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To: questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Install Problem- System keeps rebooting 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Sun, 06 Oct 1996 22:30:25 PDT."
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 07:26:29 -0700
From: Keith Walker <kew@timesink.spk.wa.us>
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> On Sun, 6 Oct 1996, Matthew Zito wrote:
> 
> > My computer rundown:
> > Packard Bell (yeah, yeah, I know) Pentium 166 mhz,
> > 16 mbs of RAM,
> > 2 gig hd,
> > 
> > When I put the install floppy in the drive if I don't press any key and
> > try to let the default configuration take over, my system reboots.  If I
> > press -c (enter), the instant I press enter, my system reboots.  I can
> > type anything I want, but the instant I hit that "enter" key, my
> > computer reboots.  I saw in the archives that adjusting the BIOS cache
> > can help, but when I did this, I got the same result. Any
> > ideas/comments/suggestions?
> 
> Try using a brand-new floppy, downloading the image in binary mode, and
> rebuilding the boot floppy.
> 
> FYI:  we call these 'Packard Hells' here at ResNet.  :-)
> 

FWIW, my Hewlett Packard Pavilion does the exact same thing. I can
type in the options, but upon pressing Enter, bingo!, instant
reboot. I figured it was just me so I never said anything. It pains me
to think that my HP will now probably get lumped into the same group
as Packard Bell's by the BSD PTB's.

This problem is endemic to 2.1.5, as versions 2.0 - 2.1 boot fine. I
was able to install 2.1.5 on this machine by using the DOS-to-Unix
boot program (can't remember what it's called).

BTW, the fresh floppy/bad image theory doesn't stand up to scientific
scrutiny since I exhausted those possibilities early on :-)

keith.