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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!duke!unc!mcnc!ecsvax!john
From: john@ecsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: parity check 2
Message-ID: <1180@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Sep-83 13:55:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1180
Posted: Thu Sep 15 13:55:51 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Sep-83 19:29:09 EDT
Lines: 35


There have recently been some questions and answers in the
Info-IBMPC Digests (V2#59 - news item duke.3481; V2#61 -
news item duke.3489) about the PARITY CHECK 2 message
that IBM PC's display if some problem is detected in the
memory check the PC runs when you turn it on.

I have been receiving this message to on my PC, which has the
old-style motherboard (with 64K RAM) and a TECMAR quad-function
board with 256K RAM, but the problem is intermittent.  Before
the PARITY CHECK 2 message is displayed, however,
a code number 201 and a hexadecimal address show up
and then disappear.
The address is not the same each time, but it is always
for memory between 64K and 320K, so I take it I have
a couple of marginal chips (I have ordered replacements).

In the meantime, however, I can force the machine to behave
by making sure the TECMAR board is seated properly and
pressing motherboard memory back into its sockets
(I had thought this sort of thing died with the Apple II+).

Sometimes the memory check will not report any problems,
but chkdsk will either make the system hang or display the
PARITY CHECK 2 message.

Have others had similar experiences with memory expansion
boards other than TECMAR?  (I had a 192K Memory Technologies
board for a while and never had a problem with it.)

john hogan
n.c.educational computing service
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
(919) 549 0671
(decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!john)