User manual ASUS P4-S800-MX

[. . . ] P4S800-MX User Guide Motherboard E1447 Checklist Revised Edition V2 October 2003 Copyright © 2003 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. [. . . ] d. 2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2. 1. 2 Using ASUS EZ Flash to update the BIOS The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to easily update the BIOS without having to go through the long process of booting from a floppy disk and using a DOS-based utility. The EZ Flash is built-in the BIOS LPC chip so it is accessible by simply pressing <Alt> + <F2> during the Power-On Self Tests (POST). To update the BIOS using ASUS EZ Flash: 1. Visit the ASUS website (www. asus. com) to download the latest BIOS file for your motherboard and rename it to P4S800MX. BIN. To launch EZ Flash, press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following. User recovery requested. Checking for floppy. . . If there is no floppy disk found in the drive, the error message "Floppy not found!" appears. If the correct BIOS file is not found in the floppy disk, the error message "P4S800MX. BIN not found!" 4. If the P4S800MX. BIN file is found in the floppy disk, EZ Flash performs the BIOS update process and automatically reboots the system when done. DO NOT shutdown or reset the system while updating the BIOS!Rebooting. ASUS P4S800-MX motherboard user guide 2-3 2. 1. 3 Using the AFLASH utility AFLASH is a Flash Memory Writer utility that allows you to update the BIOS using a bootable floppy disk, or copy the original motherboard BIOS. This utility only works in DOS mode. Copying the original motherboard BIOS To copy the original motherboard BIOS file: 1. Copy the AFLASH utility from the support CD to the boot disk you created. AFLASH does not work in the DOS prompt within Windows®, and does not work with certain memory drivers that may be loaded when you boot from the hard drive. Reboot the computer from the floppy disk. BIOS setup must specify "Floppy" as the first item in the boot sequence. 3. The Save Current BIOS To File screen appears. If the word "unknown" appears after Flash Memory, the memory chip is either not programmable or is not supported by the ACPI BIOS and therefore, cannot be programmed by the Flash Memory Writer utility. 5. Type a filename and the path, for example, A:\XXX-XX. XXX, then press <Enter>. 2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS information Updating the BIOS Update the BIOS only if you have problems with the motherboard and you are sure that the new BIOS revision will solve your problems. Careless updating may result to more problems with the motherboard! To update the BIOS: 1. Download an updated BIOS file from the ASUS website (www. asus. com) and save the file to the bootable floppy disk you earlier . Type the filename of your new BIOS and the path, for example, A:\P4S800MX. BIN, then press <Enter>. This minimizes the possibility of boot problems in case of update failures. When updating is done, the message "Flashed Successfully" appears. ASUS P4S800-MX motherboard user guide 2-5 8. Follow the screen instructions to continue. If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO NOT turn off the system because this may cause boot problems. Just repeat the process, and if the problem persists, load the original BIOS file you saved to the boot disk. If the Flash Memory Writer utility is not able to successfully update a complete BIOS file, the system may not boot. If this happens, call the ASUS Technical Support for assistance. 2. 1. 4 Recovering the BIOS with CrashFree BIOS The CrashFree BIOS auto recovery tool allows you to restore BIOS from a floppy disk that contains the BIOS file, in case the current BIOS on the motherboard fails or gets corrupted. 1. [. . . ] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Make sure that the Full Screen Logo item is set to [Enabled] if you wish to use the ASUS MyLogoTM feature. Interrupt Mode [APIC] The Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) setting allows you to distribute interrupt routings other than the 16 IRQs. The Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) setting allows you to use the 16 IRQs only. Configuration options: [APIC] [PIC] ASUS P4S800-MX motherboard user guide 2-27 2. 7 Exit Menu After configuring the BIOS save your changes and exit Setup. Select Exit from the menu bar to display the following menu. Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. [. . . ]