ECS K7S5A boot stopping at Checking NVRAM

[finieous]

Hi!

I am hoping someone might have a suggestion as to why my new ECS K7S5A MB keeps freezing up when it goes to Check NVRAM.

If I hit the reset multiple times, I can get it to "skip" the Checking NVRAM.. and display the memory and below that options for entering setup.....etc....then it checks for hard drives and proceeds to boot.

Also, if I restart the computer without turning the computer off completely (warm boot), then if I do get it to "skip" past the Checking NVRAM.. it hangs up trying to find the MAXTOR UTRA ATA 66/100 Controller card.

Here are my system specs:

MB : ECS K7S5A BIOS dated 12/15/01 (purchased 2/8/02)

CPU: AMD Athlon 1.33 266MHz FSB with retail AMD HS/fan and Arctic Silver 3 paste (purchased 2/8/02)

RAM: Crucial 1 stick PC2100 256MB DDR (purchased 2/14/02)

Case/PS: Evercase ECE4252 with 300 W PS (I think it is Enhanced ATX1125BTA)

Video: ATI Radeon 32 MB LE tweaked to act like ATI 32MB DDR

HD: Maxtor 7200 rpm 30 GB (in primary IDE slot alone, note: I could not get the system to boot if the HD was connected on the ATA controller)

Sound and LAN: on MB

Other components:
Creative 12X DVD with TV out PCI controller card (attached solo to ATA controller)
Que! 24X12X40 CR-RW (attached to second IDE alone)
PCI Adaptec SCSI board for external ZIPplus drive

If anyone has a suggestion please comment. Thanks!

Fin

 

[osage]

Try this....may find some answers

I had one of these boards that did this, flashing to the latest bios has made it a usable board again. make a plain jane boot disk with DrDOS 7.X,found here.

hope it works out for you.

 

[clumsum]

finieous,

I haven't run into this problem before, but just guessing, if it freezes up when checking ram, then the problem could possibly be the ram!
Try the memory stick in the other dimm and re-seat it firmly ................... try another stick if possible?

If this doesn't help and no other solutions, then try shorting (re-stting the cmos) with the mb power plug disconnected and see if that helps.
There is also a good ECS forum/FAQ at OCWorkbench.