fix Award 4.51PG 32gb hd limitation

Recommended by Wim's BIOS...

I've done a little research and here is the pertinent information of
what I have installed on my system:

Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
Award Plug&Play Bios extension v1.02a
Award ID-String: 02/23/1999 - I440ZX - SMC60X - 2A69KB0JC-00
Board/Bios Version: TZA0203D
Mobo: by BIOSTAR and the model is M6TZA v1.0
Chipset: I440ZX - SMC60X Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: SMC 60x rev 0 found at port 3F0h

I've searched the web and see that Award is now Phoenix but neither still have a bios upgrade that I can see that fixes the 32gb limit. My original computer manufacturer quantex has gone under. I was wondering if anyone knew of something/someplace who has bios upgrades for my particular setup. I'd prefer not to do an overlay or pin changes, etc, because I think the bios upgrade is the best way to go for me without necessarly replacing the chip.. ..unless I use a $49 Maxtor Ultra ATA/133 PCI Adapter Card but I have no experience with doing that and I'd rather not spend the money if not necessary, as well as $70 for a new chip, I hope please no. I'd much prefer to do a simple flash upgrade somehow to get past this 32gb limit. I saw at this link:
http://www.biostar.com.tw/products/main ... /bios.php3
..and here is an upgrade that matches my mobo version but for details it only lists the upgrade is for a microtec scanner vrs sound problem - and it doesn't say but I was also wondering if anyone knows if by chance that this update also will fix the 32gb limitation issue?

Thank you for any feedback that can resolve my 32gb dilemma,
zepherzs

You show a M5TZA and you looking at a M6TZA bios.... I wouldn't if I were you.

As for addin cards, go to www.pricewatch.com and look in the I/O comtrollers cards. You can get what you want for as low a $13.....

[Denniss]

Are you sure with your posted model number ?
M5 usually is a Socket 7 Board while M6 is Pentium 2/3/Celeron - like your Board .
If you have the M6TZA the Biosupdate should match and may support HDD above 32GB .

a_user
Denniss

I made a typo -;) sorry - it's definitely a M6TZA v1.0 for sure!

BIOS Date: 02/23/99
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 02/23/1999-I440ZX-SMC60X-2A69KB0JC-00
BIOS Eval: TZA0203D
Mobo: by BIOSTAR and the model is M6TZA v1.0
Chipset: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: SMC 60x rev 0 found at port 3F0h

Yes I could get an ATA card but if I can get a bios update free or for $9.95 then it is my preference to try first. I'll look at your link and see if that's what you mean by an I/O card if different than ATA - must be the same.

$69.95 from biosagent is waaaaaay toooooo much for a bios chip thank you

[Rainbow]

Easy - get the latest BIOS "11/02/1999-I440ZX-SMC60X-2A69KB0JC-00" at http://www.biostar.com.tw/products/mainboard/slot_1/m6tza/tza1101b.exe.
It's free and new enough to work with HDDs over 32GB.

Rainbow wrote:

Easy - get the latest BIOS "11/02/1999-I440ZX-SMC60X-2A69KB0JC-00" at http://www.biostar.com.tw/products/mainboard/slot_1/m6tza/tza1101b.exe.
It's free and new enough to work with HDDs over 32GB.

Rainbow, Rainbow... omg...

..I hear what you're saying but as I already had that link in my original post about this very same update saying/asking that the only thing it says there for a description about this update is that it is to fix a microteck scanner problem - but Nothing about a 32gb limit? Could it be true they also fixed the 32gb issue and just didn't mention it????????

here, I will paste the text from that page:

~~~~~~~
M6TZA
File Size 202 Kb Update date 11/18/1999
Description - Update BIOS that reserve IRQ5 for PCI AU8820 Sound Card to fix USB scanner (Microtek SlimScan C6)
Download tza1101b.exe (202 kb)
~~~~~~~

I have it but didn't want to flash it yet for safety sake if I didn't do it right and broke it, becasue I don't have a backup chip to go back!

..but now Rainbow.. ..do you have inside information that this update will also fix the 32gb limitation...?

Please and Thank You!
zepherzs

[Rainbow]

The 32GB limitation should be fixed in all BIOSes later than 7/1999. I think that it's not listed there because it was fixed in a previous release.

Rainbow wrote:

The 32GB limitation should be fixed in all BIOSes later than 7/1999. I think that it's not listed there because it was fixed in a previous release.

Hi Rainbow,

Is it your experience then that newer bios upgrades all inclusive.. ..iow, would this Tza1101b.bin 11/3/1999 upgrade contain all the previous upgrades all included in this one now?

Another question while I'm here please. I noticed on the BioStar website a part of the flash instructions there now are to just run the AWDFLASH.EXE at the dos prompt, and in the older instructions that came with the flash file says to run the AWDFLASH.EXE at the dos prompt too but it Also has a few switches with it like this: AWDFLASH.EXE /CC/F ...so naturally one would ask which way to do it and/or what do those switches represent.

Thanks for your replies,
zephers

ps,
(random info) ..curiously I've found an older Tza0603b.bin 3-6-1999 on the web for this board but it has no descriptions at all with it to say what it fixes, but of course it's only 15 days newer than my current bios date 2/23/99 anyway - both of these are earlier than the 6/99 bios date that Awards says that it fixed the 32gb limitation....

[Rainbow]

In 99% cases, new BIOS contains all fixes that were in previous version.
"AWDFLASH bios.bin" should work in most cases.

Rainbow wrote:

In 99% cases, new BIOS contains all fixes that were in previous version.
"AWDFLASH bios.bin" should work in most cases.

Okay thanks Rainbow for your input.

I decided to give it a go, but I used the switches anyway since they came with the instructions along with the flash file I used. (i'm still curious what the switches mean though)

Flashing all went smooth but when I rebooted and during that process it prompted with a "CMOS Checksum Error - Defaults Loaded" ..I wasn't sure what to do with that one, so I pressed to continue and it did - as it went along booting it prompted about a new hardware communication port device found and updated it and rebooted.

Do know what the CMOS Checksum Error means and what to do about it?

thanks again,
zhephers

[Rainbow]

The /CC parameter means "Clear CMOS" - it clears all settings in BIOS, which will display "CMOS checksum error" on reboot.

If you execute the flash file with a /? parm you will see the what the parms mean.


AWDFLASH v8.16A (01/14) (C)Phoenix Technologies Ltd. 2002 All Rights Reserved

Usage: AWDFLASH [FileName1] [FileName2] [/<sw>[/<sw>...]]
FileName1 : New BIOS Name For Flash Programming
FileName2 : BIOS File For Backing-up the Original BIOS
<Swtches> ?: Show Help Messages
py: Program Flash Memory pn: No Flash Programming
sy: Backup Original BIOS To Disk File sn: No Original BIOS Backup
Sb: Skip BootBlock programming Wb: Always Programming BootBlock
cd: Clear DMI Data After Programming sd: Save DMI data to file
cp: Clear PnP(ESCD) Data After Programming
cc: Clear CMOS Data After Programming
LD: Destroy CMOS Checksum And No System Halt For First Reboot
After Programming Tiny: Occupy lesser memory
QI: Qualify flash part number with source file
E: Return to DOS When Programming is done
R: RESET System After Programming
F: Use Flash Routines in Original BIOS For Flash Programming
cks: Show update Binfile checksum cksXXXX: Compare Binfile CheckSum with XXXX

Example: AWDFLASH 6A69R000.bin /py/sn/cd/cp/cks1A26

Thank you very much Rainbow for all your help! ..and thank you to a_user for your detailed answer on the switch.

All is well now - my system now operates with HD's over 32gb

My day has been made. I'm lucky to have done this for free - Thank You!

...thank you very much!

I can say for anyone in the future that has this:

BIOS Date: 02/23/99
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 02/23/1999-I440ZX-SMC60X-2A69KB0JC-00
BIOS Eval: TZA0203D,
Mobo: by BIOSTAR and the model is M6TZA v1.0
Chipset: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: SMC 60x rev 0 found at port 3F0h

Then just go to this link:
http://www.biostar.com.tw/products/main ... /bios.php3
..get that file, and get the flash, and if you do it right, you will be free of any 32gb limitation!!! ..and with a few extra fancy options at boot as well.

Thank You!
zepherzs