z50 POST error 203?

[der Mouse]

I've got a z50.  Last night, I started compiling a new kernel.  Left it
on, building, overnight.  When I got up and looked at it, it was done
(apparently normally - it failed, because I had forgotten my kernel
source tree was not in buildable shape).  So I unplugged the ethernet
and mains power brick, moved it into another room, and tried to start
working with it.  No response.  I couldn't get any response at all.

So I removed the battery and put it back, which is my usual recovery
procedure for total wedging.

But now it won't POST.  I get the startup screen with the IBM logo in
the upper right, the WorkPad name in the lower left, the text

ROM Version S3A61 Feb 9, 1999
VR4121 at 131.1 MHz.

in the extreme upper left, and a line of dots at the extreme lower
left.  Usually, the dots appear one by one until some five or ten have
shown up, then it drops into WinCE.  This time, it prints three dots
and then "203".  It hangs there, the orange "disk activity" light
flashing at about 1.3 Hz, for as long as I've been willing to wait
(several minutes, at least).

I'm going to be looking for maintenance docs, of course.  But I'll be
surprised to find anything more helpful than "replace FRU #xxx" in any
docs I find; if anyone has anything more useful to suggest, or
experience with such POST errors, I'd love to hear.

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[Jun Ebihara]

From: der Mouse <mouse@...>
Subject: z50 POST error 203?
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 22:19:49 -0400 (EDT)

> So I removed the battery and put it back, which is my usual recovery
> procedure for total wedging.

Check your battery lock switch, Is it "LOCKED"?

--
jun ebihara
 

[der Mouse]

>> So I removed the battery and put it back, which is my usual recovery
>> procedure for total wedging.
> Check your battery lock switch, Is it "LOCKED"?

Yes.  Without that, the power button won't do anything - it won't even
power up far enough to _try_ POST.

I found a manual which says error 203 indicates a DRAM problem.  So
I've reseated the RAM (and the ROM for good measure) and I'm still
getting 203 - but when I pull the module and let it use just the
onboard RAM, it boots to WinCE.  So it's the RAM module (or something
unique to it, such as an interface chip).

I have another, much smaller, module, which I swapped out in favour of
the module that's in there now; I'll try swapping that in.  This module
is Kingston memory, bought from (if memory serves - I'll have to check
this) MemoryX, so there's a good chance it's still under warranty....

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