several AN7 bios behaviour questions

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking.amd,alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

I got a cheap AN7 as a return - no drivers; manual; cables; etc. Downloaded
what I could off the abit web site and the board is currently processing
video data with a Barton 2500+ at 230mhz x 10 @ CAS 2.0 on some GEIL Golden
Dragon.

Being in a hurry I did a repair install of windows XP (on a previous KT
chipset), and I got the error message of a non ACPI compliant board, so I
clicked OK and did the repair install, (realising I would not be able to
auto switch it off).
However I find that I can not get any monitoring software to tell me the
temperature/etc, the bios can read it, but nothing in the OS [hence my being
nice to it - that and a Volcano 7 is the only hsf I had that would fit due
to the proximity of the psu]. Is this lack of sensor data due to the ACPI
not installing? Am planning on doing a fresh install soon to see if that
clears it up.

Then I noticed that the bios does not update the fsb settings, sometimes it
puts them in the top area as the detected cpu type, but invariably boots
with an fsb of 166, no matter what I do - I have to adjust the fsb from
within windows using the Abit OC Guru (a SoftFSB type program). A minor
niggle, but how do I get it to keep the settings for fsb - the literature I
have seems to say nothing about this. Or is this a 'feature' of the board -
is the "microguru" doing its thing and saving me from myself?
Everything else seems to be ok at bios level - apart from it would not boot
from cd even though other boot devices were disabled it still tried to boot
off IDE0 and still keeps finding the sata raid even though it is disabled.
Anyway thought I would try a bios flash, though it was on the latest - 15.
Tried boot floppy method and got error message of "bios is write protected
please remove write protect jumpers" - to which I can find no reference. F2
method states that bios files (tried previous and current) are not the right
ones, even though they are according to abit website.

So not being familiar with the board (nor it's history - but I like a
challenge - hence the AN7), and a bios that does its own thing anyway, I am
a bit confused. Google has not pulled up much info, but I was wondering if
anyone recognises the symptoms and knows a solution - or if I should RMA it
(not simply because it is an AN7) as I am wondering if the bios may be iffy
or if this is normal behaviour. I mean at the moment it works ok, and it
might just be my ignorance, but it is this not being able to flash the bios
that I do not like - everything else I can live with, it is just that I only
got a few days left to send it back in if I am going to.

Suggestions, comments appreciated
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking.amd,alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Mine works fine and no niggles, save fsb in uguru and bios.


send it back, and get a retail version.

doughnut




"Hippy Paul" <null@anon.con> wrote in message
news:c8j3f8$r95$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> I got a cheap AN7 as a return - no drivers; manual; cables; etc.
Downloaded
> what I could off the abit web site and the board is currently processing
> video data with a Barton 2500+ at 230mhz x 10 @ CAS 2.0 on some GEIL
Golden
> Dragon.
>
> Being in a hurry I did a repair install of windows XP (on a previous KT
> chipset), and I got the error message of a non ACPI compliant board, so I
> clicked OK and did the repair install, (realising I would not be able to
> auto switch it off).
> However I find that I can not get any monitoring software to tell me the
> temperature/etc, the bios can read it, but nothing in the OS [hence my
being
> nice to it - that and a Volcano 7 is the only hsf I had that would fit
due
> to the proximity of the psu]. Is this lack of sensor data due to the ACPI
> not installing? Am planning on doing a fresh install soon to see if that
> clears it up.
>
> Then I noticed that the bios does not update the fsb settings, sometimes
it
> puts them in the top area as the detected cpu type, but invariably boots
> with an fsb of 166, no matter what I do - I have to adjust the fsb from
> within windows using the Abit OC Guru (a SoftFSB type program). A minor
> niggle, but how do I get it to keep the settings for fsb - the literature
I
> have seems to say nothing about this. Or is this a 'feature' of the
board -
> is the "microguru" doing its thing and saving me from myself?
> Everything else seems to be ok at bios level - apart from it would not
boot
> from cd even though other boot devices were disabled it still tried to
boot
> off IDE0 and still keeps finding the sata raid even though it is disabled.
> Anyway thought I would try a bios flash, though it was on the latest -
15.
> Tried boot floppy method and got error message of "bios is write protected
> please remove write protect jumpers" - to which I can find no reference.
F2
> method states that bios files (tried previous and current) are not the
right
> ones, even though they are according to abit website.
>
> So not being familiar with the board (nor it's history - but I like a
> challenge - hence the AN7), and a bios that does its own thing anyway, I
am
> a bit confused. Google has not pulled up much info, but I was wondering
if
> anyone recognises the symptoms and knows a solution - or if I should RMA
it
> (not simply because it is an AN7) as I am wondering if the bios may be
iffy
> or if this is normal behaviour. I mean at the moment it works ok, and it
> might just be my ignorance, but it is this not being able to flash the
bios
> that I do not like - everything else I can live with, it is just that I
only
> got a few days left to send it back in if I am going to.
>
> Suggestions, comments appreciated
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>