HowToFixComputers.com

Guest · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:31 pm Post subject: FIC VA503+ Rev. 1.2a J4333 BIOS

I've had this machine forever. It started out with a K6/2 350, then a
K62+450 @ 550, then a K63+450 @ 550. Maxed ECC RAM. 3 levels of cache
with the latest processor (1 MB on mobo!)

Last spring I got around to putting XP on it. Was disappointed with
the AT/33 disc i/f when everything else was so nice. I purchased a
Syba ULTRA ATA/133 raid based on the Silicon Image SIL680 Ultra ATA/133
IDE controller chipset. It supports both RAID and JBOD.

Installed the card, loaded the bios, set MOBO to boot from SCSI,
configured the card when it found the HDD, and bazoom! Really nice
with my DiamondMax 5T040H4 ata 100 drive.

It worked great for months. Then it started booting slowly. Then it
started general misbehaving with an occasional crash. I figured the
HDD was corrupt. Loaded SpinRite and it wouldn't even run
consistently. Put a new P/S in, no different. BIOS finds the card.
Card finds disc. Won't boot.

Removed all the unnescessary boards including Syba RAID and put the HDD
on the MOBO primary AT socket. Runs like a charm. Put the Syba board
back in, Syba board not recognized, system won't boot from MOBO
primary. Shazzam! It's the Syba card, right!

I bought another low cost RAID card based on a VIA chipset. _EXACT_
same problems.

I tried swapping PCI slots, about everything I can think of. I even
went with really conservative system board timings, tried resetting the
BIOS. I know it wasn't tweaked before failing because it is password
protected.

I'm distressed! Given the fact that now the system occasionaly hangs
before the BIOS clears, I'm wondering if this MOBO has just basically
gone south.

Buy another on EBAY? Reseat all my board jumpers? What? What the
what?

What do 'yall say?

tanks.

pc

Alex Zorrilla · Guest

Hey, pc.

Well, you certainly know your way around this motherboard. It sounds
like you know every trick in the book.

I think the motherboard is starting to go south on you. My guess is
that some of the capacitors on the motherboard are failing. This can
cause power problems within the motherboard, which in turn can lead to
problems like the ones you describe.

Take a look at the capacitors on the motherboard. They should all have
flat tops. If any of them look like they are bulging (like Coke cans
getting ready to explode) or leaking, those are bad. If you are handy
with a soldering iron, you can actually replace them yourself. A friend
and I have done this on a couple of motherboards.

Otherwise, you may want to be sure your PayPal account is in good
standing. :(

I hope this helps. Maybe one of the other regulars around here will
have some other ideas.

--Alex

pcmacd@yahoo.com wrote:

Guest

Alex:

Funny you should reply, as I've been reading your posts on this board
for some time.

I suspected a capacitor. When I get the other crap off my bench I'll
tear it down and have a look. I've been using a soldering iron for
over 40 years......

I really like the VA503, but the BAT form factor was truly a PITA.

Aside from the FIC PA-2013, are there any other MOBOS out there that I
can punch my K63+450 & PC100 ECC RAM into, with maybe an AT/66 or
AT/100 disc I/F?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

pc

Alex Zorrilla · Guest

Hey, pc.

Sorry about the lond delay. I have been away from the computer for a
while. I recommend looking at Jan Steunebrink's "Unofficial AMD
K6-2+/K6-III+" page for motherboard ideas:

http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/k6plus.htm

You will be hard pressed to find any of them new, but you may find one
on EBay. Something like the DFI K6XV3+/66 would be your best bet, but
there are others that will work.

Good luck!

--Alex

pcmacd@gmail.com wrote:

farmuse · Guest

suggest flashing the BIOS, with just video, ram, floppy connected. It
sounds more like a corrupt BIOS. If it were capacitors it would go black
screen or spontaneous reboots.