Dell Optiplex GX620 hangs after firmware update... help

[davide rossetti]

On 10/23/07, Matt Domsch <Matt_Domsch at dell.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 22, 2007 at 11:55:36PM +0200, davide rossetti wrote:
> > dear all,
> > I'm so sad :( I ruined my GX620 using formware tools.... I know it's
> > beta but please help me to get out of it...
> >
> > I followed the instructions on
> > http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Oss/Firmware_Tools/announce
> >
> > I did:
> > 1) yum install $(inventory_firmware -b)
> > it found a brand new firmware (A11, old was A03)
> > 2) apply_updates --yes
> > 3) apply_updates --yes
> > 4) apply_updates --yes
> >
> > yes, I did it 3 times as the apply was so quick that I thought there
> > was some error somewhere...
> > Then I did a power-down
> > Then a powen on
> > and now I'm in the situation that the PC stops during BIOS:
> > - LCD stay in power-save
> > - a bunch of beeps are played, then it goes silent
>
> Listen to those beeps - they're a code that can be deciphered using this:
>
> http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx620/en/ug/A02/tools00.htm#wp1120374

as reported in a previous email, it is 1-3-2, indicating memory
problems. So I tried the following:
- swapped my 2x512MB DIMMs with another fully-functional Dell GX620 2x1GB,
- but still had the SAME problems (beeping 1-3-2), while my DIMMs on
the other GX620 was behaving properly.

> You might also try clearing out the CMOS settings described here:
> http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx620/en/ug/A02/advfeat0.htm#wp1132466

bingo! clearing CMOS was the right winning thing. now it's ok.

- It booted back in A03 BIOS so in the end my first upgrade was not successful
- did 'update_firmware --yes'
- did warm restart
- A03 BIOS found and upgraded to A11
- auto reset
- reboot A11 BIOS

now I'm happy again ;)

as to what was wrong with my original procedure I can only guess:
1) the fact that I did 'update_firmware --yes' three times in a raw
2) the fact that I did poweroff, i.e. cold restart.
one or both of these may have garbaged some CMOS setting...

thank you so much for your support

If you what me to do some more testing, please tell me. I'm really
interested in supporting your work. confronted with the time I spent
trying to do the BIOS upgrade the traditional way without the floppy
disk (I tried with a USB floppy drive with no luck, tried to create a
MSDOS USB flash disk no luck).

davide

-- 
davide.rossetti at gmail.com ICQ:290677265 SKYPE:d.rossetti