ACPI BIOS is attempting to write to an illegal IO port address

Does anybody know how to fix this system error? It's listed in the event viewer.

Thanks

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ACPI
Event Category: None
Event ID: 5
Date: 8/14/2004
Time: 4:55:18 PM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPUTER
Description:
AMLI: ACPI BIOS is attempting to write to an illegal IO port address (0x4d1), which lies in the 0x4d0 - 0x4d1 protected address range. This could lead to system instability. Please contact your system vendor for technical assistance.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 04 00 52 00 ......R.
0008: 00 00 00 00 05 00 05 c0 .......À
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........

 

Here is what microsoft lists:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283649&Product=winxp

Sorry, not familiar with what that's pointing to, maybe you do, or someone else will be along to help more.

 

As the MS artivle posted by TJ-IT says, I'ts a preventative meassure by XP. Sometimes if there is no problem other than the event viewer error, then it's better to ignore it. A BIOS update may help, but this could cause far greater problems.
I usually occasionally delete the contents of the event logs. Makes me feel a whole lot better.

If you do a google on ACPI settings in XP there are various options to trouble shoot ACPI problems. My suggestion though is, "if it works, don't fix it ".

 

Thats calling into no man's land. Check for an update for your computers BIOS. There should be an update for the AML. XP will never allow this to succeed, so hopefully the manufacturer has an update by now.

 

I checked and I'm running the latest bios update. Is there a setting in the bios to disable or turn on?

Thanks

 

This is not an uncommon error, particularaly with machines that were built/sold around 2000 when ACPI BIOS were being installed before a final protocol was agreed upon.

Chances are that a driver and ACPI BIOS are both trying to access the same memory addresses. This can be a non-problem, or it can lead to disastrous consequences if a driver is installed that conflicts sufficiently with the ACPI function.

Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for this since the HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) that was chosen by setup when XP was installed was for an ACPI machine (you can see this under Computer in Device Manager).

If you would like to try to fix the problem, and I'd suggest that you try, you will need to do a repair installation of XP and force a different HAL.

To do this, start the repair installation. When the message appears at the bottom of the screen (Press F6 if you need to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver), you have 2 choices. You can press F7 and force a Standard Computer HAL, or you can press F5 and be given a choice of HAL's.

I prefer the F5 choice because pressing F7 does not appear to do anything (even though it works) and you don't know if you succeeded until setup is finished.

When you pree F5, after some time, you will see these options (2 at a time---you need to scroll):

ACPI Multiprocessor PC: Use for a multiple-processor ACPI computer

ACPI Uniprocessor PC: Use for a ACPI multiple-processor board but with a single processor installed

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC: Use for a single processor motherboard with single processor.

Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible: Use for a Compaq Systempro computer.

MPS Uniprocessor PC: Use on non-ACPI computers dual processor motherboard with a single processor installed

MPS Multiprocessor PC: Non-ACPI computers with a dual processor running

Standard PC: Any Standard PC, non-ACPI, or non-MPS. Could be a 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium II, or Pentium III

Standard PC with C-Step i486

Other

Choose the Standard PC (non-ACPI) HAL. After instalation completes, you will see Standard PC under Computer in Device Manager. You'll notice no change in your machine's operation, but you may save yourself some trouble later.

On the other hand, I can't guarantee 100% that this will even solve the problem. Suffice it to say that it has worked 4 times on 4 different machines for me .

 

Cool .. after all my searching the web thats all I could come up with. Except there was a site that said you could change it in device manager but it was not recommended. I might try the easy way just to see what happens. If it fails to boot I can restore from an image backup.

Thanks Allot for the info !!
Rockit

 

Let us know how you make out. I don't believe you'll have any luck trying to change it in DM.

You may want to think about another idea. Since SP2 is out, you may want to create a slipstreamed XP/SP2 CD before you reinstall. That way, you will be installing SP2 and all the Windows Updates at the same time. It will save you loads of work, both now and later if you ever reinstall/repair again.

 

Thanks for the help on this one. I tried to do a repair install from my WinXP Pro SP2 CD and I got some kinda system error and it locked up big time. So I restored from my backup and changed it in device manager. Had to reboot and Windows had to find and setup my hardware but it worked? I no longer am getting this error and my computer is listed as a standard pc. Hopefully This will be the last error in the event viewer and I'll be set to go.

Thanks Allot for all your help !!
Rockit

 

Good work. And thanks for the tip about changing it in DM. I didn't think that would work, but if it will redetect the hardware without a complete repair, that's great, too.

It certainly won't be the last eror in EV. There are always errors. But many are "non-errors" in the sense that if Windows Time can't connect to the internet because you are offline, it's an error. Or if a service can't start because you disabled it, it's an error. It's only the serious errors we need worry about.

 

Hi Abraxas,
I hope you don't mind a quick question. After changing HAL to Standard PC, I no longer get the error in the event viewer but my computer now does not shut down without me pushing the power button. Is this a consequence of removing ACPI? Since I have a backup of both configs now I'm not sure which inconvenience I want to live with? Errors in the event viewer or not shutting down seems to be my two choices. Which one would you suggest?

Thanks Allot

 

I got an invalid address message when I tried to answer your email, so this is what I sent:

The error in the EV, as I mentioned, can be completely harmless or can freeze you up at some point. If you are willing to take the chance and don't care about the error in EV, then go back to ACPI. If the worst does happen, a repair installation from your XP CD and pressing the F5 key will allow you to go back to Standard Computer, so it wouldn't be the end of the world.

But take a look in Power Options in Control Panel. Sometimes the earlier APM power manager will still allow a normal shutdown. See if it is enabled. If not, try running the New Hardware Wizard. Even if it doesn't find anything, try installing the legacy NT power management driver. The Wizard has changed along with some updates and mine seems to offer fewer options now for adding hardware than it used to, but if you can get that installed, you may get the APM option in Control Panel if it is not there now.

 

Thanks for the headsup on my invalid email address .. It is now correct.
I tried adding the apm nt legacy support and got a error that there is a problem with the drivers. I'll try a reboot and see what happens.

Thanks Again
Rockit

 

Well it won't let me install it? What are the symptoms that I should see if there is a problem with using the acpi config and just ignoring the errors in the event viewer? I really don't know which one to use the standard or acpi? This error is listed twice in the event viewer.
Event Type: Error
Event Source: ACPI
Event Category: None
Event ID: 5
Date: 8/17/2004
Time: 5:29:13 PM
User: N/A
Computer: COMPUTER
Description:
AMLI: ACPI BIOS is attempting to write to an illegal IO port address (0x4d1), which lies in the 0x4d0 - 0x4d1 protected address range. This could lead to system instability. Please contact your system vendor for technical assistance.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 04 00 52 00 ......R.
0008: 00 00 00 00 05 00 05 c0 .......À
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........

Thanks for any suggestions you all might have
Rockit

 

That's hard to say. Whenever I see this error on someone else's machine, I switch to SP, just to be sure that no later driver installations end up freezing it up.

But many people just live with the error with no apparent ill effects. I guess it's a matter of risk assessment.

 

Abraxas,
When you switch the computers over to SP do they shutdown by themselves or do you have to use the power button to shut them down? Mine wouldn't shut down without hitting the power button. It doesn't say "Its safe to shut down your computer" or anything just a click then no hard drive activity? I wouldn't mind getting rid of this error but I prefer that I don't have to wait around and listen for the click to know when to shut down my computer. Is there a way to change the PC to SP and still have it shut down by itself?

Thanks
Rockit

 

OK,

After a fresh install of WinXP SP2 I went ahead and changed the setup to Standard PC.

So now my computer won't shutdown by itself which I can deal with but ...

Is there a way to enable the "It's now safe to shutdown your computer" screen?

All I get now is a black screen and a soft click sound, which is hard to hear, that I believe means it's now ready to be shut down

Or is there a way to make it shut itself off?

Thanks
Rockit