OK - I finally got to the bottom of this problem -
so I'm posting the details back here in case anyone
else is going through the hell that I have recently
been through.
It turns out that the latest BIOS on the Tyan site
when I first posted did not cope with the latest
revisions of the Opteron 144. I had updated the
BIOS to the latest version but that had not fixed
the problem. I have just checked and there is a new
beta version up there now. File name is - 2850_520a
in the beta download section.
I sent an email to Tyan support last Sunday and have
had no response and a week has gone by.
Not at all impressed. Also the automated responses
from support were giving me incorrect data
about where to install the memory.
However, I was very inpressed with the support I recieved
from Rainbow-it.co.uk - the vendor. I only wish I had
gone to them first - they were very knowlegable and
helpful. They spoke to Tyan who evidently alreay new
of the problem and provided me with a new BIOS.
The only extra problem I had after installation of
Windows 2003 Server was an "Unknown" device
showing up in the device manager. Again Rainbow-It
helped here and diagnosed this as probably the HPET
or SMBus component. They recommended installing
AMD Driver Pack, Version 2.1.0.1 and this fixed the
problem. This can be found here...
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_9...,00.htm
Take care this URL might wrap....
Roy