40 GB seagate harddrive is not recognized by older CPU

by **mapmap** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:08 am

here is my story, I have an 1998 CPU and I wanted a bigger hardrive on it with XP so i got a 40 GB one with XP on it and plugged it in and it was going good saying detecting primary IDE... so i let it "detect it" over night and it wasn't done! so i went to the seagate site and talked to the online support first he said that my BIOS couldn't run 40 GB hard drives so I changed the pinclip thing around so that it was a lower GB, my CPU finally detected it but as a secondary IDE then he suggested a BIOS upgrade so I searched for an upgrade to my BIOS online:

Award Modular BIOS v. 4.51 PG
Award Plug and Play BIOS Extension v. 1.0 A

but i couldn't find anything and I don't know a lot about the computer. Also I just saw the BIOS version while it was detecting the new hard drive

If anyone could find an upgrade for my BIOS it would be much appreciated thank you. Also if needed I would like to know how to find my BIOS ID without having to use the internet.

by cp » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:18 am

but as a secondary IDE

use the primary ide port if this bothers you. since the disc is detected after setting the clip jumper AND you are using Windows XP there's nothing more to do. no need for a bios update. just read the sticky thread in this section.

by **mapmap** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 2:35 pm

well... the hard drive I had on my CPU was windows 98 that's why i was thinking to get a BIOS upgrade also how do you boot a secondary IDE hard drive? oh any what do you mean the primary IDE port my CPU has only 1 IDE port.

by cp » Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:41 pm

if you want a bios update we need the bios id string. it's on the bottom of the screen where you can press 'del' to enter the bios.

do you want to use the 40GB with windows XP only now? then there's no need for a bios update as you already overcame the bios bug by setting the clip jumper.

is your hdd jumpered as a slave drive? look at the sticker on the hdd. find the 'master' setup and set the jumpers accordingly. you can boot a slave drive just like a you'd boot a master drive. old AWARD bioses boot the first bootable partition they find anyway. others need to be pointed to the drive first (like primary master or secondary slave and so on). but your bios will just boot the first partition it'll find on one of the harddisks if you select 'C only' for boot order.

by **mapmap** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:03 pm

A few thing 2 say
1. when I changed the pinclip thing around so that it was a lower GB, my CPU actually detected it as a primary slave IDE

2. when i enter the BIOS it doesn't say the id at the bottom, i don't know why

3. I haven't actually ran Xp on my CPU yet... only 95 and 98

4. I will be able to put internet on my CPU tomorrow running 98 with my old hard drive so i will download that BIOS Agent Plus program to find my BIOS ID string

POST UPDATE:

I think I found the ID yay!
(for some reason it didn't show in the BIOS only at the hard drive detection screen)

06/30/1999-SiS-620-P6SET-MLC-00

Sounds Old!

by **Denniss** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:12 am

Elitegroup P6SET-ML

http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Downloads/ProductsDetail_Download.aspx?CategoryID=1&Typeid=3&detailid=100&DetailName=BIOS&DetailDesc=P6SET-ML(V1.4)&MenuID=39&LanID=0

(copy and paste this link to your browser, autolink from the forum software does not work)

The latest Bios is said to support HDD larger than 65GB so your 40GB should be supported as well.

by **mapmap** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:29 am

there is two download links on the site which 1 do i use?

Also when i download it do i just run it and it updates my BIOS automatically

by cp » Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:45 pm

ah, the P6SET-ML :) i've been playtesting one of those just 2 days ago.

download the 1.2h BIOS and refer to the ECS site on how to flash it. while you're at their site you can also get the Flash Update Utility which is right below the BIOS download link.

by **mapmap** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:23 am

im having hard time trying to flash bios you have to boot up floppy disk so you type

A:\>dir

then you type

A:\>Awd860b setls12g.bin /cc/cd/cp

explanation:

A:\>(Bios utility program) (Bios file) (dont know, it was in the tut.)

anyway could someone download it and tell me what im typeing wrong thankyou!

by cp » Sat Dec 06, 2008 2:39 pm

any error codes?

you can try /py/sn as options which would program the bios without further confirmation and NOT save the bios currently stored in the bios chip.

by **edwin** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 2:48 pm

or /pn /sy backup.bin and send that in by email to check if we're trying to flash the proper release of the bios in the first place. usually when a flash util complains it's a safeguard against a wrong bios flash.

by **mapmap** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:09 pm

good news and bad news:

good news is i upgraded the BIOS

bad news is when i put the new hard drive in it doesnt detect it at all then it goes to this screen saying: DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

any help with that? oh and if i need another BIOS upgrade my BIOS ID is:

10/23/2000-SiS-620-P6SET-MLC-00

Thanks for the help so far!

by **edwin** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:13 pm

It does detect the new harddrive, you need to install an operating system like windows or linux on it. This includes partitioning and formatting the new drive before installing the OS.

by **mapmap** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:13 pm

i'll have 2 format it then reinstall XP on it right?

Also is there a higher BIOS that will work on my cpu?

thank you!

by **edwin** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:28 pm

yes, reinstall XP

the 1.2h version you flashed is the latest release, nothing after that.