Gauntlet Dark Legacy Does Not Boot Up.

72Demon

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Hello,
I hope someone can help me with my Gauntlet Dark Legacy. My previous hard drive crashed - I believe since it would only show a 8 on the LED that runs through the numerical sequence when starting. So I bought a replacement hard drive on ebay. Now that replacement hard drive goes through this sequence over and over again: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, E, u. It will just keep doing this over and over again. A second replacement hard drive from the same seller does the same thing. Does anyone know what that numerical sequence means? Did I get two bad hard drives? Do I have the wrong version? Is my Dark Legacy roms bad? This was a Gauntlet Legends game originally - that I converted to Dark Legacy. I had converted it back to Gauntlet Legends when the first Dark Legacy crashed, but now the Gauntlet Legends drive only shows a 8 on the numerical LED too. This is why I decided to buy a replacement Dark Legacy hard drive. Can anyone please help me figure this out?
 
Try switching the ribbon cable around...if it cycles through it can't recognized the drive either cable is backwards or its the chd version
 
I don't know what 4 means but would love to find out.

8 = bad video card

6 = bad hard drive (I believe)
 
If it shows just a 8 and does nothing else, does that mean bad video card? I had thought that meant bad hard drive. When I swap out the Dark Legacy eproms and hard drive and put the Gauntlet Legends parts back in - I get a 8. Does anyone know what the different numbers mean for these Gauntlet games?
 
If it counts up to 8 and then starts flashing e u then it means bad video card.
 
What if it just shows a "8" and does nothing else? It does not count or anything, LEDs light up, fans spin, but that LED only shows a 8. This is what it does when I try to convert back to Gauntlet Legends.
 
What if it just shows a "8" and does nothing else? It does not count or anything, LEDs light up, fans spin, but that LED only shows a 8. This is what it does when I try to convert back to Gauntlet Legends.

That doesn't sound like the same problem.

What are you replacing when you convert back?
 
It is totally bizarre. It depends on what drive I put in the PCB. I am replacing the roms: Video, Audio, and Boot. Those 3 when I go to Legends or Dark Legacy. And depending on the drive, I get a number sequence up to 4, or up to 6, or up to 8, or up to .8 with a E, u and that one "Dark Legacy" keeps cycling over and over. I have even tried swapping out the video card with another PCB. That second PCB will only show a 8 - does not cycle or anything. So I am not sure if that video card is good. But with that video card it does the same thing as described above.

Any suggestions please?
 
It is totally bizarre. It depends on what drive I put in the PCB. I am replacing the roms: Video, Audio, and Boot. Those 3 when I go to Legends or Dark Legacy. And depending on the drive, I get a number sequence up to 4, or up to 6, or up to 8, or up to .8 with a E, u and that one "Dark Legacy" keeps cycling over and over. I have even tried swapping out the video card with another PCB. That second PCB will only show a 8 - does not cycle or anything. So I am not sure if that video card is good. But with that video card it does the same thing as described above.

Any suggestions please?

I'm pretty sure a security chip is required to swap between games.

Has either game completely and totally worked before you started swapping things?
 
Yes, they did work before. The Dark Legacy had crashed on me, so I converted back to Gauntlet Legends. That worked for awhile, then that one crashed - so I decided if I am going to need to purchase another hard drive again - I might as well purchase a Dark Legacy hd and convert back to Dark Legacy. That is when my "fun" started in trying to figure out what went wrong. Regarding the security chip, I believe that is the boot rom I am speaking of. I put all the roms in the correct spots and facing the correct way that I got from the original Dark Legacy kit I purchased years ago. Now with the new DL HDD, I get 1, 2, 3, 4, 8., E., u, which cycles over and over. Does this mean video board?
 
Yes, they did work before. The Dark Legacy had crashed on me, so I converted back to Gauntlet Legends. That worked for awhile, then that one crashed - so I decided if I am going to need to purchase another hard drive again - I might as well purchase a Dark Legacy hd and convert back to Dark Legacy. That is when my "fun" started in trying to figure out what went wrong. Regarding the security chip, I believe that is the boot rom I am speaking of. I put all the roms in the correct spots and facing the correct way that I got from the original Dark Legacy kit I purchased years ago. Now with the new DL HDD, I get 1, 2, 3, 4, 8., E., u, which cycles over and over. Does this mean video board?

That sequence means video board, yes.

Do you have fans running on the video board and the main board? If you don't have fans running on them then your graphics card will not live a long and happy life.

BTW, toplessz has the video cards for sale or did anyway.
 
I just ordered one from Toplessz. I will update on the findings once I receive it and install. -Thanks for your help.
 
I just ordered one from Toplessz. I will update on the findings once I receive it and install. -Thanks for your help.

Yes, please do update this thread.

Sounds like you may have more than 1 issue but what you described is a video card error code.
 
Yes, they did work before. The Dark Legacy had crashed on me, so I converted back to Gauntlet Legends. That worked for awhile, then that one crashed - so I decided if I am going to need to purchase another hard drive again - I might as well purchase a Dark Legacy hd and convert back to Dark Legacy. That is when my "fun" started in trying to figure out what went wrong. Regarding the security chip, I believe that is the boot rom I am speaking of. I put all the roms in the correct spots and facing the correct way that I got from the original Dark Legacy kit I purchased years ago. Now with the new DL HDD, I get 1, 2, 3, 4, 8., E., u, which cycles over and over. Does this mean video board?

I have the same exact issue with my Guantlet DL. Bought another hard drive and no change. I am interested to here if the video card fixes it. I'd hate to spend more money just to have it not work.
 
This is the problem you actually want to have. Fixing it is is incredibly simple, the part is easily available from a reliable seller, and is reasonably priced. Just unplug the defective card and plug in the new one.

And make sure that your fans are working and blowing over that card...

I replaced mine last year when I started getting that error code and it immediately started working again. And I have a new graphics card and another new spare for the future. :)
 
This did NOT work!!!!! I received the new video board and installed it today. The original PCB, does the exact same thing. 1,2,3,4, .8, E, u. When I convert back to GL, I get a 6 or 8 depending on the HD. I then tried my extra PCB - with the new video board. With DL installed it did cycle up thru the numbers. I did finally hear the Gauntlet ping. The LED that cycles thru the numbers was showing more number sequences then I remember ever seeing before. It did not boot up like it should of. I did notice that I had it on LCD, not monitor, for one of the settings. When I turned it off and changed that setting, now all I get is a .8. It does not cycle thru any of the numbers. It seems like it is stuck. When I tried GL it that pcb I got it to cycle up to 6. With my extra HD all I got was a .8. Any ideas??? I have dropped so much time and $$ into this thing!!!!

PS. I did check the pwr supply and all voltages are correct.
 
Wow, it's really difficult to sort through all of the combinations that you're working with and I have to say that you've partially lost me.

I'm surprised that it didn't work with your board that was cycling up through 8 and then saying E U. That's exactly what mine and others were doing and a video card swap fixed them.

It sounds like you have multiple problems here, especially because your new video card with your other board set you got the ping associated with the game booting up. When you get the ping the game is booting, past the hw check, etc.

The 6 E U means an issue with your hard drive. Either you have a bad hd, image doesn't match the rom version on your board, or it isn't connected correctly.

I have *no* idea of what you mean when you say that you had it on lcd, not monitor. I would focus on the game that you get the ping from and put it on all factory defaults for dip settings and see what you get.
 
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Few things...

If the cable that runs from the video card to the CPU board is bad or disconnected the game WILL NOT boot. You cant run a monitor directly from the video card without using a Y adapter and connecting the CPU as well. I wouldn't recommend doing this though because the JAMMA I/O board boosts the color levels and makes the game look a tad bit brighter. THE CPU looks for signals from the video card in order for the game to come up.

Also, check your voltages at the Hard drive power header NOT the power supply or the edge connector side of the JAMMA harness. Those I/O boards are thinner then normal so the JAMMA harness doesnt always seat well on the board. I usually add a hard drive power Y adapter to those and bypass the GND and +5 on the edge connector by connecting one side of the Y adapter to the cabinet harness (leaving the wires in place on the JAMMA harness).

Since replacing the video card and hard drive isnt fixing your problem that only leaves the CPU board (they do go bad), the edge connectors between the boards (clean them with a pencil eraser) or bad power.

Matt
 
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