system hangs at checking NVRAM

[frustrated]

hiya all,
I have a little bit of an unusual one for you, at least I haven't come across it before.
I'm building a PC for my neighbours kids, and have an old motherboard with a P11 233 chip, 64MB ram, and an AGP slot. It runs fine with an old Creative agp card, but when I put in a ATI Rage 128 pro card, the screen gets to checking NVRAM and halts. No bios beeps, no chance to get to the bios, nothing. Queer thing is, though, windows 98SE is still loading behind it! Hard drive rattles away, and if I leave it for a while, I can hear the screen saver kicking in! Screen still sayd "Checking NVRAM". Hence my screen name "frustrated".
Please help

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Does the card do the same in another machine?

I've had a fair amount of grief from ATI's drivers, but this looks more like the card has died. CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[mainegeek]

Try this. Put the old creative agp card back in, boot
up and go to device manager,system devices,Plug and Play Bios, settings, and put a check in the "Disable NVRAM / ESCD
updates" box. Then shut down and re-install the ATI.

 

[raven1]

I had the same problem and it was the video card.Took it out and put in another and worked fine.Bad video card?.

 

[SQLWilts]

Sorry, its me, frustrated. Tek-Tips would not take my password last night (world of hurt or what lol).
Will try that tip with disabling NVRAM. Strange, with the other card in, it never changes "Checking NVRAM", it just carries on past it whilst it (allegedly)is still checking.
I REALLY want to discount a dodgy card, as its brand new!
A bit "challenging" testing this in my own machine, though. I have a Time (NEVER again) and do not have a motherboard manual to disable the on-board NVIDIA.
Will let you know how it goes and post back.

 

[Jimmy]

I got the same message, only nothing happens after that. I messed it up by putting in edo ram as well as dimm's (I know, stupid me!). Tried it afterwards with only edo, only dimms, with nothing at all, reset bios. Still nothing happens. And guess what, it's my wife's computer and I just got 'the go ahead' for a new computer for myself. A lil help could come in handy if I still want the new one to be mine and not hers!

jimmy-lieve@pandora.be