updating escd

[pbmaxrep]

i have a win 95 machine and on startup it halts at updating extended system config. data (escd). Can someone please help me past this message! Thanks

[lynnm]

Hello Dere!!

You should be getting a message on your boot screen telling you that some change has occurred in you hardware configuration and offering you the opportunity to validate the changes.(Pressing the F4 function key updates ecsd on many machines)

If you have made any changes to the amount of memory,hard disk type etc. you may need to update the ECSD. If you have not made changes then the message may be an indication that some sort of hardware failure has occurred.

Post back with the exact text of the message and we will try and get you sorted.

[pbmaxrep]

There is no message at all other than updating escd. The only change i have made has been removing and reinstalling the cd rom that is all, and now i cannot get past this message. I get no message saying changes have been made and no option to validate. Hitting F4 doesn't work either. It's an old machine, Am5x86-P75+S. Sometimes when i reboot it will halt before it even gets to the escd message, it will stop at initializing plug and play cards....card-01 ESS ES1868 p&p audiodrive. Someone save the day please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: pbmaxrep ]

[ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: pbmaxrep ]

[ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: pbmaxrep ]

[lynnm]

Are you sure that the CD-Rom is properly connected? Has the machine ever booted properly since you put the CD back in? Make sure that the data cable has not been reversed. The coloured stripe on the cable must be connected at pin 1 at the CD and the Motherboard.

The problem is also possibly related to the ESS 1868 which is your soundcard. Try disabling the soundcard in the BIOS. It will most likely to be assigned to IRQ 5,(although I recently found one humming along contentedly on 7 on a machine that had no printer attached).

Post back with your results.

[ 20 June 2001: Message edited by: lynnm ]

[pbmaxrep]

I just un/reinstalled the cd rom making sure it is in properly, but before i uninstalled it the first time the pc wasn't booting past
the escd mess. I disabled the sound card but
still get updating escd. Are there any files
that i can put on a floppy that aren't in my
configuration that would get me past this message? Your help is way appreciated and i thank you lynn. Please help so i can get my machines networked. Take it easy.

[lynnm]

I wonder if perhaps the CMOS battery in that machine has gone to that great byte bin in the sky? If so the BIOS would revert to the factory defaults and therefore any peripherals would be seen by the BIOS as being a change from the expected inventory.Change the battery and report the result.

[pbmaxrep]

I may have failed to mention this.......This
is on an XT motherboard so there is no cmos battery, if there is...i have no idea where it is. I'm relatively new to this stuff so please work with me :confused: . I have the machine wide open right now so when you give a suggestion, i'll do it and let you know the results. Hopefully we can get this resolved, not only for me but for you and others who may have this problem in the future. Thanks again!

[lynnm]

I am suprised that that motherboard has ESCD as the ESCD system is a relatively recent development,(5 years +/).

That board is almost certain to have a battery. Most boards use a disc shaped battery about the size of a nickle. Older boards used a variety of types.

Look for the battery in the vicinity of the CMOS chip or the CPU,(if you identify them).

[pbmaxrep]

It's an older board and doesn't have a cmos battery. What should i look for?

[ 23 June 2001: Message edited by: pbmaxrep ]

[lynnm]

Please post a detailed description of that machine.

[jtdoom]

Hi,

could hardly be an XT?
XT was predating 286's

must be an AT machine....it runs win95...

most AT have a barrel like thing, which is an accu rated at 3.6V

if you never saw battery error...
enter BIOS
usu by hitting DEL (or possibly F1) at power up
once in there, try set reset configuration data to enabled.

some system specifications would be welcome.
if it ain't a barrel, it's likely to be a cell battery CR2032,

BUT
BUT, I too recently saw a machine which seemingly had no battery.
the thing there had a fairly large Black Plastic encasing about 1.5 inch long, 3/4 high and 3/4 wide, which was near the BIOS/CMOS chip, and that thing must haveheld the data... may even have been some accu of sorts...

I did manage to update the ESCD on that thing... strangest thing I ever saw...