SOFTPAQ NUMBER:  SP8386
PART NUMBER:  387332-001
FILE NAME:  N/A
TITLE:  Armada 1500 ROMPaq Upgrade (31 August 1998)
VERSION:  586P_083198 Rev A
LANGUAGE:  English

CATEGORY:  ROMPaqs

DIVISIONS:  Portables

PRODUCTS AFFECTED:  Compaq Armada 1500 Series 

OPERATING SYSTEM:  All Operating Systems

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION:  N/A

PREREQUISITES:  N/A

EFFECTIVE DATE:  4 September 1998

ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED:  Yes

SOFTPAQ UTILITY VERSION:  2.x

SUPERSEDES:  SP7159 (ROM dated 17 June 1998)

DESCRIPTION:  Creates the ROMpaq Firmware Upgrade Diskette for 
the Compaq Armada 1500 Series, which allows a user to upgrade to a
08/31/98 System ROM.

Enhancements/Fixes in this release:

- Resolved application and/or Explorer faults experienced with Microsoft
  Windows 98.

- Provides automatic detection of the Compaq 33.6 internal modem.

- Corrects the Asset Tag information from not being displayed in F10 
  setup.

Additionally, this 08/31/98 ROM update carries forward the fixes from the
05/17/97, 08/11/97, 02/26/98, and 06/17/98 System ROM updates, including:

- Added necessary support for Armada 1500 computers upgrading to Windows 98.
  Users should review the White Paper, "READ THIS FIRST - Windows 98 for
  Armada Portables" at the following URL:   
  http://www.compaq.com/support/files/portables/us/1 97.html#14

- Added support for bootable CD-ROMs.  The unit will now boot in the
  following fixed order:  CD-ROM -> Floppy Drive -> Hard Drive.

  If bootable CD-ROM is detected at POST, the user is prompted to select
  the boot configuration (CD-ROM, or HDD).

- Added support for the new Armada Convenience Base II.

- Extended the disk timeout period to increase (detection) support for
  slower (10x) CD-ROM drives under Windows 98.

- Resolved delayed screen blank when resuming from Win9x DPMS power
  save mode.

- Year 2K modifications.  The previous Armada 15xx family BIOS properly
  detected (and corrected) for Y2K at POST time, but would not handle
  Y2K rollover at RUNtime on midnight 12/31/99.  This ROM accomodates
  Year 2K compliance tests, like the NSTL Year 2K test, which require
  rollover at Runtime.  In addition, this ROM also checks for Y2K rollover
  (and correction) when resuming from suspend.

Battery/Standby Resume Issues

- Resolved issue that unit may power down or lock up if AC power is
  removed with a fully charged Li-Ion battery present. 

- Resolved issue that unit may fail to resume from standby if AC power
  is removed during the standby condition with a fully charged Li-Ion
  battery present.

- Resolved issue that systems equipped with 2 Li-Ion batteries may enter
  hibernation immediately after resuming from standby, if one of the
  batteries is less than 10% charged.

Other Issues Addressed

- Resolved problem of expansion memory not being properly reported in
  F10 Setup.

- Resolved EMM386 exception error when logging onto Novell network in
  Windows 3.1.

- Resolved problem of F10 Setup, CPQ Diags not displaying system serial number.

- Resolved problem of USB port becoming non-functional in Windows 95
  after resuming from hibernation.

- Corrected possible system lockup when hibernating in Windows NT with
  a flash PC Card installed.

- Resolved issue of powering off the system during POST, in rare instances,
  producing a 162-error message resulting in possible corruption to the CMOS.

Additional Support Features

-Added PS/2 barcode reader support.

-   Potential lithium ion battery charging issues: On rare occasions, 
    Armada 15xx units that shipped with LiIon batteries may experience
    battery failure.  The battery abruptly stops taking a charge and is no
    longer functional.  The 8-11-97 ROM corrects this problem by modifying
    the logic in the charging code.

-   Armada 15xx may take a up to 15 minutes to reconfigure when the CMOS 
    battery is replaced or when the system board is replaced for any 
    reason.  The 8-11-97 ROM corrects this issue.

-   Standby would not always work under Win95 with APM 1.2 enabled.

-   When hot docking, Windows 95 sometimes did not detect the Microsoft 
    trackball device.

-   If the internal fan was on when a suspend was initiated, the fan
    would remain on indefinitely.

-   The internal TouchPad was not always working properly under 
    Windows NT 4.0.

-   Hard Drive Spin Down Feature: Many portable hard drives, including the 
    Armada 1500 hard drives do not include a 'idle patrol seek' feature. 
    The 5/17/97 ROM offsets this by automatically spinning down the hard 
    drive after 60 minutes of inactivity, even when power management has
    been turned off.  This prevents the possibility of physical wear of 
    the hard drive surface, which can lead to a shorter hard drive life.

-   Alternate Supplier Support: With Compaq's continual effort to qualify
    alternate suppliers for Sales options and Service spares, it is 
    necessary that consumers who purchase certain Armada 1500 hard drive 
    options, or obtain replacement hard drives under warranty upgrade to 
    this new ROM. 

-   System Hang when the CRT is unplugged: In certain unusual 
    circumstances, the unit may hang when a monitor is unplugged during 
    operation and the video resolution is then changed.

-   While charging a battery, system will shut down if AC is disconnected 
    while the system is going into or coming out of hibernation.

-   While charging a Li-Ion battery and placing the unit in standby, 
    quickly removing AC power after depressing the standby button may 
    prevent the user from resuming from standby.  Re-inserting the battery 
    or plugging in AC power will re-boot the system, but all suspend data 
    will be lost.

-   Allows formatting and using of 3.5 floppy diskettes in Japanese format.

HOW TO USE:

1.  Obtain a formatted 1.44-MB diskette.

2.  Download the SoftPaq to a directory on your hard drive and change 
to that directory.  The file that is downloaded is an executable with 
a filename based on the SoftPaq Number above.

3.  From that drive and directory, execute the downloaded file 
and follow the on-screen instructions.  You will be prompted to 
insert the formatted diskette in a drive to create the diskette.

4.  After the diskette has been created, you may delete the  
SoftPaq file downloaded in step 2.

5.  Power down the computer.

6.  Place the newly created Compaq Armada 1500 ROMpaq diskette in 
Drive A: and power up the computer.  Follow the instructions on the 
screen to upgrade the System ROM.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT TURN OFF POWER TO THE SYSTEM WHILE PERFORMING 
THIS PROCEDURE!

Copyright 1997, 1998, Compaq Computer Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered 
trademarks of their respective companies.