Award flash hangs k8t master2

wasapppp

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Jul 1, 2010
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When I use the award flash tool and specify the string "AWDFLASH W9617VMS.120 /py /sn /cc /f" as per the instructions that accompany the BIOS download from the MSI site the BIOS flash appears to hang. Waited over an hour for a confirmation that the flash was sucessful.
The motherboard is a MSI K8T Master2 FAR (MS9130).
Does anyone have a solution to this issue.
I am having problems booting my PC. Sometimes it will boot and recognize my HD but not my Floppy. I have reinstalled WIN XP but could not install the onboard RAID controller because there was no Floppy to load the driver.
I kept getting error messages like CMOS Checksum error and when I boot up my computer and when it comes up to the part where the bios is detecting SATA drives it says in proper Chinglish:

"Hardware initiate failed, please check device. The bios does not be installed"

I have downloaded Server_W9617VMS120.zip from the MSI site which appears to be their most recent BIOS upgrade.
 

unclefester

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Don't know if this will help you or not, but with my old set-up, an ASUS K8V with a AMI BIOS there was a Character Limitation. Meaning the EEPROM chip would only recognize 8 characters (AWDFLASH W9617VSM is 16 characters). You could try renaming it "W9617VMS" dropping the "AWDFLASH " and see if it will start the Flashing process.
 

wasapppp

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I seem to remember something like this from the past. But I have not flashed a MB is about 6 years. Also, I thought that they ended in *.BIN but the MSI BIOS ends in 120. I will try again and let you know the results.
 

wasapppp

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I don't think that I can drop the AWDFLASH since that is the program that will do the update to the BIOS and W9617VMS.120 is the BIOS update from MSI. I will try "AWDFLASH W9617VMS /py /sn /cc /f" if I can even get the thing to boot. Right now the PC starts but I do not see any messages about it booting and cannot get to the BIOS. All that is happening is that the power goes on the fans etc start but thats it the monitor is black and the DVD/CD drive just keeps clicking and the light goes on and off. I have even replaced the power supply with a new 650 W Corsair power supply and still have the same problem. I have removed the battery (new) to clear the CMOS on the MB. Done this a number of times by using the Jumpers and also removing the battery and it has at least allowed me to get to the BIOS but now even this is not working.
 

wasapppp

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I don't know if the MB is bad or not since I have had this up and running fine with WIN7, Win2K and Win XP. What I am trying to do is get the PC upgraded from WIN 2K to WIN XP. Then doing a "files and settings transfer" so that I can restore this to a clean WIN 7 64bit install.

The MB is a MSI K8T Master FAR2, 2 Opteron 242 CPU's, 4 GB of name brand OZC, Corsair ECC memory, 4 40 GB maxtor drives, 2 WD 500GB drives, 2 DVD/CD R/W drives.