RPL ROM error with ECS K7S5A. Help please!

[MrCodeDude]

I built a budget computer for my uncle

ECS K7S5A 1.X (Black PCB)
AMD Athlon XP1800+
512 MBKingston PC2100
PNY GF MX 440 SE
350w No-name PSU
2 Optical Drives
40GB 7200RPM Segate HD

When I had it here at home, everyone worked perfectly. No problems. I ship it cross-country (San Jose, CA to Columbus, OH) via Airborne Express with the word FRAGILE written and stamped on the box countless times.

Ship it out, my uncle recieves it on Friday. Before even turning on the computer, he tries to install his old hard-drive from his other computer.

He boots up, it gives him a "RPL ROM" error and asks for a boot-disc. He calls me up today explaining the error and such. I tell him first to just try and boot up with the HD that was included and see if it boots up. I told him if it does boot up, he should check the jumpers on both the HD's.

The BIOS detects both HD's, he was going to double-check later but I was away and my dad doesn't remember what he said..

He calls back later and my dad takes the call and he said he gets the same error with one hard-drive as he does with two and that's all my dad can remember.

Anyone experience this problem and can shed some light on the subject?
-- mrcodedude

 

[Booster]

Before even turning on the computer, he tries to install his old hard-drive from his other computer.

Maybe that's where his problems come from, what do you think?

 

[DannyBoy]

If you have windows installed on one configuration it will give an error or just BSOD if you try and boot it in another comp.


People still dont get the message, how many times *sigh*

You cannot hot swap Hard Disks like you can graphics cards etc.

Dan

 

[MrCodeDude]

Yeah, maybe that's where the problem came up. But the problem is now, I have to fix it..

And you'd think that after disconnecting the second HD it would still boot up.

He said he can boot up using the XP disc I sent him, but I don't know if he still gets the same error and then can boot.

A friend just told me that an RPL ROM error is an error booting from a network. Maybe that might be able to help him.
-- mrcodedude

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: MrFiTTy
If you have windows installed on one configuration it will give an error or just BSOD if you try and boot it in another comp.


People still dont get the message, how many times *sigh*

You cannot hot swap Hard Disks like you can graphics cards etc.

Dan

He didn't try to swap them, he made his other HD the Slave drive.

I think I've determined the problem. When it was shipped or when he was installing the other HD, the IDE connector wiggled loose on the Master HD. The RPL Rom error means it couldn't boot from the network.
-- mrcodedude

 

[BmXStuD]

MAYBE!! While shipping the box got thrown around and Harddrives can get damage easy by just moving around your case alot! and dropping it. You know the ppl who ship it dont care and just throws it on the back of the truck. Thats why the box has all the box crap on it and conors or rigged.

 

[clumsum]

I shipped a pc to my Aunt in FL .......... it worked a few minutes for her, ......... seems the rough handling (during shipment), broke the hsf off of the Socket A, along with one of the plastic retaining tabs on the ZIF-socket!
Oddly enough, the 800Mhz Duron CPU didn't burn up ......... it just quit!

Your Uncle (or anyone else) should first make sure things are working properly ........ prior to making any changes to a system.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: clumsum
I shipped a pc to my Aunt in FL .......... it worked a few minutes for her, ......... seems the rough handling (during shipment), broke the hsf off of the Socket A, along with one of the plastic retaining tabs on the ZIF-socket!
Oddly enough, the 800Mhz Duron CPU didn't burn up ......... it just quit!

Your Uncle (or anyone else) should first make sure things are working properly ........ prior to making any changes to a system.

I know that. I figured he'd at least test out the system once he got it.

Airborne isn't that rough with your packages, there wasn't even dents on the corners of the box when it arrived to him (or so he says.) So, that could be the error, if push comes to shove, he should be able to reformat..
-- mrcodedude

 

[igowerf]

You cannot hot swap Hard Disks like you can graphics cards etc.

I thought it was the other way around...

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: igowerf

You cannot hot swap Hard Disks like you can graphics cards etc.

I thought it was the other way around...

Well, it depends. Graphics cards are not that trickey unless you're going from nVidia to ATi to SiS or vice-versa. Driver conflits up the wazoo. But swapping hard-drives can be more difficult. Depends whether the HD has data on it
-- mrcodedude

 

[tenoc]

Hot-swapping refers to replacing while the computer is on.

Absolutely contra-indicated for video cards, and not an option for HDs for 99.99999% of PC users.

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: tenoc
Hot-swapping refers to replacing while the computer is on.

Absolutely contra-indicated for video cards, and not an option for HDs for 99.99999% of PC users.

That's what I meant.