Firewire PCI Card with HP ProDesk

[CarlosNelius]

Hi,

Ich don't know why, but I couldn't select my OS and Product.

I am using Win10 on a HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF.

I was trying to install a FireWire PCI Card to the x16 slot in my Desktop. As I plug it in whil the PC is shut down, it starts beeping (5 times with a little break and again 5 times...) and refuses to start. 

When plugging in the PCI while it's running, the PC doesn't react at all. 

The Device Manager is not showing an unknown or IEEE 1394 Driver or Device. In the BIOS the PCI doesn't appear too. 

When shut off and restarted, the beeping begins again. If rebooted, it doesn't (like that I got in the BIOS) 

So I tried to install the IEEE 1394 Legacy Driver, but it also doesn't appear in the device manager. Trying to install the driver as a new hardware is also not working, even when I used the driver file from a harddrive. 

Is the Desktop maybe not compatible?

Or how to solve this issue?

Thx,

Carlos

[NonSequitur777]

@CarlosNelius,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Thank you for your detailed post! Let's go step-by-step through the situation with your HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF and the FireWire PCI card. I researched this for you, using AI tools available to me -disclaimer.

 

Five Beeps + Pause (Repeating) = General System Board Failure:

HP's BIOS beep codes typically indicate hardware faults. On the ProDesk 600 G1, 5 beeps with a short pause and repeating usually suggest a system board failure, possibly triggered by:

• A faulty PCIe card

• Unsupported voltage or signaling (e.g., the card uses a PCIe 1.0 signaling mode incompatible with the BIOS/board)

• Bad seating or shorting in the PCIe slot

---

Troubleshooting Suggestions:

1. Double-check the card type:

   • Is it truly a PCIe x1 or x16 compatible card?

   • Some FireWire cards are still PCI (not PCIe) and may not fit or function correctly in modern slots: some FireWire cards are designed to be installed in PCI slots ONLY and are not designed for PCIe slots. PCI and PCIe cards are not physically interchangeable. You need to ensure your FireWire card is actually designed for a PCIe slot.

2. Test the card in another PC:

   • If you have access to another desktop, test the FireWire card there to ensure it is functional.

3. Clear CMOS / BIOS reset:

   • Unplug the PC.

   • Press and hold the power button for 5–10 seconds to discharge.

   • Then clear CMOS using the jumper on the board or remove the coin cell battery for 5 minutes.

   • Reboot and check if the beeping stops without the card installed.

4. Check BIOS settings:

   • Boot into BIOS (usually ESC or F10).

   • Ensure that PCIe slot initialization is not disabled (though on the G1 it's usually automatic).

   • Try setting “PCIe slot reset” if that BIOS option is available (rare, but check under advanced options).

5. Try a different slot:

   • Even though the x16 slot is commonly used for graphics, some OEM (HP) BIOSes are very finnicky. If your FireWire card is x1, try inserting it into the x1 slot (there should be one on the G1 SFF).

---

Driver Note:

You won't see IEEE 1394 or “Legacy Driver” in Device Manager unless the card is properly detected at the hardware level first. Installing drivers won’t help if the BIOS or OS doesn’t detect the card.

 

Could It Be Incompatible?

Yes, there's a possibility. The HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF uses a Q85 chipset, and the BIOS may not support certain older or non-UEFI compliant PCIe devices. If the card is too old (especially FireWire 400 cards from 10+ years ago), it may simply not be compatible.

---

Next Steps:

• Try testing the card in another machine.

• Consider a newer FireWire PCIe card (e.g., StarTech 2-Port PCIe 1394a).

• Use the x1 slot instead of the x16 if possible.

• If the card still causes beeps, it may be incompatible or defective.

Let me know how it goes or if you’d like help identifying a known-compatible card!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[CarlosNelius]

Yeah, it may be a PCI and not PCIe Card. 

I'm gonna try your tips,

Thx, also for the quick answer,

Kind regards,

Carlos

[NonSequitur777]

@CarlosNelius,

You are most welcome -glad I could assist you!

By all means, please provide follow-up feedback if you don't mind.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[DGroves]

as far as i know there is no PCI slot using a x16 link as the x16 spec is usually reserved for PCI-e cards

next I've never seen a x16 PCI-e based firewire card only x1

and these cards are almost always firewire 800 but i suppose a firewire 400 PCI-e card might be available

most firewire issues are usually due to bad driver installs

or related to the external firewire device requiring a specific firewire driver configuration or device termination

if your card is a firewire PCI card it's strongly recommended to try/use a pci-e based card