Updating ESCD.... and then it stops

[Sonnich Jensen]

Hi all!

I have got a 586IEM0.1 (or568IEM2.4) motherborad, with Award BIOS 4.50pg.

It starts until the overview of CPU, memory, ports etc., then it shows
"Updating ESCD...." and stops forever there.

There is 2 special things about the board: the CPU has been replaces with a
2.8 version pentium MMX, currently running at 166 Mhz. It is supposed to be
3.3-3.5V, but is fixed with a 100Kohm resistor.

The board seems ok, but stops at this. According to what I know, this should
last up to a few minutes, then it should go on. But it stops there.

Any idea why? Or what I can do to go on?

There is nothing connected to the board at all, except and old graphics
adapter.

BR
Sonnich

 

[Rod Speed]

Hi all!

All killed himself, got too much email!!!

I have got a 586IEM0.1 (or568IEM2.4) motherborad, with Award BIOS 4.50pg.

It starts until the overview of CPU, memory, ports etc.,
then it shows "Updating ESCD...." and stops forever there.

Thats not that unusual, the Updating ESCD is the last thing it does
before loading the OS, so when the OS doesnt load for whatever
reason, you dont get the screen clean that usually stops you seeing
that Updating ESCD message for very long.

There is 2 special things about the board: the CPU has been replaces
with a 2.8 version pentium MMX, currently running at 166 Mhz.

Nothing like living 'life' in the fast lane.

It is supposed to be 3.3-3.5V, but is fixed with a 100Kohm resistor.

Sounds rather dubious. Have you checked that you are getting the correct voltage ?

The board seems ok, but stops at this. According to what I know, this
should last up to a few minutes, then it should go on. But it stops there.

Any idea why?

Normally because the OS isnt loading for whatever reason.

Or what I can do to go on?

Try booting from a known good boot floppy. Might be
something as basic as a stuffed floppy controller or cable.

 

[Gerard Bok]

I have got a 586IEM0.1 (or568IEM2.4) motherborad, with Award BIOS 4.50pg.

It starts until the overview of CPU, memory, ports etc., then it shows
"Updating ESCD...." and stops forever there.

There is 2 special things about the board: the CPU has been replaces with a
2.8 version pentium MMX, currently running at 166 Mhz. It is supposed to be
3.3-3.5V, but is fixed with a 100Kohm resistor.

Not a clue as to wether this is 'safe to do'
But it is obvious, that your CPU is running. So that is not the
cause of your problem.

The board seems ok, but stops at this. According to what I know, this should
last up to a few minutes, then it should go on. But it stops there.

Any idea why? Or what I can do to go on?

Get into the BIOS setup screen. You'll find something like a
'reset DPMI-pool' option, somewhere in the interfaces or PCI
section.
Mark that option. (It will automatically get switched off again.)
9 out of 10, this clears a stall at 'Updating ESCD'.

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

Hi all!

I have got a 586IEM0.1 (or568IEM2.4) motherborad, with Award BIOS 4.50pg.

It starts until the overview of CPU, memory, ports etc., then it shows
"Updating ESCD...." and stops forever there.

There is 2 special things about the board: the CPU has been replaces with
a
2.8 version pentium MMX, currently running at 166 Mhz. It is supposed to
be
3.3-3.5V, but is fixed with a 100Kohm resistor.

The board seems ok, but stops at this. According to what I know, this
should
last up to a few minutes, then it should go on. But it stops there.

Any idea why? Or what I can do to go on?

There is nothing connected to the board at all, except and old graphics
adapter.

BR
Sonnich

Not uncommon to need a motherboard BIOS reset (jumper or battery) after
upgrading to a different CPU chip.

 

[jodleren]

Hi all!

All killed himself, got too much email!!!

I liked that one!

Thats not that unusual, the Updating ESCD is the last thing it does
before loading the OS, so when the OS doesnt load for whatever
reason, you dont get the screen clean that usually stops you seeing
that Updating ESCD message for very long.

The point is, that it checks the floppy (just checked that, even found
a broken cable in stock ;-) ), and goes om to "Updating ESCD", but
_does_not_ go on to the OS.
I even tried to disable int and ext cache and a bunch of other things
to simplifice things.

Nothing like living 'life' in the fast lane.
Sounds rather dubious. Have you checked that you are getting the correct voltage ?

yep.
Basic powersupply, just added a resistor to get the voltage further
down. Very simple.

Normally because the OS isnt loading for whatever reason.
Try booting from a known good boot floppy. Might be
something as basic as a stuffed floppy controller or cable.

I does not go that far....

BR
Sonnich

 

[jodleren]

I have got a 586IEM0.1 (or568IEM2.4) motherborad, with Award BIOS 4.50pg.

Not a clue as to wether this is 'safe to do'
But it is obvious, that your CPU is running. So that is not the
cause of your problem.

As you can read in another message, it is probably electrically safe,
but - could this replacement of CPU and power cause the BIOS to do
this?

Get into the BIOS setup screen. You'll find something like a
'reset DPMI-pool' option, somewhere in the interfaces or PCI
section.
Mark that option. (It will automatically get switched off again.)
9 out of 10, this clears a stall at 'Updating ESCD'.

I read all my way through the Award BIOS 4.50pg, but I could not find a
thing like that.

Br
Sonnich

 

[jodleren]

Not uncommon to need a motherboard BIOS reset (jumper or battery) after
upgrading to a different CPU chip.

The battert is the same (chip with RTC and battery onboard), so this
leaves the CPU.
Any idea how to overcome the problem?

BR
Sonnich

 

[Rod Speed]

The point is, that it checks the floppy (just checked that,
even found a broken cable in stock ;-) ), and goes om
to "Updating ESCD", but _does_not_ go on to the OS.

Yes, I realised that that was what you meant.

I even tried to disable int and ext cache and
a bunch of other things to simplifice things.

It may be the reason it was discarded, that fault.

yep.
Basic powersupply, just added a resistor
to get the voltage further down. Very simple.

Yeah, its fine if done properly. Thats all the jumper on that vintage of
motherboard does, use different resistors for the cpu voltage regulator.

I just meant did you measure it or just calculate it ?

I does not go that far....

Yes you do, the first thing it does after that Updating ESCD message is
to attempt to boot a bootable drive. It doesnt appear to be able to do
that step successfully, maybe because the floppy controller is broken
etc and it doesnt get any useful info about the floppy disk contents etc.

Corse it could be reading the small amount of code in the MBR and
it goes flat on its face when it trys to execute that for some reason.
I forget exactly when it clears the screen with a floppy boot, try that
on a working system for yourself.

 

[jodleren]

Yes, I realised that that was what you meant.


It may be the reason it was discarded, that fault.

I tried to change that later. This is not the reason.

Yeah, its fine if done properly. Thats all the jumper on that vintage of
motherboard does, use different resistors for the cpu voltage regulator.

I just meant did you measure it or just calculate it ?

Calculated, and checked. That part should be ok.

Yes you do, the first thing it does after that Updating ESCD message is
to attempt to boot a bootable drive. It doesnt appear to be able to do
that step successfully, maybe because the floppy controller is broken
etc and it doesnt get any useful info about the floppy disk contents etc.

I can get a floppy error (40) with playing around with the cable
(before this), so I asume that it is ok.
The point is that it does not even contact the floppy again (no light
any any sign that it tries to read from the floppy), so my guess is
that it stays updating the ESCD forever....

Corse it could be reading the small amount of code in the MBR and
it goes flat on its face when it trys to execute that for some reason.
I forget exactly when it clears the screen with a floppy boot, try that
on a working system for yourself.

Well, it does not even read that...

BR
Sonnich

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

I tried to change that later. This is not the reason.

The only way to prove that is to see if it will boot
with a cpu that it was designed to boot with, NOW.

Calculated, and checked. That part should be ok.

I can get a floppy error (40) with playing around with
the cable (before this), so I asume that it is ok.

Rash assumption.

What matters is whether it will boot with the cpus its designed to handle.

The point is that it does not even contact the floppy again
(no light any any sign that it tries to read from the floppy),
so my guess is that it stays updating the ESCD forever....

Very unlikely indeed. The only reason that message
stays on the monitor is because you dont get the screen
clear you should get when it trys to boot something.

Its very common to see that message on the screen, just because
what follows doesnt happen, and you can prove that using google.

Well, it does not even read that...

OK, but you havent eliminated a problem with the floppy controller
until it boots fine with a cpu that motherboard is designed to handle.

 

[Spajky]

Any idea how to overcome the problem?

redetect in Bios menu all HDs; if doesn´t help, reflashing bios with
the same version will surely do it!

 

[Rod Speed]

redetect in Bios menu all HDs; if doesn´t help, reflashing bios with
the same version will surely do it!

Nope, not if the problem is a driver not loading
because it doesnt like the hardware its supporting.