On Thu, Jul 19, 2001 at 10:23:32AM -0500, Bill Layer wrote:
> On Thu, 19 Jul 2001 08:44:13 -0500
> "Jim Crumley" <crumley at belka.space.umn.edu> wrote:
> 
> > My Pentium 200 MMX at home seems to be dying. The first warning was
> > that I got an error message about a possible IO conflict on 2F8
> > (IRQ 3?) while boot, 
> 
> First thing that comes to mind, especially in light of the machine's age,
> is a bad CMOS battery. If the battery failed, the machine would tend to
> reset the CMOS parameters to default - which would in turn enable both
> serial ports and create the IO conflict you are seeing. The settings could
> also simply have been corrupted by a marginal battery, with some
> parameters such that the system doesn't want to boot (RAM wait states,
> etc).
> 
> Test the CMOS battery with a voltmeter - it should be 3 volts or so. If
> not, replace it, reset the CMOS to the 'most compatible' defaults, and see
> how things go.

Bill, you nailed it!  The CMOS battery was completely dead - no deflection
whatsoever on the old volt meter.  Popped in a new one, fiddled with the 
CMOS settings a little, and now all is well (as well as can be expected
on a Pentium 200 ).

Thanks to all who replied.

-- 
Jim Crumley                  |
crumley at fields.space.umn.edu |
Work: 612 624-6804 or -0378  |