Checksum error - failed at checkpoint [7FH]

Question

Dell Inspiron 531. For some time it would not boot; unless I hit F1 and reset the date and time. Then the power supply failed which I replaced. Then it worked for a while (with the F1) but eventually would not get beyond the F1 prompt. I discovered that the USB keyboard and mouse would not work with a motherboard problem - unable to find a PCI card to accept a PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Before throwing any more money at it; how can I test the motherboard?

dakitas · Answer

there are alot of hits on google for this almost exact error message - too many to list

dakitas · Answer

the m/d USB is best for getting into BIOS, rather than PCI-PS/2 card, i would upgrade BIOS, reset BIOS to 'default', clear 'event log', replace 3.3v motherboard battery, when PC will not boot after F1, HDD may be failing and or require a fresh OS install, back up data, best to use a good known spare HDD, unplug CD/DVD and or boot into Ubunto Live CD and test USB keyboard & mouse, all the basic troubleshooting stuff and more things i missed,  look for any imperfections on m/b, it is rare for desktop m/b failure

KCTommy · Answer

Thanks dakitas - forgot to mention that I did replace the CMOS battery to no avail. Will try the HDD route followed by your  other suggestions. Will report back

speedstep · Answer

BCCode: 7f 0x0000007f with the 00000008 parameter usually means a hardware issue.

Sounds like electrostatic physical damage stick a fork in you you are done.

7Fh Extended NMI source (PARITY ERROR) ALL RAM IS BAD. :emotion-9:

Reset CMOS battery

Reseat the RAM

Reseat the Graphics card.

Check power cable to graphics card.

Check 24pin power connected to mainboard.

Check 2x4pin power connected to mainboard.

A checkpoint is either a byte or word value output to I/O port 80h.

The BIOS outputs checkpoints throughout bootblock and Power-On Self Test (POST) to indicate the task the system is currently executing.

Checkpoint 7FH means "Extended NMI source enabling is in progress".

That error means it failed to find an "interrupt" for something.

That could be caused by any number of things from a failing add-in card to a failing CPU.

http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/dmp-hw/bios/Vortex86_POST_Checkpoint_Codes.pdf

Boot Block POST Codes

Code	Description
E0h	The onboard floppy controller, if available, is initialized. Base 512 KB memory test starts.
E1h	Interrupt vector table initialization starts.
E2h	DMA and Interrupt controller initialization starts.
E6h	Floppy disk drive controller and timer IRQs enabled. Internal cache memory enabled.
Edh	Floppy disk drive initialized.
EFh	Displayed if a read error occurs while reading the floppy disk in drive A.
F0h	Searching for the AMIBOOT.ROM file in the root directory.
F1h	The AMIBOOT.ROM file is not in the root directory.
F2h	Read and analyze the floppy disk FAT to find the clusters occupied by the AMIBOOT.ROM file.
F3h	Read the AMIBOOT.ROM file, cluster by cluster.
F4h	Displayed if the AMIBOOT.ROM file is not the correct size.
F5h	Internal cache memory disabled.
FBh	Detection of Flash ROM starts.
FCh	Erasure of Flash ROM starts.
FDh	Programming of Flash ROM starts.
FFh	Flash ROM programming successful. System BIOS restart begun.

Normal Boot POST Codes

Code	Description
D0h	The NMI is disabled. Power on delay starts, and the initialization code checksum is verified.
D1h	Start of DMA controller initialization, keyboard controller BAT test, and memory refresh. Next step is entry into 4GB flat mode.
D3h	Start of memory sizing.
D4h	Return to real mode. Any OEM patches are executed, and then the stack is set.
D5h	Control passed to the uncompressed code in shadow RAM at E000:0000h. The initialization code is copied to segment 0.
D7h	Control is transferred to segment 0. Check performed to detect if CTRL+HOME was pressed, and to verify the system BIOS checksum. If CTRL+HOME was pressed or the system BIOS checksum is bad, the BIOS jumps to checkpoint code E0h (boot block section).
03h	The NMI is disabled. Check performed for a soft reset or a power on condition.
05h	The BIOS stack is built. Begin disabling cache memory.
06h	Start uncompressing the POST code.
07h	Initialize the CPU and the CPU data area.
08h	Calculate the CMOS checksum.
0Ah	Initialize the CMOS status register for date and time.
0Bh	The CMOS status register is initialized. Start any initialization required before the keyboard BAT command is issued.
0Ch	The keyboard controller input buffer is free. BAT command issued to the keyboard controller.
0Eh	The keyboard controller BAT command result verified. Start any initialization necessary after the keyboard controller BAT command test.
0Fh	The initialization after the keyboard controller BAT command test is done. Write the keyboard command byte.
10h	The keyboard controller command byte is written. Issue the Pin 23 and 24 blocking and unblocking command.
11h	Check if the END or INS keys were pressed during power on. Initialize CMOS RAM if the option to Initialize the CMOS RAM on every boot was set or the END key was pressed.
12h	Start disabling DMA controllers 1 and 2 and interrupt controllers 1 and 2.
13h	The video display has been disabled. Port B has been initialized. Start initializing the chipset.
14h	Start the 8254 timer test.
19h	The 8254 timer test is finished. Start the memory refresh test.
1Ah	The memory refresh line is toggling. Start checking the 15 second on/off time.
23h	Read the 8042 input port and disable the MEGAKEY Green PC feature. Make the BIOS code segment writable and perform any necessary configuration before initializing the interrupt vectors.
24h	The configuration required before interrupt vector initialization has completed. Start the vector initialization.
25h	Interrupt vector initialization is done. Start clearing the password if the POST DIAG switch is on.
27h	Start initialization before setting the video mode.
28h	Initialization before setting the video mode is complete. Start configuring the monochrome mode and color mode settings.
2Ah	Start bus initialization for the system, static, and output devices, if present.
2Bh	Pass control to the video ROM to perform any required configuration before the video ROM test.
2Ch	All necessary processing before passing control to the video ROM is done. Start passing control to the video ROM.
2Dh	The video ROM has returned control to BIOS POST. Start performing any required processing after the video ROM had control.
2Eh	Completed post–video ROM test processing. If the EGA/VGA controller is not found, start performing the display memory read/write test.
2Fh	The EGA/VGA controller was not found. The display memory read/write test is about to begin.
30h	The display memory read/write test passed. Start the retrace check.
31h	The display memory read/write test or retrace checking failed. Start performing the alternate display memory read/write test.
32h	The alternate display memory read/write test passed. Start the alternate display retrace checking.
34h	Video display check is complete. Start setting the display mode.
37h	The display mode is set. Start displaying the power on message.
38h	Start initializing the bus input, IPL, and general devices, if present.
39h	Display bus initialization error messages.
3Ah	The new cursor position has been read and saved. Start displaying the “Hit ” message next.
3Bh	The “Hit ” message has been displayed. The protected mode memory test is about to start.
40h	Prepare the descriptor tables. Start the memory test.
42h	The descriptor tables are prepared. Start entry to protected mode for the memory test.
43h	Now in protected mode. Start enabling interrupts for the diagnostics mode.
44h	Interrupts enabled if the diagnostics switch is on. Start initializing data to check memory wraparound at 0:0.
45h	Data initialized. Start checking for memory wraparound at 0:0 and determining the total system memory size next.
46h	The memory wraparound test is done. Memory size calculation is done. Start writing patterns to test memory.
47h	The memory pattern has been written to extended memory. Start writing patterns to the base 640 KB memory.
48h	Patterns written in base memory. Start determining the amount of memory below 1 MB.
49h	The amount of memory below 1 MB has been found and verified. Start determining the amount of memory above 1 MB memory.
4Bh	The amount of memory above 1 MB has been found and verified. Start checking for a soft reset and clearing the memory below 1 MB for the soft reset. If this is a power on situation, go to checkpoint 4Eh.
4Ch	The memory below 1 MB has been cleared via a soft reset. Start clearing the memory above 1 MB next.
4Dh	The memory above 1 MB has been cleared via a soft reset. Start saving the memory size. Go to checkpoint 52h.
4Eh	The memory test has started, but not as the result of a soft reset. Start displaying the first 64 KB memory size.
4Fh	The memory size display has started. The display is updated during the memory test. Start performing the sequential and random memory test.
50h	The memory below 1 MB has been tested and initialized. Start adjusting the displayed memory size for relocation and shadowing.
51h	The memory size display was adjusted for relocation and shadowing. Start testing the memory above 1 MB.
52h	The memory above 1 MB has been tested and initialized. Start saving the memory size information.
53h	The memory size information and the CPU registers are saved. Start entering real mode.
54h	Shutdown was successful. The CPU is in real mode. Start disabling the Gate A20 line, parity, and the NMI next.
57h	The A20 address line, parity, and the NMI are disabled. Start adjusting the memory size depending on relocation and shadowing.
58h	The memory size was adjusted for relocation and shadowing. Start clearing the “Hit ” message.
59h	The “Hit ” message is cleared. The “ ” message is displayed. Start the DMA and interrupt controller test.
60h	The DMA page register test passed. Start the DMA Controller 1 base register test.
62h	The DMA controller 1 base register test passed. Start the DMA controller 2 base register test.
65h	The DMA controller 2 base register test passed. Start programming DMA controllers 1 and 2.
66h	Completed programming DMA controllers 1 and 2. Start initializing the 8259 interrupt controller.
67h	Completed 8259 interrupt controller initialization.
7Fh	Extended NMI source enabling is in progress.
80h	The keyboard test has started, clearing the output buffer and checking for stuck keys. Start issuing the keyboard reset command.
81h	A keyboard reset error or stuck key was found. Start issuing the keyboard controller interface test command.
82h	The keyboard controller interface test completed. Start writing the command byte and initializing the circular buffer.
83h	The command byte was written and global data initialization has completed. Start checking for a locked key and performing a BUS device ROM scan.
84h	Locked key check is complete. Start checking for a memory size mismatch with CMOS RAM data.
85h	The memory size check is done. Start displaying a soft error and either checking for a password or bypassing WINBIOS Setup.
86h	The password was checked. Start performing any required programming before WINBIOS Setup.
87h	The programming before WINBIOS Setup has completed. Start uncompressing the WINBIOS Setup code and executing the AMIBIOS Setup or WINBIOS Setup utility.
88h	Returned from WINBIOS Setup and cleared the screen. Start performing any necessary programming after WINBIOS Setup.
89h	The programming after WINBIOS Setup has completed. Start displaying the power on screen message next.
8Bh	The first screen message has been displayed. The “ ” message is displayed. Start performing the PS/2 mouse check and extended BIOS data area allocation check.
8Ch	Start programming the WINBIOS Setup options.
8Dh	The WINBIOS Setup options are programmed. Start resetting the hard disk controller.
8Fh	The hard drive controller has been reset. Start configuring the floppy disk drive controller.
91h	The floppy disk drive controller has been configured. Start configuring the hard drive controller next.
95h	Start initializing the bus option ROMs from C800h.
96h	Start initialization before passing control to the adapter ROM at C800h.
97h	Initialization before the C800h adapter ROM gains control has completed. The adapter ROM check is next.
98h	The adaptor ROM had control, and has now returned control to BIOS POST. Start performing any required processing after the option ROM.
99h	Any initialization required after the option ROM test has completed. Start configuring the timer data area and printer base address.
9Ah	Set the timer and printer base addresses. Start setting the RS-232 base address next.
9Bh	Returned after setting the RS-232 base address. Start performing any required initialization before the Coprocessor test.
9Ch	Required initialization before the Coprocessor test is over. Start initializing the Coprocessor.
9Dh	Coprocessor initialized. Start performing any required initialization after the Coprocessor test.
9Eh	Initialization after the Coprocessor test is complete. Start checking the extended keyboard, keyboard ID, and NUM LOCK key, and then issue the keyboard ID command.
A2h	Display any soft errors.
A3h	The soft error display has completed. Start setting the keyboard typematic rate.
A4h	The keyboard typematic rate is set. Start programming the memory wait states.
A5h	Memory wait state programming is over. Start clearing the screen and enabling parity and the NMI.
A7h	NMI and parity enabled. Start performing any initialization required before passing control to the adapter ROM at E000h.
A8h	Initialization before passing control to the adaptor ROM at E000h completed. Start passing control to the adapter ROM at E000h.
A9h	Control returned from adapter ROM at E000h. Start performing any initialization required after the E000h option ROM had control.
Aah	Initialization after E000h option ROM control has completed. Start displaying the system configuration next.
Abh	Start uncompressing the DMI data and executing DMI POST initialization.
B0h	The system configuration is displayed.
B1h	Start copying any code to specific areas.
00h	Code copying to specific areas is done. Pass control to INT 19h boot loader.

KCTommy · Answer

The USB keyboard won't respond. The M/C in question is running BIOS 1.0.13 have downloaded  I531_108 on another PC. Have unplugged CD & DVD. Will replace (or swop to another M/C) a HDD

KCTommy · Answer

Reated the CMoS battery, RAM, 24-pin power connector and removed the graphics card and using video port on motherboard but situation unchanged

KCTommy · Answer

Looks like I need to replace the motherboard - any suggestions on this score please?

dakitas · Answer

try another USB keyboard and mouse, check the m/b USB pins, the above post says the issue is RAM, if both slots are full, swap the RAM and remove 1 stick per reboot

KCTommy · Answer

GOOD NEWS!

Third time lucky. Previously tried another k/b without success. Managed to borrow another and ... it works. RAM was good - only one beep. Only problem now is 'diskette drive 0 seek failure' which still needs F1 to proceed. Have reloaded Windows 7 which works (am writing this on the m/c in question) but it crashed overnight. Ran Disk Doctor on all drives after updating Win7

Thanks for all assistance.

Locked Topics – Desktops General

Was this post helpful?