DMI Pool Data
Hi,
I read numerous articles regarding "Computer hangs after Verifying DMI Pool Data". A number of possible solutions to said problem are given in different forums. I tried most of them but the problem persists in this way: I disconnect and then reconnect most hardware such as HD, Floppy, Internal Modem, Memory etcetera. The computer starts working properly for several days, even several weeks. Then suddenly the same problem comes up again (no changes were made to hardware and software). This "game" is going on for months now. What conclusions can be made???
May I conclude that there are no problems with BIOS, MOS, OS, Bootsector, Partioning and the like taking into account that the system is working for some time before getting back into said boot problem??? May I conclude that the problem is purely related to a bad connection, maybe bad solderings on motherboard, nearly defective data cables or the like??? Any suggestion would be very much appreciated. Hope to hear from one of you pretty soon for obvious reasons. Thanks and regards.
I read numerous articles regarding "Computer hangs after Verifying DMI Pool Data". A number of possible solutions to said problem are given in different forums. I tried most of them but the problem persists in this way: I disconnect and then reconnect most hardware such as HD, Floppy, Internal Modem, Memory etcetera. The computer starts working properly for several days, even several weeks. Then suddenly the same problem comes up again (no changes were made to hardware and software). This "game" is going on for months now. What conclusions can be made???
May I conclude that there are no problems with BIOS, MOS, OS, Bootsector, Partioning and the like taking into account that the system is working for some time before getting back into said boot problem??? May I conclude that the problem is purely related to a bad connection, maybe bad solderings on motherboard, nearly defective data cables or the like??? Any suggestion would be very much appreciated. Hope to hear from one of you pretty soon for obvious reasons. Thanks and regards.
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Comments
An intermittent problem can be the worst one to try and solve. It can be so much easier when something happens every time, if for no other reason than you'll get instant feedback if something you try makes a difference.
Honestly, it would be impossible to rule out any of the things listed above. I would start with Memtest-86, but a look through your BIOS settings would be worth your while. It might be helpful to list all your hardware, including brand & model #. Make sure you include the revision of your motherboard and what BIOS version you are running.
Try using different cables, if possible. The only sure way to test a motherboard is to replace all the parts (memory, cpu, etc) with hardware you know to be good. If things still act up on you then it must be the board. (To include what may be a simple BIOS fix.)
NOTE: You've probably seen this page along the way while searching for info on your problem. I'm including the link as it provides a nice description of possible fixes. This may be of benefit to other members who may have suggestions of their own.
Good luck.
With regards to the details of installed hardware, I will send it as soon as possible (don’t have the manuals with me right now).
Hope you don’t mind I bring the following to your attention. Each time said boot problem occurs, I noticed that the small green light (LED) of the Floppy drive stays on and on. This in contrast with a “normal” booting process where said LED goes on for a very small moment and then goes out once the “Verifying DMI Pool Data” process is done. Does that mean anything to you?
Regards.
As a test, unplug the floppy drive. If all suddenly is well, you can either replace or vacuum out the floppy drive after removing the front plate. While you are checking things, make sure there is not a floppy diskette in the drive, please--having a floppy diskette in the drive could make things boot as you describe with an up to 5 minute hang and only the floppy drive light to tell you the cdomputer is trying to boot from the floppy diskette in the drive. EVENTUALLY, if the is a non-bootable floppy diskette in the drive, the computer will boot.
Even if that is not the source of the problem it's always nice to know that your memory is OK. RAM problems can manifest themselves in many different ways. At boot, your computer is loading all sorts of things into memory. If it hits a bad spot it can fail to load a driver (or other component of Windows), giving you an error message. Memtest is the first thing I run if my computer has a problem I can't fix quickly by other means.
See my reply to the next part before you go to all that trouble - this might be easier to solve than it looks.
As for the hardware details, the Belarc Advisor will tell you just about everything you need to know. Post the relevant details here.
What you describe as the "normal" booting process is what should be happening. If the light always stayed on solid green it would be an indication that the cable was on backwards.
Things to check:
1) Most floppy drives are the opposite of hard drives and cdroms; the colored wire side of the connecter is usually opposite the side of the drive where the power connector is located. Look for the numbers "1" and/or "34" stamped on the drive where the ribbon cable is attached. The colored wire should be on the pin 1 side. Make sure the same is true at the motherboard end, too.
2) There should be a split in the ribbon cable between the floppy drive and the motherboard, with some of the wires twisted in that area. The "twist" is what determines whether the drive is identified as drive A: or drive B: . Operating on the assumption that you A) Have only one floppy drive, and B) It is located after the twist in the cable, check in your BIOS and make sure that the floppy is set as drive A: , that drive B: is set to "disabled", and that "Swap Floppy Drive" (or words to that effect) is disabled.
For right now, I would shut the computer down and unhook the floppy drive cable altogether, then disable it in the BIOS. Most people rarely use the floppy drive these days anyway. If things seem to work fine under those conditions we can then see what steps need to be taken to get it hooked back up and working properly.
EDIT: I got distracted while typing all this out and didn't see Straight Man's post - good advice there.
Thanks again for your response. Let me tell you that my computer started working again. I had the intention to start working on said boot problem this morning but to my big surprise the machine was booting properly without any intervention from my side ... it wil indeed be very difficult to detect the cause of the problem. Hence I will wait to make any action untill the computer fails again. Regards.