1801-Microcode update error

[Alvin_Kirui]

I have a HP d530 CMT (DJ869S)

there is no OS installed

when I boot up, I get the 1801-Microcode update error which on researching means you have to update the bios.

So I downloaded the bios update from the HP website and  extracted the files and copied the contents of the DOS flash folder to a USB flash drive so that I can flash it on the computer

But when I access the Setup Utility option by pressing F10 under File tab there is no Flash System ROM command there only is Save to Diskette and Restore from Diskette, so I select Restore from Diskette prompting to select a drive which I put USB but it displays "Removable Media is Bad or Missing"

How can I update the BIOS?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

On your model the only way to update the BIOS is to have either an internal or USB floppy drive running an XP operating system and a floppy disk.

When you run the BIOS update file it will automatically create a bootable floppy disk with the BIOS update files on it.

Then you boot from the floppy disk to update the BIOS.

If you are getting a microcode update error it is possible that someone installed an unsupported processor that even a BIOS update won't fix.

Do you know the full model and specs of the installed processor?

[Alvin_Kirui]

yes

It is

Processor type: Pentium (R) 4 Processor 2800Mhz

Processor speed: 2800/800 Mhz

Processor stepping: F34

and RAM

memory size: 512MB DDR/ 266 MHz/Dual channel

cache size:20/1024 KB

and the system BIOS is 786B2 v 1.11

it was saying that I should contact HP to get the BIOS that will support the processor stepping

[Paul_Tikkanen]

That's the problem.

You can only install a processor with a 512KB L2 cache.

Yours has a 1 MB L2 cache.

You may as well max it out to the best one you can install...Get the SL6WG stepping code.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/27501/intel-pentium-4-processor-supporting-ht-t...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-SL6WG-L407B121-Pentium-4-Processor/223685220388?epid=1601574015&hash=...

You may still have to update the BIOS and again, I have given you the info to do that.  It is the only way.  

[Alvin_Kirui]

Meaning that the processor has more L2 cache size than the device can Handle(motherboard)?

I want to install windows 7 on this device

Will I be getting that error message after every boot up after installation?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

That is correct.

The d530 can only accept processors with an L2 cache of 512 KB.

So unless you install a supported processor, you will always get that 1801 microcode error report.

When you work with old PC's such as that one, you need to have all of the old tools they used back then, such as floppy drives and whatnot.

I had 4 d530 CMT's and they were fantastic PC's.

I installed that Pentium 3.2 processor in each one of them.

Maxed out the memory to 4 x 1 GB of PC3200.

I even removed the IDE hard drive and installed a SATA drive in its place once I discovered the PC had 2 SATA ports on the motherboard.

I ran W7 on them too, but I added a Nvidia 6200 AGP graphics card so that the W7 Aero would work.

An AMD Radeon 9600 AGP card will work too.

Then as the years went by, and I updated my PC's, I gave them all away to good homes.  😊

[Alvin_Kirui]

Okay

Thanks, that has really been helpful

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

[Alvin_Kirui]

I tried installing the windows 7 from a USB bootable flash drive and got the following error

"No device drivers were found. Make sure that the installation media contains the correct drivers, then click OK"

We couldn't find any drives. To get a storage driver, click Load driver

[Paul_Tikkanen]

No drivers are required to install W7 on the d530.

You probably have a bad file.

I suggest that you make sure that you have a good ISO file, and use the Microsoft tool that I zipped up and attached below to transfer the file to a USB flash drive so that it is bootable.

I always installed windows Vista and W7 on my d530's  using a DVD drive, and those PC's did not come standard with them.

I replaced the CD drives the PC's came with, and installed DVD burners.