IBM PS/ValuePoint Troubleshooting Guide
This guide documents fault diagnosis for the IBM PS/ValuePoint family — machine types 6381 / 6382 / 6384 / 6387 (1992–1995). PS/ValuePoint inherits the classic IBM PC/PS/2 POST numeric error code series — 161 / 162 / 163 CMOS battery cluster, 2xx memory codes, 6xx floppy codes, 17xx hard disk codes — plus PS/ValuePoint-specific behaviour around the on-planar SVGA, VLB / PCI riser, and ICS-vs-Chrontel video clock generator.
Reference Documents
[edit | edit source]- IBM Hardware Maintenance Manual S61G-1423-01 (September 1993) — authoritative HMM covering 6381 / 6382 /S / 6384 / 6384 /D / 6384 P60/D / 6387 /T.[1]
- IBM HMM S61G-1423-02 (August 1996) — covers 638x and the later 64xx transitional machine types.[2]
- IBM PS/ValuePoint and Model 64xx Beep-Code Index, kev009 mirror.[3]
Entering Setup
[edit | edit source]PS/ValuePoint is NOT Reference-Diskette-based. Setup is in ROM. Entry keys:
- F1 during memory count — enter Setup. The system counts memory at boot; F1 must be pressed during that count.
- ESC during memory count — skip the memory count and boot directly.[4]
The optional Advanced Diagnostics Diskette is a separate floppy (VPADV100.DSK on the original 6384, vp2diags.exe / vpsidia2.exe / p60dgs.exe on later boards) for hardware self-test only — not for Setup.
Initial Diagnosis
[edit | edit source]Power on the system and observe in order:
- Power LED lights, fan spins.
- Memory count appears on screen (you can interrupt with ESC).
- Single short beep at end of POST.
- Boot device located; OS loads.
If any of these does not happen, stop and diagnose at that stage.
Stage 1 — No Power, No Fans
[edit | edit source]- Voltage selector switch on rear set correctly for your mains (115 V or 230 V)? IBM ships in 230 V position; a 230 V switch on 120 V mains is the most common "DOA" symptom.
- Mains power good and on? Test the lead.
- Cover-interlock switch depressed? Some PS/ValuePoint chassis have a cover interlock — the system will not power on if the cover is not seated.[5]
Stage 2 — Fan Spins But No POST Beep / No Video
[edit | edit source]- Listen for beep codes (see table below).
- Reseat RAM modules (in matched banks where required).
- Reseat the L2 cache module if present.
- Reseat the on-planar CPU if socketed.
- If the L2 cache module is the wrong type for the board (Type 1 vs Type 2), POST will halt with 12902 / 12904 — see "Cache Codes" below.
Stage 3 — Beeps But Video Absent
[edit | edit source]- 2-2-2 or 1 long + 2 short — video adapter fault. Reseat planar video subsystem (no removable cards on PS/ValuePoint — video is on-planar).
- Try connecting a known-good ISA VGA card and disable the planar video (see Setup).
Stage 4 — Video Present, Halts at BIOS with Error Code
[edit | edit source]Match the code in the table below.
Stage 5 — POST Passes, OS Won't Load
[edit | edit source]- Drive type set correctly in Setup?
- Boot order correct in Setup?
- If I 99903 05 appears — no startable device found. Verify boot sequence.[6]
POST Numeric Error Codes
[edit | edit source]PS/ValuePoint inherits the IBM PC/PS/2 numeric POST series.[7][8]
| Code | Meaning | First action FRU |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | Memory parity / general system error | Memory Module, System Board |
| 161 | Battery dead / disconnected | Run Configuration Utility, Clock Battery (CR2032), System Board |
| 162 | System options not set (CMOS checksum bad) | Run Configuration Utility, Clock Battery, System Board |
| 163 | Time and date not set | Clock Battery, System Board |
| 164 | Memory configuration changed (memory size mis-match with CMOS) | Run Configuration Utility, Memory, System Board |
| 199 | Installed-devices list mismatch | See "Installed Devices List" in HMM supplement |
| 1XX | General planar fault | System Board |
| 225 | Unsupported memory | Memory Module |
| 2XX | Memory error (address shown is failing block) | Memory Module, System Board |
| 303 + 8603 | Pointing-device error | Mouse, Keyboard, cable, System Board |
| 303 (no 8603) | Keyboard error | Keyboard, cable, System Board |
| 305 | Keyboard / keyboard cable | System Board, Keyboard |
| 3XX | Keyboard | Keyboard, cable, System Board |
| 604 | Diskette drive | Drive A or B, cable, System Board |
| 662 | Wrong diskette drive type | Configure in Setup |
| 663 | Wrong media type | |
| 6XX | Diskette subsystem | Drive, System Board, cable, PSU |
| 7XX | Math co-processor | FPU, System Board |
| 9XX | System board | System Board |
| 1047 | 16-bit AT Fast SCSI Adapter | SCSI adapter |
| 10XX | Alternate parallel adapter | Riser, adapter |
| 11XX | System board (built-in serial) | System Board |
| 12XX | Alternate serial adapter | Adapter, Riser |
| 13XX | Game / joystick adapter | Adapter |
| 14XX | Printer | See HMM Printer chapter |
| 15XX | SDLC comms adapter | Adapter, Riser |
| 1701 / 1711 / 1730 / 1780 / 1782 | Hard disk 1 | PSU, HDD, cable |
| 1702 | Hard disk adapter | System Board, controller |
| 17X0 / 17X1 / 17X2 / 17X3 | Hard disk 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | PSU, HDD, cable |
| 209X | Diskette / 16-bit SCSI | Drive, cable, SCSI |
| 21XX | SCSI subsystem | SCSI device, adapter, cable |
| 2401 | On-planar video / display | System Board, Display |
| 2402 | On-planar video | System Board |
| 2409 / 2410 | Display / planar video | |
| 30XX / 31XX | PC Network adapter | |
| 86XX | Mouse | Mouse, System Board |
| 12902 | L2 cache adapter | L2 cache module |
| 12904 | L2 cache adapter / system board | L2 cache module, System Board |
| I 99903 01 | Hard disk reset failure | |
| I 99903 05 | No startable device | Re-check boot sequence in Setup |
The 161 / 162 / 163 cluster on a PS/ValuePoint always points to the same fault: the CR2032 lithium coin cell at B1 / BT1 is dead. Replace the cell and re-enter Setup (F1 during memory count). See IBM PS/ValuePoint Maintenance Guide.
POST Beep Codes
[edit | edit source]PS/ValuePoint uses a piezo beeper, not a magnetic speaker.[9]
| Beep pattern | Meaning | First action FRU |
|---|---|---|
| 1 short | POST passed; normal boot | |
| 1-3-1, 1-3-2 | Memory failure | Memory Module / System Board |
| 1-4-4 | Keyboard / system board | |
| 2-1-1, 2-1-2 | Setup not run / configuration error | Run Setup / System Board |
| 2-2-2 | Video card / on-planar video failure | Video chip / System Board |
| 2-3-2 | Memory module failure | Memory / System Board |
| 2-4-3, 2-4-4 | Run Setup / Memory / System Board | |
| 1 long, 2 short | Display / planar video | |
| 3 short | Memory failure | |
| Continuous | System board fault | |
| Repeating short | Stuck key on keyboard / cable / System Board | |
| Other patterns | System Board |
Memory-Specific Faults
[edit | edit source]- 201 with address — failing memory address shown on screen. Identify the failing SIMM bank from the address.
- 225 — unsupported memory. PS/ValuePoint requires parity SIMMs; a non-parity SIMM will halt POST.
- 2-3-2 beep + 201 — memory module fault.
- 110 — memory parity error during POST.
Memory installation rules:
- 325T — 2 sockets, 72-pin parity, 70–85 ns.
- Original 6384 (1992) — 30-pin parity SIMMs in banks of 4. All 4 slots in a bank must be populated; partial banks halt at 225.
- 6381 /Si, 6382 /S, 6384 /D, 6387 /T — 4 × 72-pin parity sockets, may be installed individually or in pairs depending on submodel.
- P60/D — 4 × 72-pin parity, must be installed in pairs (dual-channel).
Cache Codes
[edit | edit source]The 12902 and 12904 codes specifically reference the L2 cache module:
- 12902 — L2 cache module fault. Reseat or replace the module.
- 12904 — L2 cache adapter or system board. Check that the module is the correct type for the planar (Type 1 boards use a different cache module than Type 2).
Video Faults
[edit | edit source]- 2401 / 2402 / 2409 / 2410 — on-planar video fault.
- 2-2-2 beep — video chip not responding.
- Blank screen, no beep — possible video clock generator failure. Look for the ICS / Chrontel chip just left of the Tseng video chip. If the system worked before a driver install and now fails, the OS/2 2.00.1 SVGA driver does not work with Chrontel-equipped boards — install the revised driver.[10]
Storage Faults
[edit | edit source]- 1701 / 1702 / 1711 — IDE hard disk drive 1 fault. Verify drive type in Setup; clean / reseat cable; suspect drive failure (PS/ValuePoint era IDE drives are 25+ years old).
- 1782 — disk controller failure on planar.
- 604 / 611 / 613 — floppy drive fault. Common cause: aged SMD electrolytic on Alps drive logic board has leaked.[11]
- 662 — wrong floppy drive type set in Setup. Re-enter Setup; verify A: and B: types match physical drives.
- 663 — wrong media type (e.g. 1.44 MB drive but disk formatted 720 KB).
2.88 MB Floppy Note
[edit | edit source]The 486 boards do not support 2.88 MB drives. Only the P60/D supports 2.88 MB. A 2.88 MB drive installed on a 486 board will halt with 662 / 663 errors.
Keyboard Faults
[edit | edit source]- 301 / 303 (no 8603) — keyboard fault.
- 303 + 8603 — pointing device (mouse) fault.
- 305 — keyboard cable / fuse.
- 86XX — mouse fault.
- Repeating short beep — stuck key on keyboard.
The widely-documented PS/ValuePoint Windows 3.1 / WfWg 3.11 keyboard lockup requires the IBMKBFIX.EXE / 6381WG31.ZIP SYSTEM.INI patch — not a hardware fault.[12]
SCSI Faults (Optional Adapter)
[edit | edit source]- 1047 — 16-bit AT Fast SCSI adapter (Future Domain).
- 21XX — SCSI subsystem. Check termination, cable, device addresses.
Common Field Symptoms
[edit | edit source]- 161 + 163 at every cold boot — Battery dead. Replace CR2032.
- Powers on intermittently when cover is replaced — cover-interlock switch fault. Clean / replace.
- Will not power on at all — Voltage selector switch on rear set to wrong position; or PSU dead.
- Random reboots, especially under heavy disk activity — PSU caps aged on 200 W supply. See IBM PS/ValuePoint Capacitor Replacement Guide.
- Floppy drive reads disks but writes corrupt them — Alps drive SMD electrolytic leaked. Recap drive logic board.
- DOS reports "Bad CMOS" on boot — 162 / 163 cluster. Battery, then Setup.
- Windows blue-screens with hardware error on cold start — IBMKBFIX issue; or PSU rails sagging.
- OS/2 SVGA video fails on mode change — ICS / Chrontel chip mismatch with old OS/2 SVGA driver.
ECAs and Defects
[edit | edit source]- Defect 57012 — F-Disk error during boot — required fix for OS/2 1.30.1 / 1.30.2 on the 325T.[13]
- Defect 57146 — Date/Time 162 / 163 error — required fix for OS/2 on the 325T.[14]
- 6384-F20 hard-drive upgrade — 80 MB → 120 MB; dealer return path through 1-800-426-9733 before 26 February 1993.[15]
No formal ECA numbers (in the IBM "ECA-nnn" sense used on PS/2 line) were located for the PS/ValuePoint family. Updates and bug fixes were handled by Technical Information Letters and BIOS / driver updates rather than ECAs.
Diagnostic Workflow
[edit | edit source]- Confirm the voltage selector switch is correct for your mains.
- Power on; observe power LED, fans, memory count, beep.
- If no power: voltage selector, mains, cover interlock, PSU.
- If power but no POST beep: reseat memory, cache module, CPU.
- If beep code: match to table above.
- If numeric POST code: match to table above. 161/162/163 → CR2032 replacement.
- Press F1 during memory count to enter Setup; verify drive types, boot order, video config.
- If POST passes but OS won't load: run Setup, verify boot device, then suspect drive.
- Run the Advanced Diagnostics Diskette for sustained hardware self-test.
Related Pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- IBM PS/ValuePoint and Model 64xx Beep-Code and POST Code Index.
- IBM PS/ValuePoint Tips & Tricks Section, kev009 mirror. F1 enters Setup, no Reference Diskette, ICS/Chrontel video chip.
- IBM PS/ValuePoint /S, /D, /T system info. IBMKBFIX Windows keyboard fix, OverDrive jumpers.
- IBM PS/ValuePoint P60/D system info. Pentium 60 board, 2.88 MB FDD support.
- IBM Hardware Maintenance Manual S61G-1423-01 (Sep 1993).
- IBM HMM S61G-1423-02 (Aug 1996).
- IBM Support — Troubleshooting POST numeric error codes.
- zx.net.nz — IBM PS/ValuePoint 425SX/Si. Field report.
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pccbbs/valuepnt/s61g1423.pdf
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/basil.holloway/boo-to-pdf/S61G_1423_02.pdf
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/ad96.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/ad96.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/ad96.htm
- ↑ https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/troubleshooting-post-numeric-error-codes
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
- ↑ https://www.zx.net.nz/computers/ibm/psvaluepoint_425sxsi/
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/859e.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
- ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm