a good digital camera around, but the batteries are dead at the moment. If you need a better photo, I can take one tomorrow.

What does the writing say between the PCI and ISA slot? It looks like it ends in M101. There's a good chance that'll be the motherboard model.

Also what does the writing say below the Award Software BIOS chip? I can see "OFF: Normal mode" but I can't make out what it says should happen in the ON position.

I think I may have found it.
https://th99.bl4ckb0x.de/m/C-D/33825.htm

That looks like it! I guess that means the obscured writing is 5IEM M101. And the writing below the jumper is apparently for the green PC switch, so the hidden writing probably says something like "ON: Sleep mode" or similar.

Thanks so far guys!

Apparently, my digital camera is not as good as I thought.

I made new pictures with my mobile phone, but this time every photo is just one segment of the motherboard.

Malvineous wrote:

I guess that means the obscured writing is 5IEM M101.

Indeed.

Malvineous wrote:

And the writing below the jumper is apparently for the green PC switch, so the hidden writing probably says something like "ON: Sleep mode" or similar.

It says "On: SMI Mode".

Here is the rest of the pictures.

Nice. Redhill liked the 5IEM.