DEC PWS 500au boot failure

You definitely need to disconnect the mouse and keyboard for the serial port to work. Otherwise it outputs to the graphics card and if that is your problem, you will not know!! The PWS default to the ARC bios and you will have to wait several minutes for the firmware diagnostics to check things. You should then get an output with a message to "press F2" or something. If you get this message your machine has run its test and you can reset the values in the ARC bios or switch the SRM console. If the machine is OK and the messages output to the your serial terminal, you can put back the Graphics card, mouse and keyboard and boot again. If your graphics card works, you should get the output to your VGA monitor (make sure you have the correct sync rate, otherwise you will not get an output, the default rate for a powerstorm is like a 1240x1024 which some monitors wont do. You might have to set the switches on the card to output the a sync rate your monitor can handle (1024x768 @ 60hz) should do. After all the messages appear on your VGA monitor , you should also get a prompt ( three chevrons)on your serial console (but no messages) On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 5:52 AM, Brian Wheeler <bdwheele at indiana.edu> wrote: > On Tue, 2011-09-06 at 00:18 +0100, Peter Coghlan wrote: > > > > > >I went to fire up my DEC Personal Workstation 500au the other day and it > > >doesn't boot up any more :( > > > > > >I don't get anything out of video or the serial console and the > > >diagnostic lights all go out (00) rather than displaying an error or > > >booting message. The battery in it was dead and I replaced it but to no > > >avail. > > > > > >Anybody come across this before and know how to fix it? > > > > > > > I don't know much about the DEC Personal Workstation 500au but... > > > > Did the battery leak? I have a VAXStation 2000 which had a leaky battery > > which did some damage on the system board. (Fortunately, it was not > severe > > and it is now repaired.) Check around the battery and near where the > battery > > is connected to the system board as electrolyte can wick along the leads. > > > > Nope, no leakage. > > > Does it beep? I'm not sure about this one but some alphas will emit beep > > codes, if they fail before being able to access the console and some of > the > > codes may be explained in the manual. > > > > > Not supposed to beep unless there's problems, and I took out the memory > and it does beep :) > > > Presumably there are some signs of life such as fans running and/or > lights > > lighting? The next step is probably to check that the power supply is > producing > > all the required voltages. Maybe there is a label specifying what they > should > > be :-) Maybe not :-( > > > > The fans spin, the drives power up, and the diagnostic lights start > doing their thing. But instead of showing the code for being in the > console or whatever, then all turn off. > > I just read that alphabios will ignore the serial port if there is a > keyboard/mouse/video card plugged in (which I do) so I'll probably pull > those later and see if alphabios decides to start talking to me on the > serial port. > > Brian > > > > Regards, > > Peter Coghlan. > > >