Puzzling Error: 0175, Bad CRC1 stop POST - after post

[vlyne]

My latest broken Thinkpad acquisition, a T22 seems to startup OK straight into the IBM Thinkpad splash screen, with the F1 and F12 options at the bottom. It will also give the beeps if no memory is installed. So far so good. If I choose either the F1 or F12 option it will take several minutes before giving a couple of beeps and returning the following screen (which I've tried to copy):

PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0 for IBM ThinkPad
Copyright 1985-1999 Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
All Rights Reserved

© COPYRIGHT IBM CORPORATION 1999, 2001 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.


CPU = Intel® Mobile Pentium ® III processor 900 MHz
640K System RAM Passed
127M Extended RAM Passed
0256K Cache SRAM Passed
System BIOS shadowed
Video BIOS shadowed
UMB upper limit segment address: DC00
Mouse initialized
ERROR
0175: Bad CRC1, stop POST task.



Preparing Boot Device List …

This particular example is with the F12 option selected. Only the last line changes with the F1 option (or if no option is selected).

So it looks like there is a problem with the bios but shouldn't a CRC error occur at the start and not after what appears to be a successful POST operation?? I'm confused and would appreciate some clarification on what's going on.

By the way, I've searched around and discovered that this particular 0175 CRC error is not uncommon amongst the T2* series and may be related to the power-up problem that affilicts the series. The owner of the laptop said he woke up one morning to be greeted by this problem. I know that other forum members (Joe?) have also run across this problem.

I realise that we're not allowed to discuss some possible solutions to this problem but others have successfully reflashed their bios only to discover that the problem recurs. I'm almost resigned to junking the motherboard at this stage; my eyesight and fingers are not quite good enough to deal with those tiny feet on the Atmel chip.
Cheers

[JohnnyM]

I've attempted it and failed-- it's tough. Some people are talented at this though, and you should be able to get about $20 for it on ebay.

[vlyne]

I'm definitely not going to try and replace the chip but I might have a go at reading it...someday.... I did go through the BIOS updates and noted the following references to the 175 error:

Symptoms corrected by version 1.05 16ET25WW
• (Fix) 0175 POST error occur.

Symptoms corrected by version 1.10 16ET30WW
• (Fix) POST 175 error occur if system is powered off during POST.

There's no details of what the first fix was supposed to fix but the second fix does suggest some problem with power supply during post. I'm not sure which version of bios I have but it looks like I have a pre-1.10 or perhaps even a pre-1.05. So, the important lesson from this is keep your bios up to date
Cheers

[vlyne]

Followup:

Came across this article in the zurich thinkpad forum

tpx20 <tpx20@ja.axxs.net> wrote:
Hi Larry,

NO.

Incorrect assumption.

The TP writes to the eeprom at various times during normal BOOT and SHUTDOWN.

Even when there is no password set.

Even when the user is not accessing the BIOS set up.

It is NOT SAFE to run a TP with main battery removed. The chance of corrupting the eeprom if power fails or the AC adaptor is unplugged resulting in CRC errors in the eeprom is EXTREMELY HIGH.

This is not simply guesswork on my part, I have thoroughly researched this subject, please do accept it as FACT.

Cheers
Joe

I suspect this might be true for the older bios but hopefully fixed in the newer versions? Can anyone confirm or deny the FACT

Cheers

[tfflivemb2]

Well, of course it is FACT that it is not AS safe to run a laptop without a main battery...anything can happen...especially during a BIOS update. You can also kill a hard drive by having the power shut off during a process. PCs have the same problem.

I think that the real question is what are the ODDS of something happening.

[vlyne]

Well, of course it is FACT that it is not AS safe to run a laptop without a main battery...anything can happen...especially during a BIOS update.

Rightly so, but the FACT I was referring to was more the question about the bios/eeprom being accessed (written to) by the system during boot and shutdown (as distinct from a BIOS update).
Cheers