Dks1530 Pc Issue

[relaxia]

Hello,

A case - customer claimed problem with PC functioning - PC was slow and was loosing main screen image icons - almost not possible to work without earlier prepared main printscreens.

All symptoms were showing MB is dying and indeed capacitors on the MB were "pumped" in the AGP area so assumed this was the main problem with the display.

We decided to take regeneration way - "new" MB, new HDD, new POwer supply - and repair original MB

1. replaced old 300W PS ( looked very good after 10 years of continous working) new 400W chieftec PS.

2. Cloned HDD to the identical new drive  - after 10 years, old MAxtor HDD was still operational no bad sectors no problems with sector reading.

3. bought MSI-6728 board in version 2.0 (platinum edition) for substitution - 1st problem that it didnt have integrated graphic card so i used Nvida 5200 series AGP available.

After installing driver work was possible but .. only in administrator mode - on DKS user PC started to show strange error messages - and finally said this user was not available - like system was locking access to the application and used disk areas.

"Application caused critical error"

" ODBC database cannot be used( found)"  

and few others together including dumping of the memory

 

4. Repaired old MB replaced only the bad capacitors - and put back on place - after 1 day of normal work system started again the same issues - to loose icons and lock the access to dks user.

Assumed system needs reinsstallation probably some drivers or routines or config files suffered.

 

questions

1. Did someone experienced such PC behavior before ?

2. could it be memory issue -- affected by bad caps ?

3. want to enhance memory - did you thred this ? what memories did you put in to have work in dual  channel mode ?

4. are there any chances the chances to restore dks user profile without reinstalling whole system ? customer has original eyetech disk ( OS + software)

5. Is there any possibility that dongle is linked to  specific motherboard and could cause this problems ?

Someone said any MB with Intel 865 chipset will work - it seems that not any because straight swap to almost the same model ( main difference was lack of integrated graphic card...) was not really succesfull.

looks like i am not able to go back to the state before claim .

Edited November 19, 2014 by relaxia

[Lankey]

Hi Relaxia,

Wished I knew enough to help you as you help soo many others.

regards

[pskaro]

I have some strange problems also on one DKS 1530 which I am solving for the last two days, and solved it up to the point that the customer can print normally but there is still issue with C++ error appearing when I start the application or HWMon, and if I press ignore (ones or twice ?) application is started and everything is working normally ?

 

Also old MSI motherboard with 3 bad capacitors which are replaced, PS was changed few months ago and HDD is replaced with used one, everything was reinstalled from scratch, but this problem remain ?

 

During the installation, the modified PC power supply died, but after changing it, the 220V was not on it or on 24V PS because off the issue with bad connector (looks like PC power connector) on the box behind the main fuses...

 

Anyway, I temporarily solved the problem by installing the PTFB application which states in the tray and monitor appearing off that C++ window and if it appear then this application automatically press the ignore button and it works.

 

Scanner is tested on the other minilab and it works normally, it seems like there is some synchronization problem with motherboard and scanner ?

 

But, I remember in the past that I had some issue with installing the OS and solved it with changing the BIOS version for the newer one, and what was strange is that the existing BIOS version could not be found on the motherboard manufacturer site ?!

 

Also, one other technician told me that he had something similar and after changing complete PC (but leaving the old HDD) on the end it was a problem with HDD which was checked and tested by some local computer guy to be 100% OK !!!

 

Relaxia, regarding the issues that you have, I am not sure from your post if you tried to reinstall everything from scratch by using the KIS Master OS V3.12 CD, even try without customer backup as first step ?

 

Dongle is not connected to the MB as I have few machine running with new quad processors and SATA HDD without a problem, you need the MB with 2 or 3 PCI slots, 1 LPT and 1 COM port (or additional controller) and it is possible to install it (using Manual PC Installation in Master OS boot menu or using the existing gho files manually opened by some Ghost from Hiren Boot CD for example....).

 

You can have a problem with memory banks off course, but this behavior is more similar to some viruses ?

 

Also some peripherals (mouse, keyboard, card readers scanners...) can couse this erratic behavior, try to disconnect everything even the SCSI cables for a test to check is there some problems with a machine (IMPAG or IM1500...)

 

I have issue on one DKS4 that PC is very slow (not usable at all) when external Barbierri densitometer is connected which works normally on another PC ?

 

Or you have a ghost in the PC ?

Edited November 22, 2014 by pskaro

[adamwooo]

I had some times ago the same problem as Relaxia wrote. In my case, removing or replacing one DDR memory helped.

[davidlam]

Only advice I would like to voice out is that ...

when your machine is working well, always make a "Ghost copy" inside the harddisk periodically  -AND- also copy it away from the PC (2nd backup copy) just in case harddisk dies one day .

Thus it will be quicker to recover when your system ... at least isolate the problem to see if it is sofware problem before you look into hardware problem.

 

this golden rule applies to all equipment though .

[relaxia]

Thanks for big input pskaro, and valuable support, Adamwoo. 

David - i guess you are right - its good to have a cloned HDD - especially when new HDD of the same type cost...pennies ... no i won't tell you find yourself or buy from me I won't tear skin of you like someone tried  

OK enough jokes, but if anyone interested to get na factory new HDD the same type like used in DKS pC - mail me. 

I said -10 years of extensive work and no HDD problem - this is great achievement. I am really astonished.

 

Ok,  going back to topic 

Customer is working on old revived MB with new HDD (cloned from old one), new power supply - and still have the issues on loosing the buttons in software 

DDR memories are good - checked with Memtest. 

 

I took the "new" MB home and installed system from scratch on almost empty PC. 

Celeron 2,4G , 1Gb RAM in one slot - Changed graphics to ATI Radeon (previously i was working with Nvidia.. but read that ATI is supported by the soft, so i swapped)  no PCI cards  

I have ghosted old HDD  with 3.12 master OS and 4.1.9 program - and all seems to be running even on this skeletor. Started DKS application - but without dongle and other eqpt it switched off. 

I thought it will be worst but even wit these setting (low budget celeron and due to this very slow memory 266Mhz instead 400Mhz) it starts and works pretty fine. keep fingers crossed. 

 

first thing i want to do - is to move this new HDD to old PC ant try to work. 

second thing - i will clone the old HDD just for backup - and I will reinstal whole SOFT on original PC like pskaro suggested. 

next step if these 2 fail - I will replace the MB and swith the new HDD will see how it works with machine now. 

I was pretty sure problem lays in hardware but i guess due to the problem with hardware - software got fail too...

[relaxia]

Success. 

first step did work out...I have installed HDD in original machine PC - working. Even owners were suprised how fast PC became after soft restauration. 

I left it for next week work - need to be sure the "dissapearing buttons" issue dissapeared itself at least. then i will summarize the topic. 

 

One detail is bothering me now. Original DKS2 had "8 in 1" card reader - seen under XP system as 4 disks. and was reading all. Reader is represented by PCIMCIA icon but ... original has gone, new ones are read only as the first disk coming in XP system as F:\.

unfortunately 3 of 4 owned "8 or 4 in 1" readers position the SD card as G: and DKS is not reading it. 

I dunno how it was arranged that DKS soft was able to read all these cards under one icon.

I managed to remap disk letters under the system Disk management - but it's not the solution - one customer coming with MS card and we are cooked - have to copy pictures under Windows.

ANyone met such problem ? for sure u had to change card readers since old one was not able to read HC cards. 

[adamwooo]

Did You try to setup card reader letters in super user menu ? In first position on the left in super user menu , the same where is the picture count menu is drive letter configutation menu.

[relaxia]

no... Didn't know  I know all other much better than software . Thx for advice, will take a look.

[relaxia]

I can confirm soft is stable and working - so probably after the problems with motherboard program wrote bad data in the registers and that could cause all this mess.

Conclusion - whatever problems happened with hardware and is solved - software for sure have to be reinstalled if  programs didnt go back to normal oe doing other crazy things.

Hm...I thought I know this machine ( Mechanically i know it by almost by heart) however still learning about failures...