CPU Upgrade on Agilent N9020A MXA results in BSOD

[swperk]

I finally bit the bullet and purchased a CPU upgrade for my Agilent N9020A MXA signal analyzer in order to get a faster processor, change the OS from Win XP to Win 7, and install the latest instrument firmware. A few years ago I performed the same upgrade process on an N9010A EXA signal analyzer and it was straightforward. This time it was very different:

After backing up the calibration and license files, I removed my old CPU card and installed the new CPU card. The installation instructions said to expect the upgrade to take a while, and that there would be several automatic reboots, etc., so I powered up the MXA with the new CPU and sat back and waited. A couple of minutes later I looked up and saw that the upgrade process had halted with a Blue Screen of Death. The only option at  that point was to cycle the power and start again.

This time the instrument booted up to the Keysight splash screen for a few seconds, then to a screen that said "Starting Windows" for another couple of seconds. The next screen to pop up said ""Setup is starting services" and the upgrade process stopped within a few seconds with this error message:

"The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed. To install Windows, click 'OK' to restart the computer, and then restart the installation."

Clicking the "OK button caused the MXA to reboot, but then it repeated what it had just done, stopping at the same place with the same error message. I have searched extensively, but cannot find any information about this problem.

I reinstalled the old CPU and the MXA started up just fine and ran perfectly.

I considered doing a hard drive restore from the hidden partition and start the whole process over from scratch, but on boot up the selection screen to allow a restore flashes by in literally a half second, and I'm unable to select the restore option. It just defaults to starting Windows and trying to continue the installation process.

Any ideas on how to get around this problem and/or force a hard drive restore?

It's the weekend here, and Keysight is closed until Monday. Barring any resolution of this issue, I'll be giving them a call first thing Monday.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and insights!

[nctnico]

If the old CPU works and the new one doesn't then the problem is most likely in the new CPU. Try another CPU and check the power requirments for the new CPU. Maybe the power supply can't deliver the required power.

[swperk]

This is the proprietary Keysight-provided CPU upgrade module for this instrument. This slide-in module contains the CPU, RAM, BIOS, interfaces, and a hard drive (SSD) that are replaced as a unit. The onboard software is smart enough to know when it's been installed for the first time and uses configuration info stored in the mainframe to set itself up properly. This module never even got that far, though. The installation crashed before it could even get Windows 7 set up.

I suppose it is possible that there's an issue with the CPU hardware, but until Keysight decides to send me a replacement, there's no other way to swap it out for another. Since the issue arises when the installation routine tries to initiate the Windows 7 installation, feeling is that it's a hard drive problem: either a corrupted file or, less likely, a bad sector or some other electronic failure in the drive.

I was hoping to be able to force a hard drive recovery from the archive files in the hidden partition of the drive, but the routine that the Keysight manual says to use doesn't work. That way I would be able to rule out a corrupt file, assuming the restore completed without errors.

It's a brand-new CPU module, so at least it's under a full replacement warranty from Keysight. It's just frustrating, though, having had other similar upgrades I've done complete without so much as a hiccup!

[edpalmer42]

If I understand correctly, both the upgrade and the restore are being run off the new SSD and neither is working.  That makes me suspicious of the integrity of the files.  Can you plug the new SSD into another computer and check the files?  Maybe also use something like CrystalDiskInfo to check the basic health of the drive itself.  I realize it's a new drive, but it's an easy test that won't mess anything up.

Ed

[swperk]

I believe it's a mis-configured configuration file or an otherwise corrupted file in the installation setup that is causing the issue. I have no idea if the restore files are corrupted. I wish I could just force a restore and start from scratch, but the screen with the restore choice flashes by too quickly. I've looked for any BIOS options that would keep that screen displayed long enough for me to select the restore mode, but I can't find anything.

I've mounted the drive on another PC, and using disk management tools I can see the hidden (as it should be) restore partition, but unless there's some way to force the N9020A to do a hard drive restore, I think I'm stuck. Other Agilent/Keysight instruments I've repaired could be forced into the hard drive restore mode by holding down a key (usually CTRL) on an external keyboard on power up. There's nothing I've found to suggest that this N9020A has a similar feature.

Thanks for the suggestion about CrystalDiskInfo. I'll give that a try.

[Bud]

In standard Windows you go to the boot options menu by pressing F5 or F8. Try holding those at startup.

[swperk]

So the F8 key got me into the boot options screen.

First I tried "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" but it hung while installing what looked like one of the PNP drivers.

Then I tried "Last Known Good Configuration" but it continuously cycled through "Starting Windows" then "Setup is starting services" (with no error message this time) then an automatic shutdown and restart into the "Start Windows Normally" option. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The only way to break this cycle was to force a power down by holding the power button. For better or worse, this behavior is now different from before, but I don't feel I'm any closer to getting it fixed.