IBM-AUSTRIA - PC-HW-Support    30 Aug 1999

PC SERVER 300: BIOS ERRORS WITH ADAPTEC 2940W AT BIOS 1.19S8

     Record number:       H163719
     Device:              D/T8640
     Model:               M
     Hit count:           UHC00000
     Success count:       USC0000
     Publication code:    PC50
     Tip key:
     Date created:        O98/05/06
     Date last altered:   A98/05/18
     Owning B.U.:         USA

Abstract: PC SERVER 300: BIOS ERRORS WITH ADAPTEC 2940W AT BIOS 1.19S8

SYMPTOM:

•  The Following errors are displayed in a red box when accessing  the CMOS Setup Utility (pressing <CTRL-ALT-S>):

    "Extended CMOS checksum was invalid"
    "Extended CMOS defaults are loaded"
    "Signature Byte was invalid"
    "Chip-set defaults were loaded"
    "Unable to initialize interface to NVRAM Manager" (this may be  the cause of / lead to any other messages on the screen)

•  The Time and Date fields cannot be changed in the CMOS Setup Utility.
•  Any changes made in the CMOS Setup Utility are not saved as  evident by restarting the System and accessing the CMOS Setup Utility.

PROBLEM ISOLATION AIDS:

All of the following must be true for this TIP to apply:

•  The System is a PC Server 300 Type 8640 model 0N0, 0NJ  configured with a System Board FRU P/N 71G0033

    ------------OR-----------

   The System is a PC Server 300 Type 8640 model 0P0, 0PT  configured with a System Board FRU P/N 71g0747, 06H8756  or 28L0973.

•  The System is properly configured with a Adaptec  Controller model AHA-2940W that has a BIOS level 1.19s8.

WORKAROUND:

(This only applies to the AHA-2940W with a BIOS level 1.19s8)
Remove the AHA-2940W Adapter, change any settings as required in CMOS, save and exit the CMOS Utility (the system will now restart and the changes will be effective), shut down the System after a successful reboot, Install the AHA-2940W.

DETAIL:

It has been determined that if the System is configured with a AHA-2940W Adapter with a BIOS level of 1.19s8, the CMOS resets to default settings. Any subsequent attempts to change the CMOS settings will not be saved and usually results in other errors due to lack of configuration specific settings required in the System CMOS.

AHA-2940W Adapters with a BIOS lower than 1.19s8 do not exhibit this problem.

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