HWiNFO 7.20 crashes on an Abit BE6-II

[GL1zdA]

The Abit BE6-II was a popular 440BX motherboard. HWiNFO consistently crashes (everything hangs, no resposne to Ctrl+Alt+Delete) during PCI detection under 98 SE. Tried installing "Intel INF Update", but it doesn't help. SIV crashes in a similar way.

 

[SpeedyIV]

Do you mean SIV by RH Software or Gigabyte's SIV?

 

[GL1zdA]

Do you mean SIV by RH Software or Gigabyte's SIV?

SIV by RH Software.

 

[Martin]

Try to enable "Low-level PCI Access" if that will help.

 

[Martin]

Oh wait, this is Windows 9x, so that setting won't have an effect.
You might need to raise the "PCI Latency Timer" in BIOS.

 

[GL1zdA]

Default on this board is 4 (apparently it's 4*8 CLKs). Increased to 8, 16 and maximum 31, it didn't help

 

[Martin]

Try this build and make sure to enable the "Safe scan of potentially problematic PCI devices" option: www.hwinfo.com/beta/hwi32_727_4811.zip

 

[GL1zdA]

Thanks, it went past PCI Bus scanning but hanged the PC on SMBus. After disabling SMBus support it worked! I assume Abit did something wrong on this board? I've used an ASUS P2B (also 440BX) motherboard previously, and HWiNFO32 worked without any problems there. If it helps, I'm attaching debug logs for SafeScan and SafeScan and SMBus suppot disabled.

 

[Martin]

Well, it's still the same problem. For some reason, accessing the PIIX4 PCI device is casing a hang.
Not sure if this will help, but try this build with SMBus enabled: www.hwinfo.com/beta/hwi32_727_4812.zip

 

[GL1zdA]

This one works with SMBus enabled. Safe Scan is still required.

Additionally, here's a funny one. HWiNFO won't report much about the installed RAM sticks. It will even show the "empty" ones. CPUID does the same. But after I run AIDA64 (just run and close), both HWiNFO and CPUID start seeing the modules. Attaching screenshots. Yes, these are really PC-166 SDRAM modules, apparently some fancy overclocker modules made by PQI.

 

[Martin]

That looks like there's some explicit enabling of SPD access required. Please attach a Debug File of running before AIDA64 (without memory module details) and after running AIDA64.

 

[GL1zdA]

It took me a while. It seems I was lucky the first few times I've launched AIDA on this motherboard, because now it's hanging 95% of the time at PCI devices detection. And if I disable AIDA's "low level PCI detection", it won't enable SPD information. Nevertheless, after like 30 reboots it finally managed to do the PCI detection without hanging, so here are the debug files.

 

[Martin]

Please try this build and let me know if memory modules will now be detected without running AIDA64 first: www.hwinfo.com/beta/hwi32_727_4815.zip

 

[GL1zdA]

Thanks, I will test it the next time I will have access to this machine (probably in around 3 weeks)

 

[GL1zdA]

I've tested the build you provided, and it doesn't detect the modules.

 

[Martin]

Can you please attach the HWiNFO Debug File form that build?

 

[GL1zdA]

Yes, I'm attaching it here.

 

[Martin]

Hmm, this is really odd. I did exactly same as AIDA64 yet it doesn't help to "unblock" the SMBus Host. The controller doesn't seem to respond to commands by default.

 

[GL1zdA]

I think it has something to do with the PCI safe scanning. It looks like I was just lucky with AIDA launching, because now it also locks up or blue screens on PCI detection most of the time. Disabling Low Level PCI detection in AIDA64 makes it launch every time, but it also won't report SPD information, so this step is somehow required.

I had only 2 cards installed: a Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 (ViRGE) and a 3Com Ethernet adapter. I've decided to replace the Diamond with another ViRGE, this time by ELSA, since I remember I've seen the Diamond in various readmes for games as causing problems sometimes. Now AIDA launches every time. Back to HWiNFO, I've disabled the Safe Search option hoping it will somehow trigger the SPD information, but no, HWiNFO still hangs on PCI detection on the ELSA. I've launched it 4 times with Safe Search and would always lock the PC.

I've removed the 3Com adapter, but it changed nothing, HWiNFO still hangs.

There's a HPT366 controller integrated on the motherboard, but I've disabled it since I don't use it. Enabling it changed nothing.

Moved the ViRGE into another slot - it changed nothing.

At this point, I'm out of ideas of what else I could change.

 

[Martin]

I think the problem is the mainboard and its PCI support. Could be some timing marginality or whatever.. Maybe the DOS version of HWiNFO would run better...