ML110 G5 wont boot

[Fred LaPlante]

My 2 month old G5 is totaly dead following an attempted BIOS update with the latest ROMPaq, apparently as the result of a conflict with a pending Windows update.

At this time I get no video on startup, but do get a repeated sequence of 1 long beep followed by 2 short beeps. If I insert a newly created ROMPaq USB drive I get no beeps nor any video.

I assume I have managed to mess up the BIOS and need to restore it. From what I have read I first need to set up some magic combination of jumpers on the motherboard. But I can find no information on what jumpers need to be in what positions.

Any help out there?

Fred

[Fred LaPlante]

I have since gone, once again, through all the documentation I can find that mentions ML110 G5 and can still find no mention of how to reset the BIOS so it will accept an upgared from ROMPaq.

So I am still unable to get any video out of the ML110. Ordinarily I would assume a failure of the motherboard video, but everything was working fine until I ran the online BIOS update program and let it force a reboot. Have not seen any video since.

Once again all I get is silence without video unless I plug in a USB drive with the ROMPaq code installed. then I see lots of activity in the USB's LED, nad then one long beep followed by 2 short beeps repeated forever.

Has anyone seen or heard of this problem before?

Fred LaPlante

[Aaron Wolski]

Have you been through the 'Clearing CMOS' procedure on Page 71 of the Service Guide http://tr.im/jtYc ? It is unclear from your second email.

[Fred LaPlante]

Fair question! Yes I did that too - relocated the jumper for 20 sec per the guide. That particular jumper was easily found using MB markings too.

Thanks for the reply.

Fred

[Gary Benavides Meza]

The procedure you are talking about is done using the system maintenance switch. You need to Set configuration switches 1, 4, 5, and 6 on systems with 6 switches, or switches 1,2,3 and 4 on systems with 4 switches on the system maintenance switch block to the ON position. Setting these switches to the ON position enables Disaster Recovery Mode, on these server that have a backup ROM. The Proliant ML110 G5 doesn't have a system maintenance Switch, if the BIOS upgraded was interrupted or it was corrupted you might think on replacing the system board. Since that is a ML110 G5 it should be under warranty.

[Fred LaPlante]

Hard to beleive you have to replace the MB to restore a corrupted BIOS.

I agree there is no block of switches, but there is a pair of jumpers J15 & J16 that refer to the BIOS.

J16 is labeled "BIOS Boot Select
pos 1-2 - by ICH
pos 2-3 - by IPMI

J16 is labeled "BIOS Recovery"
pos 1-2 - normal
pos 2-3 - configure
removed - recovery

I wonder if some combination of these two along with possibly some setting of the CMOS jumper would accomplish what the older switch block settings did.

I have tried each of these individually with no joy. But perhaps they have to be done in a particular order?

Fred

[Fred LaPlante]

I took another stab at it. This time in a more systematic approach. But I still cannot get any video at boot, and still get the same beep sequence.

1. I moved the CMOS jumper (J8) from 1-2 to 2-3 and left it that way for 10 min before replacing it.
2. I removed the BIOS recovery jumper (J15) and powered up the machine for 10 min. No video.
3. Shut down and moved J15 to 2-3 (configure BIOS)
4. Inserted ROMPAQ USB drive and powered up. USB LED showed perhaps 14 secs of activity, then a short pause, more activity, a long pause, the a short burst of activity, then nothing. Left machine to 'cook' for 10 min then powered down. No video.
5. Moved J15 to 'normal'. Powered up. The usual beeps, no video. Let sit for 5 min while beeps continued. No change.

I tried to contact HP online, but apparently the system its down because clicking the 'submit' after entering id & pw, I got 'that URL is unavailable'. Perhaps HP is also using a ML110 !!!

Any more ideas out there, I'm getting frustrated with not being able to get to my files.

Fred LaPlante