Problems, New Computer

Hello Everone,
Have put together the following, Case 450W PS, SOYO SY-KT600 Dragon Plus v2.0 MOBO, CPU- AMD Sempron 2800+, Memory 512MB Crucial PC3200, Power Color ATI Radeon 9250-128MB graphic card. Powered up, first window showed, AMI BIOS (C) American Megatrends Inc. K7VKPE-2AA1 Release 05/18/2004, AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (?). Pressed Del to enter BIOS according to Manual. Set Date/Time, Floppy Drive type, Hard Disk type to Auto. Selected, Load Optimal Settings, typed Y, saved and exited to continue boot sequence. This is what came up next,
I get a window saying, This program, Novell Netware Ready Firmware v1.00 (940810) Via Rhine 11 Fast Ethernet Adapter v4.11 (09/04/2004) is going to check the following, this may take several seconds.
RPL-ROM ADR: 0050 2CA7 3556
RPL-ROM IRQ: 11
RPL-ROM P10: C000
RPL-Rom- FFC: This starts with the #1, advancing to #50 in about 45 seconds. Then a new window appears with the same thing, and it starts all over again. It does it over, and over. I shut down, and start up again, Get the SOYO splash screen. Then, a window with somthing about pressing the Tab button to set up a Raid array. Stays on for a couple of seconds, then the other window comes on. The starting with #1 to #50 . I tried clearing the CMOS and starting over twice. I get the same thing over and over. Need some help very bad. Thanks,

 

This may be a dumb question but are you booting with a new hard drive to a fresh install?

 

If this is a first time boot for this Mboard, the first thing I would do is make sure you have the latest BIOS available for it. I noticed there was an update for your board on the Soyo site that provided Sempron CPU support. Your board may have the original BIOS release on it and may be in need of updating, especially to support your cpu.

If you are not familiar with BIOS flashing, read the instructions on the Soyo site carefully before attempting an update.

 

Agree. Get the most recent upgrade: vkpe2aa4.exe dated 2005-03-09.

 

This is a first time boot. I was following the startup manual instructions. To use the Quick BIOS Setup. I dont get this , Novell Netware Ready Firmware v1.00 (940810) Via Rhine 11 Fast Ethernet Adapter v4.11 (09/04/2004) program that keeps repeating its self over and over. I cant get past it. I will check on the BIOS update. I e-mailed SOYO twice over a week ago, of course they haven't answered. Thanks for your help.

 

Coyote,

This is from the FAQ section on the Soyo site about your board. It sounds like your problem;

Boot issue

Q: When I boot my computer I am getting a "RPL-ROM-FFC: then it counts from 1 - 200.â€)

A: This error means that the system is trying to boot from the network. Make sure that the configuration is set correctly inside the BIOS. Make sure that the IDE cables are connected the correct way.



I would go into BIOS setup and check the boot order that is setup. It sounds like it is setup to boot from a network first. Most of the newer BIOS's have a list that you can setup to boot from CD-Rom, floppy, HDD, etc. Change it to boot from something other than the network first and see if this helps.

I would still check to see if you need the newer BIOS and flash it if you do.

Hope this helps.

 

BillB
Found that Q in the SOYO FAQ. Sure sounds like it. The BIOS boot sequence is set for HDD, Floppy, CD-Rom. That is the way it was set to start with. I haven't changed anything there. I only set Time, Date, Floppy Disk type, Hard Disk Type to auto. Then, selected Load Optimal Settings, and Saved and Exited. And tried to continue the boot. I don't have anything installed except , Memory, Graphic Card, CPU, and MOBO. I will have to wait till tonight to flash the BIOS.

 

Not part of your problem but change the boot order to CD, Floppy, Hard Drive. If you don't have the floppy and CD set to boot before the Hard Drive you will never boot from either.

Now, if you have a choice to load failsafe settings do so instead of optimal. If the problem stops, write down all the settings and then load Optimal settings. Write down all those settings also. Now go back and load failsafe and change each different setting one at a time until the problem shows up. Now you know the problem setting. Change that one back to the failsafe setting and continue.

Come back on this and we'll go from there.

 

Changed the boot order to CD,Floppy, Hard Drive. Only have two choices, Optimal, and Best Performance settings. After I flashed the BIOS, the computer booted to this window the first time.
AMIBIOS K7VKPE-2AA4- Release 01/28/2005
AMD Sempron 2800+
Del: Setup F8: Boot Menu F12: Network Boot
CMOS Settings Wrong
Press F1 to Run Setup
Press F2 to load default values and continue.
Pressed Del. Changed the boot order to CD,Floppy, Hard Drive. Chose Optimal setting. Save, and Exit. Computer finishes booting to this window.
Novell Netware Ready Firmware v1.00 (940810)
Press <Shift-Tab> key to Display Network Boot Option Menu. Pressing <Shift-Tab> key brings up this.
1. Local Drive Boot
2. Try network boot first, then local drives
-Blinking Cursor. Cannot select a # or, type anything. Cannot get out of window. If I clear the CMOS, and restart, it boots to the first time window again. Pick Best Performance setting, and it does the same thing??

 

Maybe the problem is the keyboard? Is it a USB type or the regular one?

 

Would have to agree with ChuckW -try another keyboard. Having said that, I've only done one of these particular MoBo's and the problem you are referencing never came up. I also usually spend a lot of time nosing around in the BIOS but can't recall where this network boot option resided on that MoBo. There are some sub menus about four or five pages into that BIOS on the first three items and there is a sub menu on the page before System Health or whatever in the top or second from top page in the right hand column.

Perhaps more basic - you say this is a first time boot and it appears that you are booting without a floppy or CD. That machine isn't going to recognize any HDD on IDE headers 3 or 4 until you load your Highpoint drivers. That is probably what is causing your system to wind up trying to boot from a network device. When you flashed your BIOS, there was a reference to the Highpoint driver version and my guess is that it is V 2.34. Did you also download these drivers from the Soyo site? You'll need to extract these to a floppy.

What OS are you planning to put on there? If XP or 2K, boot to your CD and make sure you hit the F6 prompt for additional drivers and when prompted, put in a floppy with your extracted Highpoint drivers. Note: these highpoint drivers must match the version referenced in the BIOS flash you did.

Summation - My best thinking is that your HDD isn't being recognized because you are running it off of IDE 3 or 4 and no drivers have been installed that are going to permit your machine to recognize the hard drive. If you cable it to IDE 1 or 2, this problem will disappear although ideally, you want to be running your HDD or HDD's on #3 and #4 so follow the paragraph above.



edit:

I guess you showed em'

 

Tried my wifes keyboard, same thing. You are right, I want my hard drive on the Sata1 header (IDE3). Presently, I have nothing hooked up for the first boot. I hooked up the floppy to flash the BIOS.
I plan on using Windows XP Pro. It seems like a catch22. It won't recognize IDE3 without the SATA drivers installed, I can't install the drivers, without the OS being installed. If I use IDE1 for the HDD, install the SATA drivers while Windows is being installed, after the installation is completed can I change the drive to IDE3??

 

Coyote

If you're not on a LAN why not disable the NIC in the bios?

 

This may be a long shot but have you formatted the drive with the software from the manufacturer? I had a similar problem once where the bios dould not "see" the drive until I had formatted it. If its a maxtor then maxblast will have the necessary drivers for the different drive controllers and it will work.

 

Well, not quite right but thanks anyway. I thought that had 4 IDE headers and thus mentioned Highpoint drivers, it has SATA so now we're talking SATA drivers - same concept but my mistake. I'm on the road so somewhat handicapped.

If you boot with an XP CD in your CDROM drive, you should get drive recognition and get an F6 prompt which will permit you to load drivers at the beginning of the installation. I say should. Don't worry about formatting the drive beforehand - XP will let you create a partition and format the drive.

Failing that, post back. I'd set your Boot order to floppy,CD, SATA. And, (again don't recall) if that's a Promise controller you are going to have a couple of BIOS options - I believe you can go RAID or Family of Drives (their terminology not mine). Set it for Family of drives unless you have two SATA's that you want to stripe (not recommended). Yes, I should look this up but am being lazy and working from a strained memory re: that board.

 

Sorry I haven't been able to respond. I have been very sick. Like the sign in the Doctors office said, Getting old is not for sissys. SOYO finally sent me an answer. Seems, when I made the floppy for the SATA driver installation (VIA 8237) I failed to set the folder options to show hidden files and folders. My floppy did not have all the needed info on it. I made another floppy, and it now recognizes the SATA drive. Thanks to every one.

 

Glad to learn you are back on your feet and have your drive recognition licked too. Congratulations.