HP ProLiant: 601 – diskette controller error, what it really means

I recently got this puzzling error message on an HP ProLiant Server: 601 – Diskette Controller Error with the system just stopping at the BIOS, no way to enter the maintenance menu or continue booting. Well that’s odd, I though… being a BL460c blade server. All the documentation I could find online suggested it’s a defective floppy drive, or loose cabling… which a blade server doesn’t have.

Ok, so it’s a legacy error message. Maybe the BBWC? Nope. Backplane module then? Nope. The disks? Nah. The fucking SD card module? Not even that… Well, let’s try a system reset them using the DIP switches. Nope. Switching to backup ROM and booting with that one… Doesn’t work either. Well, fuck. Remove all the mezzanine cards – basically the system stripped down to the bare minimum. Still the same error.

About three hours later… Being the only removable part left, I figured I remove the CMOS battery and check it while I’ve it remove. Turns out it’s dead. Replace it with a new CR2032 button cell and voila – system boots again as if nothing happened.

So there you go… 601 – diskette controller error apparently really means: your CMOS battery is dead, better replace it. Even though the documentation says otherwise.

Dear HP: Fuck you. I want those hours of my life back.

7 thoughts on “HP ProLiant: 601 – diskette controller error, what it really means”

  1. OMG you just saved me!
    This error message makes no sense at all!
    Thank God you lost all that time in your life so you can spare my time hahaha
    Thanks for sharing bro.

  2. Thanks man. I will check soon. Tried the same last week. I will check it is DL320s storage server. I hope this solves the issue.

  3. Unfuckingbelievable. I am completely appalled that this worked.

    If it’s any consolation, you saved me a couple hours of MY life, and probably a DL320s from the scrap heap. Thanks!

    1. Hp Proliant ML330 G6 (2011) I tried all above. nothing worked. For last attempt, I just remove the battery, and then power on the system. The fans was work in full mode for aproximately 10 minutes. And then, I power off and reinstall the same battery, and again power on. I was see the boot options. All is OK. Curious…

  4. For me It was freaking out about the USB key connected in the case. Works fine for other blades, it seems BL480c G1’s don’t like it

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