Fash update woes

[Ric_13]

Looking for advice. I was doing a flash rom update on a Compaq ProLiant 2500 (wanted to get drive array up to date enough to work with Suse 8.2) .

When I rebooted after the flash update, the screen just reads
"Compaq System BIOS - E24 (12/1/1999)"
"Copyright 1982,1999 Compaq Computer Corporation. All rights reserved."

The computer does not appear to see the keyboard, mouse, CD-ROM or Floppy drives. I can't even get to the smart drive CD or Rom flash floppy.

The raid array (which used to display info. when initializing) still appears to initialize (from indicator lights flashing and the sound of drives), but no activity is shown on the screen.

How do I get this machine back?

[JohnWRuffo]

Ric:
Have you already tried to update the bios again ( http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/8571.html ) Yes... again but with a "new" diskette.

If you have tried again and the diskette install still does not apply, then do the following:

Power off the server and open the server up.

1. Set configuration switches 1, 4, 5, and 6 on the system maintenance switch block to ON to enable disaster mode.
2. Insert the new bios diskette in the floppy.
3. Power on the server. The keyboard, mouse and monitor are all inactive. The IMD will be active if your server has one.
4. The server will make 2 long beeps, to indicate that it is in Disaster Recovery Mode, and should insert the ROMPaq diskette. The IMD, if your server has one, will display "Please insert ROMPaq diskette."
5. The server reads the diskette for the latest ROM image.
Note: If the diskette is not in place, the system continues to beep until a valid ROMPaq diskette is inserted.
6. The ROMPaq diskette will flash the system ROM.
During this process, the IMD displays: "ROMPaq flashing system ROM."
7. At the successful completion of this process, the IMD will display: "ROMPaq flash successful - Cycle Power."
Or;
If the flash is not successful, the IMD will display: "ROMPaq flash failed."

If the flash is sucessful, then the server will issue a series of beeps in an assending order.

8. After successful completion of this process;
a. Power down the server
b. Reset configuration switches 1, 4, 5 and 6
c. Power up the server as usual.

Hope this gets you back to running! Let us know if you don't get the bios re-flashed?
-john

[JohnWRuffo · Accepted solution]

Are you sure your ProLiant 2500 was E24 to begin with?

You might have had an E50 bios version:
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/9343.html

If when you try to re-flash the server as I stated above and it fails again, give this bios a try.

[Ric_13]

Great advice. It worked like a charm.

Thanks for your help

[JohnWRuffo]

Glad i could help. Which bios version worked?

[Ric_13]

It was indeed the E24 bios.