Yet more upgrade problems

[JKC]

Hi All,

I just purchased a netbook rom module from ebay, and guess what when I tried it in my psion (following all the instructions, trying with two different compact flash cards, chaining myself to the bare metal of my radiator etc) I got the same white screen and nothing happening, time after time. My series 7 module works just fine.

I have just found some instructions on a different site saying that the dos partition on the compact flash card needs to be set as bootable for the psion to find the rom- but what has dos got to do with it? How to I check that any part of the compact flash card is set to be bootable or should that be set automatically when it's formatted in the psion? I'm at the stage where I'm thinking that I was sold a duff chip, although the guy says he took it from a working machine, so any help would be greatly appreciated...

Btw it's a build 756 series 7 and the details on the netbook module were the same (barring the date) as those that other people have quoted on the site.:(

[netBookBabe]

Originally posted by JKC
... what has dos got to do with it? ( Absolutely no idea! All that should be necessary is to rename the downloaded file to "OS.IMG" and to place it in the root of (ideally) a blank CF disk. How are you effecting the transfer of the image file to the CF, out of interest?

Julie

[JKC]

I unzipped the file I'd downloaded on the pc, then transferred it straight to the compact flash card over psiwin, then renamed it on the series 7. Now I have actually got an unzipper on the series 7 so I could try transferring it zipped and opening it on the 7 but I can't see why that should make any difference (see below)

To be honest, it doesn't seem to be getting to the stage where it's looking for a card, as I just get the white screen with no beeps when I turn the machine on. Sigh

[netBookBabe]

Originally posted by JKC
To be honest, it doesn't seem to be getting to the stage where it's looking for a card, as I just get the white screen with no beeps when I turn the machine on. Sigh Hmmm, that does sound a little ominous - it should indeed be prompting you to insert a card containing the ROM image, and it sounds as though you have the procedure correct for getting the image file on to the CF.

It sounds a bit like it could be a power problem, if you're not getting beyond the white screen, but does it work if you reinstall the S7 module? I've had the white screen problem, and it turned out to be a dodgy backup battery to blame (even though it was reporting "good") so it could be worth another fresh start - remove all power, give it a new backup battery and a good charge before trying again.

Apologies if you've already tried all that - I'm just grasping at straws! :(

Julie

[JKC]

The series 7 module works just fine, although it took a few attempts to get that to work again. The backup battery is only about a week old, and was reporting good so I'm hoping that it's telling the truth. One of the times when I tried the netbook module I did get a series of about 5-7 beeps when I inserted the main battery again but then I just got the white screen again. I might try a new backup battery just to cover all bases...

[JKC]

Just to update, nothing seems to make the blindest bit of difference to my symptons. I've tried it with a new backup battery, I've tried leaving it with no batteries in for hours, yet still the same white screen. The series 7 module works just fine.

The most annoying thing is that I brought it from ebay and the guy that sold it isn't responding to my emails so I am stuck with a duff chip and wasted money... Does anyone want a duff netbook chip to experiment with?

[MikeMcC]

nothing seems to make the blindest bit of difference to my symptons It seems to me that you were told in the newsgroups what the problem was. If I have understood correctly, the netBook will only run with either 32 or 64 Megabytes of RAM. You have 48 Megabytes of RAM (having added a 16MB Series 7 RAM module) which will work with a Series 7 module but is incompatible with a netBook one.

[JKC]

Sorry if I didn't make this clear, but I have the 32Mb upgrade, not the 16Mb, and I have tried it with and without the extra memory, just to cover all bases

[MikeMcC]

I have the 32Mb upgrade, not the 16Mb, and I have tried it with and without the extra memory, just to cover all basesOK, it seems to be back to square one again :(

[donkeyontheedge]

Originally posted by JKC
The most annoying thing is that I brought it from ebay and the guy that sold it isn't responding to my emails so I am stuck with a duff chip and wasted money

All you can really do is report him to eBay as selling you something duff. Hopefully a message from them will make him respond, otherwise they may terminate his account...

John

[JKC]

The problem that I have is that I can't prove that I didn't damage it myself, or that it wasn't damaged in the post. If the guy would respond to his email I could verify whether or not the chip was taking from a working machine or bought and never used. As you say, next stop will be reporting him to Ebay but I don't hold out much hope...

[donkeyontheedge]

If it was DOA, then it could well be down to him to prove otherwise...

Good luck!

[fladda]

As I said on usenet, most likely that your compact flash is unsuitable to boot the netbook. Not all compact flash cards work for booting, although most work once the Netbook is running. Something in the Netbook operating system boot sequence appears to be very dependent upon the exact characteristics of the flash ICs used.

Even more strage is that some compact flash cards work OK in the Netbook, but not in the Mbook !

You need to try using a different type of compact flash.

If all else fails, try the 16Mbyte Psion branded compact flash that comes with the Netbook. Perhaps somebody on this group is able to lend/give you one to try ?

Ralph

[JKC]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement, across both forums (probably not the right plural- fora, fori?). I would have thought that if the problem was with the card that it would have got to the stage where it asked for it before crashing. I get the impression that it's not even getting that far. As I can replicate the problem with no personality module in the slot it seems as if there is no life there at all. However, I might try a psion card anyway, at 8ukp it's worth it!

Jo

[fladda]

You are probably correct here. I think that the Netbook boot module should display some sort of start-up screen after power-up, but *before* it starts reading the operating system file from the compact flash. Not 100% sure, as I don't want to wipe my Netbook just at this moment. I really should know all this as I spent a great deal of time messing about with the Netbook/Mbook boot ROMs earleir this year. Amazing how quickly one forgets. Doh !

So more likley there is a problem with your Netbook personality module rather than with your boot compact flash. I'd hold-off buying a second compact flash for now;-)

First thing to check is that you have been sold a genuine Netbook personality module on Ebay. There should be a numeric label on the top of the Netbook's personality module.

Q. What is the number on your Netbook personality module ?

Number on my Netbook personality module is 2031 0037 01. From memory the Mbook personality module is similar, although several people are now reprogramming the Mbook modules with the final Netbook operating system image.

Netbook personality module should have a Sharp flash ROM in position IC2 - the large square chip. If this flash ROM chip is missing then I'm afraid that you've been sold a Series-7 16kbyte DRAM module.

Just tried powering on my Series-7 with a 32Mbyte DRAM in the R/H slot and a 16Mbyte DRAM in the R/H slot. Got a white screen with no beep on power on.

Hmmm interesting <fx:goes back to original post on this forum>

Mention of white screen, no mention of beeping.

<fx:off to your usenet post>

You mention a series of beeps ONCE on your usenet post. Should just get one beep on power on with a pucca module.

So I suspect that you've might have been sold a series-7 16Mbyte DRAM module by an Ebay idiot or an Ebay fraudster ??

Another possibility is that your SA-1100 processor and/or associated electronics will not operate at the higher clock rate of 191Mhz. Unlikely given that you say you have a 156 Series-7 which should have a newish motherboard (i.e. same motherboard as the Netbook of that time).

Hope this helps,

Ralph

[JKC]

Thanks for all of your help Ralph,

However, a quick look at the chip in question shows that it is a netbook chip, with the same Sharp flash rom and the same serial number. Sigh.

I did mention in my usenet post that on one occasion (not the first btw) I did get a series of beeps when reinserting the main battery. It was at least 5-7 beeps, all the same tone and in quick succession, and then the same white screen as before. When I put my series 7 module back in I always get the single beep.

I think it's dead. The guy that sold it to me swears it was working when he had it so I'm looking into some compensation from the postal service as it was sent by Special Delivery. Fingers crossed.

:(

[Suomiman]

Maybe this may help. (Your question is been asked on a Dutch board here (http://www.symbian.info/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5738&perpage=25&pagenumber=1).

Most likley your CF is formatted as a FAT32. Try to format your card with four Psion 5mx or with a computer and try FAT16 or FAT12. Than try to load the OS.img on the card. Place it in the Netbook and wait 15 minutes.

Hopefully this will work.

[JKC]

Thanks for your help.

My compact flash card was formatted on the psion series 7 before the upgrade, with atelier's esential disk utilities and is definitely fat16. Sigh.

Given that I don't even get a beep to say that the machine has been reset with the netbook rom inserted, and then just get the blank screen forever, I'm pretty convinced that it's a dead chip.

Now just to get the post office to cough up compensation...

Jo

[JKC]

Well, it looks like the post-office are feeling generous at the moment as they have compensated me for the card, in full. Now I will just look on enviously at all this talk of increased speeds and ethernet access on 7books, and use my series 7 as it is...

Thanks again for all the help and advice I recieved over this!

Jo

[netBookBabe]

Jo

Good to hear you received compensation for the damaged card. Are you giving up now? Expansys still appear to have the stock of the upgrade, or have you just had enough of the whole thing?

Julie

[JKC]

I'd be happy to go for it but I don't think the rest of my family could stand the stress!