Radified Community Forums - Lost Safe Mode capabilities

chermesh

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Lost Safe Mode capabilities
Jul 20^th, 2007 at 5:35am

Hi,
I'm running a windowsxp pro (sp2) on an ibm m55e desktop computer. Whenever I try to access safe mode, the process starts, reaches to processing of mup.sys and then reboots.
I've consulted both with MS support and IBM support, and got nowhere. Their only suggested solution is to reinstall the os.
Whenever I try a "R"epair system option, the problem is solved, but updating the system creates the problem once again. Since updating includes for than 90 runs, checking the system for safe mode capabilities by checking after each and every update is impractical.
Is there anything else you can offer?

Ran

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NightOwl

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Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities
Reply #1 - Jul 20^th, 2007 at 9:11am

chermesh

After doing a Google search, this problem appears to have been around for awhile--seems like there are multiple possible explanations and solutions--I read through some of the Google search links, but did not find a common problem with a single solution:

Google Search--mup.sys

Windows XP freezes at mup.sys, how do I fix it?

How I solved Mup.sys problem XP Pro

But the following might be the *answer*!:

Slow Win2K Performance After the Crash

Quote:

So, we started scouring the Internet looking for other possible causes. We found quite a few instances of the "hung at Mup.sys" symptom, but with a variety of fixes. Several administrators solved the problem by replacing memory. Several others solved it by replacing drive controllers or by simply moving the controllers to a different slot. One administrator even replaced both processors.

Then we found a posting by Sean Branham at the Annoyances.org web site. See the full text of the thread at http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/
winxp/t1047532372. Sean correctly determined that the cause of all these disparate "hung at Mup.sys" failures were actually caused by problem with the Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) stored in the system BIOS.

The ESCD maintains a static list of Plug-and-Play resource allocations. This avoids recalculating all the allocations at each restart. If the ESCD gets corrupted, then the operating system cannot assign resources correctly. Windows makes this resource decision just after it loads the Mup.sys driver because that's when it loads the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) drivers.

You can download the (mercifully short) ESCD specification from http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456....

Once we knew that something in BIOS might be causing the problem, solving it was a snap. We downloaded the most current firmware revision from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and performance was right back to where it had been before the problems started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed the ESCD.

Let us know if this helps and how things go! I would try the *rebuild* of the ESCD in the BIOS as a first effort--if the option is there, it's easy to do--on my system, I have to change the setting from *disabled* to *enabled*--save the BIOS changed settings, and allow the system to re-boot--it then re-builds that file on the next boot--and the setting in the BIOS is automatically re-set to *disabled*.

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chermesh

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Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities
Reply #2 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 1:47am

Since my system doesn't seem to have an option of rebuilding ESCD , I looked for an alternative. A suggestion I got was to change the placing of any of my pci adapters. I checked, but ... I don't have any card installed. So, I looked for another alternative, and dismounted the battery for a few hours, as a matter of fact, for the night. Well, to make the long story short, nothing changed. I still can't access safe mode.
Is the option I chose, dismantling the battery a solid alternative to BIOS configuration? If not, what you suggest? If it does, where next would you suggest me to go?

Ran

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MrMagoo

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	Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities Reply #3 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 1:53am The excerpt NightOwl posted seems to indicate that a BIOS upgrade solved the issue. Have you attempted that?
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chermesh

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	Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities Reply #4 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 2:18am My BIOS is updated automatically by IBM. To be on the safe side, I tried to rollback to a former version. None solved my problem. Ran
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MrMagoo

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	Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities Reply #5 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 4:30am chermesh wrote on Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 2:18am: My BIOS is updated automatically by IBM. That's very interesting...
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chermesh

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	Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities Reply #6 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 5:12am IBM provides an updating service. Whenever a BIOS update is available, I can download it and using a winphlash program, install it.
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NightOwl

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Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities
Reply #7 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 10:14am

chermesh

The *ESCD* option may not be listed as such! It has to do with the *plug-n-play* enumeration by the BIOS and is where IRQ interrupts are assigned--so it could also say something to the effect of re-assigning IRQ resources to your attached or built-in devices or re-detecting *plug-n-play* devices.

Does your system have a CMOS reset jumper that clears all settings back to factory default? Or, possibly there is a setting in the BIOS to reset it to *safe, factory defaults*. Or, if you disable built-in devices like COM ports, or Printer posts, or modems, or sound chips, networking chips--this might *force* the system to re-enumerate resources. Then re-enable the devices.

Removing the battery usually clears the CMOS, but your system may have flash memory that holds its settings even if the battery dies--I don't know--do you?

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chermesh

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Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities
Reply #8 - Jul 25^th, 2007 at 1:32am

Well, too bad, but but rebuilding the EBCD doesn't solve the problem. I dismantled the battery for the whole night, and still couldn't access safe mode. I called IBM support, and was impressed by the cooperation. Rebuilding EBCD on my system requires playing with jumpers. The technician, and rightly so, didn't believe this was the solution. He argued that since the motherboard was replaced, the EBCD table was recreated and therefore we shouldn't look for the solution in this direction. One way or another, he instructed me how to rebuild my cmos (inc. ebcd), and so I did. Safe mode is still not available.
I checked another option, and reinstalled Nero. but this proved to be futile.
Any further suggestions?

Ran

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NightOwl

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Re: Lost Safe Mode capabilities
Reply #9 - Jul 25^th, 2007 at 8:49am

chermesh

Quote:

He argued that since the motherboard was replaced, the EBCD table was recreated

Hmmm....well, that' new information! But, when did you replace the motherboard? Did your problem with *mup.sys* began immediately after replacing the motherboard?

I agree, replacing the motherboard would probably result in a re-building of the EBCD table--but how long has it been since replacing the motherboard and the beginning of the problem?

What happened just prior to this problem beginning--what were you doing?--what changes on your system might have occurred?--etc.?

Quote:

Any further suggestions?

Have you gone through all the various *hits* from a Google search on *mup.sys*, and tried all the various solutions that have worked for others?

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