P5DW-H Deluxe CMOS Checksum Error!

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jasku

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Nov 18, 2006
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Hello all,

I got this CMOS checksum error once, and if the computer is disconnected for more than 10 mins and wen i go bak ...it prompts me to run BIOS setup, when i have already saved it.

I mite have caused this, when my comp was nt posting, i removed the CMOS jumper from 1-2 position and put it in the 2-3 position..with the battery in!!...

Guys pls tell me how this problem can be solved, i read elsewer tat this mite be a mobo problem!

Thanks
 
move the jumper back to 1-2.... 😛

try popping battery out for 10 min with the comp unplugged and jumper at 2-3 (unless you havent moved it back to 1-2, try that first...)

EDIT: Maybe try reflashing your bios with a floppy...
 
Hello all,

I got this CMOS checksum error once, and if the computer is disconnected for more than 10 mins and wen i go bak ...it prompts me to run BIOS setup, when i have already saved it.

I mite have caused this, when my comp was nt posting, i removed the CMOS jumper from 1-2 position and put it in the 2-3 position..with the battery in!!...

Guys pls tell me how this problem can be solved, i read elsewer tat this mite be a mobo problem!

Thanks
Click to expand...

This seems to happen when the P5W DH is used with Antec power supplies. However you didn't say what your PSU was.. When the power switch at the back is turned on, or even if the system is plugged in for the first time, the power supply will turn on but the motherboard is not "ready" for it. On second turn on you get this checksum error or even just a blank screen with the fans runing full tilt.

The Cmos doesn't have to be cleared, turn on the system while pressing and holding the bottom-right "insert" key on the keyboard until the monitor shows life, then go into bios and save the settings, probably nothing has to be changed, then you won't see the checksum error again. However you MAY want to update the bios since it's possible it is actually corrupted. This problem only seemed to occur with Bios 1401 or earlier, the latest approved build is 1602, which seems immune to this issue.

There's nothing wrong with the motherboard.

Next time tell us the power supply, Bios version, and memory type at least, since these can all contribute to the issue.
 
Thanks guys,

yes BustedSony ur rite it is a Antec 450W PSU, the one that comes with the SONATA-II case.

and how is pressing the "insert" key different from entering the bios via the "del" key. and ur rite again wen u say it happened the second time arnd..first time it prompted me to setup the BIOS , even tho i had done it the previous nite..

I am not at home...but if i recall correctly it is BIOS 1306,for the other details - Ram Corsair XMS-2 (2 x 1GB) (5-5-5-12)
 
Thanks guys,

yes BustedSony ur rite it is a Antec 450W PSU, the one that comes with the SONATA-II case.

and how is pressing the "insert" key different from entering the bios via the "del" key. and ur rite again wen u say it happened the second time arnd..first time it prompted me to setup the BIOS , even tho i had done it the previous nite..

I am not at home...but if i recall correctly it is BIOS 1306,for the other details - Ram Corsair XMS-2 (2 x 1GB) (5-5-5-12)
Click to expand...

Pressing "Insert" doesn't cause it to enter the bios, one still has to press "Delete" once the POST starts, to go into Bios. (Generally.) "Insert" seems to clear whatever illegal state the system got into after the false start. It temporarily sets the Bios to default safe settings so that one can get into Bios after a bad overclock and apparently this bad start. Bios will still show the previous user settings though, unlike CMOS clear which removes all settings including the clock.

Unfortunately, with the standard Antec power supplies in the Sonata II and 1050 (both of which I have) this problem arises after each time the AC has been removed from the supply. I solved that on my own P5W DH by putting into service an old but good Thermaltake supply. It's 400 watts but adequate for the board with E6400 overclocked and ATI 1900XT. The Antec supplies are now used on a P4 530 and my P3-1000 Video editor.

I should add that the latest Bios solves the Cmos checksum error and wanting to always go into Bios on POST, but doesn't solve the general issue with false starts. I think the "Last State" settings for power up do not work with Antec supplies or some such.
 
Thanks BustedSony,

So i will try the "Insert" key method, but if that doesnt work out, then flashing the bios..hmm im a bit hesitant...does warranty cover update mishap?...and is the latest ver stable?...do u use it?

Thanks
 
Thanks BustedSony,

So i will try the "Insert" key method, but if that doesnt work out, then flashing the bios..hmm im a bit hesitant...does warranty cover update mishap?...and is the latest ver stable?...do u use it?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Pressing insert is not a "method" but simply a way to get a clean boot up. It doesn't change anything, there is no risk. It avoids having to unnecessarily wipe the Bios settings with the jumper and having to start all over each and every time Boot fails.

The Bios should definitely be updated if you only have 1101. That's the first shipping Bios that supported the Conroe. It's old. I'm using 1405 or something simply because the computer is Folding 24/7 and I don't want to shut it down. I will upgrade the Bios at the first chance. Updating the bios is pretty safe, you can do it within Windows. Even if the flash fails due to power failure during Flash the P5W DH can load a default recovery Bios. Flashing the Bios doesn't affect the warranty, in fact it's recommended by the manufacturer to keep the bios current if there are any problems.
 
If after flashing the BIOS, it still dumps settings and reports checksum error, after power has been disconnected for any period of time, then please replace the battery. It's possible that the battery was already marginal when the board was manufactured.
 
If after flashing the BIOS, it still dumps settings and reports checksum error, after power has been disconnected for any period of time, then please replace the battery. It's possible that the battery was already marginal when the board was manufactured.
Click to expand...

But if power remains connected to the supply, with the system off, the Cmos will retain its memory even without a battery. - The battery should read 3.1 volts+, and can be replaced for $1.

A bad battery from the factory is rare, and the symptoms of the OP's system all match a bug with Antec Truepower supplies on a P5W DH when the Mains is reconnected to the supply, which I see described again and again. I'm surprised there is not some big thread about it, or an item published somewhere. All the disparate threads in this forum and others with the same questions over and over about why their P5W DH doesn't boot on their Antec supply just don't seem to have "clicked." No article writer or Hardware Honcho has caught on.

It's like around the year 2000 a lot of motherboards and other hardware started blowing capacitors, everyone in the industry knew about it but it wasn't until three years later that the general public found out or that the cause was traced (bad dielectric based on a stolen formula that had not been tested.)
 
Yes, I agree with you. It's a shame that the Antec bug hasn't been given due attention, and continues to cause people to spin their wheels needessly. Still, it's possible that his board has a faulty battery as well. Stranger things have happened, so for $1.00 or so, he can eliminate that possibility, however unlikely it may seem, just as a point of troubleshooting.
 
Yes, I agree with you. It's a shame that the Antec bug hasn't been given due attention, and continues to cause people to spin their wheels needessly. Still, it's possible that his board has a faulty battery as well. Stranger things have happened, so for $1.00 or so, he can eliminate that possibility, however unlikely it may seem, just as a point of troubleshooting.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with both things you say. Replacing the battery is easy, tracing why a particular motherboard dislikes a particular power supply, THAT'S hard! :lol:
 
interesting.....if this is a bug with the Antec PSU how does the Bios update solve the issue?

Another thing guys...earlier after i put my sys together..it wudnt boot...so i cleared CMOS by switching the jumper from 1-2 to 2-3 and bak to 1-2..with the battery intact..lol..u guys dont think that this mite have corrupted the Bios do u?

replacing the battery wud be a pain (infact clearin CMOS) wud be 2 coz i have to remove my grafic card!...and the safety clip always holds on for dear life..

So guys my Bios ver is 1305...shud i update it?...will it solve the problem?
 
interesting.....if this is a bug with the Antec PSU how does the Bios update solve the issue?

Another thing guys...earlier after i put my sys together..it wudnt boot...so i cleared CMOS by switching the jumper from 1-2 to 2-3 and bak to 1-2..with the battery intact..lol..u guys dont think that this mite have corrupted the Bios do u?

replacing the battery wud be a pain (infact clearin CMOS) wud be 2 coz i have to remove my grafic card!...and the safety clip always holds on for dear life..

So guys my Bios ver is 1305...shud i update it?...will it solve the problem?
Click to expand...

A Bios update DOESN'T solve the problem, but the later Bios doesn't seem to ever display the "Checksum error" that I kept seeing with several earlier Bioses. Also 1405 and later allow you to change the multiplier downwards on ANY C2D, which is nice.

You'll never know until you replace the battery. Removing the card isn't a big deal.. Hold out the clip with a small screwdriver and push down on the side of the battery opposite the clip, the cell will pop right out, sometimes it goes flying..

Erm, replacing the battery is easy, continuing to deal with the unknown problems in your system without trying the battery, THAT'S hard. (An echo somewhere.. ??)
 
Momentarily shorting the CMOS pins with the battery installed, also shorts the battery, which is why the manual states to first remove the battery. Although I've rarely observed this step over the past many years, MOMENTARILY shorting the pins won't kill a good battery.

If a battery is marginal because it came from a defective manufacturing batch, (rare, but it happens), or was improperly stored or handled, (more common), then momentarily shorting the battery may be enough to cause it to fail to retain enough charge to support the BIOS settings, when incoming power to the PSU has been switched off for more than several minutes, to perhaps several hours.

If, however, one were to short the pins, then become distracted with a phone call, etc, then leaving the jumper in a shorted state for an extended period of time would permanently damage the battery, and hinder it's ability to retain a charge. Batteries are a technology that we all too often take for granted, and not all batteries are created equal. There's no way to know where ASUS sourced the battery that's in your board, or if they were running out, and found yours on the floor under a piece of equipment lying in a puddle of tea, nor will a voltmeter tell it's whole story.

Sorry you have to remove a graphics card to get at the battery, but we'll all breath just a little bit easier when you've completed this little task. If all we accomlish by replacing the battery is to say that you have a fresh CMOS battery, then we can simply write it off to thorough troubleshooting techniques.

Please replace the battery and let us know what happens next.
 
Hey BustedSony thanks to u i have now flashed my Bios was a piece of cake...its now 1602!..it did show the error after the restart, then i went in and made the changes...and havent restarted since then...

Installin some games rite now...Id be happy if i dint have to go into BIOS and keep changing the date/time !

uve been great!...wer u from ?...are u into gamin?

Thanks for all the help thus far....i guess if i get the error again...i will need to get a new battery 😉)
 
Thanks CompuTronix for ur detailed answer....yes i will do that...first i need to go buy a new one!!! 😉)...i too wil breathe easy if this matter is resolved!
 
Hey BustedSony thanks to u i have now flashed my Bios was a piece of cake...its now 1602!..it did show the error after the restart, then i went in and made the changes...and havent restarted since then...

Installin some games rite now...Id be happy if i dint have to go into BIOS and keep changing the date/time !

uve been great!...wer u from ?...are u into gamin?

Thanks for all the help thus far....i guess if i get the error again...i will need to get a new battery 😉)
Click to expand...

Yah, we don't know how the battery is, but I've had these problems with a perfectly good battery.

I'm not really a gamer other than being addicted to Oblivion :) and doing a few races in Need for Speed now and again... I use the computer for video production but I have a side business building business PC systems and networks.

I'm British-born, living in Canada...

Good luck, I hope the worst is over.... :wink:
 
British born ...do u watch the EPL??...I love ARSENAL...which club do u support??...hmm i need to get all the latest games i can...jus to see how they look on my comp!!...


Your knowledge with this mobo and cabinet is awesome!..not only coz u own em!...

Thanks!
 
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