IWILL KK266 LOSERS !!!!

[Superdoopercooper]

bupkus,

If you are looking at your MB, look to the NORTH and slightly EAST of the DIMM0 slot. It is up near the top edge of the motherboard (if your board is mounted in a tower case). It took me a while to find too... but there really isn't much else there... and it is right next to a mounting hole.

Edit: if you have no soldering experience, I HIGHLY recommend doing the RMA route. I would consider myself at least an average solderer, and I still have reservations about doing it... mainly due to warranty. Iwill will obviously be able to tell by my serial number that the board should have the resistor problem (at least I think they should), so if I ever have return my board for something else, I don't want them to be all funny about it. I know I could do the change, as I've done similar jobs at work in the past, but I'm just always afraid of screwing something up. Don't know why? THe boards at work cost 10 - 20 times what this motherboard did... hehehehehe...

 

[KevinH]

Nino, Iwill is putting out an express RMA for ALL revision 2 KK266's. Just saw that on Hard OCP.

 

[White Widow]

Actually Iwill is beign very specific that they will ONLY take back the boards that either: 1) have a 0 OHM resistor at R357 or 2) ONLY gives an 8.5x multiplier when you try and adjust it in BIOS. You can read the explanation here, and download the Exress RMA form here. If you happen to have a Rev 1.2 board, or Rev 1.1, that has any other type of problem (like no video, etc.) then you have to do a normal RMA.

As far as I am conceerned, they should replace my faulty motherboard with a RAID version to make up for the trouble. I have had to suffer with a screwey motherboard for 2 weeks, thanks to Iwill. I like the board, but this could have meant MAJOR productivity loss...if I were ever productive. I just think a little compensation beyond "free shipping to and from the customer" is in order. At least they send the replacement first, though.

-Aaron

 

[RoboTECH]

this could have meant MAJOR productivity loss...if I were ever productive.

 

[sitka]

Oh man there is a chance some of these RMAed boards could show up at liquiators, as refurbs. YUHHHHMMMMY. $85.00.

 

[bupkus]

Superdoopercooper,
I found the string "R357" about 10 o'clock off the screw hole. Mine shows 3 pin holes in a V shape. Below the "R357" is the "R356" and the "R358" just below that. Just below the "R358" is a 2X3 matrix of little horizontal metal "thingys." There's 2 columns and 3 rows of these things. Now, if you go back to that "R357" there's a trace that goes all the way to the top right of the board and then down. It comes to some more pin holes, again with nothing in them.
Well, that's it. I think I don't have that problem. If I did would those 3 pin holes in the 'V' shape have something in them?

 

[Superdoopercooper]

bupkus,

Next to R356 and R357, you should see two little silver pads each. On one of them, there should be a little black "box" (something about the shape of a miniture stick of gum) that has a ZERO ("0&quot on it.

If that littl black box is connecting the silver pads next to R357 and not R356, then you have the problem. If the other way around, you are good to go.

 

[bupkus]

Superdoopercooper,
Ok, bear with me. I'm never looked at circuit boards before so I don't know how labels are placed to associate the label with the object.

The grouping of 6 names I notice are in a pattern similar to the grouping of 6 objects. I will guess that they are associated with each other.

There are 2 columns and 3 rows. The names appear somewhat as follows:
C393 R357
R53 R356
C394 R358
............Underneither this is a 2 columns by 3 rows pattern of tiny horizontal objects as follows:
[Gray].[ 0 ]
[E01]..[] []
[Grey].[ 0 ]
............Periods are used as spacing because spaces are edited out by posting program.

If my guess is correct the following are the associations between label and object.

C393-> [Gray] . . R357-> [ 0 ]
. R53-> [E01] . . . R356-> [] []
C394-> [Gray] . . R358-> [ 0 ]

Whewww! That's too much work. Does this seem to be telling me my "0" is in the wrong place? I just looked at the RMA Request Form and it says "Only motherboards that still have "0" ohm resistor at R357 location or ... will be replaced." Looks like I've got to tear this thing down again.

First I need to assure myself that that RMA Request Form is legit. It asks for my credit card number. I wonder why that is. If the board were to fail a replacement condition then IWILL could ask for the credit card number to compensate shipping otherwise you don't get your board back.

Who's paranoid? Did you say I'm paranoid? No??? Was It you?

Maybe this would explain why my 2.5V is only 0.31V?

 

[nino]

Hey Bupkus,
Your board is defective and you'll need to get the RMA. I wouldn't sweat the credit card info. Think of it from their standpoint. They are going to mail out boards and if they don't get the defective one back then you better believe that they are going to charge your card. Makes sense.
Nino

 

[Superdoopercooper]

Yep... I agree. You need to RMA the thing. just fill it out, and fax it in. Give them your credit card #. It will expedite shipping you the new one, I think. And it's just insurance for them.

Of course, use a credit card with fraud protection just in case, but Iwill seems like a quality outfit... so I wouldn't worry. I called them today, and I got a receptionist who transfered my call... I was on hold for all of about 10 seconds. If only the phone and cable companies had that kind of service.

 

[etech]

Labeled pic of the components in question.
cluboverclocker

 

[White Widow]

Ok, this is probably a stupid question, but do i need to email Iwill first to get an RMA number, then send the form? Or, can I just send in the form with a BLANK RMA and let them take care of it then?

-Aaron

 

[Superdoopercooper]

White Widow,

I called, and they said you fill out the form, leaving the RMA number and stuff blank. They fill it out once they get the fax. SO, you just have to fill out your personal information. Once they get it, they assign the RMA, since this is a SPECIAL, expedited RMA.

For normal RMA, you have to talk to tech support or something and get them to determine if you need and RMA, and then they'll give you a number, and then you'd fill out the entire form, RMA # and all. So, this resistor thing is a special case.

 

[Zombie13]

Just an FYI:

I called Iwill tech support because I am using the KK266 in system with no OCing. I wanted to know if there was any reason to RMA the board other than the multiplier issue - namely the no video on cold boot problem I've heard of but never experienced. The tech (who couldn't understand what the big deal with the multiplier problem was anyway) said that I don't plan on overclocking, there is no reason to RMA the board. I want to get this system finished up and sold, so I am just going to keep it.

 

[White Widow]

Thanks for the info. I tried calling Iwill about 10 times, but all I ever got was voicemail for both RMA and tech support. I finally just called the operator and made her find out. Just to be safe, i also typed out the RMA form in Adobe, so there is NO WAY they can't read my info.

On thing - where can I locate the serial number? I know it's the number at the bottom of the screen during POST, but most of that "string" looks like BIOS and chipset info. My "official" serial number is: 02/27/2001-8363-686B-6A6LMI3CC-00

On the RMA form, there was NO WAY I could fit all of that, so I just put 6A6LMI3CC-00 - do I need to fit all the rest?

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[bupkus]

I faxed the RMA REQUEST FORM with just my printed name, telephone, fax, email address, credit card and signature. Their RMA dept. phoned back and asked for another fax with a clearer printing of my name, shipping address, and which model mainboard I was returning (Raid vs. non-raid). I wasn't asked for a serial number I suppose because this is a special case scenario and the form was a generic.

 

[White Widow]

How long did it take them to respond to the FAX?

 

[Yerdy]

My iWill is having the multiplier problem but it is doing fine oc'ing using the FSB, so I will not RMA it. Also because I am lazy and have the artic silver and HSF cooling VERY nicely (it took two of us to lock the HSF on the cpu and socket) for my T-bird 900@1035.

 

[Microbman]

I have a KK266 non raid. It was made in Jan 01 but I don't know where to find whether it is 1.1 or 1.2. When I set the jumpers to 133 it won't post. I have not tried OC. Otherwise it;s a bomb! Where do I find the v # ? It looks like it is a candidate for RMA but I bought it at Fry's. Will they do anything do u think?

 

[White Widow]

The version number is printed in big white numbers under the "KK266" behind the first PCI slot. I'm guessing you gave a Rev 1.1 board. To get to 133FSB, short all the L7 jumpers so the chip will default to 1.85v. Otherwsie it will only tru at defualt voltage, no matter the setting in BIOS.

-Aaron

 

[nino]

I'M ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON YOU GUYS. These posts are here for a reason so read ALL of them and you will find that you HAVE to short L7 and L1 bridges BEFORE you even THINK that you have a mobo problem.

If not you will be eternally labelled an IWILL LOSER

And you HAVE to use the windshield repair kit solution to jumper your bridges or else you will considered an IWILL LOSER^2 .

I should get money from Iwill and the people of Loctite (they make the windshield repair kit).

I hope all of you know that I'm joking. If not, then you are an IWILL LOSER

 

[White Widow]

Does a conductive pen count?

 

[Microbman]

Yep Nino your absolutely correct. I was in a hurry and only breezed through the posts until i could get back to them later. And i havent done my homework..too busy with real life-thats a REAL bummer. Now I understand and now i gotta go use some graphite pencil and unlock those bridges. THEN if things dont work i gotta legit beef.

So, how do u like the KT7 crapbo?

 

[Microbman]

Ssssorry, i meant the use of Loctite NOT the pencil trick.

 

[nino]

The question has been asked if conductive pen is equivalent to the rear windshield defogger kit.
My first guess would be NO but that is because I've never used the stuff and the windshield defogger solution is mostly copper which means highly conductive.
I'm NOT sure. Does anyone know?