A wealth of information is available from the various headings of the Micro-Scope System Configuration menu. This chapter contains notes on what to expect in each category.
An asterisk beside one of the entries on the DETECTED side of this display indicates a mismatch between the detected hardware and the CMOS settings. If the DETECTED side states there is no device, and the CMOS side shows a device, either the CMOS is set incorrectly or the device is failing. If a device is shown in the DETECTED side and the CMOS side states NONE or 0 for the device, then the CMOS is set incorrectly. Use the appropriate diagnostic test to determine what the CMOS should be set to.
The information presented on the three System Information screens is derived from an inventory done by Micro-Scope during boot-up and should exactly match the installed hardware. There are a couple of exceptions to this. If there is a bad block of RAM memory, it is possible that Micro-Scope will report the amount of total RAM as the amount below the defective block. The stated CPU speed is done by performing a benchmark and then comparing it to a table of speed ratings for CPUs of that type. If the chip is being over-clocked or is performing significantly slower than it should, the reported speed will not match the manufacturers rated speed for the chip.
Unlike the System Information screens, the information reported in the DMI section is taken from a database supplied with the system by the manufacturer and/or system integrator. Its completeness and accuracy depend entirely on the manufacturer and not on Micro-Scope. If the installed hardware has been updated, added to or changed in any way after leaving the factory, the DMI will still report the old configuration. This can be detected by seeing conflicting information on the System Information and DMI screens.
If it is known that an adapter has a ROM and it is not detected in this screen, the ROM is either set to Disabled on the adapter or the ROM does not start with 55AA. Use the memory display to search the area where the ROM should exist, for further verification of an inactive ROM. If the memory display does not show any information other than FFs, the ROM is not active. It is possible that the actual ROM length may differ from the length displayed in this screen. The length of the ROM is determined by the ROM-length byte in the ROM. This will indicate the length of the ROM code, although the ROM may actually use additional memory space. Use the memory display to search beyond the length of the ROM for a pattern of FFFF. If a pattern of 0000 is found directly after the ROM, it is most likely a buffer for the ROM. Any memory with any pattern other than all FFs is being used.
Any serial, parallel or LAN device installed on a standard I/O port in a system should be detected using the CHECK INTERRUPTS function. If the device is on a non-standard port, use the USER DEFINED feature to check for the device. Remember that parallel devices need a loopback in order to be detected. If a device is not detected, then use the appropriate diagnostic test to determine if the device is missing or failing. If the diagnostic passes, this indicates that another device is using the same IRQ.
Multiple devices cannot use the same IRQ at the same time.
Serial Devices can share an IRQ, as long as only one device is in use at any given time.
Parallel Devices of any kind must have their own IRQ, since there is no specific Start and Stop sequence built into the standard parallel device that can be used to indicate to other parallel devices when not to use the line.
Mice must be set to their own IRQ, because the interrupt for mouse devices is toggled continuously.
LAN Cards also must have their own IRQ because the network toggles the interrupt on a continuous basis.
The following descriptions can be used as a guideline for correcting errors in either a Partition or Volume Boot Sector.
Partition Status This value should state Bootable on the partition that the system gives control at Power-On. This is normally the first partition of the drive.
Starting Head The starting head of a DOS partition is normally Head 1. This head must contain the Volume Boot Sector for the O/S to operate properly.
Starting Sector This should state Sector 1 and must contain the Volume Boot Sector.
Starting Cylinder This is the starting cylinder of the partition, and Head 1 of this cylinder must contain the Volume Boot Sector.
Partition Type This is normally set to BIGDOS for DOS versions above 4.0. Partitions less than 16 MB will be set to either DOS 16 or BIGDOS.
Ending Head This should be the last head number of the disk, and therefore should be equal to the value of the numbers of heads minus 1. For example, if there are 6 heads on a drive, they are numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 so the Ending Head is number 5.
Ending Sector This value should equal the number of Sectors per Track.
Ending Cylinder This is the last cylinder of the partition. If there are multiple partitions on the disk, the next partition should start on the cylinder directly past this value. If this is a single-partition disk, the value should be equal to the number of cylinders set in CMOS, minus 2.
Start Absolute Sector This is the absolute starting sector of a partition. This sector is counted from the first sector beyond the Master Boot Record for the partition. If a partition starts on Head 1 of Cylinder 0, the Start Absolute Sector is 17. This value should match the number of Sectors per Track in most cases.
Number of Sectors This is the total number of sectors in a partition. All sectors beyond the Volume Boot Sector are counted. The first sector counted should be the first sector of the first FAT and should start with F8. This value must equal the total Number of Sectors value in the Volume Boot Sector for the operating system to function correctly.
Boot Signature This value must be 55AA in order for the BIOS to give control to the Master Boot Code. Any other value will render the disk non-bootable to the operating system present on the disk.
The Volume Boot Record is the main record for a partition. It designates the size of the partition, size and number of FAT records, Root Directory size, etc. This information can be used to diagnose and correct a problem with the Volume Boot Record. The first section pertains to both FAT 16 and FAT 32, and the following section is for FAT 32 only.
Bytes Per Sector This value should equal 512 bytes for standard DOS partitions. This may be equal to 1024 or more with non-standard or non-DOS partitions such as Novell, Disk Manager, etc.
Sectors per Cluster This is the quantity of sectors that will be read by the operating system at a time, and is therefore the smallest quantity of disk space that can be allocated to any data transfer. Standard DOS versions above 3.3 will normally be set to 4 sectors per cluster.
Reserved Sectors This value should be 1 since it reflects the quantity of sectors reserved from the partition. Reserved sectors will not be written to by the operating system under normal circumstances. The only reserved sector of a standard partition is normally the Volume Boot Sector.
Number of Copies of FAT This value should be 2 since there are always two copies of the File Allocation Table in all standard operating systems.
Maximum Root Directory Entries This value will be 512 for all DOS versions and most other 16-bit operating systems, and 0 on 32-bit operating systems.
Total Number of Sectors This is the total number of usable sectors in the partition, minus the track reserved for the Master Boot Record. It should equal the number of sectors in the Master Boot Sector entry for this partition. This value may be determined by the following formula: C x H x S S where C = total cylinders (Ending Cylinder # + 1) H = total number of heads (from CMOS) S = number of sectors per track (CMOS)
Media Descriptor Byte This is the value of the byte that starts each FAT, normally F8 on fixed disks. This can be compared to the first byte of the first FAT in order to verify accuracy.
Sectors per FAT This is the quantity of sectors contained in each File Allocation Table. This value can be verified by using the Sector Editor to locate the first sector of the first FAT, use the Plus key to count the value, and press Read. This should place the buffer at the first sector of the second FAT, which should match the first sector of the first FAT.
Sectors per Track This value should match the CMOS value for Sectors per Track, and should equal the number of sectors that actually exist on each track of the disk. Verification of this value can be performed by using the Sector Editor. Start at the first sector on the drive, incrementing the Sectors by this number and perform a read. This should place the buffer at the Volume Boot Sector if the Sectors per track value is valid.
Number of Heads The total number of heads on the drive. This should be one more than the Ending Head, because the first head is Head 0.
Number of Hidden Sectors This value is the total of all sectors hidden from the operating system software. It should equal the number of Reserved Sectors.
Volume Boot Signature This is the signature that must end any valid boot record. If this value is anything other than 55AA, the partition will not be accessed properly by the BIOS on the motherboard.
FAT 32 Volume Boot Sector Info
Partition Flags This is 2 hex digits, with bits 0-4 indicating which copy of the FAT is active. Bit 7 shows whether FAT mirroring is enabled or disabled. When FAT mirroring is disabled, the FAT information is written only to the copy indicated by Bits 0-4.
Version of FAT 32 Drive Two hex digits. The High Byte shows the major version, and the Low Byte shows the minor version.
Start Cluster Root Directory These 4 digits give the Cluster Number of the start of the root directory.
File System Info Sector This is the number of the sector containing the information on the File System, usually the second sector of the partition.
Backup Boot Sector FAT 32 contains a backup copy of the Boot Sector, whose location is specified here.
Logical Drive This is the logical drive number assigned to the given partition, a 2-digit hex value.
Extended Signature This additional byte indicates that the partition contains three more fields, containing the following information.
Partition Serial Number This is a serial number assigned to the partition. It is used primarily for tracking removable media.
Volume Name This should match the volume label in the root directory. If none has been assigned, it will say No Name.
FAT Name This should say FAT 32, but other values would not normally be a problem because the data is not used by Microsoft operating systems.
The time and date should be current. If not, the correct time and date can be entered in this screen. If the time and date will not stay current, use the Display CMOS Bytes feature to check the RTC/Battery status and the appropriate byte of CMOS RAM.
Diskettes This reflects the information stored at offset 10h of CMOS RAM. If a diskette type is entered in this screen but the information changes when the cursor is moved, the CMOS RAM is corrupt and the CMOS/RTC chip should be replaced. If the information remains intact after being changed, but reverts to the previous setting when the system is rebooted, then either the CMOS battery is failing or the floppy controller is failing. Use the Display CMOS feature and Floppy Tests to verify the failure.
HD0/HD1 This information is contained in CMOS bytes 19 (HD0) and 1A (HD1). If this information will not stay set when the cursor is moved then CMOS is corrupt and the chip should be replaced. If the information changes when the system is rebooted, then the fixed disk, controller or a device driver such as Disk Manager is causing the problem. Use the Fixed Disk Tests to verify the situation.
Base Memory This reflects information contained in CMOS RAM locations 15h and 16h. If the information changes when rebooting, either the BIOS is not detecting the correct amount of memory during POST or the CMOS battery is failing.
Extended Memory This information is stored at CMOS RAM locations 17h and 18h. If the information changes when rebooting, either the BIOS is not detecting the correct amount of memory during POST or the CMOS battery is failing.
Video Adapter Contained in CMOS RAM location 14h. If information changes when rebooting, the video adapter or battery is causing the problem. Use the CMOS Diagnostic Byte and the Video Tests to verify. Note that in dual video systems, this setting should reflect the highest value supported by the video adapters installed.
Coprocessor Shows CMOS RAM location 14h. Problems could be the NPU or CMOS battery. Use the Information screen and the NPU diagnostic in Systemboard Tests.
Any changes made in the CMOS Edit screen should be reflected in the appropriate place in the CMOS display screen. If the information cannot be entered, or reverts when the cursor is moved, this indicates a failure of the CMOS/RTC chip itself. If the information is retained when the cursor is moved, but reverts when the system is rebooted, the cause is either the CMOS battery or the hardware to which that entry applies. 0Dh The RTC/BAT byte should be set to a value of 80h if the battery is good. Any other value indicates either a bad battery or corruption of this location of CMOS RAM. Use the Diagnostic Byte to verify battery status. 0Eh The Diagnostic Byte should have a value of zero. If it is any other value, the device in question should be checked with the appropriate diagnostic routine. Following is a list of the possible values and their causes: 01h EISA or PS/2 adapter register is not accessible. The adapter is failing. Use diagnostic tests to verify 02h PS/2 or EISA adapter/configuration file mismatch. The file for the adapter being configured is not the correct file, or the adapter is failing. 04h CMOS Time does not match the DOS clock. Either the DOS time is set incorrectly or the CMOS/RTC or CTC chip is failing. Reset the DOS clock and retry. 08h Fixed Disk Controller failed initialization. The controller is failing. If the drive is IDE, the controller is on the drive itself. 10h CMOS Memory does not match POST memory size. This indicates either a bad bit in memory or an incorrect CMOS setting. Use the memory test to isolate the problem. 1Dh BIOS POST found CMOS configuration incorrect. The information found during POST does not match the information set in CMOS RAM. Use the System Configuration feature to resolve it. 40h CMOS CRC failed. The bytes located at CMOS RAM locations 2Eh and 2Fh are the checksum value. A failure indicates corruption of the CMOS RAM, and replacement of the CMOS/CRC chip. 80 h The CMOS battery has lost power. This may be the battery or a defective CMOS/RTC chip. Use byte 0Dh to verify if the battery is bad.
When the system under test does not match the Master Compare File, one of the following errors will be shown on the screen: File Open Failed The ctest.bin file was not found in the same directory as the ms.exe file. Model Not Found The System Model Number does not appear in the Master Compare File. Computer Type The BIOS, BIOS date, model, sub-model or revision information did not compare. Processor Type The CPU data did not compare. NPU Type The NPU data did not compare. Bus Type The Bus Type data did not compare. Floppy Type Either the number or type of floppy drives did not match the Master Compare File. Hard Drive Type The fixed disk type, model, parameters or number of drives did not compare. Video Type Mismatch of the video BIOS, mode capabilities or amount of video memory. Memory Size The amount of Base, Cache, Extended or Expanded memory did not compare. Serial Ports Either the number of serial ports or the I/O address data did not match. Parallel Ports The number of parallel ports or the I/O address data did not compare. Sound Card The presence or absence of the sound card (or the type of card) was not what was expected. CD ROM Type The number or type of CD-ROM drives did not compare. Keyboard Type The type of keyboard detected was not what was expected.