An Alert from HP - HP VISUALIZE Workstations
Hewlett-Packard Company 970-229-3800 3404 East Harmony Road Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
Dear Hewlett-Packard Customer:
Hewlett-Packard would like to advise you that we have discovered a potential system defect that can affect the behaviour of five models of HP VISUALIZE Workstations when equipped with third-party or customer-installed PCI I/O expansion cards. The defect is limited to the HP C180, C160, C160L, B160L, and B132L VISUALIZE workstations, and will only be encountered when data is transmitted through PCI I/O expansion cards on the PCI bus. HP-supplied graphics cards that utilize the PCI bus are not affected.
Although it is improbable that you will encounter this defect, it could result in inconsistent system behaviour such as system hangs, LAN time-outs, and loss of data integrity. Since HP and third parties have only recently introduced PCI expansion cards, the number of affected systems should be extremely low. If you find that you have any of the affected systems, please use the Action Plan below to determine the best way to correct the problem. Systems shipped after 20 August 1997 will automatically notify you if and when the PCI I/O card problem is present in your system.
Should you require additional information or assistance, please contact your local HP Response Centre or local sales office. The action plan will help you determine your next steps.
It is important to emphasize that the vast majority of Hewlett-Packard workstation systems should not be affected by this defect. Your continued satisfaction is HP's highest priority and please be assured that we will work closely with you to resolve this issue. We appreciate your understanding in this important matter.
Sincerely yours,
HP VISUALIZE Workstation PCI Bus Defect Action Plan:
To determine if your system is affected, check the serial number of your HP VISUALIZE workstation against the list below. The serial number is located on a pull-out tab on the back side of the system. If the serial number of your HP VISUALIZE Workstation is lower than those listed here, you may need to take further action. If it is greater than those listed, your system has already had the defect corrected and you do not need to take further action.
Model No U.S. or Asia Europe HP C180 US67430000 3637G11000 HP C180XP US67430000 3629G09000 HP C160 US67430000 3628G10000 HP C160L US67430000 3631G09000 HP B160L US67430000 3626G05000 HP B132L US67430000 3630G08000
For example, if your B132L has a serial number with a letter "G" as the fifth character, and a prefix number below 3630 (e.g. 3608G09673) you may have a system that is affected by this problem. Or, if your C180 starts with the characters "US", and has a prefix number below 6734 (e.g. US67210134) you may have a system that is affected by this problem. If the four-digit prefix number within your serial number is lower than those listed, please continue.
First, you or your support personnel need to download and run the short software utility designed to help you determine your next course of action. The utility is available from your local HP Response Centre or the World Wide Web at:
After running the utility, the user will be directed to take action based on one of the following possible outcomes:
Until this service is performed, we recommend that you do not use the system for production operations with PCI I/O expansion cards installed or you will risk transmitting incorrect data.
If you have any questions at any time, please call your local Response Centre or sales office and have your serial number and product number ready. To expedite your call, refer to the C-Class Service Note #A4231A-04 or B-Class Service Note #A4190A-01.
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