D8B Floppy Needed OS 3 or 5

[Y-my-R]

What I should have mentioned earlier:

In order to figure out if the processor or the mainboard are bad, you need one of these little mainboard speakers like this:

https://tinyurl.com/2wrx6vfy

The mainboard will output a "beep code" that should allow you to look up what the issue is. If you have one of those speakers and can connect it to the speaker terminals on the mainboard, then turn the power on, it should beep sort of like morse code.

Take a note what the morse code is like (e.g. "- - - . . . - - -" is S.O.S., I think, haha). You can search for the beep code results, and that usually lets you figure out where the problem comes from.

I mean... just because it's impossible to know on here, how computer-literate someone is (or not): If there's no memory or no processor on the board, currently, there'd also be no output on the video card... so, what's in the rack unit should at least be "complete" in order to try this sort of stuff.

Again, best of luck!

[Kevin A]

Thank you.

[Kevin A]

Hello Everyone. I just replaced my entire motherboard and I still got the error 43 message. The tech asked me does the CPU need "boot disc" because the system cannot boot without it. I had a floppy docs that was in the drive but it has been misplaced. Could this be my issue? I have replaced the battery and the motherboard.

[Kevin A]

Hello. I have replaced the bios battery as well as the motherboard. I still get the "error 43 host did not boot" message. There was a floppy disc that was always in my floppy drive but It was accidentally misplaced. Could the missing floppy disc be the issue? The system will not boot.

[Jondav1120]

Hi Kevin,

Can you access the BIOS (press Delete as you turn on) to check the settings?
They are almost certain to be incorrect with a new motherboard and changing the battery.

When I boot the system I hear the CPU processing start then suddenly stop. The solo light is on the entire time, frozen for about 3 minutes while my monitor is black and not receiving any signal from the CPU. Then I get error 43 host did not boot message.

Based on this, I'm thinking that you probably cannot even get into the BIOS, so...

1. Remove as much as possible from the CPU. All that you need to see if the video card and motherboard work is memory, CPU and the video card (any video card will do for this purpose, as long as it fits the slot on the motherboard).
So, remove / disconnect the hard drive, floppy drive, MIDI card, network card and leave the console completely disconnected. Don't even connect the mouse and keyboard!
In this configuration all it should do is show the initial video output of the POST routine, and will then give a message along the lines of "Boot fail - no boot device found" or similar. Somewhere you may see the message "Press Delete to enter BIOS" but without the keyboard you obviously can't take that route yet!

2. If that is successful and you can see the POST routine on the monitor, power down and connect the keyboard. Reboot, while pressing "Delete" and hopefully you should then be able to access the BIOS to check and correct the settings.

Let us know the results of the above, and we will try and help further...

Regards

John

[Kevin Alexander]

Thank you John. I had issues logging in and I had to reset my user info. I replaced the motherboard as well as the video card and I am still getting the error 43 code. . I now have a floppy emulator and I am going to download the OS to the emulator and swap out the floppy. Does anyone have the directions on downloading the OS to the emulator or is it a drag and drop?

[Y-my-R]

Let me try to summarize what happened in this thread so far:

1.
P: Problem report: Need OS 3 or 5 floppy disks/images.
A: Link to disk images provided.

2.
P:Floppy images don’t fit on floppy disks
A: The images need to be extracted to the floppies, not copied. Instructions provided.

No feedback from Kevin, if he has working floppy disks now. Instead, moved on to #3

3.
P: I changed the battery and still get Error 43. I “downloaded” the disks but the system will not process them (Q: or rather, you weren’t able to follow the instructions? What EXACTLY is happening? Detailed description, please!!!!)
A: Explanation what Error 43 is and several questions for information so we can help better.

More back and forth ensued, with relatively little usable information provided.

4.
P: When trying to boot, hear the CPU then it suddenly stops. The solo like is on “frozen” for about 3 minutes and the monitor stays black. Then I get Error 43.
A: That sort of detail is what is needed for troubleshooting. Suggested a few thing (try different monitor, TRY a different video card, etc, as the monitor should always show “something” when powering on the unit).

5.
P: Kevin reports he replaced the battery and video card. Says the monitors (the screen?) clicks (do you mean the speakers with “monitors”?) but nothing visible comes up on the monitor. Sounds like you still weren’t able to set the BIOS to where it needs to be, if nothing appears on the screen. You asked where new motherboards can be purchased.
A: John shares link, where new motherboards are available.

IMO, it was much too early to just go ahead and replace the motherboard, without trying the suggestions already provided and giving detailed feedback of what is being observed. IMO, Kevin jumped the gun by asking where to buy the mainboard without exhausting all other troubleshooting options, first, and John simply answered the latter question.

6.
P: Kevin asks about the process to swap the motherboard.
A: I respond with my recent motherboard replacement experience (while assuming SOME knowledge of how to do this sort of thing, or such a test should not be attempted). I also shared where to get a little computer speaker to be able to listen to the potentially bad mainboard’s “beep code” prior to replacing it. Also, while pointing out that various other issues, like there being no RAM installed on the mainboard etc. could result in the monitor not outputting anything. The point was, that it’s important to diagnose the existing mainboard this way, before just buying a new one.

7.
P: Instead of reporting back what the beep code for the mainboard is, Kevin reports that he replaced the entire mainboard and still has the same issue. No useful details are shared, whatsoever.
I still have no idea if he has any kind of experience with relatively serious computer repairs like this, since the information flow from Kevin is so minimal. I have no idea where exactly he started when the problem began, due to lack of basic info, and have even less of an idea now, since I don’t know if he may have added NEW problems, if the process may not have been followed correctly, as Kevin appears to treat major tasks that are to be taken very seriously (e.g. replacing a mainboard), like it is a menial task, like connecting a speaker cable or something… anyway.
A: John responds with general troubleshooting steps that are useful when a computer’s board seems “dead”.

8:
P: Kevin responds, saying that he took so long to react because he had problems with the forum login, in addition to with his D8B. Then goes on to repeat the minimal info he repeated multiple times, that wasn’t particularly helpful (replaced motherboard and video card, still Error 43. Has floppy emulator now).


OK, with all this of a summary in one place, here’s some questions - without CLEAR and DETAILED answers to this, we will not make any progress, and I will stop responding. The communication on this thread is abysmal… typical for escalating tech support requests when I was still doing tech support for music companies - the reason here, is LACK OF USABLE INFORMATION. Please don’t be so tight lipped, Kevin. This is what’s getting in the way, here!!!

Question 1:
Did you get that little PC speaker I suggested to buy? If so, does the mainboard give a beep code? If so, what is it?
(If you didn’t get the speaker, don’t bother responding, since I won’t anymore).

Question 2:
What mainboard did you install? An PM9800 or GCB50-BX are the only two valid choices. Anything else will not work.

Question 3:
Does the D8B computer have everything else installed, that you need for a running system? So, memory, hard drive etc? Which mainboard is it? If it’s the old type, do NOT install memory in the old AND memory banks - this will not work. Only in the old OR new memory banks. The hard drive, it sounded like your tech asked you if it shouldn’t have one to boot up - yes, it needs a OS hard drive. This leads me to the next question:

Question 4:
How did you get that D8B? Did it work for you, before? Is it complete? Does it have a clock card installed? Was it working when you picked it up? If it wasn’t working, did the seller say anything about it, or what’s missing? If it was NOT complete, I think we better go over what you have and may be missing, before continuing.

Question 5:
You said you replaced the video card? This also will only work with a D8B video card, not with any “random” one. However, to see the BIOS and check if the mainboard is bad, you can use “any” video card that fits into the PCI or AGP slots. Such an “other” video card will NOT work to use the D8B as a mixer, though, but it could be helpful to troubleshoot why you don’t see anything on the screen, not even for the BIOS.

Let’s try this, first:
Leave the D8B console disconnected for now (both, the DB25 and BFC cables). Let’s focus on getting some output on the monitor of your rack computer, first.

So, are you sure you installed one of the two mainboards listed above, properly? When you turn on the power, do the fans turn for the CPU and in the power supply? Does that little speaker make any sound after that? At the monitor connected to the video card, what do you see? Anything?

Let’s start with this first, please and forget everything about “I still get error 43” and all. You’re jumping the gun. We need to take this step by step and with LOTS of attention to detail and information exchange, or you can take your D8B and toss it in the bin right now.

Thank you Kevin. It’s up to you, if we can sort this out or not.

[doktor1360]

Let’s start with this first, please and forget everything about “I still get error 43” and all. You’re jumping the gun. We need to take this step by step and with LOTS of attention to detail and information exchange, or you can take your D8B and toss it in the bin right now.

Thank you Kevin. It’s up to you, if we can sort this out or not.

*sinister grinning*

Rah-HAHAHAHA

FFS... I nearly lost a lung when I read this...

slow_clap.jpg (Array KiB) Viewed 1339 times

*giggle-snorts*

[Y-my-R]

Sorry... I think I popped a vein or something, haha...

Let me try that again in a friendlier tone:
Kevin - I'm sorry to push back on you so hard for the way this thread went so far. I don't mean to be offensive or even accusatory or anything... I'm sorry if this is what came across.

The thing is just, that I read along the thread and chimed in a few times, but every time there was an update to the threat, I was thinking about what I could possibly respond with, that would be useful - given the lack of useful information provided.

And when I repeatedly read new updates and in my head "tried out" how I could respond in a useful manner, it made me more frustrated with every update, since there was just nothing to go by, and the only "info" found, was the repeated "I still get Error 43".

Sorry, Kevin. My response was still inappropriate.

Let me try again:
Error 43 only means that the computer and the console aren't talking to each other. But there could be a gazillion reasons for that.
So, saying just that, without giving more details what else is going on, what the display outputs, what the beep code on the speaker is etc., is just utterly useless. And after I read the same kinds of responses from you repeatedly, I guess I lost it a bit...

Still, though... nobody on here "has" to respond to anything. So, my real intention is truly just to be helpful, and rescue another D8B from premature (well... sort of) decommission.

So, if you still want to get your D8B working, Kevin, get one of those little speakers, and then please respond to the (unfortunately formulated in not the friendliest ways) questions I posted further above.

Without details in response to more or less ALL of those questions, we're all just shooting in the dark.

P.S.: I did tech support for music gear in a professional capacity for many years. However, when working for a company, you can NEVER respond with something like how I responded further above... but every tech supporter always wishes they could just write what they think. And on a private page, like here, it's not the same customer vs employee situation like it usually is in tech support, and thus the threshold isn't as high to speak my mind more freely.
If you ever had trouble communicating with Tech Support somewhere, though... these are the types of thoughts that bubble up in tech supporter's heads, when they can't get the info out of a user with polite/professional means. They'd then all like to "verbally beat the info out of" such users... and that's why my tone was a bit forceful above.

Again, my apologies, though. I don't mean this personal in any way... I guess that old Tech Support "pressure valve" just gave out... sorry, Kevin!

[micjax71]

I have Kevin's D8b on the bench now. No video, no post, no beeps. AT Power supplies are good, HDD was unlugged.
It has a Rage XL video card on a PCI slot, is that correct?