Arrgh! Computer stuck at "Verifying DMI Pool Data" HELP!

LickEmSmack

Senior member
Jul 4, 2000
389
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0
Ok, here's the deal. I'm on KT7A with Athlon. I had Win2K up and running for about a month now, but I kinda goofed repartitioning my HD, so I decide to reinstall 2K and add partition for Linux. Ok, I made boot disks for 2K. They failed after disk 3. I then went to install Win98 as dummy OS. It froze on install. I moved the IBM HD from the Highpoint controller to the regular IDE. Still froze in Win98 setup. Then after pulling cards and such, now my comp gets stuck at verifying DMI Pool Data. It doesn't even appear to hit any of my boot devices at all! I cleared the CMOS, not luck. Underclocked it o 500 MHZ, no luck... I'm at my wits end with this machine. Every time i try to install the OS, it takes like 3 days! Help!
 

weeber

Senior member
Oct 10, 1999
432
2
81
This same problem happened to me before. I can't remember the exact cause, but I'm pretty sure it was because my hard drive got toasted. Can you try to boot from off a different drive?
 

xIcculusx

Member
Dec 12, 2000
25
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i usualy just format when that happens , boot off another drive if you can and back everything up , remember microsoft recommends you re-load windows every 6 months anyway ;)
 

GopherMobile

Member
Apr 19, 2000
134
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Try setting the 'Reset Configuration Data' in the BIOS to enabled instead of disabled. It's under PNP/PCI Configuration menu part, assuming you have an Award BIOS
 

luv2chill

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2000
4,611
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yep, GopherMobile's suggestion should do the trick. You don't need to reformat.

That same scenario has happened to me lots of times when changing/adding hardware. It's a pretty scary problem with an easy fix. If that doesn't fax it, I think you've definitely got yourself a hardware problem.

Good luck!

l2c
 

LickEmSmack

Senior member
Jul 4, 2000
389
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ok, I think I found my problem... My IBM 75GXP died... I just tried it in another comp, and it wouldn't recognize in the BIOS... Pretty crappy since the drive is only like 5 months old or so acording to the date onthe drive. BTW, how do i go about RMAing an IBM drive bought from Buy.com?

I might give it another shot using your suggestions just in case... I would hate to be w/o my comp for the time it takes to get a new drive.
 

LickEmSmack

Senior member
Jul 4, 2000
389
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Update: Ok, well i looked for the Reset Config Data but it wasn't there (yes award BIOS)... I looked at the little box that has the Pri Master, Slave etc. info during bootup, and it actually sees the drive that didn't show up on the other comp... I'm not sure why. But I still can't get past the Verify DMI Pool Data. I'm using the KT7A WW BIOS... Damn, I can't belive my drive died...
 

GopherMobile

Member
Apr 19, 2000
134
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Recently where I work at (a small computer store) we had this hard drive get some kinda virus that made it not bootable, but still show up. If the drive is new this probably isn't a factor, but you might want to check. Another reason it could be showing up but not working is that the spinning inner part of the drive and the controller on it are two separate parts, the controller part is what the BIOS sees, and it can still be working dandily without the inner platters moving.
 

Pyramix

Senior member
Jan 11, 2001
671
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0
just rma the drive from ibm itself. go here:

[L=]http://www.storage.ibm.com/warranty/[/L]

you might also want to try the drive fitness test. i rmaed my drive from ibm, and got my new drive in 2 weeks. and i am on the east coast. if you want it real quick, do a next day shipping, and they will do second day air return.
 

RSM

Senior member
Sep 20, 2000
812
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I RMAed a gxp myself recently.I have to say IBM was great.Total time from me to getting a new drive was 9 days.
 

KevinH

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2000
3,110
7
81
Yeah the sector that has gone bad on your HD could very well be where the boot up info is sitting. Happened to me and it's a tell tale sign of a drive going out on you :(.

Kev
 

bacillus

Lifer
Jan 6, 2001
14,517
0
71
LickEmSmack, if the drive is still in the pc then try setting PnP OS in bios to no as that is much the same as the reset configuration in a case like this!
good luck.
 

Edski

Senior member
Jan 28, 2000
911
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0
Try this first:
Go into your bios
Set internal and external cache to disabled and set force update.
Save and exit
Let your system reboot, it will take a lot longer than expected but it should boot up if your drive is good
If it does boot up, restart, go back into your bios and re enable both internal and external.

I used to work for Maxtor and saw this alot with the Award bios.
 

ArkAoss

Banned
Aug 31, 2000
5,437
0
0
WAIT WAIT WAIT MAN, DON't give up yet, !!!
EDITED, REREAD


I had a drive that did that to me, have you tried without any other IDE devices connected?
Mine would lock up at the dmi, couldn't figure it out, but I had another ide bootable hd, and in bios, I set that one as c:, that drive booted, and I looked a little at the non ntfs partitions on my other drive.
Then I set the other one back to the master and it got to the NT loader, and I ran BEos, which can read the ntfs partitions.
Then I mounted my main partition (the ntfs one) and strolled around in it a little, opened folders, then when I rebooted, it let me into win2k, and needed to run a scan disk, but was ok... and has been, ok since, except for some problem caused by the sound drivers.
 

LickEmSmack

Senior member
Jul 4, 2000
389
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0
Sorry guys, I've given up on this drive already (I already had it set to Non PnP OS anyway) I booted off a Win98 disk, and it wouldn't detect the drive at all. No luck there. It's wierd, it'll come up only in the BIOS, but no where else, and when it is connected on the same channel as a good drive, teh system slows to a crawl. Anyway, I got teh RMA #, and I hope to have a new drive very soon. Thanks for the help guys.