After upgrading cpu can't edit bios or problems occure

clicchi

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Jan 28, 2012
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mb=Biostar p4m900 Micro 775
chipsets= northbridge - p4m900 ; southbridge - vt8237a (both VIA)

I upgraded the older Celeron D processor with a (fully supported by mobo) E6700 Coe 2 Duo.
First I followed all instructions to flash newest bios from MB manufacturer.
Then I installed new cpu. The new CPU was shown in POST. Great. Booted up Windows and the CPU was not seen at the correct speed. Did a reboot and still no go. Did some research and decided to reset CMOS and try again.
I reset the cmos (jumpers 2 &3) closed.
After reboot I see the correct CPU at the correct speed settings.
At the POST,
Correct bios version displayed.
(correct displays for memory, drives, etc.)
Floppy disk fail! [40] (because the bios was reset to defaults which enabled floppy and I don't have one.)
CMOS defaults loaded.
Warning! CPU has been changed.
Please renter CPU settings in the CMOS setup and remember to save before quit!
Press F8 to enable system configuration.
Press F9 to choose drive to boot after
POST
Press F1 to continue / Press Del to enter setup

In a nutshell, I can get the bios and OS to boot (WinXP-sp3-current updates installed) to see this new cpu at it's correct speed.
But only by pressing F1 continue. If I press DEL so I can disable the floppy or to set the correct date (it's off by years) , or ANYTHING, and then Save and EXIT, then upon reboot the sytem displays the incorrect CPU speed and the FSB is also reset too low. Then I'm back to resetting CMOS again. Round and round.
NOTHING I tried to do in bios settings allowed me to change the FSB or even the CPU speed or multiplier. They are either greyed out or don't exist as options. I know I have the latest bios for this mobo. I'm stuck with the defaults; floppy stop error, messed up date, no PNPlay, can't change boot sequence, etc.
I'm stumped.
 
Resetting the CMOS will cause the date to be wrong and enable the floppy drive. Did you check with your motherboard makers web site if the latest version of the BIOS supports your new CPU? If it doesn't then there is nothing that you can do to fix this.
 

clicchi

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Yes, thank you both for bothering to answer. I downloaded the bios from the manufacturer site and it's the specific bios to support this cpu. It's also the last release. The manual (also downloaded from the manufacturer's site) specifically states to reset the cmos so the new Front Side Bus would reset according to the new cpu's speed. This does happen. However.. after cmos has been reset, of course, the floppy is enabled and the time is off as well as a couple of other things. I'm back to my problem.
Now, when I restart the computer and POST is showing correct CPU (plus all the other stated above) and I NOW if I try to press DELete so I can fix the time and disable floppy, and then I "Save and Exit" ... as you know the computer will run through POST again and...
Now it will have the the CPU at the wrong speed again (1000Mhz not 2.66Ghz) ... FSB will be set at 100HZ instead of 266HZ (and no way to change it)
... and I have no way to adjust CPU setting in the bios. I have to reset cmos again to attain the correct CPU timing. I am using the computer to post on this forum.
It seems like a crappy written bios from Biostar here. The Biostar site in bold red letters said before upgrading the CPU to flash the newer bios first.
Are you saying I should reinstall the old bios?
Maybe I'm just thick headed see if you can see anything I'm missing, the MOBO link is below
http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=99 Thanks Again

 

That was what I suggested, try the old BIOS (or a version just earlier than the current one).
 

shanky887614

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you need to look through all the bios settings and set everything.


if it is resetting after each reboot you may need to replace the battery on the motherboard that saves the settings (or you may not have put it back in right)
 

clicchi

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Jan 28, 2012
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Thanks again for helping.
house70; there are only 2 bios offerings for this board, they look identical and both released in 2007 six months apart. I'll try it ans see what happens.

shanky887614; it doesn't reset after every boot, but only if I enter DEL to edit the bios. If I don't press DEL and instead just press F1 (continue) it keeps the current settings. I'll try a new battery in the MOBO too. And yes, I looked thru all the bios settings and there's no way to set the CPU or it's multiplier, I wish there were it would make this easy. It does sound like I'm skipping a crucial setting but the damn bios doesn't have a lot to it. I'll post here any results. Thanks


The Biostar site has a email support option but they've been taking a lot of time off for Chinese New Year and are still offline. Must be nice.
 

clicchi

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Jan 28, 2012
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Thanks for all the advice. I tried Biostar's support after their long new years break. They responded with a question about my exact cpu. I answered and never got another response. I then literally took pictures of all the screen shots both of the "good" and "bad" POST's and BIOS menus. I tried every combination and stumbled upon a setting that fixed my problem. I wish I could say which setting worked but I was working too fast and when the thing finally worked I had made quite a few attempts. So I don't remember. Also had a problem getting an added Sata drive being seen by XP. BIOS saw it but not windows. Frustrating!. I dowloaded an iso of Parted Magic and burned a bootable CD. After a whole lot of searching and studying online, using the apps on the CD and a lot of time jacking around with the systems sata drivers, I finally got that drive seen by XP. It's a solid machine at this point. Took a crap load of time to finally get it going but it will be my new studio computer until such time as I can afford to build a real dedicated studio monster.
Thanks to you who gave help.