Need to add a larger HDD ??

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

Hi,

I have an MSI mainboard, and I don't have the manual, however at boot
time, the details are:

W6156MS V1.2 022599

I would like to add either an 80, 100 or 120 Gb HDD to this computer.
The MSI site doesn't give any details (that I can find ??) on the
'6156' model, so I can't tell if the mainboard will be able to handle
the larger drives.

I guess part of this may be a BIOS upgrade, the details are:

===========================================

Award BIOS found : Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
Award ID-String : 10/20/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4GC-00
Board/BIOS-Version : W6156MS V1.2 022599
OEM : MICRO STAR
URL : http://www.msi.com.tw
Chipset : i440BX-W977 //Intel 440BX

============================================

Hoping someone can advise the maximum sized HDD I can put on this
mainboard (after a possible bios upgrade).

Thanks,

Peter


Peter Richards
peter_j_richards@nospamplease.com
(but use hotmail to email)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

On 9/10/2004 6:39 PM Peter Richards brightened our day with:

>Hi,
>
>I have an MSI mainboard, and I don't have the manual, however at boot
>time, the details are:
>
>W6156MS V1.2 022599
>
>I would like to add either an 80, 100 or 120 Gb HDD to this computer.
>The MSI site doesn't give any details (that I can find ??) on the
>'6156' model, so I can't tell if the mainboard will be able to handle
>the larger drives.
>
>I guess part of this may be a BIOS upgrade, the details are:
>
>===========================================
>
>Award BIOS found : Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
> Award ID-String : 10/20/1998-i440BX-W977-2A69KM4GC-00
> Board/BIOS-Version : W6156MS V1.2 022599
> OEM : MICRO STAR
> URL : http://www.msi.com.tw
> Chipset : i440BX-W977 //Intel 440BX
>
>============================================
>
>Hoping someone can advise the maximum sized HDD I can put on this
>mainboard (after a possible bios upgrade).
>
>Thanks,
>
>Peter
>
>
>Peter Richards
>peter_j_richards@nospamplease.com
> (but use hotmail to email)
>
>
It's probably one of these two, and more than likely specifically the
one that has BIOS version 1.6 for download.

http://tinyurl.com/6kls9
http://tinyurl.com/3ht2y

A large 120 Gb HDD should work, with a i440BX chipset at least I know
its possible.

You might want to think about updating that system though.

--
History shows again and again
How nature points up the folly of men

Steve ¤»Inglo«¤
www.inglostadt.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

Hi Steve,

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 03:08:20 GMT, Inglo <ioo@??.¿¿¿> wrote:

>It's probably one of these two, and more than likely specifically the
>one that has BIOS version 1.6 for download.
>
>http://tinyurl.com/6kls9
>http://tinyurl.com/3ht2y
>

Thanks for those links, yes I think it would be more likely the 1.6
BIOS version. I see there is also a 'live update' link on the MSI
site. Is it 'safe' using that I wonder ??

>A large 120 Gb HDD should work, with a i440BX chipset at least I know
>its possible.

Hopefully after the BIOS update, I can use a 120 GB HDD, that will be
great.

>You might want to think about updating that system though.

Yes, I have been considering that, but as I use Win95b on this
computer, I'd really have to do the whole bit, new mainboard/CPU, RAM
and OS (.... ouch !! )

Thanks,

Peter


Peter Richards
peter_j_richards@nospamplease.com
(but use hotmail to email)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

On 9/11/2004 12:42 AM Peter Richards brightened our day with:

>Hi Steve,
>
>On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 03:08:20 GMT, Inglo <ioo@??.¿¿¿> wrote:
>
>
>
>>It's probably one of these two, and more than likely specifically the
>>one that has BIOS version 1.6 for download.
>>
>>http://tinyurl.com/6kls9
>>http://tinyurl.com/3ht2y
>>
>>
>>
>
>Thanks for those links, yes I think it would be more likely the 1.6
>BIOS version. I see there is also a 'live update' link on the MSI
>site. Is it 'safe' using that I wonder ??
>
>
>
Live update is safe, just don't let it automatically install the BIOS,
do it yourself with a floppy. If live update finds the correct BIOS,
then at least your assured of having the right one.
I don't know if live update will work on win95 though, maybe as long as
you're running the latest IE.

--

Steve ¤»Inglo«¤
www.inglostadt.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

Hi Steve,

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 08:54:51 GMT, Inglo <ioo@??.¿¿¿> wrote:

>Live update is safe, just don't let it automatically install the BIOS,
>do it yourself with a floppy. If live update finds the correct BIOS,
>then at least your assured of having the right one.
>I don't know if live update will work on win95 though, maybe as long as
>you're running the latest IE.

I have the latest IE for W95, but after installing the live update, I
had several reboots, blue screen of death msgs, driver problems, and a
message:

VBIOS

Flash_MMIO_MAP
DeviceIoControl

and IE refused to work, so I'll uninstall the LiveUpdate, obviously
not intended for a dinosaur OS.

I downloaded the BIOS update and the manuals, so will do the BIOS
update soon. I've done this a few times before, but many years ago.
There is a method to 'dump' the current BIOS (like a flash dump) to a
diskette I think ?? Just that with W95 and other factors, if the BIOS
upgrade doesn't work, then I'd like to still be able to restore the
current one.

Thanks,

Peter


Peter Richards
peter_j_richards@nospamplease.com
(but use hotmail to email)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

On 9/12/2004 11:39 PM Peter Richards brightened our day with:

>Hi Steve,
>
>On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 08:54:51 GMT, Inglo <ioo@??.¿¿¿> wrote:
>
>
>
>>Live update is safe, just don't let it automatically install the BIOS,
>>do it yourself with a floppy. If live update finds the correct BIOS,
>>then at least your assured of having the right one.
>>I don't know if live update will work on win95 though, maybe as long as
>>you're running the latest IE.
>>
>>
>
>I have the latest IE for W95, but after installing the live update, I
>had several reboots, blue screen of death msgs, driver problems, and a
>message:
>
>VBIOS
>
>Flash_MMIO_MAP
>DeviceIoControl
>
>and IE refused to work, so I'll uninstall the LiveUpdate, obviously
>not intended for a dinosaur OS.
>
>I downloaded the BIOS update and the manuals, so will do the BIOS
>update soon. I've done this a few times before, but many years ago.
>There is a method to 'dump' the current BIOS (like a flash dump) to a
>diskette I think ?? Just that with W95 and other factors, if the BIOS
>upgrade doesn't work, then I'd like to still be able to restore the
>current one.
>
>
>
>
Whatever you downloaded should have instructions for backing up your
current BIOS onto the same floppy the new BIOS is on.

Before you go and possibly screw things up, maybe you should check with
the folks at the MSI Forums.
http://forum.msi.com.tw/
Check in the "retired motherboards" section. There might be someone
there who actually has working knowledge of your board, rather than just
educated guesses.

If you screw up the BIOS badly, well then, you might as well toss the mobo.

--
Steve ¤»Inglo«¤
www.inglostadt.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

Hi Steve,

I have had contact with MSI Australia, and based on what is displayed
at boot time, have been informed:

"With updated BIOS, this mainboard supports upto 80GB OK.
If 80GB is used, then the limitation is likely to be Win95.
Please check with Microsoft before proceeding"

On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:42:55 GMT, Inglo <ioo@??.¿¿¿> wrote:

>Whatever you downloaded should have instructions for backing up your
>current BIOS onto the same floppy the new BIOS is on.

Okay, thanks.

>Before you go and possibly screw things up, maybe you should check with
>the folks at the MSI Forums.
>http://forum.msi.com.tw/
>Check in the "retired motherboards" section. There might be someone
>there who actually has working knowledge of your board, rather than just
>educated guesses.
>
>If you screw up the BIOS badly, well then, you might as well toss the mobo.

Ok, I will ask on the forums. If I can (somehow) get Liveupdate to run
on this computer, then at least I can be 100% certain of what BIOS
upgrade I do need. Not that I will use LiveUpdate to do a BIOS update,
but apparently it will at least be able to tell me exactly what model
number this m/board is. Yesterday, I found a link to the MSI site,
dated around the time I bought the board, the link is:

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=112&MODEL=MS-6156VA

which is not the same link to the '6156' that you supplied for me. At
boot time and running other utilities, the chipset definitely appears
to be the 440BX, not the 'VA" ??

No doubt the board itself will have the _exact_ model number stamped
on it somewhere.

Thanks for your help,

Peter


Peter Richards
peter_j_richards@nospamplease.com
(but use hotmail to email)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar (More info?)

"Peter Richards" <jehoshua@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:lpfak09i76t42mgq2vraj4njp69r0k2tvh@4ax.com...
> I downloaded the BIOS update and the manuals, so will do the BIOS
> update soon.

Suggest you STUDY the instructions in the readme file, mine were written in
Nerd-Chinglish.
After moving a few nouns, verbs and inserting a comma or two then
diagramming the sentence it
made sense and worked.
Xeno